**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
Hello! I'm so sorry this took two weeks, but I really wanted to get to a certain point in the story, and well, it turned out I needed to type just over 14 pages of the story to get to this point! So, with that in mind, I have a bit of explaining to do. In my head, I mixed up when the Kage Summit happened in the Naruto timeline. So, this event is flipped with Pein's attack on Konoha. It works out for the story because, well, I killed Danzo, so Tsunade can't be dead! Plus, I have something in mind for that as well. Like I said, it was a mix up on my part, so I hope you guys don't mind as much! Also, with this chapter, it's like I combined two chapters into one for you guys! The first half is it's own event, where as the second half is separate as well. But they both have to do with secrets, which fit with the quote I chose.
Rose23527: you guess right, Sintary is technically sick, but as of right now, nothing's going to serious crap! Just some minor things!
So, you'll probably skip through the next part but here we go anyway:
Check out the blog ( Dear Itachi News . blogspot . com). It gives you the latest updates (when I can actually get something out there), teasers, and pictures. I have posted a picture for Sintary and Itachi, check it out! And then the four-month anniversary special is up there as well. Check it out!
Without further ado:
"Tell me what you want to hear
Something that will light those ears
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away
This time, don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics ever jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away"
-One Republic, Secrets
"Okay, so, we got the latest lab results and tests back." Sakura stated folding a manila folder in front of her.
It had been a few days since Itachi Uchiha woke up in her hospital. She knew his pregnant girlfriend, a somewhat friend of hers – Sintary – and their friend Kokuro were excited for that news, but she still couldn't settle on how she felt about him. As a patient of hers, she was glad he was getting better. However, her personal feelings were muddled. While she knew and understood his story, he still put Sasuke through so much pain which had also put her, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and everyone else involved through hell as well.
Speaking of Naruto and Kakashi-sensei… she had told them – with Tsunade-shishou's permission of course. They had the same mixed feelings about it as well. Naruto had flat out called her a liar. Sakura could see why he was so upset. The Third Hokage had been a role model for him despite their constant squabbles. Kakashi had been shocked, but he hadn't outwardly state his disagreement with her. Either way, they both saw the scroll with the detailed mission, and now had to come to terms that was the truth.
It was just hard accepting that all their suffering could have been extinguished had something else been done. That maybe they wouldn't be preparing for their friend's possible execution. That maybe things could have been different…
"Sakura?"
The pinkette blinked her green eyes a couple of times and looked at her patient.
"You seemed deep in thought again." Sintary said softly.
Sakura looked at the woman before her. The medic had thought Sintary's condition had been poor when she came back from four years in Orochimaru's cave of doom, but three months later she wasn't doing any better – possibly worse. But being the head medic right now, it was Sakura's duty to figure out what was going on and help her patient.
"So based on the testing we've done in the past couple of months, your body's immune system has become overactive. It's targeting healthy cells which is causing you to get fevers, joint pain, aches, nausea, just flu like symptoms." Sakura explained. "The cells were also attacking the baby because he or she is considered foreign to your body."
"What do we do then?" Sintary asked softly.
"At the moment, our best bet is to turn off your immune system, but that leaves you exposed to infections." The medic told her.
"So I would have to stay in the hospital? Somewhere sterile?" The mother asked softly.
"Not necessarily. You just have to be aware of things and people you come in contact with. Make sure your hands are clean, make sure your food is clean, and your house. If you come in touch with something that you didn't clean, I would make sure to wash your hands again. But you'll be able to walk around the village, interact with people, and not be surrounded by four white walls." Sakura informed her.
"And the baby… he or she will be okay, too?" Sintary questioned.
The medic nodded. "This is his or hers best shot."
The other woman nodded and sighed. "Then, I guess we go ahead with it."
The pinkette nodded. "I'm hoping this will go away once you give birth, but there's a chance you're stuck with it until I can figure out to permanently fix it."
Sintary nodded again. "Let's hope for the best."
Sakura nodded with a small smile.
"How's Itachi doing?" The black-haired woman asked quietly.
Since he had woken up, the Hokage requested everyone who knew he was there not to visit. She wanted him to rest up, but that meant Sintary hadn't been able to see him.
"He's doing better," the medic started. "I'm still working on trying to restore his vision to its fullest, but as of right now he's pretty blind. I'm assuming only with his Sharingan he was seeing 20/20, but by using it, his vision started to deteriorate. Other than that, his lungs are clear and his other organs are functioning well. We'll start therapy for him to do so he builds his strength back up to travel after lying in bed for three months."
Sintary nodded softly at that. "Do you know when Lady Tsunade will allow me to visit again?"
The Hokage's apprentice paused for a moment, but slowly shook her head. "Maybe after he gets stronger and can function more independently, but honestly, that's her call, not mine."
The other woman nodded softly. "Thank you, Sakura."
