A/N: I was overwhelmed by the reviews I got! Whoa! I love you guys! (Hugs) Sorry for the cliffhangers! I just love doing it! (Starts dodging from several kunai.) I was so much delighted that you like it! Anyway, I wanted to mention one of the reviewers of this fiction, Kidlet350. Hey! I'm so proud of you! I can't even stay in the front of the computer for 5 hours, just reading! You're so great! Hah! So, here's chapter 20. Hope you'll like it! Sorry for the cliffhangers again! (Thoughts of doing it again.)
CHAPTER 20:
BETRAYAL IS THE NAME OF THE GAME: IT ENDS ALL HERE
A fire suddenly burst in the middle of the village…
Kakashi suddenly scampered out of the crowd. He was going to where the fire suddenly spurted. There was a sudden throb of unusual feeling surrounded my mood. I found myself in the middle of a crowd, slashing their weapons and muttering Jutsu as they take away one's life for the safety of Konoha.
"Kakashi-san!" I shouted.
I followed Kakashi to where he was going. My instincts were telling me that Itachi was in that place. I hurriedly sprinted and looked for Kakashi's trace. But, I suddenly stopped to find Iyasu in front of way.
"Where's Itachi's little angel going?" He asked with a very sarcastic tone.
"It's none of your business." I answered.
"Let me guess… You'll go to the place where the fire started."
"What is your business if…" I was suddenly interrupted when Iyasu opened his mouth to speak.
"Nah, Little Angel. I didn't tell you to speak yet."
"You frigging…" I gritted my teeth as he tried to cut off my patience and as well as my poise.
"You might be thinking that Itachi might be there. Well, let me tell you. Itachi is really there!" He winked.
I suddenly held tight at the katana tied in my waist. The air around the place was humid, yet there was pint of panic floating around. I didn't know if I'd trust Iyasu's words. I knew how he hated Itachi. I still didn't know the reason. I decided to play along with this guy. Though, I knew the danger beneath it.
"Itachi… what do you mean?"
"Simple, my cherubim. Akatsuki will exterminate Konoha and… yeah! Itachi as well..."
I clenched my fist. I felt the gush of anger speeding up from my head to my feet. I knew Makoto, the Akatsuki leader was up to something.
"You'll betray him." I said.
"Correct answer, my sweet angel! Since, Konoha was stupid enough of not giving you up, and Itachi was a little distraction in Akatsuki's plan. So, Makoto decided to eliminate him. Any reactions, dear?" He answered in sweet but bitter tone.
"Itachi? A distraction? You might be wrong. Itachi is stronger than anybody else in Akatsuki."
"That was before, my Subaru. Now, that Makoto has the power to annihilate Konoha, he's now the strongest."
"Never…"
"It's happening, my dear. You'll never see your Itachi again. Konoha will crash down, and it is all because of you!" He suddenly laughed devilish.
I bowed down. Iyasu was right. Everything that was now going on was really my fault. I brought the war here, and if I ever just let myself be out of the scene.. These things will never happen! I was once again imprisoning myself in self-pity and guilt.
"Such pity little angel. I still don't find the reason why Makoto wants to marry you? Ah! I know, to preserve Akatsuki. And, your Itachi was destroying slowly everything. Now, should I proceed of eliminating you? What do you prefer…" Iyasu gazed at me in very fatal look.
He slowly drew his samurai from his waist. It was a shiny, sharp, long samurai. I found myself gulping as he slowly ran his fingers to its edges.
"A useless being like you should not leave anymore. This world is no use for such weakling like you. And, for your Itachi? He deserves to die in the jutsu you are good at."
I wanted to step away from him, but I found my body frozen in great fear. I knew the image of my past was the one flashing my head. I can see myself as the little girl underneath the table, hiding and watching to the killings that were happening around me. My sweat was slowly trickling from my forehead to my neck. I can feel my body shivering… as he slowly paced his way near to me.
"Tell me, fair one. Haven't you wish you had died before? Now, let me make your wish come true. You should be thankful. I'm more merciful than Makoto."
He was already few inches from me. I was telling myself to run, but my body wasn't really moving. I slowly closed my eyes as Iyasu made his stance to stick his samurai to my fragile body. Blackness surrounded me.
It was weird. I didn't feel any pain from the samurai. I slowly opened my eyes and two guys were at the front of me. A katana was against Iyasu's samurai. I saw Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto right in front of me!
"Neh, Subaru-chan… Are you okey?" Naruto asked.
"Ah… yeah…" I retorted.
