- XXV -
The Eyes of God
The rain came slowly at first, and then all at once. The fires that burned throughout the village, signalling its destruction, raged a little lower. The stench of blood slowly washed away, and the sounds of battle seemed to dissipate beneath the dark clouds.
"What…what the hell was that…?"
The words came out under Kiba's breath. He, Sakura, and Shikamaru stood frozen in shock. All the orange-haired man did was lift a hand and Naruto flew straight towards him. It was like nothing they had ever seen before.
Then again, so were those eyes.
"Who is that…?" Sakura asked.
"Those cloaks," said Kiba, letting his instincts drive him to rage. "What are they?"
Shikamaru searched his memory for a sign of red clouds on black, but…
"I've never seen them before."
Though the three of them spoke quietly, the words managed to reach the ears of Naruto and the two strangers on the bridge. The orange-haired man had heard enough.
"Konan. Keep them busy."
The purple-haired woman, Konan, stepped forward to his side.
"Yes, Pain."
Pain?
The lower half of her body began to fall apart, turning itself into hundreds, maybe thousands of small pieces of paper that were not wetted by the rain. With one swing of her arms, she flew through the air towards the three on the stairway. Each of them stared at her in horror as layer by layer of her skin slowly revealed itself as paper, flying off her form and into the air around her.
"Sorry," she said, "but they need a moment."
Her arms fell to her right before they swung back upwards, bringing with them much of her paper that quickly erected a wall in front of her. Sakura, Kiba, and Shikamaru could only watch as it fell down on them and carried them further up the village.
Naruto's wide blue eyes looked in disbelief at the scene behind him. Slowly, he returned his gaze to his front. The orange-haired man before him stood tall in the rain, and those ringed eyes, much like his odd powers, drew everything towards him. It was impossible for Naruto to look away.
The two of them were alone, just as they were back then.
"It's been so long, Naruto," the stranger said, his firm, deep voice echoing through the raindrops. "All this time…I've been waiting to see you again."
Naruto's mind rolled like thunder trying to piece it all together. The eyes…the cloak…and…
What did that woman call him…?
"Pain…? Your…your name is Pain…?"
Pain finally relieved Naruto of the weight of his eyes as he turned away, looking down beyond the bridge into the water below. Ripples from the rain, like the rings that stared at them, drifted outwards from each of the countless drops.
"Names," he began, "are such fragile things…you should know that better than anyone…isn't that right, Naruto Uzumaki?"
The first time he said it, Naruto barely thought anything of it.
The second time, lightning shivering down his spine.
"My…my last name…how do you know it…?"
Pain did not move his eyes from the water.
"You are the son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, are you not? The Prince of the Whirlpool…"
Naruto felt his breaths stagger. Itachi was the only one who knew of his past…or so he thought.
This man, this stranger…
Pain…
"How…?" Naruto said. "How do you know about my parents…? How do you know about me?"
Pain, for a moment, was silent, and Naruto's anger erupted.
"Answer me!"
Another few seconds of silence, and Pain spoke.
"I know everything about you. I know everything about your family, your people, your home…"
Finally, the ringed eyes of lavender returned to him, and with them the weight of their light through the rain.
"Because the one who destroyed it all…was me."
- XXV -
Itachi knew his eyesight was leaving him. It had been a gradual process begun when he first awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan after the death of his closest friend, Shisui. Every time he used the cursed eyes since then, he felt the pain running to his mind, the blood dripping form his sockets. Such was the price to pay for their mighty power; and even now, as he unleashed the Susanoo, his final trump card, he knew that his bleeding eyes would only be able to hold for so long before they went dark forever.
What Itachi did not expect was for his eyes, at the end of their life, to begin playing tricks on him.
Danzo pulled a small sword at his waist from beneath his robe and bared it towards Itachi, charging him. As he approached, he coated the blade with chakra and then breath, surrounding it with glowing wind. With a leap, the Hokage appeared over Itachi and dug the sword into the red chakra that protected the Uchiha. There was hardly any effect.
As he noticed this, Danzo retreated—but not quickly enough.
Itachi thrust his arm forward, and the warrior he controlled did the same thing, the sword of light it wielded shooting towards Danzo.
KSSSHHK!
Itachi saw it—he was sure of it.
Danzo was impaled by the blade.
How, then, did he appear off to the side a second later as if nothing had happened?
Once again Danzo came, this time for another section of the armour; once again it did nothing; once again he retreated; once again Itachi impaled him with his sword…
And once again he came out fine, away from the blade of light.
