The Hokage's funeral was a morbid experience and I had prayed fervently for the peaceful passing of his soul. It had rained that day, bringing me back to the funeral of Lord Minato the Fourth Hokage and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki. It had rained then as well, as if they sky knew our sorrow and wept cold tears for us all. Although I had not felt the grief as keenly as others, I understood their pain. Still, I did not allow myself to dwell too much on the concept of death, instead focusing on what I needed to do. Itachi and his companion were now inside the village of Konoha, meaning that now was my time to move. It was easy to track them down, I did not even have to make any effort for I knew Itachi's chakra signature as if it were my own. I waited for them near to the teashop at the exact time when I knew they would arrived, disguised with a jutsu so that I took on the appearance of someone else, an inconsequential face, before then moving out towards them.
When I first beheld Itachi after four years of separation, the breath caught in my throat and I felt my chest constrict. They were strange reactions and ones I had not prepared for, so when I felt as if I were about to expose myself with my outward reaction I swiftly clamped down upon my self control, using all of my stoic bearing to remain vigilant until I was closer. We were walking towards one another, though his hat obscured his eyes from mine, the large black robes with red clouds fluttering as he walked. Closer, we were getting closer, I was almost there, why was my heart pounding so nervously? Why did I feel so weak and shaky? Everything in my body indicated a fever or illness of some kind, despite the fact I knew I was in perfect health. It doesn't matter, not now, because at this moment, I had finally reached him. I kept my head straight forwards, not looking towards him until our shoulders were level, and when they brushed, I glanced his way as he unwittingly did the same. Under the rim of his broad hat, I caught sight of his intense Sharingan eyes.
He should have known who I was the moment I appeared, yet he had continued walking calmly. Although using a genjutsu on myself to falsify my appearance, I cannot change my chakra signature. Itachi knew it was me all along. Ignoring my rapid thoughts, I activated the Tsykuyomi in my left eye and immediately I manipulated the time and reality around us. In the blink of an eye the village of Konoha was no more, and when my genjutsu settled Itachi and I were standing upon a sandy hill with long wiry grass which overlooked a familiar ocean which was cast in the golden light of sunset. "Itachi." His name caught in my throat, breaking a little halfway through as my face strained with a tumult of emotion.
"Miyuki." The cold reply caused my chest to tighten further in disappointment but I pushed forwards, wanting nothing more than to simply embrace him. I took a step closer however Itachi immediately stepped back and angled his body defensively. "Do not think you can outmatch me, Miyuki, you are not the only remaining Uchiha with the Mangekyo Sharingan." I smiled, oddly relieved to hear his voice after so long, but I noted something about him that was different. He looked frailer than before, and his complexion was not as healthy as it had once been. "Why…why are you smiling?"
"Because I am happy." Itachi frowned further, still angled in a defensive stance to attack me but I was not afraid. I knew deep down in his heart Itachi did not want to hurt me, so I was safe. If he had wished to cause me pain, he would have done already, but he did not. "I know, Itachi." With each step forwards, Itachi's retreat became less and less, taking smaller steps backwards as his eyes widened and he stared at me openly. "I know everything."
"You know nothing."
"I know."
"No, you can't! You don't know anything, how could you? You are trying to trick me, but it will not work. I can easily break your Tsykuyomi so your efforts are futile." When I got too close for his liking, Itachi took a swipe at me with three shuriken in between his fingers but I had already anticipated his movements and, with a flicker, I appeared directly behind him. Itachi's head snatched around ready to strike again, however I locked my arms around him and pulled him close to me, burying my face into the back of his robe.
"Tachi…Tachi…Itachi…" I wanted to cry more here than I had done at the Hokage's funeral, which was puzzling to me, but even though I did not understand my own feelings I continued to hold onto Itachi like my life depended on him, fearful that if I were to let him go, he would vanish forever. "It was the Council, I know they ordered you to destroy the Uchiha. I know that you had no choice. I know that you are a member of the Akatsuki to spy on them, I know that you love Sasuke, I know that everything is for him. I know Tachi, I know everything."
