A/N:
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The Sacrificed Disciple
-Chapter Twenty Seven-
"Don't fear failure. Fear being in the exact same place next year as you are today."
-Unknown
Rin wasn't only kidnapped and put under genjutsu.
She was tortured.
Days have passed since the Kanabi Bridge was blown up, and we still weren't allowed to see her. She wasn't cleared from the hospital. When I asked Minato-sensei, he only said that there was a special protocol in place before she could be cleared. Piecing two and two together, I've come to realize that she had to be cleared by someone like Inoichi, who had to make sure she didn't give out any information. As for he trauma she sustained, only time will tell.
I still visited the hospital everyday, however, and everyday the receptionist would say, 'no visitors.'
Obito's name was carved in stone. He was among thousands who've died in the Third Shinobi War. Kakashi was nowhere to be found during the vigil, and Minato-sensei was the only one from his team who was present. Several others attended, but it was brief.
But life went on, and in those days after Team 7 arrived broken, the Sandaime Hokage announced from his high tower that the Third Shinobi War was officially over, and in light of the sacrifices made, a hero who ended the war rose. One who has been officially declared as the Hokage's successor: Minato-sensei.
No one objected.
There were cheers and thundering applause, but no one questioned why the Sandaime chose not to make one of his own students a successor to his position. No one questioned anything because what mattered was the information presented to us; the information they chose to present to us while the classified missions and the redacted knowledge were hidden safely away.
The Village Hidden in the Leaves was a worthy name.
Itachi took my hand, snapping me out of my stupor. I looked up at the tall gates that lead into the Daimyo's compound. Two shinobi from his entourage pulled the two gates apart and nodded at us to pass through. The paved stone lead us down a pathway where there was greenery on either side. Intricately cut trees, a large pond with koi fish, and arranged flower beds; it all entailed a noble person's garden. Our garden was much smaller then this, and not as extravagant.
As I told Shinko once before, our clan was ancient, not rich. And we certainly didn't have a grand entrance like this. The stoned pathway lead us to a small wooden bridge painted in rich red. I looked to the side to see the koi fish of orange and white hues circling beneath us. There were also morphs of different colors that stood out among the group of fish.
"One koi, two koi, three koi, four," I sang out from between the red railing's wooden safe guards. I pointed to each koi fish as I sang. "Five koi, six koi, seven koi, eight!" I pointed to the odd one out. It was bright yellow with several black and red scales. I found it to be the prettiest. They splashed and gobbled at the air, thinking I was here to feed them.
Itachi poked his head from beside me. "Asuya, you shouldn't tease them." Despite Itachi's scold, his warm tone held no intent to it.
"They look silly," I said by way of explanation. I dug into my side pouch at my waist. "I think I have some leftover crackers from training."
"Can we feed them?" Itachi asked in wonder.
"I don't see why not." I handed him a cracker. He snapped it in half before crumbling one piece above the water.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
I snickered and did the same as Itachi.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
"They do look kind of silly," Itachi amended.
We smiled at each other before we were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. My smile fell as I held Itachi's gaze. Itachi's smile became slightly strained. It was his way of telling me to fake it. When my face remained in a snooty pout, he merely booped my nose before sliding away from the railing.
"Ohayo gozaimasu." I could feel Itachi's chakra signature giving a slight bow from behind me. I straightened and added a more neutral greeting toward the old man at the other end. He was dressed in white to signify his servant status. He gave a deep bow in greeting. "I shall escort you to Lord Daimyo-sama. If you may follow me."
Itachi gave a nod and soon enough, the old man lead us down a pathway around the large house. The pathway lead to an open-spaced courtyard where at the end of the veranda sat the Fire Daimyo. A servant to his side held a large feather fan and moved it in up and down motions as the Daimyo puffed from his pipe.
"So Hiruzen-san," the Daimyo leaned his head on one hand. The heavy jewels around his neck shifted over his robes. "Exquisite taste, is it not?"
The Sandaime Hokage sat comfortably at the Daimyo's side. He puffed from his own wooden pipe and contemplated. After a moment he said, "Yes, Daimyo-sama. There is a richness to this tobacco, indeed."
"I have brought you only the best!" The Fire Daimyo cheered. It was then that he noticed us approach. There were two mats placed on the floor with cushions for us to sit on. I paused a bit to watch Itachi properly sit himself before giving a deep bow. I ignored the mat placed far from Itachi and sat next to him on the same cushion.
I copied his movements with what I believed mirrored the same grace.