The pair soon left the patient room and parted their ways. Sintary headed to the waiting room where her best friend and son were sitting.
"Mommy!" Kazuki exclaimed quickly heading over.
"Hello, my sweet." Sintary said happily and picked him up.
Kokuro looked up at his best friend. "Hey, how'd it go?" He asked.
"It went well, I believe." She told him as she cuddled with her son. "We're going to try a medication that should clear the condition up for now."
"So, is mommy going to get better?" Kazuki asked softly.
Sintary smiled and rubbed her nose against his. "Yes, she is."
"Good. I don't like seeing you sick." The young boy stated.
His mother smiled more at that as the trio grabbed her medication and soon headed home.
"Oh, hey, um, I gotta go." Kokuro suddenly stuttered as they neared the apartment complex.
"Anywhere special?" Sintary asked a tad curious.
"Uh," he paused. "No, actually, nowhere special at all."
She slowly nodded. "Alright, can you bring some fresh vegetables home for dinner? I'm just making some soup to keep us all warm while the fall settles in."
"Yeah, sure." Kokuro said quickly. "Uh, bye."
Sintary rose an eyebrow at her friend's skittish behavior. He hadn't acted like that before – even when Danzo was behind his strange personality. She wondered what was going on with him now. Though, she didn't feel worried per se.
"What kind of soup is for dinner, mommy?" Kazuki questioned pulling her out of thought.
"Depends on what type of vegetables Uncle Ko brings home." Sintary responded as she headed up the stair to the apartment.
"I want tomato soup." Her son stated.
She chuckled softly. "Uncle Sasuke seems to have rubbed off on you."
"When are we going to see Uncle Sasuke again?" He asked changing the subject.
"Depends on what the Hokage says sweetie. We could see if we can see him tomorrow, but he's still going to be locked up because he's been a bad boy." His mother explained.
"Yeah… Uncle Sasuke seems like he has been a bad boy for a while now." Kazuki observed.
"He has actually. He was with snake man for as long as you've been alive. How long would that be, Kazuki?" She questioned the small boy.
"Four! Four years." He said happily.
"Very good!" Sintary exclaimed happily as she walked into their home.
The family of two settled into the room. Sintary read a book to her son and he tried to read part of it to her – though he couldn't get it all. They then played a game before Sintary started to prep for dinner. Kokuro still wasn't back though.
The young woman washed her hands, looking out her slightly opened window. Her view was that of a brick wall of another apartment building. It wasn't Kokuro's building though. His was across the street of hers. The one next to hers was separated by an alley. An alley she found a lot of young shinobi making out in. So much so she started keeping tabs with pictures. Some would freak out and leave mortified while others would be bold enough to keep going in which cause Sintary ended up using force to make them leave. Either way, it was a bit of fun for her to have.
Speaking of which, she could hear another couple now:
"This is the spot. Make out corner." She heard a male say distantly.
She assumed the girl whispered because she didn't hear a response.
"She won't know. She's probably busy up there." The boy said gruffly.
Sintary frowned slightly. Well, they were surely discussing her, weren't they? Who else would they be cautious of? She 'hmphed' and made a clone of herself to watch Kazuki as she grabbed her camera and headed downstairs silently.
As she turned the corner, she immediately paused and took the picture. It was muscle memory for her, and it just happened automatically. But the sight really caught her off guard.
A Leaf shinobi with dark brown, spikey hair was in the alley way. He had a black, hoodless jacket and distinctive red markings on his cheek.
The boy was Kiba Inuzuka.
As Sintary peered closer, she saw his companion had white, spikey hair as well. But his partner was feminine like. No, instead, they were more masculine, and as she realized, definitely male.
Her blue eyes widened at what she was seeing.
Kokuro and Kiba –
-Kiba and Kokuro.
As they had been leaving the hospital after Sintary's long – and boring – appointment, when Kokuro spotted Kiba.
The two had been unofficially – officially dating for… well… four years now. It was official to them, but they had both yet to declare their love for each other publicly – which made it unofficial. The couple was pretty sure Tsume, Kiba's mother, knew of their relationship, but has all but directly called them out on it. Plus, Danzo had been screwing with Kokuro in that love was weak, and that he couldn't have love, and that had led to times of not seeing Kiba which had worried the younger shinobi.
But despite all that, they still… they still loved each other.
After Kokuro had gotten back, he had confessed to Kiba as to what had been going on this entire time. Kiba couldn't believe that his love had been tormented this whole time. He was angry with himself for not noticing anything or being able to save his Ko.
The couple then spent these past three months building upon their relationship. They had gone on dates in the forest, publicly ate as restaurants together, and had slowly started to build the courage to holding hands and kissing in "public."
Okay, so, not really public, but as in… not just inside the other's home where people could possibly see them… but not explicitly.
And… well…
Kokuro had yet to tell his best friend that he was seeing someone…
So…
He made up the vaguest excuse to leave to see his lover.