I saw Iyasu's overwhelmed expression. He knew this two ninjas worth fighting with. He slowly put down his samurai and inserted it back to its case. He then gave Sasuke a big smile.
"So, this is Itachi's brother? Just like his brother, a weakling trying to be strong."
"Why don't you give it a try?" Sasuke exclaimed.
I saw Sasuke's eyes flared up. He activated his Sharingan and was ready to attack the enemy. He was being keen and tactical. He was already reading his enemy. Just like a wolf, it will never attack unless the enemy assaults him.
"Naruto… lead Subaru to where we saw Itachi. Protect her at all cost." Sasuke commanded.
"How about you, Sasuke?" I yelled.
"You don't have to worry, I can handle this. Go now, Naruto!"
Naruto suddenly grabbed my hand. We were running at the street where I can clearly see how the ninjas of Konoha fully fight just to protect this village. Maybe, I found the reason now to fight and not just stand in the face of an enemy. I got to move!
"I'll be back, Sasuke! That's a promise!" Naruto yelled.
"I'll wait for you here! Just hurry up, or you'll not taste the fight we have here." Sasuke said.
And, an explosion ruptured in the place where we left Sasuke and Iyasu behind.
"Sasuke!"
----------+----------
I was surprised when Naruto stopped running. I almost stumbled when I realized that he bunged.
"Naruto, why did you…" I was interrupted by the view I saw.
Itachi vs. Makoto, the Akatsuki leader…
Itachi was already burned up. I can tell it by the way he was breathing. He almost used up every chakra that he has, and only little was left.
Makoto, in the meanwhile was stronger than I thought. He was not actually using fully his chakra but he was using another source of energy to conserve his chakra. The thought caught me in surprise. I knew the technique on how to conserve the chakra without using them up.
I slowly took three steps to look carefully the situation. I was shocked to see a scroll attached in Makoto's waist.
"It can't be!" I yelled.
It was my family's scroll! Now, I knew why he was not wasting or using any chakra to fight Itachi. He was using the Chakra Replacement Technique!
"What do you mean, Subaru-chan?" Naruto asked.
"So, Ichikawa Subaru discovered my secret, neh?" Makoto remarked.
"Wait!" Naruto said. He pointed his index finger to Makoto. "You are also there at the gates right? It was Ero-sennin who is fighting you! How could that…"
"It's Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Naruto." I said.
"But, how?" Naruto said.
"See that blue scroll in his waist? It increases one's chakra when attach to someone It is my family who formulated and perfected the technique. A certain technique being performed under that scroll can last long than expect. So, the clone of Makoto can stay long… as long as the one who performed the technique is still alive!" I said.
"I thought you already forget your childhood lessons, Subaru." Makoto said.
"How could I forget it? It's been part of me." I said.
"I don't understand!" Naruto shrieked.
"You should now go back to Sasuke. You promise to him you'll help him defeat that golden-eyed boy right?" I said and winked at him.
"But, how about you?" Naruto asked.
"I can handle myself from here. Your responsibility ends here. You have to trust me."
Naruto nodded and jumped at the nearest roof. Before he went away, he took a last look. I smiled at him. He yelled.
"I'll beat up that guy, and you'll promise… I'll see you after this."
"It's a promise!"
Naruto disappeared in the thickness of the crowd and the smoke created by the fire. I looked at the two people standing before me.
"You should have just go with Naruto…" Itachi said.
"I couldn't. I promise to myself never to runaway." I smiled at him.
His eyes widened. He realized that I now knew how to stand on my own. I slowly approached him to check his wounds. Makoto was just looking at us. He was puzzled. He was surprised to see me, and Itachi. So much care and concern being demonstrated in front of him. I guess, he'll never understand.
"You've grown stronger now." Itachi said.
I was assisting him to stand up. With his arm around my shoulder, we slowly stood up from the floor, and faced Makoto.
"Nice scene. I never thought of seeing Itachi like this." Makoto applauded.
"And, never thought I would see that scroll with you… You're a thief!" I yelled.
"How do you…" Makoto was surprised to see my eyes flared up in golden color.
"Makoto, you knew that I have five abilities under my bloodline limit, but you are wrong, and I was also wrong. Just recently, I discovered my sixth ability… and I never thought of perfecting it in just one day… I can now actually read one's past, and one's mind."
"Impossible! Only one Ichikawa can do that and that's your grandfather!"
"Haven't I told you that once an Ichikawa died, his ability will be pass on to someone he like? I never thought that my grandfather would gave that to me."
