**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the quote below. I just own Sintary ^^ Also I do not own the other OC Kokuro. He's my friend's.
This chapter is shorter than the last few - only five pages. But there's quite a bit of raw emotion in here just because everything starts falling apart for the team. My friend wrote the first part of the story, and I modified pieces of it to fit this part of the story. Please do enjoy!
Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself.
- Walter Anderson
They were cursed.
The three of them.
Sintary was sure of it, especially after this week.
The young kunoichi woke up in the middle of the night after making love with her true love. She stretched slightly in the bed and curled up next to Itachi. She found she couldn't fall asleep though. Sintary felt a disturbance in their friend's chakra. Something was amiss, and she felt compelled to ease him. Regrettably, Sintary got up and pulled on some clothes before leaving her lover's bedside.
She followed her senses, and she eventually came upon her missing teammate. The dark-haired boy was standing the center of a small lake; the water silver in the light of the full moon, everything at bliss. Sitting in a tree, she observed her teammate rippling the water's surface with his chakra. She was going to approach when she noticed that all the noise had stopped; no birds singing, no crickets chirping in the air, the clouds swirled and cleared in the sky revealing stars and the celestial moon.
"Ko, what are you doing?" Sintary whispered to herself.
A flash of lighting shot through the sky startling Sintary. She looked on as her teammate produces even greater chakra. Sintary watched as the lightning arced into the water, her breath catching as the thought of her teammate being electrocuted. She moved to rush forward, but a firm hand stopped her. Turning, she saw Itachi, crimson eyed and with a look of concern in his eyes. He spoke to her without words and both of them watched the scene unfold. Kokuro caught the arcing lightning in one hand, the color changed from a blinding white to a poisonous purple. Wind whipped and small vortices formed swirling around their friend.
Sintary knew that Kokuro could use the natures of wind and water, but lightning was a new addition. Just then the water began to steam and boil as rings of fire began to grow and circle Kokuro. Finally, the earth around the lake began to shift and large opaque crystals formed on the shore. Sintary and Itachi stood in awe as their friend displayed his mastery of all the changes in nature. His hair lightened the dark brown fading to glimmering silver-white. Then he moved, faster than Shishui's teleportation technique. The water from the lake burst from all directions as he weaved signs, taking the form of dragons spiraling through the air. The vortexes formed into swirling whirlwinds that orbited around the silver haired boy. Fire engulfed the twisters creating hellish spires of flame. The lightning wrapped itself around his hand as he leapt into the air; his silhouette from the moon ominous and dark, only the bright red of his eyes visible.
That is when they saw it, another figure donned in the gear of the hidden Leaf's ANBU, launching his own Ninjutsu at their companion. Kokuro formed the sign of the boar and the crystals pinned his opponent in the middle of the lake. He dove. Weaving signs faster than Itachi's eyes could read the elements all gathering in Kokuro's hand.
Sintary didn't even remember the impact just a flash of negative light, and then the storm, the burning rain. The lake was gone, just a smoldering crater and two bodies.
Sintary pushed forward and saw their comrade holding the body of the ANBU, sobbing heavily. He removed the mask and the face shown another young shinobi, one of Kokuro's friends, his sparring partner from the Uchiha dojo. Looking at them, his eyes changed the normal pattern of his Sharingan twisted and swirled, before he collapsed, unconscious into the mud.
Itachi and Sintary quickly gathered their teammate and raced back to her place.
"What the hell was that Itachi?"
"I have an idea of what was going on. We'll talk back at your place."
"What the hell is happening to him! Suddenly, he's manipulating all five changes in nature? Look at his hair, it's white, ghostly white, what is he doing to himself!"
Landing at her front door, the two brought Kokuro to the couch. Sintary turned to Itachi tears brimming in her eyes. Itachi held her close and nuzzled his chin atop her head. She could feel his heartbeat strong and not racing like her own. Itachi held her for what seemed like years then he spoke quietly, "Sintary, Kokuro is part of the Otsutsuki clan, do you know about it?"
"Nothing more than that he has the Sharingan like the Uchiha, and that he is the only surviving member," said Sintary, through shortened gasps.
"I will tell you what I know, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else, not even the Hokage if he asks." Sintary nodded. "Firstly, he has a special chakra, it is virulent and wild very hard to control, and somehow it is tied to the moon. Secondly, because of his status as the only clan member the leaf covets him as a prize gem, much like yourself. And thirdly, they plan to exploit his prowess just like they do you and I."
Sintary shook her head. "I don't understand the point. We're too young for all of this. Damn this bureaucracy!"
Itachi looked on concerned, and hugged Sintary one last time before setting to tend to their friend. His clothing scorched and tattered, but his wounds minimal, just small cuts and scrapes that needed to be bandaged.
"Why did they send Kai," murmured Sintary, breaking the silence in reference to the ANBU at the scene.
Itachi's face darkened, "My clan did that."
Sintary froze slack jawed.