Kokuro sighed; she was going to catch on eventually if he kept this up.
His spirits brightened when he saw Kiba though.
"Hey, you," Kokuro said to the other male.
"Hey." Kiba responded. "Sorry to steal you away, but I dunno," he shrugged shoving his hands into his pockets. "You know… I missed you."
"I missed you too." Kokuro told him softly.
Dark eyes met hazel ones softly. "Do you… do you want to go walk around town a bit… together?"
The white haired shinobi nodded softly. "That sounds nice. Come on."
The couple took the long way around through the heart of Konoha. Their hands gently brushing against each other's nervously. They were still pretty fearful of what people would think about their relationship, and were still trying to build confidence.
"You know… I know this one spot where people make out all the time." Kiba said causally after a while.
"Oh yeah?" Kokuro responded curious.
"Yeah… it should be right up here."
The white haired boy looked around softly. "This my apartment complex." He commented.
"Yeah, it's right across from it." His dark-haired counterpart said going into the alley across from his apartment. "This is the spot. Make out corner."
Kokuro blinked and looked around. "No, no. This is where Sintary catches kids all the time. She's bound to find us." He whispered trying to keep quiet.
Kiba rolled his eyes. "She won't know. She's probably busy." He moved closer to his lover. "Besides… even if she does catches us, she'd be the first person to see us kissing. That'll just help us right?"
"I don't know, Kiba." Kokuro said looking away.
The younger shinobi pushed the older one against the wall, closing in on him. He grabbed hold of his hands and pushed them against the solid brick.
"Shut up and just kiss me already." Kiba muttered before kissing his lover passionately on the lips.
Kokuro's hazel eyes light up with shock. However, he absolutely loved the boldness of his partner. He slowly his mystical orbs and loosened up. He enjoyed feeling of Kiba lips attacking his own.
His hands remained locked at his sides by Kiba's. As much as he would have loved to run his pale hands through his dark hair, Kokuro also enjoyed his lover asserting his dominance.
The couple was so deep into the kiss that even the Inuzuka's hearing didn't pick up soft footsteps until after the camera click.
Suddenly, both hazel and black eyes flew open as they pulled apart. While they had anticipated Sintary coming down, they hadn't expected a camera.
"What the hell, Sin!?" Kokuro exclaimed looking at his best friend.
She stared blankly between the two before very slowly grinning.
"You two finally got together!" She exclaimed happily. "Oh my god! I'm so happy for you two!"
The couple awkwardly looked away, feeling uncomfortable under her glee.
"Come on, this is a good thing! Why are you guys suddenly acting so weird?" Sintary inquired looking between them.
"Because you interrupted a good kiss," Kiba muttered, but Kokuro nudged him with his elbow.
"We're not public yet, Sin." Kokuro told her quietly.
Sintary 'o'ed with realization. She understood her friend was a very private person, and that his personal life wasn't something he would go out of his way to make openly known… But he was of who he was. She just thought… she thought Kokuro would have at least been holding hands with Kiba or something.
But then again… Itachi and her had been the same way. Would they have been awkward if someone walked on them kissing? Maybe… she could picture it both ways.
She just thought… that Kokuro would have…
Would have told her.
Okay, maybe that's what was really bothering her – the fact that Kokuro didn't tell her that he had gotten together with Kiba.
"Well… I should probably head home. My sister's going to be pretty pissed if I miss dinner without saying something." Kiba said suddenly.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then?" Kokuro inquired.
The younger nin nodded. "Yeah. Around noon, right?"
"Yep. Come hungry." The older boy stated.
"Cool. See ya."
"Bye."
And then there were two… well… three if the unborn baby counted!
"So…" Sintary stated looking around before settling on her best friend.
"So…" He replied looking at the ground.
"You and Kiba… huh?"
"Yeah..." His hazel eyes flickered up to hers for a moment.
"… Why didn't you tell me?" Sintary suddenly blurted out.
Kokuro blinked taken aback. "What?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were dating anyone?" She repeated softly.
"Because that's my business, not yours." He stated plainly.
"But we're best friends. We tell each other everything." She insisted.
"You didn't outwardly tell me you were dating Itachi, or that you two were closer than just boyfriend and girlfriend!" Kokuro exclaimed since it still stung a bit.
"Because it just happened, Ko! There was no exact moment we became a couple. We were best friends, always around each other; he was always there for me from young on." Sintary yelled back.
"It still stung seeing you two kissing and realizing that neither of you said anything about it." Kokuro told her. "Besides things just aren't the same anymore. We both went through our own hells, and it caused strains on our relationships. You cannot expect things to go back to being normal after everything we went through. I didn't just bend to Danzo's will. He broke me. And then, he created something evil from inside of me. I don't know where that other part of me is, but it's still there – I can feel it. And I just… I just can't go back to the way I was. I'm different."
