Akanishi-san: I know the review botton wasnt working that one day i posted ch11, so i hope if anyone has time, to go back to ch 11 and review? please? Ill give you ch 13 earlier? haha, yeah, anyway, let's move on.
Ch12
When Neji opened his eyes, he only saw the white ceiling and nothing more or less. He could not remember, at first what happened and why he was in a hospital bed. He stared blankly at the ceiling, until an explosion occurred in his head, as memories flooded back to him.
Neji closed his eyes tight, afraid that water would come out of his eyes. 'I couldn't protect her!' He yelled at himself. 'I let her go! I couldn't even reply to anything she said to me! Especially…' He stopped there. 'She said…'
He stared at the ceiling, one word floating in his head. 'Izaki.' And closed his eyes, and went back to his sleep as 1 single tear fell.
Neji's Dream
Neji opened his eyes once more, to see that he was no where, just standing in a pitch black dimension. He looked around, but still, only saw darkness.
Behind him, he heard a sob. Neji turned to where he heard the sound. "Who's there?" He asked, trying to see through the darkness.
No answer.
"Izaki?" He asked, uncertain. He tried to look through the darkness, trying to find her. "Izaki?" He asked again as he heard another sob.
This time, he did not get a reply, but the darkness around him left, and turned into a dark room. Neji looked outside of a window he was familiar of, for some odd reason, and saw the moon. "What time is it?" He asked himself. "Where am I?"
He couldn't finish his thoughts, however for he heard the sob again, this time, followed by a girl's voice. "Mommy? Daddy? Oniichan?"
Neji turned to where he heard the voice. A girl was standing next to the doorway, looking down the hall. "I…zaki?" Neji whispered. He frowned. Since when was Izaki that short? She only stood about right below his waist, and she was holding a teddy bear.
He dropped his thoughts then, as he saw Izaki step out of the room, and started to walk down the hall. Without another delay, he followed the young Uchiha out, trying to stop her from going. "Wait!" He said, as he tried to grab for her, but found that his hand slipped right past her head. "Huh…?" He moved his hand again, to see it go right through her once more.
The young girl didn't see him or feel him, and continued to walk down the hall. It was then, Neji saw his surroundings clearly. The darkness that had surrounded him earlier had turned into the Uchiha Mansion. He then stared at the girl that was walking. He was in the Uchiha Mansion, to where Izaki was 4 years old! When Itachi killed off everyone but her and Sasuke.
"Wait, Izaki!" Neji tried to stop her again. She was walking towards the room where he heard a noise. "Itachi might be in there!" He yelled, but of course, the girl took no notice of him, but to just walk.
The girl peeked into the kitchen, where she saw red substance on the floor. "Mommy?" She asked again, looking into the kitchen. "Daddy?" She stepped into the room, and scrunched her face as she smelled the fresh blood. "Sasuke-Oniichan? Itachi-Oniichan?"
To Neji's horror, he heard a thud from a room ahead and Izaki heard it as well. Izaki turned to the room, frowning. "Where are you?" She asked.
Neji went past Izaki, and went right ahead to the room she was about to go into. To his relief, he saw no one in the room. As he turned to go back to Izaki, he saw Izaki looking horrified, looking past him. "Izaki?" He asked, confused.
"Itachi-Oniichan?" She asked, standing at her spot, looking horrified. "Why…are you hurt?" Neji whipped back in time to see Itachi look at Izaki, and walk away. Seeing him walk off, Izaki was freed of her trance. "Itachi-Oniichan!" She yelled, and ran to catch up to him. "Don't leave me here alone!" She whined.
Itachi merely looked at her as he kept walking, but slowing the pace so she could tag along. Neji's frown deepened. Why wasn't Itachi killing her when she saw him? The 2 siblings walked in silence as they walked through the Uchiha mansion, alert. Izaki was still clutching her teddy bear, looking around, her eyes wide open, as she looked at the fallen body around them.
Izaki was trembling as the stench of blood filled her nose, the bodies motionless. Izaki felt tears threatening to fall. As she clutched her bear tighter, she felt a warm hand holding her own. She looked at her hand, and then to Itachi, who was leading her, not looking at her at all, but still, with his firm hands onto hers. Izaki smiled as she held onto his hand, some fear walking away from her.