If the Daimyo and Hokage noticed, well, they didn't say a thing. "Ah, the famous Uchiha twins!" He peered down at us from his shaded veranda, as if we were tiny ants below him. "My word. They look almost exactly identical! Except this young boy has quite the voluminous hair compared to the silky straight hair of his brother!" He pointed his pipe at me, then gazed at an expressionless Itachi with the same detachment as if comparing two breeds of pure-blood dogs.
I felt much like a speculation by his distant voice. It was true that my hair flared out more from my low ponytail, and it was also a bit more darker then Itachi's, but it wasn't something I found odd, not as the Daimyo did. Hasn't he heard of fraternal twins?
"My. . ." The Daimyo's gaze switched back to me and narrowed. "But his fighting style reminded me so much of. . ." He paused, as if trying to remember. "What was the name of your friend, Hiruzen-san?"
Hiruzen held my gaze as he said, "Uchiha Kagami, my lord."
"Yes! Quite the eccentric fella he was! My, how I miss him." The Fire Daimyo sighed.
The Sandaime Hokage looked to his glass of sake with a solemn gaze before he knocked it back in one gulp. My eyes flickered away. I felt intrusive on a private moment for some reason even though we were the ones summoned here. . .
It felt odd to witness the difference in our status. Even our revered Sandaime Hokage spoke to the Daimyo as if he were of higher status, and higher status he was. He was our lord, and we were sanctioned as the military of the land he reigned over.
But as I looked at them sitting side by side, I knew who held the real power between this relationship.
"Do you recall, Hiruzen-san? When the Nidaime Hokage presented you to my father? We were but children, and you laughed when I tried to water walk in that pond at the front of this house." The Daimyo sighed wistfully. "I've always found it peculiar, your abilities."
The Daimyo paused and straightened in his chair. "But dear me, where is my mind running off to?" He laughed. "Uchiha twins!" He looked to us then paused. "How rare it is to see twins these days. I do not believe in the superstitions as opposed to my father. I find that twins are but a sign of good luck, am I not right, Hiruzen-san?"
"I agree that having twins should be seen as a gift and not taboo. The matriarch of the Uchiha clan must feel the same," The Third murmured. He held out his sake cup to the side, and a servant dutifully refilled it. He lifted the cup to his lips. The brim of his hat covered his gaze. "Speaking of twins, my lord. I believe you had something to say to them?"
The Fire Daimyo gave a warm smile. "Oh, Hiruzen-san. I thank you for reminding me! Uchiha twins!" He looked down to us. "Itachi-kun, your performance was quite marvelous! I congratulate you in winning the Chunin Exams."
Itachi bowed his head again. "Thank you, Lord Daimyo-sama."
"And as for you, young Asuya-kun. To see you in person brings me great joy! I feel as if I know all about you after the conversations I've had with Itachi-kun. How he loves you so." I bowed my head at being addressed. The Daimyo continued, "When I heard that Minato-kun was teaching you, I could not help but be curious. But when I saw your marvelous performance in the Chunin Exams, I knew that such a skilled boy like you had to be taught by the best!"
My throat felt dry as I felt the weight of the Sandaime Hokage's stare. ". . . Thank you, Lord Daimyo-sama." I didn't think it would be wise to correct him by saying, 'Actually, you're wrong. His girlfriend is my teacher. She's also the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox.'
"But I wonder, why did you forfeit? I was beyond shocked! I did not expect such a thing from Itachi's twin. It is not a quality I find. . . suitable."
He held out his pipe and a servant took it to refill it with tobacco.
I frowned. . . Wait. What. I looked to Itachi then to the Daimyo's feet as mother told me. But then. . . I thought of his words. Suitable. . . My heartbeat stuttered at the thought, the implications.
As the adrenaline rush coursed through me, I looked up to meet the Daimyo's gaze. "My Lord. If I were to continue fighting, I knew that I would end up fighting my brother." The Daimyo paused in puffing on his pipe. He blinked at me. "I'd rather forfeit then fight my own brother with the intention to kill, and I knew Itachi would do the same. . ." My voice trailed off when I met the Hokage's gaze, as well. I quickly looked down to avoid his narrowed eyes. "So I forfeited before he would come to the same decision as me."
There was a moment of pause, then the Daimyo gave a joyous laugh. "How very noble of you, Asuya-chan! My, Hiruzen-san had said the same, but I just had to understand for myself."
I stilled. Noble? I looked to the side to see Itachi's genuine smile. Albeit small, it held a fondness there that was too raw for me right now. Didn't he see that I was panicking here?
"It is not very noble at all, Daimyo-sama. In the eyes of others, I am but a coward," I quickly amended, hoping that his focus on me would shift away. "The one who is very noble is Itachi-nii. He's saved me countless times. Hundreds." At this point, I knew I was rambling out of my ass.