Kokuro was ranting, he was aware of that, but it was true. He couldn't express how scared he was of this alter Danzo Frankenstein'ed together. It was something dark, and foreign, and just a pool of evil – that was still inside him. It was like he was sharing and harboring his life with this other half, and well… he wanted something to be his… something to be private.
So, no. He didn't want to share every little thing like he may have done pre-Danzo with Sintary. It's not he didn't love her, and wanted her out of his life… he just wanted his own, separate life.
But that was all left unsaid.
Sintary didn't know all of this, and because of this, what he told her was like he dumped a bucket of ice water on her.
His best friend kept her face very unnaturally neutral. Kokuro hadn't seen her emotions this locked up since her ANBU days many years ago.
He should have felt bad.
He should have said he was sorry; that he was stressed and concern.
He should have told her all his fears.
But he didn't.
He didn't want to.
He shouldn't have had to explain anything to her.
Kokuro shook his head to clear it. He had definitely changed.
"That's fine," she said curtly. "You lead your life, and I'll lead mine. Thanks for not getting vegetables."
The white haired shinobi watched his best friend turn and walk out of the alley, heading back to the market to get some vegetables for her dinner.
Again, they were divided.
Again, they were strained.
Again, they were alone.
The past two months hadn't been mundane, but it certainly wasn't anything exciting.
Sintary was helping Tsunade prepare for the Kage Summit. She was going with her Kage along with her son, Kokuro, and the two Uchiha brothers. Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and an old ROOT member named Sai would be joining them. All of them were technically not supposed to go, but Kokuro and Team Kakashi where acting as the Fifth Hokage's guard despite the fact that they were not all ANBU. The two Uchiha brothers were part of the discussion, and Tsunade didn't want to leave them behind without her present. Sintary "knew" the most of the Uchiha Massacre other than Itachi, so Tsunade viewed her as a witness to it all. And of course, the mother wouldn't leave her son behind.
The last minute paperwork was being filed, everything was being gathered, pep-talks were being given, and Tsunade was leaving Shizune with the elders in the village.
The elders, surprisingly, didn't know of anything they were doing. Tsunade had done such an amazing job of evading them like they were her paperwork. They had no idea Itachi or Sasuke were present. She had made sure anyone who need understood how pissed off she would be if they told the elders.
"Tsunade, you should really have more ANBU with you. I heard Sasuke Uchiha killed Danzo outside of the Sound Village. He's bound to come after you next if you're out." Koharu warned her.
Homura nodded, agreeing. "Not only that, but all the news we've been receiving from the Village Hidden in the Rain. Jiraiya—"
"—has told me everything I need to know regarding that issue." The Fifth Hokage cut him off. "I'm not some old woman. I can handle myself. Besides, I choose Team Kakashi for a reason. They have experience against the Uchiha and are very experienced."
"But what of the Akatsuki? They'll come after the Nine-Tailed Fox the minute it's out of the village!" Homura exclaimed not happy about being cut off.
"The Akatsuki does not scare me." Tsunade said firmly.
"You should be scared. They've already taken down the Kazekage and shown they're not playing around. Maybe if you weren't such a gambling woman, you'd act more like the granddaughter of the great First Hokage." Koharu scoffed.
"I'm not gambling!" The Legendary Sucker huffed. "This job isn't a bet. I care about it and the people I govern. If I'm not confident I can send those hippies to the moon, then I've failed them. I understand they are on the move and are planning the next attack, but I know we'll be able to take whatever they throw at us." She told them firmly. "Now, I am leaving for the Land of Iron to negotiate treaties with the five Kage with Team Kakashi as my guards, and I will not take any more of your useless nagging. I am leaving the village in your, hopefully, capable hands along with Shizune to assist."
With that, Tsunade grabbed what she needed to before grabbing her Hokage hat and heading out the door.
Once she made it to the gates, she was immediately greeted with:
"You're late, baa-chan!" The annoying blond boy exclaimed.
"What I tell you about calling me that!" The Fifth Hokage scolded him for the umpteenth time.
"He's got a point, shishou," her pink apprentice pointed out. "Even Kakashi-sensei was here before you."
Tsunade glanced over at the silver-haired Jounin who was indeed earlier than she was. "The elders were nagging me. Let's just get going. It's going to be a long journey." She said brushing it all off.
The team nodded and headed to their second location just outside the Leaf's borders. There, Tsunade had Kokuro, Sintary, her son, and the Uchiha brothers with four ANBU waiting. While both Uchiha's were stripped of their chakra – and one being partly blind and still in recovery – she had so many to protect that couldn't necessarily fight back. So she grabbed the extra help. It was also a precaution just in case those two went rouge on her.
The other group looked up at the approaching Konoha' nin. Sintary had her head rested on Itachi's shoulder as she held Kazuki in her lap. Kokuro and Sasuke were sitting with a bit of space in between the family while the group of ANBU surrounded them.