"How…?" As my arms continued to remain locked around Itachi's I felt his chest begin to rise more urgently, his breath becoming ragged and when I felt something wet and warm drip onto my hand, I realised that he was crying. "Miyuki…I should have known I could not hide anything from you. You were always so observant. Miyuki…Miyuki…please do not hate me. I can bear Sasuke's hate, but not yours…please…" Finally free to break down and allow his emotions to flow, it did not take long for Itachi to break down under the pressure he had been under.
"I am here, Tachi." When Itachi had dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands I had moved around to his front in order to draw him against me, wrapping my arms around his head and body as if to shield him from all the misfortunes and miseries of the world. "I do not hate you. You are safe here." Patting his head gently I sat myself down on the sandy hill and focused on the sunset of the world I had created in this Tsykuyomi, this dream world. Eventually Itachi had sobbed himself into exhaustion and decided to rest his head against my lap, his painted nails brushing against the fabric of my sleeves whilst I fiddled with his hair curiously. It was as soft as I remembered and he had grown it longer. I rather liked it long, it suited his delicate features rather handsomely. I found it odd that he had painted his nails a dark colour as it was a more feminine habit rather than a masculine one, but I did not question it. It was a good colour, and I admired how evenly he had painted his nails without a single flaw.
"Miyuki." I awoke from my contemplation when I heard him call my name, looking down to realise that Itachi had been watching me, no longer observing the sunset I had created for him. "Thank you for raising Sasuke and looking after him for me."
"We are family." Tilting my head in a little confusion, I did not understand why Itachi felt the need to thank me at all. We have always been together the three of us, so of course I would look after Sasuke were it my responsibility. Is that not the natural thing to do? Blinking, it suddenly came to mind that perhaps Itachi regretted that he missed so much of Sasuke's growing up, having to separate himself entirely from our lives. Lifting my hand I closed my eyes for a moment to focus my chakra before allowing my Mangekyo Sharingan to arise once more, using it to change the dream in which we sat. Suddenly we were back at the Uchiha compound before the massacre, in our own backyard on the grass when we were four years younger. Itachi no longer wore his Akatsuki robe and my hair was not as long as it was before, plaited loosely down my back. Itachi started, rising slowly from where his head rested on my lap before sitting up altogether, staring at the familiar sight of his childhood home.
"Big brother! Yuki-chan!" An excited and high pitched voice came towards us, running from the veranda and leaping from it.
"Sasuke." Itachi choked as he stared at little Sasuke, staring as the little boy leaped onto him to tackle him with a hug.
"Big brother, you promised today that we would train, and you can't back out this time! Onee-chan, tell big brother that a promise is a promise!" Sasuke grinned at us both as he sat on Itachi with his fingers grasped hold of his shirt.
"A promise is a promise." I obliged plainly, sitting neatly with my hands in my lap as Sasuke looked up at Itachi with winsomely imploring eyes, but faltered a little when he saw tears.
"Big brother? Are you hurt somewhere? Did I tackle you too hard?"
"No…Sasuke…I am merely very happy right now." Taking a deep breath and rubbing his eyes dry, Itachi finally gave a deep and heartfelt smile as he wrapped his arms around little Sasuke to embrace him, holding him close against his chest. "I'll train with you." Delighted, Sasuke cheered and quickly broke free of his brother in order to pull on his arm, ordering him to hurry up as his impatience wore thin and was desperate to begin. I watched from a distance, content to see the two most important people in my life together again as a family, even though it was only a dream. I continued to sustain the Tsykuyomi for years in this world, allowing Itachi to spend the time that he had lost with Sasuke free from every burden and care, openly acting as himself with his brother, his parents, and even me. For my own sake, I even created the illusion of my own parents so that I could also reunite with them and enjoy more time with them, this time with more openness as not to waste a single moment. With my parents alive once more, I no longer lived with Itachi and Sasuke, but I was with them every day and often spent the nights at their home.
We spent every waking moment together, and sometimes Itachi, Sasuke and I would all share a single bed together when it was time for us to sleep until there was hardly any room left between as we grew over the years. When the time of Sasuke's graduation from the academy came, I relied on my perfect memory of the day to recollect it as it had been, only this time Itachi, Fugaka and Mikoto were all present as well. "Congratulations Sasuke, you did well." I praised him, patting his head tentatively as he came to a stop before us. "I have made your favourite food as a reward. Shall we go home?"