Hiruzen gave a throaty chuckle. I still refused to look up as he spoke, "The Uchiha twins have been a warm welcome to Konohagakure. The future of Konoha will have to thank the boys later. The soldiers within our force looked upon them as something that they want for themselves."
The Fire Daimyo laughed. "Oh yes! In nine months time, we shall see a rise in a new generation of the leaf!"
It was intuition I knew, but Itachi. . . My eyes peered at him closely. I could see the subtle tremble of his hands. The grimace in his expression. He closed his eyes as if to block whatever it was. After a moment, the shaking stopped. From the outward appearance, it didn't really look like anything was wrong, but from within, I felt the way Itachi halted the chakra flow into his cerebral system. He slowly looked to me, beads of sweat still trailing down his forehead.
He saw the Upside Down.
The Hokage looked at us for a moment. "Please forgive me, Daimyo-sama. But the children are expected to be home."
The Daimyo's gaze widened. "Oh you are quite right! I sometimes forget that these boys are but five-years-old. Do be safe getting home, children. You may go." He waved us off before he turned to a servant. "Bring the special bottle I've brought from the palace. Hiruzen-san must try it!"
"Of course, Lord Daimyo-sama."
I moved quickly and took Itachi's hand. I lead us down the courtyard after dismissing the servant who began to follow us. We didn't need an escort back to the compound's gate. Once we were out of sight, I ducked my head to look into Itachi's gaze. His eyes flickered to one side to the other. I subtly disrupted the flow of chakra with my own between our joined hands.
Itachi faltered in his step. He blinked several times before looking to me. "Ototo," he sighed out in relief and mild disappointment. "You should refrain from helping me. These trials are mine alone."
I looked away. "I'm sorry." After a moment of silence I admitted, "I just don't like seeing you in pain."
"You've suffered as I am suffering now. Alone." Itachi's hand tightened on mine. "It is only right I do the same."
"No." We met eye contact again. "Shisui helped."
He frowned at our joined hands but remained silent as we passed through the compound and headed home. "You will be training with . . . Kiyoshi-sama tonight."
I gave a small nod in confirmation. He continued, "The Upside Down, as you call it. . . It's not the same as her genjutsu. It's just as powerful but different."
"How so?"
"She doesn't teach you how to break from genjutsu by becoming adept at chakra control." He frowned, as if trying to find the right words. When he did, it didn't bring me any reassurance. "Her lessons entail more around. . . seeing through the illusions." His frown became more severe. I reached over to smooth out the scrunched skin between his eyebrows. He blinked at me before smiling.
"We'll get through it together," I looked to Itachi. "We'll be ready."
Itachi held my gaze. "Yes, ototo."
The hokage wasn't wrong when he said that we were expected home. It made me wonder how closely he was looking into Itachi and me, or maybe it was for the simple fact that we were twins born in wartime that he just happened to know it was our birthday.
Today on June 9th, we turned six-years-old.
As we walked home at a leisurely pace, Shisui greeted us. My eyes widened when I felt his chakra, and I quickly jumped up onto the roof of a convenience store to greet him. Since Obito's death, he was a ghost. It was so hard to find him. He wasn't even on the roster.
It only made Itachi and I assume the worst.
He had a blank face as he regarded me. His long lashes brushed against the bottom of his teardrop gaze. As he blinked, his entire demeanor changed into his eccentric self, but something about this felt off to me.
"Hey, Asu-ya-chan~"
I regarded him for a moment before I jumped forward and hugged him.
He froze at my touch, but also, it wasn't like he could reciprocate. My arms were around his own, trapping him in place. I felt Itachi's body also lean at my side to do the same.
"Yeah, I know." Shisui said when we let go. His eyes were crinkled into a happy expression. His hand moved up to pat my head. He was tall for a nine-year-old, and he definitely towered over our lanky frames. "But duty calls~"
It wasn't a surprise that he was in Anbu, but he at least showed his presence in-between his missions. We haven't seen him since what was left of Team 7 came back and that was weeks ago.
"But I came to say happy birthday. . . at least. . .You see. I'm. . . I," he paused, trying to find the words before he gave his best composed smile. A wide grin made his eyes crinkle happily. His hand moved up to ruffle against the back of his curly hair as he said, "I'm not doing okay."
