Chapter 3
1.
"Explain yourself, Itachi." Fugaku commanded.
"Father?"
Itachi was sitting in front of his father in his office. Right after his body had received medical care the Uchiha Head of the Clan had requested him immediately. Fugaku appeared to be very disappointed.
"You were almost defeated by a little girl, in front of all of us. Explain!" he repeated, slamming his hand on the table.
"Hyuuga Mirai is not a little girl. She deserves to become Chuunin as much as I do." Itachi replied calmly.
"What?!" the older man raised his voice even more, upsetting Itachi's heartbeat but the child didn't waver.
"She is a worthy opponent, Father" he added.
"She is a Byakugan trash! She is someone that if we don't get rid off now, will become a thorn on our side in the future! You were fighting her like you didn't want to kill her."
"I didn't want to kill her, I wanted to defeat her."
"This is the only reason you lost!"
"I didn't lose. It was a draw-" Itachi's sentence was interrupted by a horrible vibe inside the room. His father's eyes were activated and their power and wrath was concentrated on his son's face. The boy resisted the urge to close his eyes and looked back at him.
"There is no draw in life, Itachi. You are the Heir of this Clan. I will not allow any more shame on our House. End this tomorrow. It's an order." Fugaku commanded, his voice cruel and heavy.
"Yes, Father." Itachi managed to say.
When he left the room he blinked away a few tears of terror that were blaring his vision and tried to catch his breath. His father was right. He had failed the clan. He had betrayed everyone's hopes. His mother would probably think very low of him. What good is a son that makes everyone angry?
Itachi hid inside his room and allowed himself to cry, still affected from his father's intimidation and the exhaustion of the combat.
'I am such a hypocrite.' He kept thinking. 'Everyone is counting on me and I fail them again and again. I should have finished this today. Sasuke saw me almost losing today…My little brother must never see me lose. My mother must never think that I am not enough… My father and clan, they must trust me to protect them… I'm failing again and again…'
Sometime later he drifted to sleep, his face still wet with disgrace, his frown clutching his features even while he was unconscious.
Mikoto crept silently into her son's room. Her little boy was sleeping, at last. She wept the tears off his beautiful face, noticing the purplish complexion under his eyes.
"Don't cry so often Itachi. You are going to ruin your pretty complexion." She whispered hopelessly.
"Sweet dreams, baby. You don't have to be anything while you are sleeping…" she added before planting a soft, tender kiss on his cheek. When he slept, he looked like he was truly only ten years old.
She left the room and headed to her husband's office. She opened the door with force and his eyes were already aligned with her glare.
"Have you decided to lose your son, Uchiha Fugaku?" she demanded, her presence raging.
"Did you see his performance today? He was pathetic."
Mikoto moved so fast that Fugaku had no time to avoid her grapple. Stepping on the table that stood between them she grasped the collar of his robe and peered into her husband's eyes.
"You have no right to call my son pathetic, you hear me? Or you want to give it a go?" she hissed.
His eyes didn't even blink as he grasped her wrists. "He is my son, too."
"He is your son only when you want something from him!" She snapped.
"You of all people should know better, Mikoto." He replied bitterly, while he gently pushed her away from him.
"It doesn't matter what I know, Fugaku! Do you think Itachi feels loved right now? Do you think he feels appreciated and welcomed? This is his house, the only place he must find peace after all the blood he will encounter, after all the war. You have no right to take this away from him!"
"You've said enough. Leave me alone."
"I-"
"Leave!" He shouted at her.
Mikoto smiled sarcastically. "Shame on you." She scoffed at him as she left the room.
2.
Mirai's wounds were taken care off and she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep after her simple meal but she couldn't. She was certain that tonight someone was coming for her. It was the perfect timing for anyone to pin her death on the Uchiha Clan so she was edgy, waiting for the possible attempt.
The night was dark since the moon and the stars were concealed behind heavy clouds that moved too fast. Mirai abandoned her hope to sleep and got out of bed. She threw a heavy, embroidered robe upon her sleeping dress and left her hair as it was. She made a cup of tea that she took on the private garden of her residence. She sat on edge of the wooden engawa veranda and watched the sky.
Images of her match with Itachi came to her mind. She almost lost to him a couple of times but she managed to hold the line. He was very capable and probably the only person her age that could counter her. Then she remembered his laugh. Why did he laugh? It wasn't a provoking gesture or something of this kind of behavior; he seemed to actually laugh out of joy. She caught herself smiling and she shook her head.