"Are we good to go?" Sintary asked them softly.
Tsunade nodded. "We're good to go." She said.
"I've got everything in for you and Itachi as well," Sakura told them assuring.
"Thank you Haruno-san." Itachi said softly.
The pinkette nodded at that as the group took off.
The journey would have only taken a few days for the Konoha Shinobi, but not all of them were equipped with what was needed for this voyage. Three of them were without chakra. Two were technically ill among other things.
One was pregnant.
Another was a child.
Another was almost blind.
And the last… well, he was just the stubborn ass – not that it really hindered their arrival, it was just a fact.
"So, this is it, huh, teme?" Naruto asked looking into the snowy distance.
"I told you not to call me that, dobe," retorted the other man.
"Well, you deserve it, teme! You put us all through hell for you!" The blond responded.
"No," Sasuke denied venomously. "You were the ones who insisted on coming after me. You were the ones who insisted on not giving up on me. You were the ones who put yourselves through hell."
"But you were the one who decided to defect from the village, Sasuke." Sakura butted in angrily. "We could have helped you if you would have left us! But you decided all on your own to leave us and not give us a chance!"
"Enough you three!" Tsunade boomed. "I will not tolerate any bickering during this meeting. You are all representing Konoha, and your maturity certainly make a difference in the decision." She then turned the younger Uchiha. "You need to shape up and pull that metaphorical stick out of your ass, or I will literally shove one up it."
Sasuke remained impassive to her scolding. "Hn." Was his response.
Tsunade looked ready to strangle the man, but tried to remain calm. She looked at the Three Wolves Mountain that held the Land of Iron. The mountains were dark charcoal and the amount of snow and ice gave the formidable place its wolf-like appearance. The snow flew freely and unrelenting here, and the Hokage worried for the health of two of her group.
"Come one, let's head inside. Quickly now." She said firmly as she led the charge.
The group was greeted by surprised samurai.
"We were not expecting such a large group of shinobi." One of them told Tsunade.
"It's necessary. These people have an important part here today, and then of course, I need an adequate amount of protection for all of them. These four can stay out of the room and stay with you guys, but the rest have to come inside with me."
"Are the other Kage aware of this?" He asked cautiously.
"Yes." She said confidentially.
The samurai looked between his fellow men before allowing them passage. Tsunade nodded to her group as they started to head inside the village. They continued to the center where a circular building stood. The building was tall and dark in color. Inside was just as darkly colored. Lanterns light the hallway that led to a wooden door. Two samurai stood on each side of the door.
"Lady Hokage," they nodded. "You are among the last to arrive."
"Good. We'll make an entrance." Tsunade said pushing open the doors.
"You're late, sucker!" Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, exclaimed slamming his hands on the glazed, wooden table.
"Considering my group composed of non-shinobi, that's understandable." Tsunade told them curtly.
"What is the meaning of this, Lady Hokage?" Mifune, general of the Land of Iron, and mediator asked. "You've brought so many with you when you were only allowed two guards." He then peered behind her. "You've brought a child and two criminals into a very important meeting."
"I said in my letters that I would like to discuss the status of these two criminals," argued the blonde Hokage.
"We never received those letters…" Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, told her.
"Shishou…" Sakura whispered. "You never had me send those letters…"
Tsunade huffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, it's too late to fret about that now." She said brushing it off with a wave of her hand. "Look, they're here willingly, and I think this would be to all of our benefits to listen in."
A, the Fourth Raikage, looked over at the two Uchiha behind Tsunade. "You've sealed their chakra; even going as far as to cut off their Doujutsu from their eyes."
"A sealing jutsu and medical ninjutsu make for wonderful tools. My protégé understands how the connect works, and how to put it back together. I needed their upmost compliance and understood that it would unease you if they still had access to their Genjutsu." The Fifth Hokage explained.
"Well, I'm certainly interested in this story," Mei, the Fifth Mizukage, said leaning back in her chair.
"Does anyone object?" Mifune asked looking around.
"I do! They are criminals! Missing-nin who have associated with the worse of our kind!" Onoki exclaimed outraged.
"Oh, shut up, you old troll!" Tsunade fired
"Who are you calling a troll, you old bat!?" The Third Tsuchikage yelled at her.
"Who are you calling old!?" The Fifth Hokage exclaimed going to head over to him.
"ENOUGH!" Mifune commanded looking between the two of them. "Your childish squawking will not accomplish anything so pipe down, and Tsunade, take your seat." He told them feeling more like a parent or a school teacher that a mediator between powerful national leaders. Once the blond took her seat, Mifune looked at her. "What importance does this… discussion you'd like to have about two criminals have anything to do with our agenda?"