"I'm so proud of my boy, the best in his class and year! My sons are very talented and intelligent." Mikoto beamed as she flung her arms around Sasuke who complained about his mother being overly affectionate in public but was smiling all the same.
"Well done, Sasuke. Just as I expected from you." Fugaka nodded his head with folded arms, a hint of a smile touching his lips and Sasuke immediately beamed, grinning as Mikoto hugged him tighter. Itachi was also smiling, his hair neatly tied back from his face which showed a calm and peaceful exterior which shone from within, perfectly at ease with the life that he was dreaming.
"Sasuke, you are catching up to me. Soon I will be chasing after you." As he spoke, Itachi poked Sasuke at the centre of his new Konoha headband, and the expression Sasuke wore was one of limitless pride and joy.
"Well, if onee-chan's cooking is waiting for us at home, then I can't wait to get back." Sasuke announced, folding his arms and lifting his chin in a bid to act maturely in front of his peers and fellow students, some of whom were staring at us all and whispering in excitement.
"Wait!" Just as before, one of the teachers of the academy called to us both and I looked around, arching an eyebrow at her. "You can't go until you've had your photo taken, it's tradition! Come on, stand in front of the school with your family, Sasuke, it's only once you graduate from the academy!" She was bubbly and very energetic, just as she had been in real life.
"This is annoying, do we have to?" Placing my hands upon his shoulders, I moved to stand behind Sasuke so that we were both in front of the school doors with Fugaka, Mikoto and Itachi following. His mother told him it would be nice to have a photo of this moment together, as the whole family was here and it was important to capture memories. Once I had positioned Sasuke, I then made to leave the frame of the picture so that the family could all have their photo taken, however Sasuke called out to me. "Onee-chan where are you going?"
"It is a family photograph." I pointed out, standing offside so that I was not in the way. Mikoto chuckled softly and even Fugaka smiled a little, taking me by surprise as I had not expected them to react in this way. After all, I was more or less controlling the world around us, though I did not have command over everything that occured as the dream itself had taken on a life of its own, acting within the boundries of my memory of people and places I had known. I wondered at the realism of this situation. Would Fugaka have smiled like that? I do not think I had ever seen him smile when he was alive.
"Silly Miyuki, of course you are part of our family! Here, come stand with me next to Itachi. It wouldn't feel right without you here." Mikoto explained as she waved me over, Sasuke agreeing verbally and asking that I come stand behind him.
"Yuki-chan, you are always one of us. You are Sasuke's older sister, and very dear to me. Here, take my hand." Raising his hand Itachi extended it towards me, inviting me to come back to their side. Touched at their kindness, I almost felt unworthy of their affections as I slowly inched closer, a little embarrassed by how wonderful they were to me as an outsider. I looked so different to them, almost alien, but the moment I took Itachi's hand I felt a distinctive warmth flow through him and into me. He drew me closer and Mikoto instantly placed her hand around me to draw me in the rest of the way, giving me another smile before looking at the camera. Itachi continued to hold my hand as he and I both placed ours on Sasuke, Fugaka also holding Itachi's shoulder until all of us were linked together. This time I did not have to ask Sasuke to smile, for he grinned of his own volition and all of wore expressions of happiness that could not be explained or described, merely captured. That photograph, the moment it was developed and delivered to us, was framed and placed in full view of the front room so that whenever we ate I was able to look at us all together. Our dream lives continued for another year or so, Itachi and I growing closer and closer until one night, when I thought everyone else was asleep, Itachi joined me on the rooftop and called my name softly.
"Yuki."
"Tachi." Sitting up from my stargazing, I wondered why he was here. Could he not sleep?
"Yuki, thank you for this life, but it is time we returned now." Returned? But such a thing was not necessary. Since I controlled the time flow, we could live our entire lives in just a brief moment in the real world. There was no logical explanation as to why we needed to go back. Itachi smiled as he came to sit down beside me, looking far healthier than his real life counterpart. He was not as frail or delicate looking, his skin was clearer and not so pale, and he looked so much happier within himself. "You have given me a wonderful gift, but if I do not return now then I will lose sight of my goal, and I cannot afford to lose my resolve to continue until the end. Unless we leave now, I may stay here forever."