"Nonsense" she muttered to herself.
Only then did her sensors capture an abnormality in her environment. She sensed someone familiar, speeding by the northern side of her minka. Immediately she activated her byakugan only to realize that the presence she felt was this of Hyuuga Hinata. She was carried in high speed towards the walls of the district my a man that…was not a Hyuuga Clan member. The child was still asleep.
Mirai froze on the spot. They were kidnapping Hinata.
If she was taken now, there would be one less person that Mirai would have to fight in the future. However, the young girl couldn't just stand and watch. She got up and without any hesitation she followed the perpetrator. Her eyes kept him visible to her even when he left the district as he moved towards the woods.
Mirai ran faster and she finally saw him directly, a man in plain black clothes, without any type of identification on him. The little girl was still sleeping in his arms. Mirai felt the hair on the back of her head rising; how dared he touch her?
She didn't want to throw a kunai at him out of concern for Hinata so she jumped in front of him, blocking his way.
"Return her to me and I will let you live." She spat at him in a low, intimidating voice.
He didn't reply but tried to escape only to be stopped once again by her. He then drew a kunai and pressed it on the back of Hinata's neck. Mirai stopped on her heels.
"Let us go and she might survive." The man demanded.
Mirai's byakugan spotted a speeding individual running towards them. Hyuuga Hiashi. If she could stall the kidnapper for a few more seconds, Hinata would be saved.
"Then take me with you!" she pleaded anxiously.
"Move, girl." He threatened, pushing the kunai tighter.
"I promise I will not get in the way!" she begged again. He was there.
The man made his move to pass by her when he was attacked from behind. One swift blow from Hiashi's gentle fist and the man was dead before he hit the ground, while the first gently pulled Hinata in his arms. Mirai saw true relief in his hard expression as he held his tiny, sleeping daughter.
She approached the body to examine his features but Hiashi interrupted her.
"Enough, Mirai. It's late and you have a match tomorrow, you better rest." He declared.
Mirai bowed. "Yes, Hyuuga-dono."
She straightened her posture and walked towards the district. When she passed by his side the man touched her shoulder with his free hand. Mirai was instantly tensed but the only thing that he said was: "Thank you."
She bowed again with wide eyes and then she walked away. She was about to enter the district when she saw a slim figure leaning on the exterior of the wooden walls. Tidying the robe above her sleeping gown, she approached the familiar figure.
"Itachi-san" she greeted him.
He nodded. He was dressed in black simple clothes and always carrying weapons, his hair in his usual ponytail. He appeared to be tired or even sick.
"Why are you here?" she wondered.
"I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow. Will you walk with me?" he asked her quietly.
"It's late. We could talk tomorrow morning." She argued.
"I thought you might say that" he replied cockily as he lifted his right hand to show her a paper bag that contained sweets and snacks.
Mirai examined the mischievous glow in his eyes. 'What on earth was he up to?'
"Fine. For a short while, though." She agreed hesitantly.
He nodded and started to walk by the walls of the Hyuuga district. They took a hidden path and they met no one until they reached the Hokage Rock. The whole village could be seen as well as the forest beyond it but it was a little chilly. They sat above the second Hokage's face that was carved on the stone and Itachi offered her some treats. Mirai looked at him suspiciously.
"They are not poisoned." He said flatly.
"That's exactly what you would say if they were" she replied.
He stared at her, his eyes reflecting the sky like the surface of a black lake.
"What do you wish to say?" she demanded.
He cleared his throat. "Tomorrow we fight again. We have to end this."
"The proctor said that already. I heard." She remarked sarcastically.
Itachi felt the urge to calmly push her off the edge. He didn't.
"Yes." He continued "However, I am going to be serious tomorrow. I wanted to let you know this and that I would like you to be serious, too."
Mirai stared into his gaze.
"You mean that you are coming to kill me tomorrow and I should do the same." She concluded coolly.
"Yes." He didn't deny it.
"Why are you telling me this?" she inquired. Her heartbeat was faster and she found herself being irritated.
"Out of respect."
"And this?" she asked showing the treats, her voice a little high-pitched "Is this your idea of a last meal?"
He frowned and returned her gaze. "This is maybe the last time we are both alive, I thought we could spent a few minutes together, no last names." He explained bitterly.
"Thank you for the warning, I will take it under consideration." She spat at him and left.
Itachi sat there alone with more sweets than he could handle. He sighed. He and she could be friends but tomorrow one of them had to die. He could not keep disappointing his family.
3.