Tsunade looked around at the Kage. "As you all know, the men in question are the remaining two of the Uchiha. The Uchiha were one of the founding members of the Leaf Village, and have always held a strong part in the village's advances. Both men are phenomenal in the shinobi arts, illustrating a vast range of jutsu and battle intelligence. Their Doujutsu, the Sharingan, has also proven to be effective in controlling the Tailed Beasts and aiding in battle."
"What does that have to do with anything of this?" Onoki asked boredly. "There are only two of them. What good can they do now to boost your militia?"
"Itachi Uchiha was ANBU Captain at a young age of thirteen. He was chosen not only because his battle expertise was almost unmatched, but he was considered a genius among many in Konoha." Tsunade explained calmly. "He is also the only one to go into the Akatsuki and actually know what they are planning."
"His status with the Akatsuki is a reason, among others, as to why he's a criminal though," Gaara reminded her. "He was one of the ones assigned to capture Naruto."
"But he never succeeded." The blonde woman pointed out. "Itachi had many opportunities to subdue and kidnap Naruto, but he never did. Even with his partner Kisame Hoshigaki, the two were never able to complete their assigned mission successfully."
"Kisame could have easily taken Naruto without a second thought," the Fourth Mizukage threw out there. "But now that you've said that, the man has never attacked or harmed anyone else without being provoked."
"Without being provoked?!" The Tsuchikage exclaimed.
"Are you all forgetting the Uchiha Massacre? The very event that brought the clan down to two and made Itachi Uchiha a criminal?" A, the Fourth Raikage, inquired.
"I was hoping one of you would say that." Tsunade replied with a small smirk. "But first, are we all on board with hearing his case?"
"Case? Are we putting him on trial, Lady Fifth?" Mifune asked.
"Yes," she replied confidently. "Since Itachi Uchiha is considered a criminal against the shinobi nation, it is only fair that we come to an intelligent decision together. I feel it would be unjust and against our possible unity if I were to make the decision myself, though my village would be the one handling everything. If we are to be united, we must be able to set our differences aside and think cohesively."
The general nodded agreeing. "I believe that is a fair claim." He said. "Let the trial of Itachi Uchiha begin."
Tsunade first presented with how she came about the information herself. This led to Sintary being questioned just like she predicted.
"Sintary Sacuna, you were the first one to know of the true events before anyone else, correct?" Mifune asked.
She nodded firmly. "I was."
Tsunade had told her to keep her answers short and to the point. Anything else without being prompted would give the Kage something else to latch onto other than the main idea.
"What made you think that something was off about the situation?" Mifune asked
"I grew up with Itachi. I knew him from when we were young. We were school mates, teammates, and he became my squad leader. I knew him, and when the Third Hokage told me what had happened, I just… I didn't believe I minute of it. Call it a gut feeling, but I just knew something was wrong." Sintary tried explaining.
"So, you had a connection with the Uchiha." The Third Tsuchikage said looking at her with a hard look.
"Yes." She replied.
"So how do we know that your feelings are not clouding your judgment?" The Fourth Raikage asked looking rather bored with his head resting in his palm.
"Because I went digging. I wanted answers as a sense of closure and peace. So I went into the records and found a scroll buried deep in everything. Since it was still new, it wasn't hidden as well as the second time I found it."
"I have the scroll here," Tsunade interrupted and passed around the written document.
"How do we know this isn't falsified?" The Mizukage asked plainly.
"I have other documents written by Danzo for a hand-writing analysis as well as a copy of Sarutobi's signature." The Fifth Hokage stated circling those as well.
"But The Uchiha clan is known for the Genjutsu. How do we know this wasn't merely copied?" The Kazekage asked looking them over.
"Each person who signed the document has a trace of their chakra embedded. It was a fail-safe incase the document was ever exposed." Another member of Tsunade's group spoke up.
"And who are you?" Onoki asked.
"I am Kokuro Otsutsuki." The white haired man introduced himself bowing.
"Otsutsuki… I haven't heard of that name in a while." Gaara commented.
"They were part of the origin of shinobi, weren't they?" Mei questioned.
Kokuro nodded softly. "Very little is left of their story, but from what we know, chakra originated from them, and it explains the origin of two major clans: Senju and the Uchiha. They also gave rise to three Doujutsu. We only know two for certain though: The Sharingan and the Byakugan, both of which I possess."
"So, Lady Fifth, you worry about the Sharingan going extinct because there are only two members left who have the bloodline, yet you forgot to inform us there is technically a third?" A asked looking at her.
"The Otsutsuki are considered a separate clan than the Uchiha." Tsunade insisted.
"According to Kokuro's story, they are not all that different." A told her. "Why breed one Doujutsu when you can breed three?"
"Because the Otsutsuki have such diversity. With Kokuro being our only known member, it is hard to tell what his children will possess. He doesn't have a wood style art like the Senju members and previous Otsutsuki have known to have. Kokuro could be a unique case in which if Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha are condemned, the Sharingan could be lost." Tsunade tried persuading.