The entire scenario repeated for a third time before Itachi noticed two things: the first was that Danzo's sword was beginning to affect the avatar that surrounded him, and the second was that the red glow from the Hokage's right arm seemed to be diminishing.
A memory from long ago returned to him, and finally he understood.
Danzo attacked for a fourth time, but now, instead of letting him hit the armour, Itachi moved his left shoulder the bring the chakra shield down in front of him, and from it emerged wisps of red that trapped the Hokage.
Itachi glared at him through the Susanoo. His red eyes pulsed with anger.
"So this is why you murdered my clan…so you could take our ultimate power for yourself…"
Danzo, with his own dark eye and Shisui's Mangekyo, stared at Itachi as he struggled to escape. Eventually he stilled and let himself be held by the Uchiha's chakra.
"I should have known," the Hokage began. "Of course a prodigy like yourself would be aware of the true power behind these eyes."
With a quick swing of his right arm, Itachi brought the sword across Danzo, slicing him in two. Danzo of course appeared in his original spot across the mountaintop; this time, though, Itachi saw what he was looking for.
One of the Sharingan on Danzo's arm closed.
There was no doubt.
"Izanagi."
Danzo let out a slow breath at the name of the jutsu. If it was the younger brother, perhaps he could have kept the secret for longer, but Itachi, despite his heritage, was no fool.
The Hokage straightened himself up.
"Yes," he said calmly. "The Uchiha's finest creation. The power to rewrite reality itself."
Itachi controlled his anger with a deep breath. "How…? How did you find out about it? It's been a clan secret for—"
"Have you forgotten…?" Danzo could not help himself from a slight grin. The red of Shisui's eye burned through the rain.
Through the Susanoo, Itachi's eyes, dulling by the minute, widened in shock and rage.
"You killed him…for his eye…?"
"That's right. And what an eye it is. The power to bend people to your will…incredible…"
With a pained cry, Itachi violently swung his arm forward, bringing the Susanoo's sword down on Danzo. The Hokage burned another Sharingan to escape, but most of the eyes still remained as he reappeared, pointing his wind sword towards the Uchiha.
Itachi glared.
"All this time I thought your interests lay with Konoha, that you had your own twisted reasons for hating my clan; but now I realize…all you are is an evil man too ashamed of his own weakness."
Much to his surprise, Danzo let out a laugh. As the chuckle ended, the Hokage's different-coloured eyes became fierce.
"There you go again, Itachi. Always thinking you can see the truth; but you're wrong. I didn't wipe out the Uchiha for their power—the eyes were only an added bonus."
Itachi, allowing his words to sink in, quickly moved his arm and brought the giant blade to Danzo; but he did not strike. The dying light of his Mangekyo struggled to see through the Susanoo and the rain, but he kept his wide eyes on his enemy.
"Explain yourself. Now."
Danzo wore an expression that could only be had by those who had seen everything and yet nothing at all, who knew what the world had to offer them and decided to try and bend it to their will.
"I did what needed to be done…to protect Konoha…to prepare it…"
Itachi felt an emotion he hadn't known in a long time grip his chest: fear.
"Prepare it…for what?"
Suddenly, another grin appeared over the Hokage's face.
"For God."
- XXV -
"You…you what…?"
Naruto felt as if time had frozen. His heart skipped a step and then nearly beat out of his chest. His blue eyes, deep as the ocean, widened as far as they could to see if what Pain was telling him was real.
But they saw nothing.
"I see," Pain said, calmly ignoring his shock. "Your memories still haven't returned to you…" He fell silent, and the only sound that reached Naruto's ears was the falling rain. The battle had dropped away; Sakura and the rest were nowhere to be found; Itachi, Ino, none of them mattered at the moment.
For, at the moment, Naruto felt that the only thing in the world was the pair of ringed eyes that stared at him, showing him the truth.
"My family…my home…you were the one…?"
Pain, as always, was expressionless.
"Yes. It was me."
SHNG!
Before the words even reached the air, Naruto's sword was raised, pointed directly between the two lavender orbs in front of him. Rage sept from his own eyes, and his breathing staggered. It was the first time Naruto had ever felt the desire to kill.
"It can't be…" His voice shook with him before his anger exploded outwards. "Why!? Why…!? Why would you…?"
Pain turned away once again, and for the first time, his stoic face seemed to be pondering something: a single thought, maybe…
Or perhaps the entire world.
"'Born in water…raised by fire…'"
Even in his bloodlust, a second of confusion came onto Naruto's face. Pain noticed, and continued, his eyes once again falling on the boy.
"Tell me, Naruto. Have you heard of the Great Prophecy?"