Neji watched all of this with confusion. 'When did this happen?' he asked himself. 'Is this real?' but he didn't say anything aloud. He knew he won't be heard, but still, he kept his thoughts to himself for now as he followed them.
Soon as they made a turn, Neji saw a double door ahead of them. Itachi had stopped, and was now crouching down in front of Izaki. "NO!" Neji yelled, fearing that Itachi was going to kill Izaki after all, but clamped his mouth shut when Itachi kissed her forehead.
"Wait here, Izaki." He said, both of his hands on her shoulders. "Oniichan will be back after he does his job. I'll take you away from here soon as I finish it." He promised her.
Izaki looked into his eyes, trembling a little. "With…with Mommy and Daddy? And Sasuke-Oniichan?" She asked.
Itachi looked at her for a second, and shook his head. "I'm about to send Mother and Father on their way now. Then Sasuke as well." He said. Neji's frown deepened as he saw sorrow dance in his eyes for a moment.
Izaki frowned. "Why can't we all go together? I want to be with Sasuke-Oniichan!" She protested. "I want to go see them off, too!"
Itachi shook his head. "You don't want to see it." He said and got up. "Be a good sister and stay here until I come and get you." He said. Izaki hesitated, but nodded. "And keep those eyes open for any black coats, they are our allies." He told her. "My new friends. If you see anyone else, don't make a sound until I come back, all right? Even if it's Sasuke." He added.
Again, Izaki nodded. "Okay Oniichan." She replied.
How Neji wanted to hit Itachi right at that moment. Black coats as friends? How could he say that! But it seemed like he wasn't going to kill Izaki, to his relief. 'Was this how everything started?' he asked himself as he saw Itachi walk away. Neji closed his eyes, and operated his byakugan. 'There…I can't see clearly, but I will be able to watch Izaki as well.' He told himself, satisfied as he kept his eyes on to Itachi. Now he could watch both events.
As Itachi disappeared into the room, Neji and Izaki stood there for a moment until they heard a scream and fighting. "Mommy? Daddy?" She yelled, looking into the room. She took a step forward, but stopped when she and Neji of course, saw the other young Uchiha come into view. "Sasuke-Oniichan…" Izaki whispered his name, but not loud enough for Sasuke to hear. She was keeping her promise with Itachi, keeping silent.
Neji gritted his teeth. If he was really here, he would take Izaki and Sasuke and go. Then they wouldn't have to go through everything they did. Soon as Sasuke disappeared into the room as well, the 2 heard a scream from Sasuke.
Neji, through his Byakugan saw what Itachi was doing. Too horrified from the scream, Izaki broke her promise. "Sasuke-Oniichan!" She creamed as she scrambled towards the room.
Again, Neji tried to get her back by grabbing her, but once again, his hand slipped right past her. "No!" He yelled as he saw Izaki slip past him. "Don't go in there!"
Izaki kept going, fast as the tiny legs could carry her into the room where her mother and father's body lay, along with an unconscious Sasuke.
"Oniichan…?" Izaki whispered as she looked at Sasuke.
"Izaki…" A cold voice said. "I told you to stay where you were. Then you wouldn't have had to see this." He said.
Izaki turned her head to Itachi, who was standing over her. "Itachi…Oniichan…" She said in a quivering voice. "I heard a scream and I…"
She was soon cut off however, for a slap came right down at her, hitting her squarely into her cheek. "When I tell you what to do, you stick to it!" Itachi scolded her. "Listen to what everyone says to you, and obey it!"
Before he could continue, 2 pairs of feet landed behind them. Itachi looked over his shoulder to see 2 men wearing the Akatsuki coat. Itachi took one more look at Izaki, and turned to his new friends.
"Have you supplied us with the container?" One of the asked.
Itachi nodded. "My sister will do." He said, as he stepped out of the way so the 2 men can see Izaki.
The Akatsuki members frowned. "She is too small." One of them said. "And a girl at that, she'll be weak, she'll die before the training will be done."