At my side, I could see Itachi look away from Shisui's fake expression that showed us something completely opposite to what he was feeling. And Shisui's words. . . it broke something inside me. Shisui who hid behind jokes, smiles and laughs. He was always smiling, always nice, always pleasant. But he was also great at hiding what was underneath. Shisui could smile at you and you wouldn't know whether it was kind or hostile. He could say something cruel, and you wouldn't know whether it was a dig at you or a lesson. It took me a while to figure my friend out, and the fact that Shisui admitted that he wasn't doing okay. . . that Obito's death hit him hard-
My own shocked expression crumbled, and I ducked my head to hide my trembling lips behind my high collar despite the sobs that racked through me.
"I'm really sorry, Shisu!" I cried.
Itachi was quickly at my side, looking at a loss for what to do.
Shisui blanched. "Hey! Wait, don't cry!" He also hovered in front of me, waving his hands as if to ward away my sadness.
I tried to scramble for words.
"I'm sorry too. . ." Shisui looked away. "And I guess, we just have to deal with our loss on our own," He trailed off before patting me on my head. He paused to dig into his pouch. "Before I go. . . Here. A present for you." And by you, he meant me. I lifted my hands up and took the gift. It wasn't wrapped, so I immediately knew what it was.
"Thanks." I said when I opened the box. It was a kit to take care of my sword.
"And for you." Itachi took his own gift. A scroll.
"The gifts are meant to be shared." Shisui fidgeted. "When I was your age, I taught myself the jutsu explained on that scroll. It belonged to my father." He shunshined away. I spread my senses out to feel him heading to an unauthorized gate. The gate was meant for Anbu to head out of the village without disturbing civilians and the other shinobi force due to the classified nature of their missions.
I looked to Itachi in slight shock before I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt. I didn't know where the tears came from, but something about Shisui's expression broke something in me. It was the first time I cried about what happened to Obito. . . What's happening to him now. The guilt for more real.
If I had the chance, I'll save him. . . No matter what.
Itachi grabbed my hand and led me off the roof of the convenience store with one jump. We walked at a slow pace in complete silence. Our gifts were held in our other hands.
"Hey twins!" My eyes flickered to my right to see Shinko waving at us. She was with her group of friends, and I felt a sense of dread fill me when I saw who was among them.
Itachi halted in his step, and I was forced to stop as well. I regarded Shinko. Was she looking for us?
The answer was obvious. Shinko gave me a sly look. Hand against her mouth and eyes crinkled in amused pleasure at my suspicious gaze. Then she turned around, sweet as an angel to her friend that was trailing behind her.
Uchiha Izumi.
She was being half pushed in her hesitant steps by a Yamanaka girl behind her. "Come on. Just go for it!"
She was given a harder shove and Izumi stumbled a bit before she straightened and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up from her feet to meet Itachi's gaze. Her pale skin tinted pink, then her gaze flickered to mine and her entire face turned red.
My eyes widened at the reaction for about a millisecond. Oh god, no. Then my face remained expressionless. "Ah. . ." I blinked indifferently at her and shifted a bit to regard Itachi. I let go of his hand and placed my own on his shoulder before pushing him forward. "You came to speak with Ita-nii, right?"
Itachi tilted his head like a curious puppy. "Hello, Izumi-chan. You wanted to speak to me?" He asked politely.
Izumi-chan! Itachi knew her. Oh, thank god. My eyes squinted back at Izumi in suspicion.
She looked a bit confused. "Um, no, I mean. . . yes. . . but-" she began.
"I'm giving you one minute to speak to my nii-chan," I mumbled possessively, ignoring Shinko's 'why-the-fuck-are-you-acting-like-that' stare. "But after that, we gotta get home, ya know?" I blanched inwardly at the nervous tic that I just said. Shishou was getting to me.
Itachi waited in silence as Izumi tried to scramble for words.
"Alright, the minute is up." A complete lie. I grabbed Itachi's hand. "Bye bye!"
I was all but ready to get the hell out of dodge because there was no way I wanted some nine-year-old kid or whatever confessing her feelings to me. And I guess I was too nice to pull a 'Sasuke.' But then Izumi, I think, shouted.
"Wait!" I froze because her voice was a shrill to my ears.
I looked back in surprise.
She was breathing heavily. Face pale as a ghost. "I'm so sorry for yelling at you. Please forgive me!" She bowed her head.
And Itachi shook his head. A small smile on his face. "There's nothing to forgive, Izumi-chan."
She straightened. "Thank you, Itachi-kun." She was all politeness. "Asuya-san. I came to speak to you. Um," she shifted nervously because there were a bit of stares in the distance. We were in a neighborhood. But on the other block was a food stand and the people there were watching us like we were some rom-com soup opera. "Because I wanted to thank you." She bowed again.
It was a deep bow.
I cringed.