"The elders must have wanted to really push Kokuro to grow, and they got what they wanted. Did you see his eyes? The normal Sharingan changed to a more advanced form called the Mangekyo. Only some of our clan has it, and to awaken it you have to… essentially, you have to kill your best friend."
The two kneeled in silence, and just as Sintary was about to speak, Kokuro gasped and shot up, wincing with pain. The pair eased their wired companion back down, and then they recounted the events of the past hour and Itachi's new intel. Kokuro, realizing what he had done, and what he was being shaped to become broke down. Itachi stood shocked and uncomfortable, never seeing his cousin so broken. It was Sintary who stepped forward.
"Kokuro," she cooed, "I promise, that I won't let them change you. You are still part of my 'family,' and the terrible things they are doing doesn't change that."
Kokuro began to gather his composure, and Itachi put his hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"I promise to protect the both of you," said Itachi, looking at both of his squad mates, "no matter what it takes, you both are dear to me."
Kokuro nodded and hugged his companions close. He will never know how a true family functioned, but he understood that he had one right before him. People that loved him unconsciously and who he loved in return. No matter what happened in the future, he knew they would remain with him forever.
That morning, Itachi was called off by the Hokage for anonymous reasons. He left in a hurry and didn't even kiss his lover goodbye.
Sintary groaned rolling out of bed and heading to the kitchen. "Can't they ever just give him a day off?" She muttered.
"It's probably regarding Ibiki's review on you." Kokuro piped up.
Sintary looked back at him from where she was in the kitchen pouring a cup of tea. "Speaking of reviews, they should do one on you. Are you sure you're okay?" She asked worried.
Kokuro slowly nodded, looking down. "I'll grieve privately for a while… it'll be tough… but I'll manage. I have to, that's the way of the shinobi. If I wallowed in every death close to me, I'd drown." He said very softly.
Sintary watched her friend closely, setting her tea down. "Was Kai… Kai was more of a friend to you, wasn't he Ko?"
The former dark haired shinobi's eyes darted towards her. "No," he denied.
Sintary frowned, leaning against the counter behind her and crossing her arms. "You seriously looked like you lost someone who held your heart." She observed. "Come on, Ko, you know you can tell me anything."
Kokuro's eyes dashed back towards his clenched hands. He knew he could talk to Sintary, but how could he reveal something so personal? He hadn't really told anyone – okay, who else would he really tell other than Sintary? Still… he hadn't planned on telling anyone… it was just too personal. Kokuro shook his head, closing up. He couldn't.
Sintary sighed, watching her friend clamp shut. "Deny it all you want, Ko. I can see it. You were falling for Kai, weren't you? But because he was an Uchiha, you knew there would never be a true relationship – even if he loved you back. That's why you've never shown interest in anyone else romantically. You had given your heart away, damning the consequences."
"Shut up," Kokuro warned, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him.
Sintary narrowed her eyes, pressing further still. "There's no damn way you could have activated the Mangekyo Sharingan over losing a dojo partner. And—and Itachi's your best friend. You had to have lost someone else that is close enough for you to be consumed by that grief. If not a best friend, it hast to be a lover!"
Kokuro was off the couch and in front of Sintary in a flash. He gripped her arms and shook her.
"You can't tell anyone! Not even Itachi! If you say anything… it'll ruin me." He spoke with such fever and urgency… and fear. Oh god, Kokuro was so fearful of what people will say if they ever found out.
Sintary gripped his forearms and looked up at her grieving companion. "Okay, okay, Kokuro. I won't tell anyone. It's okay." She told him earnestly.
Kokuro hadn't felt the tears fall from his eyes, or the sobs shake his body. He didn't feel himself fall to the ground or hear the cries of his heart. He was numb to it. All he felt was Sintary stroking his now white hair and the softness of her shirt.
They assembled in the afternoon for the funeral. The two hadn't seen Itachi all morning since he was called off. Dressed in black, the pseudo siblings stood in front with their heads bowed. They were surrounded by grieving clansmen who had grown up with Kai in their daily lives. As far as anyone knew, Kai was attacked by an enemy nin. There was no mention of the connection to Kokuro, but they were sure a few of them knew. Someone there wanted Kokuro to activate the Mangekyo Sharingan.
At the end of the ceremony, a hand was placed on Sintary and Kokuro's shoulders. They turned back to see their friend standing behind them.
He leaned down to Sintary and whispered, "The Hokage would like to see you as soon as possible."
Sintary nodded softly and hugged Kokuro tightly before disappearing.
"You've summoned me, Lord Hokage?" Sintary inquired landing on the open window sill.
"Come on, Sintary," he said taking a drag from his pipe.
Sintary looked over those in the room. The elders, Danzo, and Ibiki were all present. Sintary took a deep breath before coming into the room and coming around to stand before them.
"We have reviewed your case." Danzo spoke. "Your evaluation has indicated you have anxiety issues. Notes from your squad leader and captain have told us you have been at hard work trying to maintain control over these… attacks." Sintary was trying to do so at the moment while he rambled on. "It is not fit for a shinobi to have such complications. This is your life. You choose it. You deal with it." He said sharply.