Itachi shrugged. "She is stronger than you think." Was all he said.
"What about the kid behind you?" The other said. "He doesn't seem dead yet." He looked at Sasuke, who was motionless.
"He will not do." Itachi said with his calm voice. "He is one of the weaklings of this place." He looked at Sasuke. "She's far more talented."
Izaki looked at Itachi, trembling. "Are these your…friends?" She asked him. "What are you talking about? Why are mommy and daddy asleep? What's this smell?" She whined. Itachi turned his eyes to her. Abruptly, Izaki stopped at what she was saying, and looked down at the ground.
The two Akatsuki members exchanged glances and sighed. "Well, we'll trust your judgment for now." One of them said. "Let's get going before the stupid ANBU comes in."
With a nod, Itachi pulled Izaki up. Startled, the young Uchiha dropped her bear, but was held on tight with Itachi's arms around her. "Hold on tight." He said with a soft voice. "And remember what I said about obeying others." He said to her, and was off.
Neji stared blankly at Itachi, unable to move. When he regained his conscious, he heard Sasuke groan next to him.
"Aniki…" Sasuke said, still on the ground. He then brought his protesting body up, and looked around. "Aniki…" He said again, stopping to look at his parent's bodies. He looked away, disgusted. He then caught the sight of the bear. "Izaki…?" Sasuke breathed. "Izaki?" He asked again, getting up. "IZAKI!"
Neji jumped back in confusion when everything around his faded into pitch black once more. "Hey!" He yelled out his frustration. He wanted to know more. Why did Itachi do all of that? Why didn't he kill Sasuke? How did Itachi meet Akatsuki? What made him do that?
He thought on all those questions, and more kept coming, until one question that was already answered in his head popped up. He said the question and the answer out loud to himself. "Why…did they take Izaki, and no others?" He said aloud. He hesitated, and answered himself. "Because…they needed the container for the wolf…"
"Correct."
Neji jumped. "Who's there!" He yelled, trying to locate him or her from the darkness. Again, the darkness changed into a scene. This time, this surprised him a little. He looked around, and saw that he was standing in a forest.
"Correct." The voice said again, this time, coming from the bushes in front of him. Curious, Neji walked towards it, and looked over it to see 2 men wearing black coat with a girl about 6 or so standing in front of them, performing some complicated ninjutsu, some Neji didn't know about.
The girl made some for hand seals as she kept going on doing Ninjutsu, her watchers saying "correct" every time. Neji inspected the girl. She had the same look as the Izaki Neji knew when he first found her in the forest out side of Konha. Tattered and worn. Neji growled. How could they be so hard on a girl like her? He furiously thought.
As the girl went on the next task she was asked to perform, Neji saw Itachi coming into view. The girl abruptly looked up, and messed up at what ever she was doing. Izaki, looking horrified looked at the two Akatsuki members that were teaching her, or rather, watching her.
"I…I'm sorry!" She said, taking a step back.
The 2 Akatsuki members glared at her. One of the stepped forward and hit her stomach, which sent her flying into a tree. "A 'sorry' will not get back a risk that was thrown. Like what happened now, a mistake will drive the opponent to strike at you."
"Because she was afraid at what you were going to do!" Neji growled, but of course, he was not heard.
"Stand up!" The man ordered, to which Izaki obeyed hurriedly. "Now do the whole routine over again! And do not stop until you finish it without a mistake!"
The other man looked amused. "At this rate, you will have to work until midnight." He snickered. "Finish the routine by then, or I will assign a punishment for you."
Itachi looked at his sister and without showing any emotion; he turned to the 2 Akatsuki members. "I'll watch her. I will make sure she will finish what you have assigned her to do."
The man looked at Itachi, and looked away as he felt his blood red eyes on him. "Fine." He muttered. And with a motion to his partner, the 2 left the Uchihas.
Itachi turned his focus to his sister, who looked away and started on what was assigned to her. "I told you not to disappoint me." He said to her firmly. Izaki didn't respond. Itachi walked over to Izaki. "Let me see your stomach." He said, with a softer tone in his voice.