Itachi pushed me forward and whispered a "don't be rude." I did as I was told although with great hesitance to receive the bow. "Izumi right?"
She looked up. Her face completely red. I realized why since I just addressed her casually by her name. "Yes?"
I tried my best to be polite in the face of her obvious adoration. When my lips twisted up in embarrassment and amusement, I knew that I was failing miserably. Shinko was mouthing behind Izumi to 'take her seriously.'
I ignored her in favor of the kid before me. "So what did I do? You said 'thank you,' but I don't know why you're thanking me."
"Oh! Right, yes." She took a moment to search for the right words. "My ka-san was the one that your crow summons spoke to. She said the crow must have went to her because she was Uchiha. . . She said that you saved them from an ambush."
My eyes widened. "Ah, Okito's Farm," I mumbled in realization. I tried to search my memories for the medic and when I recalled the memory of Tenma's blood underneath my knees, of Shinko passing out as she gasped in her sobs, an of the two medics who took in the destruction and fire around us.
Then the sharingan narrowing in a motherly gaze. . . The sharingan that belonged to a medic.
Izumi looked to me in question but when I just gave a slight shake of my head, she continued, "My ka-san said that if you didn't send the crows, her fort would have been ambushed. She would have been dead. . . So, I wanted to thank you properly for saving my ka-san. She's the only family I have left now, and-and thank you." Her hands were joined in front of her to stop her trembling.
"You're welcome," I said sincerely. The crows were sent to save my team as much as everyone else. Despite the loss I felt that day, I'm glad that others managed to survive despite how selfish my actions were.
I felt like an asshole now for trying to dodge the conversation. Izumi just wanted to say thank you. This was way more better. This I can handle.
She looked up in shock and took in my expression before she gave a wide smile. "Also, happy birthday!"
"Thank you," I pleasantly reciprocated. I met Itachi's gaze. He was waiting pleasantly from the side. His smile warm as he regarded me.
I raised a brow as if to say 'look, I'm not being rude.'
His eyes crinkled as if to say ''good job.'
"Would you like to have dango with me sometime?"
"Sure," I paused, realizing what I just said. I looked to her. She was blushing madly now and starring at her feet.
She looked up, and it felt like I was looking at the sun. "Thank you!"
Shinko silently cheered, and the Yamanaka girl was blushing as she starred at me.
"Uh, wait. Not anytime soon." How about never.
Izumi starred at me before she smiled. "Then another time!" She clasped her hands together and waved. "Bye bye!" Shinko locked an arm over Izumi, and the Yamanaka slid next to her. They left before I could properly deny that too.
I blinked in surprise. "Sure. . . another time." I felt like I was led into a trap for some reason.
As we walked far enough away from the group, Itachi said, "I don't understand why you don't want to be her friend."
"I said another time, didn't I?" I grumbled.
"I suppose," he pleasantly said. "But then again, you were lying."
I stayed silent. Itachi didn't know but any childhood crushes on me were better off being snipped at the bud. Romance and reciprocating childhood crushes was something that I just couldn't afford anyways. Especially since I looked at everyone from an adult perspective. Kind of awkward when stuck in a six-year-old body.
Our birthday dinner was only with our immediate family. It was small but heartwarming all the same. Mom made us our favorite dinners then we ate cold watermelon for desert. Afterwards, we went to the veranda with sparklers that dad bought from a caravan on his way back from a mission. The caravan was heading to the Daimyo's castle where they would perform fire dances, live music and a firework show for a summer festival.
Itachi and I held our sparklers out, watching the way the pretty sparks glowed in the summer dusk. Mom and dad sipped from their sake and observed us as we acted as children for the first time. Then, the fireflies came out. The pretty glow looked almost haunting in the night, but the sight brought only a sense of calm in me. That along with the sound of crickets and frog croaks in the distance truly felt peaceful.
Itachi lifted a finger when a firefly drew close. I leaned forward to see his nose crinkle in wonder as it landed on his skin.
"If you want, we can catch them in jars?" His gaze met my own wide ones.
He seemed to think about it before he shook his head. "No. . . that wouldn't be very nice of us."
I gave a small nod. It made sense anyways that such an action would be going against Itachi's sweet persona.
When dusk settled, I stepped into the yard belonging to Kiyoshi-sama.
I looked around, searching for a house number on a mail box or something, but everything seemed to be covered in overgrowth of vines and shrubs. I looked back to the house. It was more like a shack. The windows were boarded up and the house had seals painted on it. I was pretty sure I even stepped through a seal barrier on my own as soon as I passed the fence.
I recalled Nagomi-sama's words, "It's hard to miss. . ."