The rain was heavy as Itachi was preparing to enter the Arena. His little brother wouldn't be here today because of his former cold. He was grateful for this. He didn't want Sasuke to see him like this.
His body was still bandaged under his clothes. She fought admirably yesterday but today it would be over.
'It's an order.' He thought calmly.
He drew a deep breath, ridding himself off every possible sentiment.
"Uchiha Itachi of Konoha versus Hyuuga Mirai of Kusagakure, Final." The proctor announced and Itachi stepped on the mud inside the field of the battle. He saw her entering the area from the opposite side, proud posture, expressionless face and pearly eyes.
The crowd went wild. The storm didn't stop them from attending their final match.
They stood in front of each other. He concentrated on the clinging sound of the raindrops on his headband. Her hair was now fully wet, bringing out her eyes. He could sense her murderous intention and he was certain she could feel his, too.
He felt his chest heavy but ignored it.
'This is wrong.' A small voice cried inside him. 'It's an order.' He insisted.
"Begin!" the proctor shouted and left the field.
This time none of them played around. They charged at each other with all their might. Rings of fire, lashes of pure chakra, the constant glow of their blades and weapons, nightmares and bruises… They hurt each other repeatedly on last day's wounds, they clashed again and again without hesitation. Even then, it wasn't enough.
Mirai knew that the odds could not be calculated which meant only one thing. The outcome was based on luck.
Their battle begun to resemble some kind of sinister dance. They were now familiar with each other's fighting style and they had both been prepared to kill but none of them was ready to die instead.
Finally, they moved so that each one of them had one kunai pointing in the heart of their opponent. As they run Mirai knew that when she pierced his skin he would also hit her. Itachi prepared himself for the physical pain and concentrated in making his attack count. They both infused chakra in their weapons, their eyes fixed on their opponent. They would both kill.
Luck came in the form of the Third Hokage.
Just before their final attack occurred and as everyone were holding their breath, the proctor came between them so fast that both of the children didn't have time to stop. He grabbed both of them by their extended forearms and with a revolving motion in order to manage their force, he threw them away from each other. Itachi landed on the wall of the arena and Mirai rolled on mud and rocks.
The Third spoke.
"This match is considered complete. Both of you are worthy to become Chuunin. Congratulations."
The Arena became quiet for as long as the Hokage spoke.
Mirai coughed some blood and got up. Her every breath was excruciating. Itachi felt his broken ribs at every motion but he also stood.
The crowd started cheering frantically although some were disappointed that none had prevailed.
The proctor cautiously monitored both of them. Their killing auras weren't lost yet.
The two children approached each other.
"Good luck" she hissed raising her blooded hand.
"Good luck to you, too" he replied fiercely, grabbing it with his.
A thunder fell nearby, making the ground shake and their faces shine.
Then the two Chuunin left the Arena.
(Three years later, Konoha)
Itachi stood in front of his little brother. He stared at the child with ferocious eyes.
"There is no value in killing the likes of you, my foolish brother… If you want to kill me, curse me! Hate me! And live a long and unsightly life."
Sasuke's eyes, horrified by the image of his entire clan being slaughtered, remained on his older brother's face.
"Run away, run away… and cling to your pitiful life. And then some day, when you have the same eyes as I do, come before me." He commanded and ran away from the child.
Itachi could hear Sasuke's steps trying to keep up with him. 'Go away little brother…' he thought, tears filling his eyes.
"Wait!" Little Sasuke screamed behind his back.
Itachi thought of his house, his parent's sleeping inside a pool of blood.
The kid managed to stop him momentarily. He gave him one last look, trying to maintain his villain identity. He looked at Sasuke's face and he felt he couldn't hold his tears anymore. He rearranged his headband and disappeared, leaving his baby brother wounded, traumatized, alone and safe. Safe from their clan, safe from their village.
Uchiha Itachi became a rogue ninja, the one that slaughtered his entire clan but Uchiha Sasuke.
4.
Mirai sat peacefully on the verge of the cliff that offered a great view of her homeland.
Last night she found out about the fall of the Uchiha Clan by the hands of Itachi, their heir.
He had killed everyone, even his parents. Only his little brother survived the attack. Itachi was now on the bingo book. She hadn't spoken to him since their last confrontation during the chuunin exams but she heard that he joined the Anbu soon after that. He was one of Konoha's most valuable shinobi. She couldn't understand why he betrayed his family and village but it didn't matter.
Mirai decided not to think about him anymore, as if he was already dead.