Naruto did not have the focus to even search his memory for an answer. Every fibre in his being wanted to charge Pain, to tear him apart; but his head kept his feet from moving, and an angry voice was all he could muster.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"So you haven't…"
"Answer me! What the hell does a prophecy have to do with you destroying my home!?"
Somehow Pain's eyes grew even heavier; but once again, it was impossible to turn away.
"Long ago, a great sage foretold of a warrior; one who would bring peace to this world or bring it to ruin. I destroyed Uzushio for one reason: because I will be the one to fulfill that prophecy…and no one will stand in my way."
Chaos flooded Naruto's mind. A whirlpool of pain and sadness and hatred gripped him, and fell out of him with a cry.
"I…I don't get it…! I don't understand…! Uzushio, the Akatsuki, and now Konoha! Why!? Because you heard some old words!? That's just an excuse! You're just another one, like that stupid monk! You're just trying to be a hero!"
For a moment, Pain was silent; but the air, the rain, the clouds, it all seemed to have changed somehow. Naruto felt his anger leaving him, and a new emotion quickly took its place.
Fear.
"You don't seem to understand, Naruto…I have no interest in being a hero…"
Pain raised his arm, and Naruto suddenly felt a deep memory return to him. The fire came back, as did the screaming and the crying, and his mother's face as she told him she loved him; through all of it shone two black-ringed, lavender eyes that that tore into the depths of his soul. Those same eyes stared at him now, and finally Naruto recognized what he was seeing in them:
The light of the heavens.
"I am already something far greater."
A pulse of the eyes, and Naruto flew. Something had taken him off his feet once again. This time he was pushed away from Pain, as if gravity reversed from his hand, a repulsive force so strong it sent him through the air as if he was blasted out of a cannon.
The battle raged below him, but it didn't matter. His mind left him as he soared, the rain and the vertigo leaving him numb.
BBAAAOOOMMM!
Naruto landed back-first on a water tower on a rooftop. Blood spat from his mouth as he rebounded off the metal and to his knees. The side of the contraption busted, and water began to fall out and pool below him. As he saw his reflection in it and his tired blue eyes stared back at him, his strength left him. He dropped his sword with a clang and fell.
A moment later, Pain arrived on the very same rooftop. With those heavy eyes he looked down at the boy.
"This world, Naruto…all it is, is suffering. It has no need for heroes…only a God, to set it on the right path…to bring peace…"
Naruto's eyes flickered as they tried to remain open under the weight of the rain.
"Now get up…and I'll show you what true pain is."
- XXV -
The sword of light was still. It evaporated the rain that fell on it as it gave off energy in every direction. The extent of its reach was only a few inches from Danzo's neck; yet the Hokage did not move.
He stared straight ahead at the Uchiha whose mouth hung open in shock.
"God…? What are you talking about?"
Danzo was stoic.
"It's true, Itachi…I've always hated your clan. Such power in the hands of such fools…it made me sick; but that's not the reason I wiped them out. I slaughtered the Uchiha because they stood between Konoha and peace."
Itachi tried as hard as he could to piece everything together in his mind…but every idea fell apart at one word.
"I don't understand…who is it? Who is this God?" He allowed himself a small glance over the side of the mountain. Even in the rain, a man wrapped in orange chakra charged through the streets of Konoha, wiping out everything in sight. "Is it him?" Itachi asked. "The one called Hidan?"
A thin laugh escaped the Hokage.
"Please…a fool like that? Never…"
"Then who, Danzo!?" Itachi felt an urgency coming on as if something would soon arrive…
Or as if something would leave…
Danzo focused on the Uchiha, contemplating whether to reveal the truth or not. Eventually he released a breath through his nose, and he spoke with reverence.
"You know of the prophecy, don't you?"
Itachi, confused at first, soon recalled one of the letters that Hiruzen had sent him long ago. The Third Hokage had mentioned a 'Great Prophecy' in which a hero or a villain would come to rise and change the world.
But…what did it mean?
"I first learned of it from my master, the Second Hokage, when I was young; and of course…I sought to be the hero. I wanted to be the one to unite the world, with my own vision. But…time passed…and eventually I realized that I was not the one."
The rain, suddenly, seemed to fall harder.
"I rebelled," continued Danzo, "and I was selfish. If I couldn't be the hero, then no one would. I tried my hardest to turn Konoha into a place that didn't need a hero…one where people lived for the village, not for some ridiculous idea like peace—but Hiruzen…he never gave up."
Itachi recalled the face of the Third Hokage and wished more than anything that he were hearing the truth from him.
But Danzo was all that stood before him.