I looked back to the little shack of a house and stepped onto the stoned pathway that had grass growing in-between paved stone. I scanned the area, senses alert to the home. At first glance, nothing seemed off. The house. . . really did look like it hasn't been lived in for years. But doing a double take, I sensed that it wasn't as it seemed.
I paused mid-step, and my eyes shifted to red hues. The illusion distorted before me, and there was Kiyoshi-sama. She was off to the side. A hand was poised in front of her dry lips as she withheld her laugh. One glance at her and another glance in front of me had me realizing that I would've walked straight into her trap.
I stepped backward with careful precision, avoiding the thin ninja wire that glinted with the moonlight. It was leveled at my ankles, and whatever it lead to was hidden with green foliage. Her piercing laugh made me guess that it wouldn't have been pretty if I triggered it.
"I see that the crows have aided you in your sight, Uchiha boy."
I turned and gave a solemn bow. "Greetings, Kiyoshi-sama."
"You have more of an understanding of genjutsu then your brother did. He triggered the bomb and what an explosion it was." She exhaled, looking mystified. "How I loved to see him bleed. . ."
My gaze hardened as I met her own.
"Come now," she croaked with amusement. "You know better then to look at me like that." As she grinned, a centipede crawled from out of her mouth to the back of her silver hair. It was merely an illusion to unnerve me. I knew as much, but she succeeded. I soon felt an itchiness within my skin, as if thousands of ants were crawling underneath. I calmly looked at my own hands and watched as it bulged and caved in as if those imaginary ants were threatening to break through. My mouth twisted into a grimace.
My sharingan slowly churned clockwise and I cut off my chakra with a flicker as I tried to dispel the genjutsu. I tensed when I felt Kiyoshi's presence beside me.
I looked up to see her peering down at me. Her sharingan wasn't active, so how-
She leaned forward next to my ear. "I see the crows have taught you a thing or two. Such pretty tricks they are."
I jumped back, and the world obscured. . . much like the Upside Down. It was as if I've fallen into the shadow of what was. When I landed on my feet and stumbled backward, my movements slowed. I looked down to find that something black was consuming my feet. It was thicker then liquid and denser then mud. It slowed me, and as I tried to move away, it was like gravity weighed down upon me. I clawed. I kicked. I panicked. And as I was swallowed, I reached forward to the red moon as if I could grab hold of it and pull myself out.
I was consumed.
There is nothing. . . when people die. . .
I looked around, startled. But there was nothing and nowhere from where the voice came from. There was no shadow. No reflection. I was weightless. Nothing but a small existence. I had no hands. No feet. If I stuck them out in front of me. I could not feel it. Or see it. . . The familiarity was unwelcome. It hit me all at once. I have been in this situation. . . once before.
There is only. . . darkness. . .
I knew this voice. It was. . . mine. But it wasn't mine. It was familiar but so distant. This was my voice from before.
Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.
My heart struck off course. I could hear it all around me. My insides felt like they were going to lurch up. No. Not this. I don't want to be here. Anything but this! Just stop it.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I paced. I moved. Endlessly.
Then there was light. I moved toward it. Sprinted as if it were my lifeline. My lifeline. Itachi! I reached forward, and when I entered, I was in a room. I was blinded by the white walls, and I flinched away, overwhelmed by the led lights on the ceiling. The monitors showed a flat-line. The high pitched beep sharpened my senses. My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings.
This wasn't. . . Konoha.
This wasn't. . . my world.
A body was hovered over a white blanket. I could hear the person. A young man. . . He was crying. The white blanket was flat. The texture looked rough as it cocooned a thin body within. I could see how small the body was compared to the young man hovering over it and the bed itself. I stepped passed the door, feeling vile rise up my throat as I took a good look at who that was.
It was me.
My eyes stared listlessly at the ceiling. They were glossed over. My mouth was slightly agape. My skin was so pale one could see the blue veins underneath my dark under eyelids. My body was skin and bones. I was a teenage boy who barely even had the strength to lift himself up. A boy who had no control over his life. A boy whose only life he knew was within four white walls.
"Asuya. . ."
The sobs of the young man racked through me. I felt my eyes blur as I reached for him. The familiarity of his strength. His presence. My older brother. . .
"Asuya, please come back. . . Asuya. . . Please."
Ryu. It was Ryu. My brother.
I halted.
Yes. I have a brother.
My hand shook. My fingertips were so close to the back of Ryu's neck that I could almost feel the warm vibrations bouncing off his skin. . .
My hand lowered. No. I have a brother, and he is not an illusion.
I looked back to the darkness passed the doorway.