Most of the Kage slowly nodded, understanding her distress.
"Have we any other evidence that Danzo was truly a corrupt man?" Gaara asked.
"Two actually." Tsunade told him. "Kokuro and Sai were both part of Danzo's ROOT operation which were essentially ANBU Black Ops under his command – or control rather."
"Control? Do tell." Mei asked furthering the discussion.
"Danzo's division was created as his way of trying to take control. He took talented shinobi and broke them." Kokuro explained slowly, trying to remain calm. "He used torture to strip away any will and made the victim absolutely dependent on him. He—he…"
The white haired man had to stop himself. He could see flashes of what he endured – of what Danzo was very capable of.
"He stripped away any personality and self-thought." Sai picked up speaking plainly. "He convinced many that their life was worth nothing unless used for the village's benefit. Our goal was to serve Danzo to make our village better."
"And how did you escape?" Mei asked.
"I was assigned to Team Kakashi to watch Naruto as well as assassinate Sasuke Uchiha when the opportunity arose." The pale boy explained. "But they have shown me what I had lacked – which was a lot from a sociology perspective."
"These are Sasuke Uchiha's teammates as well." Gaara added on. "They have had substantial influence on me, and I continue to learn from them. I have always believed they would be able to turn his actions around."
"Yeah, yeah. We get it. Team Wonder. Yippee." The Tsuchikage said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
"Now that all the basic information is out of the way," Mifune interjected. "Why don't we actually hear from Itachi Uchiha."
All eyes fell onto the man whose fate held in their hands.
Tired, onyx eyes opened and gazed upon the blurry cloud. He had been resting his eyes, but also allowing for himself to listen to the conversation in detail. He took cautious steps forward so he was standing in the center of the group. He could almost feel some of the Kage tense as well as their two guards.
"Do not fear me." Itachi started softly. "I am but a blind man with the strength of a young boy at the moment. I am not a threat to any of you, nor did I ever intend to be."
"Walk us through the events that led up to the assassination." Mifune prompted.
"I will not bore you with detail. Most of you know the relations the Uchiha clan had with the Hokage lineage; the Senju clan. You know of how after Madara Uchiha, and after the beloved Fourth Hokage was killed during the unleashing of the Nine-Tailed Fox, that the Senju leaders became very distrustful of the Uchiha and thus tried limiting their influences and power. The Third Hokage was known to be a peaceful, calm man who exhausted every opportunity before even thinking of resorting to violence, but his council was anything like that. They wanted immediate action and resolution for the good of the village." Itachi explained.
"Yeah? And what don't we know?" A asked, again sounding bored.
"Danzo shoved the Uchiha clan into the back woods of the Leaf Village, restricting our access to the Police Force in which we ran. That had been the breaking point for most the clan members, and they resorted to Madara's original thinking. They turned to the clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, and insisted on action. They wanted to overthrow the Hokage and his council, and they wanted him to lead with his Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Fugaku Uchiha was your father, correct?" The Mizukage asked
Itachi nodded. "Yes."
"Was your father for or against this?" Gaara questioned.
"He was against it, but he knew the coup would happen with or without his leadership. So, he devised a plan of attack in hope of quick take of power." Itachi told them.
"What was your part in all of this?" The Raikage asked.
"There were members of the Uchiha clan also placed in the ANBU as spies. But some of us disagreed with all of this, and reported to the Hokage. A man of Shisui Uchiha tried using his unique Genjutsu on my father and the clan to persuade them out of this path of destruction, but Danzo interfered, taking one of Shisui's eyes and wounding him. Shisui entrusted his other eye to me before committing suicide." Itachi explained with a heavy heart.
"When did Danzo approach you with this assignment?" Mifune encouraged.
"After I reported there was no remaining options…" The black haired man stated. "The Third still wanted to try talking and negotiating with the clan, but the council had none of it. He gave me the option to either go along and be slain with my family, or do murder them myself and spare my younger brother."
"Why did you choose the second option?" Mei asked softly.
"I spent a couple days thinking about the two options; neither outcome was more appealing. But in those days I took, I watched my younger brother train in the Academy. He was so naïve and ignorant to it all… he was so innocent. I also believed that the coup would start a civil war between clans again. I decided I could not risk putting Sasuke through war. It had hardened me, and I did not want that to be his fate as well." The older brother spoke.
"Yet, the boy became that why by defecting from his village. Your actions led to him becoming a criminal." Onoki accused.
Itachi slowly nodded, saddened. "Ah… that he did…" He said softly with sullen eyes. "I deeply apologize for his actions. I did not predict Orochimaru's interference nor Sasuke's choice to seek him out."
"No, you didn't." The Tsuchikage stated with smugness. He had caught an error in Itachi Uchiha's perfectness.
"The future is unknown, Onoki," Mei stated softly. "Even the Hyuga cannot predict the future as they claim. No one can for it is always changing."