Izaki stopped her seals, and turned to Itachi. "Oniichan…" She said, tears threatening to fall. "Please, could we leave?"
Itachi said nothing and looked at her stomach. "This will only bruise." He said after a while, and ignored her question. Izaki opened her mouth to ask the same question, but Itachi cut her off. "I told you, obey them." With that, he turned and walked to a near by tree and sat down. "I will watch." Izaki looked away with silent tears dropping.
Itachi sighed. "I told you, I can not disobey them either, and neither can you. Just follow what they tell you." He said. "We will take the punishment together if you fail, which I doubt." He said.
Izaki looked at Itachi. "Why do we have to obey the one who killed our family?"
Neji jumped again in shock to find the scene disappear again, returning to the darkness. He thought on what he just saw, and concluded, that Izaki didn't know that Itachi wanted to kill the Uchiha Clan, and was blaming the Akatsuki for it. He sent out curses to the darkness, waiting for a new thing to come up.
The darkness answered to his waiting call, and changed its appearance, placing Neji in a forest, different from the last. Neji looked around, trying to find Izaki and trying to figure out what kind of past this was going to hold. A movement towards his side stopped his thoughts, and made his turn his head, to reveal Izaki, about the same age as the last memory he saw, 6 years old.
The girl's face showed horror as she ran past Neji, on full speed. Startled at the entrance, Neji didn't move, but ran after her right after. When he caught up, he took a look at the young girl, and scowled at the scars she had. She had two kinds of cuts: Cuts that looked non life threatening and cuts that looked life threatening.
Neji growled as he looked at her, cursing Akatsuki for getting her hurt like this. Before he could finish his imagination on murdering the Akatsuki members in slow painful death, he was stopped by a kunai rushing towards Izaki.
Neji's eyes flew wide open as he saw it coming, and tried to grab for it, but of course, failed to do so. Izaki was ready, her sharingan on and caught the kunai. Izaki turned suddenly, and threw the Kunai back into the deep forest and the response was a thud, meaning she had hit her target. From where the thud was heard, 2 ANBU sped fast, trying to grab the girl.
Izaki turned her small body once more, and ran on, without looking back again. By seeing Izaki's followers, Neji knew that Akatsuki had struck something, and left Izaki to fend for herself. He sent another curse out, feeling useless. He turned back again, to see the ANBU still following, and turned his head back to the girl, and saw that she was forming hand seals. Izaki turned around once more, and muttered as she winced, "Kaze-ton, Tastumaki no jutsui!" when she finished her last seal, gust of wind suddenly came around Izaki, and formed small tornadoes, which Izaki sent it to the ANBU, who tried to dodge. One was taken down by it, but the other one remained.
Izaki, who had thought she had won, wasn't ready for the last ANBU to strike at her. The ANBU, feeling his victory, formed seals and hurled some kind of fire jutsu at her.
Neji jumped in front of her, his arms spread apart, meaning for him to take the damage instead of her, but the fire ran right through him, its target only couple feet away. Neji turned, and was about to yell at Izaki to run, but a black blur stopped him. The black blur stopped in front of Izaki, and without hesitating, Itachi formed seals and sent the fire jutsu repelling off of him, eating away the last ANBU.
Neji gaped at Itachi, who fell backwards, panting. Izaki trembled as she clung onto Itachi's coat, sobbing. "Itachi-Oniichan…"
Itachi's hand found Izaki's head and patted her. He was smiling. "You gave me a scare when I saw you had those 4 ANBU trailing you into the forest." He turned his head to Izaki, panting still. "But I only killed one, so that means you killed the other 3, no?" He asked. When she nodded, he hesitated, but said, "Good job…If you get caught, they will make sure you are dead. Don't let that happen." He said to her firmly. "I can't lose you. Let me see those wounds." He sat up after another deep breathe.
Izaki showed him her arms, and Neji to his amazement, saw Itachi flinch. Itachi brought his hand up to her forehead, and muttered something as Izaki's eyes drooped. "Sleep." He ordered. With a nod, Izaki's eyes closed and fell onto Itachi. Silence followed as Itachi tended the wounds, Izaki sleeping soundly. When Itachi turned his attention to the last unhealed wound which was the most damaged, his eyes saddened. "I'm sorry." He said. "My actions to this idea has brought you pain…and for Sasuke as well…I will never let you get hurt ever again. I promise."