My brother is alive. He is real-
"And I will never leave him," my voice was firm.
The darkness zoomed forward, and I felt it rush passed me as it dissipated.
I fell onto my knees and heaved out my stomach contents. Kiyoshi-sama stood before me, unbothered by my messy state. I blinked several times, feeling the heated tears trail down my cold cheeks. My gaze fixated on her as I breathed harshly through my nose.
"Genjutsu is not just pretty tricks, Uchiha boy. . ." She softly mused. "It can be a psychological weapon." She crossed through the puddle of my stomach contents and leaned down. My eyes widened as Danzo stood before me. I couldn't move. I was left frozen as he reached forward and grabbed my left eye. I felt the sharp tugging sensation and I screamed as he . . . no. . . she plucked it out.
"And the sharingan isn't completely invulnerable to genjutsu either," his smooth baritone voice blanketed me in cold sweat. I was still frozen, shaking. "With genjutsu." I glanced up, taking in the appearance of Orochimaru. His soft voice pierced me. "One is capable of delving through the layers of ego and affecting parts of an opponent's brain. You can alter their perception of reality, their deepest fears, their deepest flaws, their deepest memories. You can use that against them, as I've so easily used against you." Orochimaru tilted his head. His grin wide as his tongue swiped down and licked his bottom lip. He encased my eye into his hand until it formed into a fist, and he squeezed.
My chakra honed, steady and tight as ninja wire just as I had taught myself during the training with crows. The chakra point within my brain closed, interrupting the chakra flow to my cerebral system, as if I inhaled deeply and held my breath for five seconds before exhaling.
When I finally opened my eyes again. Kiyoshi-sama stood in Orochimaru's place. She was on the other side of the ninja wire. Her wrinkly skin became more prominent as she smiled coyly. "Hm. . . It looks like you've learned more little. . . tricks for temporary relief," she mused.
I felt too tired to respond. I merely sat back on my butt and breathed in and out deeply. The mental exhaustion weighed on me. . . I felt as if I've been torn to pieces and put back together again. Only, the pieces were wrongly placed.
"Already so tired, Uchiha boy?"
"Were. . . you able to see. . .?" My heartbeat raced at the thought. If she saw. . . did that mean she would know like the crows? Would she think me crazy, or would she believe that I've been reborn?
She smirked. "I am no Yamanaka, boy. I merely induced your mind to project your worst fears, as if waking into a nightmare. You have a fear of losing your brother. . . of facing hard decisions. . . of someone taking your eyes. . . and of straying. Personally, I think the last one is quite interesting. I'm not too shocked to find that the crows weren't lying about you. I should've known better," she muttered to herself. "They never truly lie. Although your entire instincts still tell you to be wary."
"I. . . That's. . ." I couldn't formulate the words, but I was overwhelmed. Kagami the Crow induced genjutsu similar to this because he knew. . . everything. But Kiyoshi-sama was different. She was not tied to me in anyway. We had no contract. She was a stranger, so why did the crows even communicate to her? Why did my crow summons tell her half truths? I knew it wasn't just to further my training by inducing realistic, targeted genjutsu. "What is your relationship with the crows?"
"Heh. Wouldn't you like to know?"
"I very much would, Kiyoshi-sama." I slowly pulled myself to my full height.
"Then find out." She slowly turned. "Your lessons have already begun, Uchiha boy."
I watched as she walked up the porch steps. The wood creaked under her fragile weight. I hesitated if only for a moment before I followed her in. I paused before the ninja wire. It glinted under the moonlight. Then I walked through, the ninja wire went through my ankle, and the illusion dissipated.
Another genjutsu. I looked to Kiyoshi-sama and wondered how many other layers were present that I couldn't see. How many more did I have to see through before I found out. . . what exactly? I wasn't sure yet. How long did it take for Itachi to do so?
Never mind that, I thought. I had to focus on me and aim to get stronger, so that Itachi and I can be in sync with each other. Kagami the Crow said that we should be bonded in ways only two souls split from one could be. I was determined to find out.
And so I followed Kiyoshi-sama with my mind open to the possibilities.
It wasn't long until midnight that I left Kiyoshi's house with more questions then answers. She was elusive. Her routine was basically go into the deep dark forest, spear fish, cook them at a campfire, and stare at nothing in particular. All the while I lingered some distance away, wondering if there were more traps set in place. But there was nothing.
She just simply. . . ignored me.
I scoffed.
Senile old lady.
My evenings continued like this.
Walk, hunt, cook, stare.
Walk, hunt, cook, stare.
Walk, hunt, cook, stare.