"Then stay." I almost begged him, not wanting this wonderful life to end. I had grown dependant on its perfection, the tranquil days simple and full of everything I had ever wanted, where nothing bad ever happened. "Stay with me, Tachi."
"Miyuki…" He spoke my name as if he were scolding me lightly, smiling affectionately as he reached out and brushed aside my hair. Our eyes continued to maintain contact though I found it increasingly difficult to hold my cool exterior, my heart beginning to race and pound in desperation and fear for losing everything that I had created. I did not want him to leave me. Itachi…Itachi was Itachi. Our parents had destined us to marry, I was meant to always be by his side, but I could not. Why could he not allow me this dream where everything might go according to plan? Where nothing will deviate from the path I had set. "When we return, you will have to act as if you despise me."
"No!" Shaking my head I raised my voice a little, pressing my eyes shut as I refused to listen. "I will not!"
"Miyuki, you know it must be this way."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yuki, you are the only person I can rely on, the only person in this entire world that I can trust with Sasuke's welfare. For you to be able to remain near him, you must continue as we were before, and treat me as your enemy. I am begging you to do this, for me." How can he ask me such a thing? I have never once thought of Itachi as my enemy, merely hid all of my thoughts and feelings behind an unbreakable mask. I was breathing lightly and shakily, trembling as all warmth fled my body and I shivered under the night sky, hugging my own arms and feeling my eyes grow wet with tears.
"But I do not wish to lose you, Itachi." Light flickered within his eyes as the dark pools reflected the starlight, twinkling sparks dancing in his gaze as he drew closer and took hold of my hands, clasping them between his and drawing them to rest under his chin.
"We will find one another again one day. Perhaps when all is over, we will be able to build a little house upon a quiet hilltop, where we can sit and watch the sunset each evening by the sea. I will build a perfect life for you, Miyuki. A real life, when there is no more war and bloodshed." I knew that these promises were impossible, for having learned everything that Itachi had been hiding before over these dream years, and discovering a little by myself, I knew that he was dying. His frailness came from a disease he had contracted, and although he had not told me directly, my logical deductions brought me to the conclusion that Itachi intended to die by Sasuke's hand to grant him closure because he would not live a full life anyway. Still, it was a beautiful promise. Even if it was an utter lie.
"Will we meet again?" Itachi was unwilling to answer, looking away briefly as his shoulders sagged a little.
"I do not know if it is a good idea, it may be impossible…"
"Not impossible. I will find you, Tachi." Opening my hands I drew one away from his so that I could clasp his hands in return, leaning closer with an urgent appeal. "Please." Debating with himself on what to decide, Itachi eventually gave a longwinded sigh before smiling once more.
"Alright, I shall find a way but only if you promise to do as I ask. From the moment we return, we are enemies, and whenever we cross paths you must do your best to defeat and capture me." Shockingly, I pouted at this. It was not like me to pout about anything, but I was irritated that the circumstances of the real world drove us to such pretences. However, since it was Itachi who was asking and because I knew it was necessary, I consented.
"I will do it, Tachi-kun. For you." Drawing in a deep breath I forced myself to drag my emotions back into order, sealing them away until my expression slowly became empty and devoid of all feeling. "I am ready." Wincing a little, Itachi nodded his head in agreement so I took a deep breath, then after closing my eyes, they flew open to reveal the Mangekyo Sharingan I possessed. I dispelled my own Tsykuyomi, meaning that the feeling of Itachi's hands around mine vanished and when I blinked, I was back in Konoha, passing Itachi on the street as he and his companion, Kisame as I had learned, headed for the tea shop. For a moment I was a little disorientated however both of us continued walking as if nothing had ever happened, not even glancing back. An unpleasant acidic taste rose in my throat and I felt like I were about to retch, so I turned off down an alley for some privacy whereby I clamped my hand down on my mouth to stifle the sounds of my ragged breathing.
Nothing will ever be the same from now on. No matter what, I cannot go back to the way things were, and the path of the future I had witnessed was now beginning to unfurl. The pieces had been set, now it was time to play the game.