Neji again, jumped as the place around him turned black. "Great." He muttered. "I'm so confused…Does Itachi truly care for his sister?" He asked the darkness. "And Sasuke as well? But then, why did he kill the Uchiha clan? Or…did he?"
The answer was replied soon, as the darkness turned into a dark room with stone floor, ceiling and walls. As Neji's eyes adjusted to the new room, he heard voices.
"Do we have to do it today?" a man's voice echoed in the room, which Neji knew who it belonged to. "And I could always get us another child, a boy, like you have said before. Not a girl."
Neji turned his head towards 2 men, standing in the room. Itachi was kneeling in front of someone else who was also wearing the Akatsuki clothes. "No." He replied. Somehow, the tone in his voice made Neji hate him. "Izaki had proved me wrong, that girls could be the container. She is powerful, far more powerful than any other child."
Itachi looked up. "But you never told me that it was going to be that wolf!" He growled. "That wolf can eat her up from the insides!"
The man sneered. "My point exactly. I needed someone powerful to overcome the hard training I will give, but when I put the wolf in her, the girl will lose control of herself, and well, the body will be her, but the one taking control will be the wolf."
Itachi kept his glare. "You never told me that!" He snarled. "You said it was going to be a demon, but not something that will take over her!" Before he could fire more anger on him, the man snapped.
"So? I do not care. And neither should you. She's a sister of yours, and it seemed like you didn't care for your other relatives, why should you care for her? Besides, it was you who had agreed on entering out group with a container."
Itachi got up, his eyes still on him. "I never said I cared!" He growled. "You killed them, and you never told me you were going to kill them as well! My family! If I hadn't gotten to Sasuke before any of you, he would be dead as well! Now you are going to kill my sister?"
The man nodded amusement in his eyes. "Well, not killing, but using, yes."
Itachi growled. He tried to lounge himself at the man, but 2 other Akatsuki members jumped into the room, forcing Itachi down. "Itachi, you will not lay a finger on our leader." One of them said.
Itachi said nothing as he shoved the two off of him, and stood up. "But I also never said that Izaki is weak enough to let the wolf devour her." He said, and without saying more, he left the room.
Neji frowned as the darkness returned again. Itachi was defending Izaki! Itachi really did care for her! And he wanted Sasuke alive! He found himself smiling. Sasuke was spared his life because it was Itachi who reached him first, not the other Akatsuki members. He cared for his family!
"NO!" Someone yelled. Neji jumped, and saw his surroundings change once more.
"Kill her!" Someone else yelled. "Kill the stupid girl!" Neji looked at the man who was talking to Itachi in his last memory, the leader, or so he heard. The man had a huge gash down from shoulder to stomach, blood flowing freely. "Kill them!"
"NO!" Itachi roared again, getting in front of the Akatsuki members, who were standing next to their wounded leader. "I will separate her from the wolf, and then she will be back to girl and the wolf, to wolf. When we have the right kind of power, we can mix them once more!"
"Then I'd like to see you do it!" The leader snapped. "And a proper punishment for the girl for hurting me!"
Itachi glared. "It was your idea to have her get together with the wolf!" He snapped back. He was about to say more, but a crumbling wall told him to stop and turn to his problem at hand. "Izaki!" He yelled.
Neji turned his head towards the door to the same stone room he was in earlier, crumbling down. When the dust cleared from the crumbling, he saw a blur jump in, and tried to get at the leader, but Itachi blocked its path by pinning it down.
"IZAKI!" Itachi growled as he wrestled the resisting girl down.
Neji's eyes grew wide as he saw who Itachi was pinning down. It was Izaki, but she had grown red wolf ears and tail, and her nails were longer, sharper. Her eyes were blood red, and her teeth had grown into fangs, drops of red on it, matching her nails, which had red substances on them as well. Her hair was still the same, but had some tint of red in it, reflecting on the wolf's fur. The girl was growling, trying to get free.