"So, you're buying all of this?" The old man accused.
"I am beginning to understand all that has happened, and I am accepting that the choices made were not the most ideal, but they were forced decisions." The younger Kage explained.
"You can't be serious." He gaped.
"What about his association with Akatsuki?" A countered. "We can establish he was forced into killing his clan, but he chose to be a member."
"He was providing my old teammate, Jiraiya, with information on the Akatsuki movements." Tsunade informed them. "While he could not disclose everything, he said what he could, and it has certainly helped."
"Is this true?" Mifune asked Itachi.
"It is." The man stated.
As he spoke, he felt a familiar pricking of his skin and immediately set himself into action. He placed himself in between the Tsuchikage and the moving target. Though Itachi could not see clearly, he saw a blur of white and green coming from the floor and towards them. Instinct took over, and the black haired shinobi kicked the enemy in the stomach. It gave Itachi just enough time to spin and wrap his cuffed hands around a white neck, holding him in place.
"Kokuro, your Amaterasu!" He called out.
The white haired shinobi nodded understandingly and immediate activating his ocular jutsu. Itachi whipped his restraints off his opponent as the black flames came launching at them. The target seemed unfazed by the black flames.
"See this as a warning to you all: The Akatsuki will prevail, surrender is inevitable. Hand over the Nine- and Ten-Tails for face war." The white shinobi told them.
"You can tell your leader that we will do no such thing!" Tsunade exclaimed slamming her hands down on the table.
"Then you face war with the Akatsuki." He responded slowly sinking back into the ground.
"The shinobi nation can handle what's coming." Itachi told him defiantly.
"The poor choices you've made Itachi… how many more will you make?" The green haired shinobi asked as he vanished with the black flames.
"What the fuck was that?!" Came a loud voice from the front of the room.
"Naruto!" Three female voices scolded him, one of which bonked him on the head.
The Kage slowly looked at each other and then at Itachi.
"What was that?" Gaara asked in a calmer fashion.
Itachi turned to address his superiors again. "That, was white Zetsu."
"White? Why the color indication?" Mei inquired.
"There is a black half and a white half. They function as the Akatsuki's spy and help gather intellect. That was why he was here. He is collecting for the leader." Itachi explained.
"Who is the Akatsuki leader?" A asked the former member.
The man was about to reply, when Tsunade cut him off.
"Now wait just a minute," she interjected. "This is sensitive and valuable information. You are not going to question him just to condemn him to death!"
"Withholding information is subject to treason!" Onoki exclaimed getting fired up again. "He outta tell us when he knows and be executed!"
"No!" Yelled a voice that hadn't spoken in a while. "Lord Tsuchikage, please reconsider!" Sintary pleaded.
"Why should I listen to you, woman?" He asked not pleased with her outburst.
"He is a good man who has had horrible fates turn on him. Please, you must understand." She begged. "He is the father of my children. I grew up without my father, and I will not subject my kids to such pain. Please have mercy."
Sintary fell to her knees bowing the best she could in her pregnant form. Itachi looked down at his beloved and slowly got to his knees and bowed to them as well.
"I beg for forgiveness." He told them quietly.
All the while, two innocently dark blue eyes watched the scene. He didn't know what was going on, but he saw his parents get on their knees and go into a weird position. He understood they were here to see if his father could stay with them, or if these people would send him away again. The little boy knew he didn't have much to say, but he thought he'd try. He quickly left his godfather's side and headed around the table to the short man's side.
"Mr. Kage, sir?" Kazuki asked looking up at the man.
The Tsuchikage and the Raikage blinked looking down at the young boy in between them.
"What on Earth are you doing on this side?" Onoki scolded frowning.
"I… I just wanted to… to say," Kauzki said trying to gather his words. "I want… I want my mommy to be happy, and… and in order for that to be, she need my daddy in her life, and… and I want my daddy in my life, too. I think it's important to have a mommy and a daddy in my life… or… or…" he furrowed his dark eyebrows. "Or I'll end up like my Uncle Sasuke."
The two men blinked, shocked at the words the four-year-old spoke.
"Is that all?" The Kazekage asked from the other end of the table.
"Yep!" The little boy said and ran around to his parents.
Sintary knelt back on her heels and held her first born in her arms. Itachi then wrapped his arms around them.
For the first time, instead of a criminal before them, the Kage saw a pleading father with a son and his beloved. Could they really be the ones to condemn a slightly innocent man? He had been a shinobi following orders. If they executed him, shouldn't they execute all shinobi who follow orders and kill someone?
The Kage looked between each other, slowly nodding as they confirmed their choices.
Mifune watched the great shadows make their decisions and looked to him. He nodded understanding their decision.
"Itachi Uchiha, the Kage have decided your fate," he started looking down at the family who had their backs to him.
…
…
…
…
…
"You are a freed man."
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