"It can't be!"
"It already happened, Makoto. It'll be over here." Itachi said.
Itachi suddenly held his stance. He was now in position to attack Makoto. But, he suddenly fell down without any reason.
"How could this be possible? I can't control my body!" Itachi exclaimed.
Makoto laughed. He was laughing for victory.
"Of course, I can have any ability of an Ichikawa with this scroll. Remember, that, Subaru?"
"I do. And, you've betrayed Itachi." I answered.
"No only Itachi, but the whole village, even Akatsuki."
"Foolish!" I yelled.
He was now performing seals. My eyes widened when I started to recognize the seals he was doing.
"I know you knew this." He smirked.
I suddenly heard screams, even Itachi was screaming. I can recognize the pain that was causing them. It was one of the most dangerous jutsu my family ever perfected. It was the Psychic Curse Technique…
A technique that can cause one's brain to explode, or any part of the body the user wants to destroy. And, I can tell from Itachi's face that Makoto was slowly transferring vibrations to the brains causing it to shrink and cause so much pain.
My mind was on confusion. I never thought he can perfected this jutsu that easily. An ordinary ninja can't perform this jutsu this far. I looked at Makoto's expression. His skin was being wrinkled and he was shocked at the reaction.
"What's happening?" He asked.
"The ultimate sacrifice? Your youth!" I shouted.
I was decided to do the reverse jutsu. I knew everyone at Konoha, even from the people from Akatsuki was screaming in so much pain. It was like a migraine that increases its intensity of pain. The jutsu Makoto performed also activates in it's own. He didn't know it. He didn't know that once the jutsu was performed by an ordinary ninja, his greatest fear was being read. Thus, the jutsu will use its fear as an ultimate sacrifice. Funny, Makoto's greatest fear was growing old.
I performed the reverse seals. This was the real arrangement of the Psychic Curse Technique: Horse, rabbit, tiger and last was a rat. I executed the reverse and also in different arrangement: Tiger, rabbit, rat and horse.
"Reverse Psychic Curse Technique: Clairvoyant Reflection." I whispered.
My eyes' color changed from golden to green. The fire that was surrounding us suddenly swirled around me. The wind's direction became unpredictable, and its strength grew stronger. I was enveloped by the element of wind and fire. I can hear Makoto screamed from pain and disappointment. I didn't clearly see anything but, I heard the loud and horrible scream of Makoto, the leader of Akatsuki.
"I'll end it right here." I heard Itachi said.
I can feel the motion of his feet. Yes. When you used this jutsu, you'll feel and actually 'see' what's happening all over the place. You were part of every element existing in earth. I can feel Itachi's footsteps. I let him do what he wished.
The fire swirls around me suddenly lost. The wind came back to its normal state and I found Itachi standing in front of me. And Makoto…
He was lying in the ground. His eyes were staring in blank space.
… He was dead.
"You used Mangekyou Sharingan, aren't you?" I asked him.
"I did. Nice. Psychological and physiological torture… Can't wait to spar with you." He smiled.
The sun was shining brightly that day. I heard Sasuke and Naruto from a far together with some friends I knew. Anko-sensei, who was smiling brightly to me, approached me and whispered.
"I'm really proud of you."
I just smiled. I can slowly felt the lost of my energy and stamina. I slowly tapped Itachi's shoulders.
"What is it?" He asked.
I let myself fell down in the ground. I can slowly saw everyone gathering beside Itachi. Slowly, darkness surrounded my sight. I was unconscious.
"… Subaru, hold on…" The last words I heard from Itachi before I lost my senses.
A/N: And, that is chapter 20. Hope you like it! This will be the last chapter. The next one will be an epilogue. So, if you're interested of knowing the next scenes and the stuffs related to that. Wait for the epilogue chapter! Will Subaru ever die? Will they end up together? Those questions will be answered by the epilogue. And, yeah! Another cliffhanger, neh!) (Try to hide behind Lee) Sorry for that! Thanks for reading and please leave a review (I need it, people!) Wait? I should not hide behind Lee! It should be Neji! (Runs to Neji)
Lee: You should be responsible of your actions.
Authoress: Shut up, bobbed head freak! That is my writing style.
Lee: Writing style? Can you teach me that?
Authoress: Baka! Everyone has his or her own writing style.
Lee: Really? Hey Neji, do you have your own writing style?
Authoress: Neji has one! He'll write your name with his Byakugan! Bwahaha!
Neji: Shut up!
Oh yeah! See all at the last and next chapter!
-Delusionized Hatake