I hated it. I was itching to fight. My body was a cold elastic band that was begging to be stretched, so on one night of a boring 'training.' I lazily flicked a kunai along my fingers before I charged it with chakra and threw it with all my strength at the mirage.
The kunai pierced through Kiyoshi-sama in the back of her head. She fell to the floor and laid there. Dead. Then the mirage broke and Kiyoshi-sama was in the distance spearing a fish.
I tsked. I can't believe it took me four days to fucking catch that and by accident too. I expected her to dodge or to catch it between her fingers. I didn't expect it to actually hit her, and in that moment of doubt, the chakra charged in my kunai dispelled the genjutsu and made me realize exactly what Itachi meant by 'seeing through it' and not breaking it.
I jumped from branch to branch until I hovered near the river where she was standing in the middle of. I glared at her and wondered if this one was real or if it was a fake. I didn't know. My gaze scanned for the shakiness in her chakra flow. The slight disruption. The imperfection in her chakra control that would give me a sign as to it being a genjutsu.
I saw none. Not even with the sharingan.
I twirled another kunai in my hand. I could throw the kunai again but where would that leave me? If it is her, she'd catch it and the lesson of whatever she was trying to teach me would be halted. If it was another genjutsu, it would bring me no closer to learning that lesson because I did not see it. I would have just guessed.
My action would leave me nowhere.
I placed the kunai back into my pouch.
Kiyoshi walked off the water and went to her campfire where she began to go through the meticulous task of cleaning her fish. Her movements seemed so practiced and careful, like she's done it a million times. It was how I looked when I cleaned and polished the sword Nagomi-sama gave me.
I landed beside her, shadow extending from the light of the fire. I crouched a distance away just in case she'd attack, but I was still at her side as I watched her movements. They were practiced and careful, like she was performing a ritual.
I felt my tomoe swirl in a clockwise motion as I focused intently on her movements. My gaze shifted. For a moment, her movements slowed.
They were so practiced, so slow. Careful. I could copy her movements at the same speed.
Then just as it happened, the focus of my gaze broke. The tomoe halted, and the speed of her movements became normal. I stood up. A bit disoriented. But it seemed my movements were too fast because I stumbled to the side and crashed into shrubbery.
Kiyoshi stood, bones cracking as she did so. I pushed myself out of the shrubs with a scowl and began to swipe away at the leaves in my hair. We met gazes.
She smiled and speared her fish with a stick.
When I arrived home late at night, I laid in bed and pondered over what happened. The way I perceived movement slowed. I could count less then one hand on how many times that has happened in the heat of a spar or battle.
Yet when I thought about it, such a thing has only ever happened when adrenaline was coursing through me and I was in front of an opponent. With Kiyoshi-sama, I merely focused on her movements and something in me reacted. It was as if my sharingan was trying to tell me that it was capable of more. But my body couldn't keep up. . . because it only ever did that when my chakra was buzzing with adrenaline.
It made sense. Kakashi would be known as the copy-ninja. He would copy an opponents movements, predict it and react to it. But what about with genjutsu?
What if I did throw the kunai at the real Kiyoshi-sama? What if she reacted and placed up a genjutsu in her place a moment before I threw the kunai because she predicted it to happen.
Always one step ahead.
That was the point.
She saw through me. . .
I smiled wickedly into the dead of night.
I must see through her.
A/N:
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I was catching up on reading reviews and saw that someone asked if I'd ever ship Asuya with anyone. That's not something I thought about doing. There will be romance around him but as for Asuya himself, yeah, I'm not sure if I want to take it there. Maybe I'll ship him with someone in another story if I finish this. I wanted to show a Izumi/Asuya interaction only because it's a nod off to Uchiha Hazuki, the Uchiha medic who spoke to Asuya after he killed that Jonin in Okito's farm arc- Chapter 19. Also to show that Asuya is closing that door before Izumi concludes what she has is a crush.
I did it so late in the game, however, that it probably just seems like a plot hole now, haha.
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When writing Asuya's fight with Raido, the 'coughing blood' was a nod off to canon Itachi's illness.
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I thank the reviewers who correct grammar mistakes. I do care about accurately using Japanese words. I think it makes the story feel more immersive. And I try my best to edit chapters the reviewers point out. However, going back and reading more then 100k words gets tiring, and I start to loose inspiration in cranking out more chapters.
So I'd like to make a request from readers if possible. Is there a beta reader among you or a beta reader you may know who would be willing to edit and polish current/future chapters of SD? My chapters are mostly revised before I publish them, but there's going to be things I'll miss. Especially when it comes to Japanese honorifics and misspellings. you can either drop a comment or PM me. Up to you. Thanks in advance.
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