"He constantly tried to form this village into one that would be accepting of a hero; one that was built on peace and love…laughable ideas for a ninja. I thought he was a fool…I thought that nothing would ever be able to unite a world full of suffering…"
Suddenly Danzo's eyes turned sharp.
"Until I met him."
Itachi felt his stomach churn at the last word, but the Hokage continued without his prompting—as if he were preaching.
"Seven years ago, I met him…" A blissful look appeared on Danzo's face, calmed by a memory. "Those eyes…all it took was one look into them, and I knew: the prophecy would come to pass—but I would not be the one to bring it to fruition. It would be him…he is the one who will unite the world…"
Itachi's heart screamed at him not to ask—but he had to know.
"Who…?"
Danzo's eyes pierced the rain.
"The hero of the prophecy…the leader of the Akatsuki…the one who destroyed Uzushio, who has brought the Mist to its knees…the one who will come to save this world…he is the one known as Pain."
Itachi's dying eyes burst open.
This world shall know pain.
"Pain…" The word fell out of his mouth in disbelief as everything fell into place. "You…you've been working with the Akatsuki…?"
"That's right," Danzo's said, whatever hesitation he had left now vanished. "I killed Hiruzen because he didn't understand. I slaughtered the Uchiha because they would never let it happen."
"No one will!" Itachi's confusion burst forward. "You think people will take this lying down!?"
Another smile appeared on the Hokage's lips.
"It matters not. No one will be able to stop him…"
A look of disgust crossed Itachi's face, and he fell silent for a moment, the blood dripping from his red eyes seeming only to flow faster.
"You're nothing but a coward."
"Perhaps," said Danzo, "but this is my part to play…"
Itachi lost control. With a thrust of his arm, the sword of light sliced through Danzo's neck. A second later, the Hokage appeared at its side.
Another Sharingan closed forever.
"And if I have to use the eyes of the devil, then so be it." Danzo raised his sword, the wind-chakra surrounding it glowing through the rain.
"The eyes of God will save this world."
Suddenly, Itachi felt something pierce the Susanoo behind him, and the Danzo in front of him disappeared in a puff of smoke. Slowly he turned around to see the wind sword sticking through the Susanoo.
Itachi brought his sword around quickly, but Danzo dodged without even needing Izanagi, landing where he began, across the mountaintop. It was the same position they were in only a second before.
But everything had changed.
"I see. Those eyes of yours are failing you, aren't they?"
Itachi grit his teeth but did not allow Danzo's riling to affect him. "You're right…but your power isn't endless, either."
Danzo glanced at his right arm. The red eyes seemed to watch him as he counted: 17 remained.
"Well, then," the Hokage said, raising his sword. "Let's see whose eyes are stronger."
Danzo charged, and he was faster than before. Chakra concentrated to the bottom of his feet and seemed to pick up the wind as he stepped. In a moment it was though he was skating on the air itself, and in no time at all arrived at Itachi, throwing another slash to the Susanoo. Itachi brought the sword down on him, and Danzo used another eye to live on.
The scene repeated itself, but faster than before, both of them with a newfound urgency to slay their enemy once and for all. Danzo, the red of his arm glowing like lightning as he danced on the wind, became faster and faster, delivering blow after blow after blow. Itachi's ultimate armour, a red fortress that kept the rain and the wind at bay, held strong under each attack, and the sword that seemed to be made of pure light rang out like thunder as it crushed Danzo to the ground over and over again; but Itachi soon realized that the light would not last forever.
Upon the sixteenth time the dance played out and Danzo escaped the light sword and readied himself to come for a final time, Itachi felt a searing pain shoot across his head.
"Agk!"
The Uchiha collapsed to his knees, his hands quickly rising to his eyes; he could hardly even see his fingers in front of him as the blood quickened.
"No…!" Itachi said through the pain. "Not yet…!"
Danzo, allowing himself a moment to breathe, grinned. "So this is it…"
"No…! It…can't…!"
It was no use. Itachi was protesting his own eyes—eyes that were quickly fading into darkness. He pulled his hands away just in time to watch the red light of the Susanoo dissipate around him. The rain hit him, wetting his hair and his face, washing much of the blood off his cheeks. Without the red streaks, everything about him looked to be fine—everything, that is, except for his dark eyes that could no longer open fully.
Jagged breaths came upon him as he saw a blurry Danzo approaching slowly. Only two spots now glowed on the Hokage: the right side of his face, and a single spot on his arm.
"I must say, Itachi…I never expected you to have a technique like that…but I suppose even your eyes can't see it all, can they?"
Itachi tried to rise to his feet, but as his eyes went, so did his energy. Exhaustion set in, and all he could do was watch Danzo come to him in a dimming light.
