Chapter Six
Dying at Sasuke's hands, redeeming their clan, it had been his only goal for so long, and that goal was gone now.
So what did he do now?
Strong arms wound themselves around his waist and he allowed his husband to pull him back against his chest, ignoring the tears that well up and spilled over from his own deadened gaze.
What did he do now?
*/*
"The Chunin Exams?"
Kakashi nodded, eyeing the two Uchiha in front of him. Two months had passed since the hokage had told them the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre and since Shisui and Obito had officially rejoined the village. They had given the story that the two had been taken as POWs to create conflict within village, a story that was received immediately by the villagers and most of the shinobi corps as it was well known that two were the most well-liked Uchiha barring a certain S-rank criminal.
The two had taken to helping him train Team Seven, wanting to get closer to Sasuke (Shisui) and Naruto (Obito), as well as trying to stay close just in case Itachi was around to spy on the two.
Shisui had theorized that given how protective Itachi had always been of Sasuke, he'd left behind a way of keeping an eye on him barring the Hokage, yet they'd found no such measure in place. They'd even asked the Hokage about it only for the man to chuckle and wave them off.
Secretive old bastard.
"Are you sure about this, Bakakashi?" Obito asked, staring at the sheets of paper in his former teammates hand. He knew that Team Seven was probably one of the most well-rounded genin teams in Konoha, yet there was a churning in his gut that told him that the coming Chunin Exams were not going to turn out the way he expected they would.
The silver-haired man nodded. "Yes. Sasuke and Naruto are more than ready on their own. And Sakura has become quite the genjutsu mistress with Shisui's help. I know they're ready."
The two Uchiha shared a look then nodded. "Alright," Shisui agreed. "Let's go tell the brats."
Kakashi chuckled. "You better be glad he can't hear you. Remember what he did last time you called Sasuke a brat."
Shisui shuddered, remembering that saccharine smile and the feel of multiple mini shuriken burying themselves in painful noncritical places.
His cousin was not someone to cross and calling Sasuke a brat was a sure way of crossing him.
A crow cawed up above him and he shuddered, taking off, never seeing the red sharingan eye it gazed down at him with.
*/*
Something was wrong.
Kisame shuddered as he watched his lover pace in their room at the inn, his mangekyo spinning wildly.
Since meeting with the Sandaime Hokage two months previous, the raven had been in a downward spiral, his sickness hitting him harder and faster than it had since they'd discovered it two years ago. Worse, the depression that had long since become the man's closest companion had become harder and harder to pull him out of.
Whatever the Hokage had told him, it had done the one thing the elder council hadn't managed.
It had shaken Itachi's faith in Konoha.
Barring Sasuke and Kisame, Itachi's duty to Konoha had served a pillar in his will, had served as some small form of comfort when the dead haunted his dreams. However, after the meeting, Itachi had returned to their inn bereft, his onyx gaze lost and hopeless.
And it hadn't improved.
No, there was something dangerous brewing behind the younger man's gaze. Something desperate and breaking.
He needed to speak to Sarutobi.
Itachi paused in his pacing as his crow arrived, eyes flashing as he received its memories, and in that moment something settled in his lover.
And he knew without a doubt that he wouldn't like it.
The Mangekyou deactivated, and his husband turned to him. "Konoha is hosting the Chunin Exams. We will be visiting during the third round."
Kisame forced himself to smile. "Want to see, Sasuke fight?"
Itachi smiled back, brittle and off and it was immediately obvious that the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Hai."
He was lying and they both knew it.
The dread in Kisame's gut grew heavier, especially as his lover turned and began to pack, something manic and dangerous in his coal colored gaze.
No, whatever Itachi was planning, he wouldn't like it at all.
*/*
Orochimaru was in the village.
Shisui's jaw clenched as he listened to the Sandaime and Anko speak about the three bodies found near the forest where the genin were taking the second exam, each missing a face. He knew without a doubt who the Sannin was after too.
Sasuke.
The man had carried an unhealthy obsession with Itachi since the younger Uchiha had graduated the genin academy, and it had grown worse as Itachi grew older. The younger had often told him that the sannin would watch him train if he trained outside the compound, which had led to him training more in the compound. If Itachi was as powerful as the Sandaime suggested, he would bet that Orochimaru didn't have access to the man.
So he went for the easier target.
Itachi's baby brother.
Sharing a glance with Kakashi, he nodded and vanished, hoping he made it to their team before the snake did, and dreading what would happen to Konoha if he didn't.
*/*
Such a shame.
For a genin, Uchiha Sasuke was ahead of his class much like the reports suggested, however as they fought, he could tell the boy was leagues behind the Uchiha he truly wanted.
Itachi had been well into his ANBU career by the time he was Sasuke's age, and beautiful beyond measure, in both mind and body. A pacifistic scholar at heart, yet one of the greatest shinobi of his time. Despite being born with the lowest chakra levels Orochimaru had ever seen in a shinobi, he'd excelled in ninjutsu and genjutsu, the costliest jutsu only taking a mere sliver with his phenomenal control.
Had he been born as anyone else, he knew he'd have been a great medic, but the talents the young man possessed were meant for the battlefield and everyone around him knew it.
Sasuke was none of those. His genjutsu was standard without his sharingan and even with it, he had too much chakra to maintain them for very long. His taijutsu was above average, but not nearly what the others of his clan had accomplished by his age. His ninjutsu was incredible, but he relied too heavily on the Uchiha katon jutsu instead of branching out.
Yes, as far as Orochimaru was concerned, the boy was a truly pathetic substitute for the Uchiha he wanted...but he'd have to do.
Overhead, a crow cawed, and he faltered in his steps as it began to circle them. The genin, exhausted from their battle, stiffened, unsure if it were a trick or not. Another crow joined it moments later and he felt a tendril of fear snake its way down his spine. Only one shinobi had such control over those damn birds.
Swinging his katana in the youngest Uchiha's direction, he bit back a gulp as he was met with a katana and cold onyx eyes, beneath a wide straw hat.
Itachi.
Fuck.
TBC...