"However," The Third Hokage picked up, "because of your phenomenal achievements and great success in the shinobi world, we have decided to only suspend you for another week. You will have to undergo similar evaluations after every mission to ensure your safety and that of the villages. You will also continue whatever therapy sessions Itachi has made up for you."
If Sintary hadn't had the best teacher for hiding emotions, she would have blushed red. But the kunoichi remained composed and nodded, accepting this agreement.
"You are dismissed to grieve with your companions." The Hokage told her.
She nodded and vanished to mourn with Kokuro and Itachi.
The week continued to get worse. As if one wasn't enough, Kami claimed another life the next morning.
Sintary wasn't even fully awake when Itachi appeared in her bedroom that very morning. His heart pounded and ached. He couldn't grasp what had happened just moments ago. He felt he needed to do something; to punch something, scream, cry, something.
But he couldn't.
He was trapped inside the shell of a soldier he had created.
It was like Shisui had said: he didn't understand his feelings therefore he couldn't truly feel them.
The mere thought of his best friend sent the strong shinobi to his knees. The sound fully woke up Sintary. She looked around and gasped seeing her lover on his knees, tremoring. She quickly got out of the bed and knelt beside him.
"Oh my god, Itachi, what happened?" She whispered pulling him closer to her.
"Shisui… He… he's dead."
Sintary froze and looked down at him. "Was… was he killed?" Sintary whispered slowly.
"No… he committed suicide."
Sintary's heart broke, feeling so deeply for Itachi. Shisui was an older brother to the younger shinobi. They were so close.
"Oh god, Itachi," Sintary whispered her voice becoming thick with tears.
They stayed together like that for a long time. It wasn't until Sintary felt something wet on her shirt that she pulled away. She knew Itachi wouldn't cry; something was off. Lifting his face gently, Sintary gazed upon her beloved's face.
"Itachi… your eyes are bleeding." She whispered worried.
Itachi opened his eyes, and Sintary was taken aback by what she saw. His eyes were red with the Sharingan, but this was a completely different design that what he previously held.
"Did… did you activate the Mangekyo Sharingan as well?"
Itachi slowly nodded, wiping the blood on the back of his sleeves. "Shisui's death has caused me great pain; enough to activate this stage of our Doijutsu."
"Was this the clan's doing as well?" Sintary asked a tad suspicious.
Itachi shook his head sadly. He wished it would have been the clan's fault. It would have been easier to accept. "No… this was all Shisui's doing." He said gravely. Itachi started to stand. "I must go. The clan is bound to know very shortly of what has happened. I should be present."
Sintary looked at her best friend. His usually straight shoulders, slumped forward bearing the weight of the world. His eyes dark from the lack of sleep and hope for the future. What had he done for the faiths to treat him so cruelly?
"Kokuro and I will be by shortly with our condolences." Sintary told him softly still kneeling on the floor.
Itachi barely nodded before willing himself home.
As if one of his best friends committing suicide wasn't enough, Itachi's week only continued to get worse.
Two days after Shisui's funeral, he was required to spy on the Uchiha clan meeting with two other ANBU. After that he had to meet with his father – which had not gone very well on his end.
"There's no other way around it, is there?" The Hokage asked after hearing about Fugaku's plan to over throw him.
"It does not seem so," Itachi replied.
"We need to strike them down before they strike us," Danzo declared already having a plan in mind.
"I would rather try using words first, Danzo." The Hokage replied.
It seemed the Third Hokage would not get his wish. Danzo approached Itachi after the meeting had adjourned.
"The Hokage is a fool. Words clearly won't persuade the clan to back down. We must use brute force, and unfortunately, only you can be relied on to do it."
Itachi's eyes widened very slightly in shock.
"You have a choice: either side with your father and go along with the coup. There you will be killed with your brethren. Or," Danzo paused, "side with us and eliminate everyone, but Sasuke."
The older man left Itachi some time to decide. The younger shinobi spent a few days weighing out his options. He spent most of the days watching over his little brother. He wanted his brother to grow up without war.
With that thought in mind, Itachi accepted his mission and headed to Sintary's apartment.
I hope it was alright. There were a lot of big, separate events that took place, so it might be a pit choppy. I feel it wasn't too bad.
Thank you to KnightsRoses, Sweet Petit, arigarciar, Ijustdon'tcare132, KyuubiNoPuma, pika-78, Rose23527, ILurveManyAnimeBoys, xxRyuu-himexx, nathy13, HonestxxEyes, NinjaChipmunk, and PityThoseWhoLiveWithoutLove-95 for following/favorite-ing the story!
A special thanks for ILurveManyAnimeBoys, Rose23527 and HonestxxEyes for their reviews!
I do appreciate all the feedback I can get. Please, please, please leave reviews. It does help me write more when I know my audience is enjoying my story.
Final author's note: If anyone wants to follow Kokuro's story, my friend will be doing a spin-off of "Dear Itachi" from Kokuro's point of view. It'll be a KibaxKokuro pairing for those interested! I'll be posting links as they come about!
Thanks again for reading!