The Hokage stopped in front of him.
"You asked me before why I watched as my people fought for the village—it's because it doesn't matter. Pain will be here soon. Today is the day that I deliver this village to God, and I will watch it with my own two eyes."
Even through his half-closed eyelids, Itachi glared at Danzo.
"You're a sick, twisted man…"
Danzo's face filled with scorn. "As I said, you know nothing, Itachi. You know nothing of the hell I've been through."
Between his staggered breaths, Itachi spoke quietly.
"Please…I know what suffering is, Danzo…or have you forgotten that you murdered my clan?"
"And I should have killed you, too." The Hokage raised his sword to Itachi's head. The Uchiha let his eyes fall to the ground. "You are my greatest regret, Itachi. You tried so hard to protect your brother…for nothing. Now you can go join that old fool Hiruzen."
Itachi's dark eyes began to close for good, and the final reminiscence began. He thought of his brother; he thought of his clan; he thought of Misa…
He thought of Naruto.
And for some reason, a small light kept him going.
"Now die, Itachi, knowing that you weren't able to protect anything."
Itachi wasn't sure why it happened; he was hardly even sure if the memory was real or not—but from the distant corners of his mind, a thought returned to him. It was the day he received his final letter from Hiruzen. The message ran through his mind:
The boy named Naruto must be protected at all costs.
Ah…
So that's it…
A small laugh escaped the Uchiha.
"Hmm?" said Danzo. "Is your death so amusing to you?"
Itachi's face softened into a smile as he faced the ground. "I see now, Danzo…you are the one who knows nothing…"
Anger flooded the Hokage. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Yes, Itachi thought. It all makes sense…
The Hokage…Pain…Uzushio…Naruto…
"You miscalculated," said Itachi. "You thought you had removed every obstacle from your path…but you missed one."
Danzo's grip tightened, and the chakra on his sword now threatened to reach Itachi's head. His voice dripped with rage.
"Who do you speak of…?"
Itachi lifted his dark eyes, and through a fading light, smiled at the look on Danzo's face.
"The boy…Naruto."
Danzo's lone ebony eye widened at the name.
"Hiruzen knew it," Itachi said calmly. "He knew that the boy was special…that he will be the one to save this world…"
The Hokage frowned. His face was fierce. In the distance, two small splashes, like footsteps…
"That boy is nothing…weak. He will never be able to defeat Pain."
Itachi shook his head slightly. "You're wrong…I've seen it. Maybe he doesn't even know it yet, but…I believe in him."
A thin chuckle escaped Danzo.
"Don't make me laugh. That groundless belief…blind dreams…you've changed, Itachi. The boy has gotten to you, hasn't he?"
The light in Itachi's eyes began to fade, and the darkness set in—but he smiled.
"Yes…he has."
A deep rage filled Danzo, and the anger lifted his sword high into the air. Fear brought it down.
Itachi watched until his eyes closed for the final time, and the world was dark. His final thought before the blade fell was of his brother.
Sasuke…
I'm sorry…
KKSSSHHNNGG!
Itachi made to open his eyes, but still he saw nothing. The light had gone.
Still, he heard the rain falling on and around him; he heard the grating of metal on metal; he heard a yell; and he heard Danzo jump back to his side of the mountaintop.
And finally, he heard the Hokage speak.
"I see…so this is your decision…is it, Sasuke?"
Itachi's black eyes widened. He felt that someone stood in front of him, stood over him; as if guarding him…
The red of Sasuke Uchiha's Sharingan shone through the dark rain.
A/N
Well, that was a loaded one. I'm quite happy with it, though. I hope it answers a lot of questions.
I think in canon, Danzo was just sort of the evil dude who was blamed for everything. I know many people don't like that, and wish he was more of an anti-hero, someone who was actually as grey as he was promised to be. That's not really what he is in this story. Itachi said it best: "You're a sick, twisted man." That pretty much sums it all up.
It goes without saying that this fic is pretty Naruto-centric. There is some Uchiha drama thrown in for good measure, but for the most part it's Naruto's story; and while Ino is definitely a big part of that, I wouldn't say romance is really at the forefront of the ideas here. That being said, I've been reading some fantastic NaruIno stories lately like Platinum Blonde by Durriken and Twenty Lies by (this one has had me in a depression for a few days but it's so damn good), and I think after I'm done with this story I'm going to delve into some short romance stories between the two of them. I've got some ideas ready, and I'm excited for that.
But of course this story is not done just yet! So please look forward to the next chapter.
And as always, thank you very much for reading.