Izaki struggled against Itachi's hold, her fangs bared, and ears flat. She tried to snap at Itachi, and at least claw at him, but Itachi had pinned her down firmly, unable to attack. Izaki growled furiously as she struggled, frantically trying to flee as if her whole life depended on it.
"Izaki!" Itachi said again, his eyes right onto hers. The wolf-human did not flinch one bit at the use of her name, but just kept growling. "Izaki." He repeated himself.
The Akatsuki watched with amusement, some even smiling. "There is no way for her to get separated from the wolf." One of them said. "Only way is to kill them."
Itachi shot a glare at the man who had spoken, but turned his attention back to Izaki when a pain on his right arm meant Izaki had hurt him. Neji watched with horror as he saw the new Izaki, or old, which ever way, but it terrified him. Izaki he knew wasn't someone like this!
Itachi then, did something that confused Neji even more. He looked towards his way. Neji was standing in one corner of the room they were in, with nothing around him except the walls. But, Itachi had looked at him, right into the eye. As soon as Itachi made sure he had his attention, he suddenly let go of his sister's arms, and started to make hand seals.
Neji watched with all his might, looking at every hand seal he made. He didn't know what made him watch, he just did. His instinct told him to watch what he is doing, carefully and to remember.
'Boar, horse, dog, snake, rat, rabbit, mouse, sheep, dragon.'
Then, Itachi made some seals Neji did not know what, but still, he wrote down the pictures of seals into his head.
"Kai!" Itachi yelled after all of his seals were done.
A gust of wind surrounded Izaki and Itachi, completely covering them from view. This went on for a while, the Akatsuki members fidgeting and Neji looking at the wind with worry.
Slowly, the wind died down, and when Neji and the others could see, they saw Izaki with human features leaning against Itachi who was sitting. A red wolf also accompanied them. Both of them had their eyes closed, sound asleep.
Neji, again saw Itachi glance over at him. Itachi and Neji both stared at each other for a while, and once again, the darkness took over Neji.
This time, Neji didn't have a chance to reflect on the memory, for the scene changed again, to a forest, around midnight or so.
"Izaki, go!" Someone yelled.
"But Itachi-Oniichan!" A girl's voice answered him.
Neji squinted to see 2 figures in the dark, Itachi and Izaki. "Hurry up, before they find you. Go to Konoha. They will take you in. But I will have to place a charm over you so you will not remember me letting you go, understand? You will remember me as someone who you fear."
Izaki frowned. "But, but…"
Before she could continue, Itachi placed a hand over Izaki's forehead, and Izaki collapsed to the ground. "Find Sasuke, he'll take you." He whispered to her, and left her.
Then, all Neji saw was darkness and nothing more.
Akanishi-san: SOOO this was pretty long, eh?
BTW REVIEWERS
NekoGuyFan: Oh, intense anger is coming your way. Well, sort of. Well...i donno. I'm trying to fit Itachi so he will be a nice guy...since i like him, but it seems like it might not work, so yeah, you will most likely see intense anger. Thanks for your support, and hope to see you till the end of this story!
ChocolatePanda: I hope you like this chappie too. I'm hoping that you guys aren't too freaked with this chapter. It kinda freaked me out. Lol. It took me a long time to think this through too. Oh, and I subscribed to your C2 thing And, can you add my other OC stories in there? I have another KakaxOc and one SasuxOc. Thanks
Jazzy Uchiha: Well, yeah, it is a NejixOc fic. Lol. Besides, Itachi and Izaki are blood related. And, Neji i think has everyone's votes. Ill try to get them back together soon Just wait --
Ramihel: Yes, I feel bad for Naruto as well, but I couldn't figure a way for him to be in the story and not cause trouble. lol. And next chappie is coming your way
Uchiha-Clan-San: I didn't do anything to her! Well, I'm not planning to anyway. Well, I donno. I might have to, sorry! > And I hope too Itachi will be a nice person in the end...but just like I said to Neko-san, I might not be able to get him to. Well try to keep up I think I will be posting next chappie soon as i get everything done with my HW, so keep your head up