WARNING: This chapter includes graphic depictions of violence and disturbing imagery, as well as references to child death and mild psychological torture.
Chapter 42
Dear Kakashi,
If you're reading this, then the worst case scenario has happened, and I am dead along with a large majority of my clan.
Even now, that feels so strange to write. It definitely catches your attention, doesn't it? Like something out of a novel, or a manga. It's the kind of melodramatic line my teenage self would have loved, but I never thought the day would come where I would genuinely write it. If only this was all just some made-up story.
I wonder if you hate me for what I did. If you do, I don't fault you for it. I know I already do. I really hope you didn't burn this letter right away before opening it when you saw my handwriting. I probably would in your place. But you're a little stronger than me, so I'm going to trust you're at least giving it a chance and reading it now. Sage, I hope you do.
I have so much to say, I honestly don't know where to begin. I guess I should start by apologizing for everything. I feel like maybe if I'd been just a little stronger, I could have done something, anything. I could have prepared Obito better for the horrors of war, I could have been there for Minato and Kushina that horrible night. Even Ryuusuke, and Tsubaki...
Not a day passes where I wonder if I could have done something more to save them all. I made so many mistakes in my life, every time I look back I see more chances I missed or even skipped. They weigh upon me every day, and I'm sure you feel the same.
Maybe that's why I'm writing you. It' s funny. We haven't spoken in years, I haven't even seen you on the streets, and yet somehow I feel like you're the one I trust the most right now. Sad, isn't it? I wonder what that says about me, or maybe I should wonder what it says about Konoha.
This is so selfish of me. You've been through so much hell already, and I'm certain you'll go through even more after I die, and yet for some reason I'm still writing this to you. But then again, this isn't only for my sake.
This is your only warning.
What I am about to reveal is one of the greatest, darkest secrets Konoha will ever harbor. If you choose to continue reading this, there will be no going back. I cannot guarantee your faith in the village will remain unshaken. With that said though, I beg you to read this anyway. If not for me, then for yourself, and for the sake of whoever survives the massacre.
The Uchiha Clan Massacre was carried out under official orders.
"I know everything, Itachi. About the coup, your spy status... and... the orders Danzou gave you."
The second the words left his mouth the sword vanished from Kakashi's stomach, the cross abruptly dropping downwards so he hovered at eye level with Itachi. Itachi's eerie inverted white Sharingan were hard to read, but Kakashi thought he could see a faint gleam of surprise deep inside them. "That is a bold claim," the Uchiha warned. "It would be foolish to say such things without any actual evidence."
Kakashi's eyes slid shut at his words, his body sagging tiredly but still rigid and tense. His body ached around the phantom stab wounds, the pain ever-present and there despite knowing it was all just a genjutsu. He exhaled carefully and ignored the sting in his chest from even that, keeping his voice calm and steady.
"Reach into my pocket, left side above the heart. You'll find the proof there." He could feel Itachi do exactly as instructed, fearlessly snapping open the pouch on his flak jacket and reaching inside to pull out several folded pieces of paper. Silence fell as Itachi unfolded them and began reading, and as Kakashi waited for him to finish he could see the words appear in his mind's eye, so familiar he could recite them in his dreams.
'I know it sounds impossible and crazy, but please, hear me out and save any judgment until the end. The Third may be a good man who desires peace, but he turns a blind eye when it comes to his friends. You've met Shimura Danzou, you know how dark and twisted he can be. I don't think even the Third realizes just how low Danzou will stoop to accomplish his goals. And for the past several years, he has come to view the Uchiha in particular as a threat.
'You're smart, Kakashi. Surely you've noticed the tension between the Uchiha and the village. Ever since the Kyuubi's attack, the villagers have been treating our clan with heavy suspicion, as if we had some responsibility for it. Our shinobi were even removed from active mission rosters, and kept in the village for longer periods of time. My clan is prideful, and the insults and suspicion became too much to bear quietly any longer.
'So, they started plotting a coup.
'A few of us disagreed with this, myself included, but the tensions were high from the start and we could not be fully open about our thoughts without risking suspicion as "traitors" to the clan. Among those dissenters was Itachi.
'While he will likely be known as a murderer by the time you read this, you knew Itachi when he served on your team. He might be a prodigy and deadly efficient, but he's a pacifist at heart and hates unnecessary violence. That of course includes the civil war which would break out with the coup. After he became ANBU, Itachi reported the plot to the Hokage and became a double agent alongside Shisui-chan.
'The three of us started working together behind the scenes to try to stop the coup, but our attempts at a peaceful resolution seemed to be stalled at every turn. While the Third seemed open to negotiation, the Council—especially Danzou—would not budge, nor would our clansmen. We had to be careful with our attempts to persuade them against it, lest we be blocked from the meetings and left in the dark.
'It reached the point that Shisui proposed a last resort, one which I cannot share here but mark my words, it was truly desperate. But before he could even attempt it, Danzou intervened. I won't go into full details, as if I say too much it will place you in danger, but I will say this:
'Itachi didn't kill Shisui. The suicide note Shisui left was real.
'When we held his funeral, I knew there would be no chance to stop the coup peacefully anymore. The fact that Danzou sabotaged our last gamble made it clear he had no desire for a peaceful resolution. He does not care for our individual levels of guilt; he views the Uchiha as a blight which must be completely eradicated. However, he wouldn't do it himself unless he had no other option.
'With that and some other factors, I concluded he would give Itachi a choice: either the Uchiha would be slaughtered by Root, or Itachi could carry out the massacre himself.
'Itachi will choose the second one, I know it. Why? Because at least then, he can spare Sasuke.
'We Uchiha value our loved ones to near catastrophic levels, and history has shown the lengths we will go to protect those we cherish. Itachi is loyal to Konoha, but his love for Sasuke overshadows that loyalty, so he will choose the path that will save him. For all his genius, Itachi is still a child and vulnerable to others' manipulations, and he'll allow that love to cloud his common sense.
'I don't know if you'll believe all of this right away, but I'm sure that with time you will come to realize this is all true. As you like to say, "look underneath the underneath." Uchiha Itachi may have our blood on his hands, but ultimately he is a victim just like everyone else. I can't imagine how much it will hurt him to carry out this order, to bear the weight of our blood every day for the rest of his life while being viewed as a traitor.
'As far as he knows, he is totally alone, and I suspect he intends to die without the truth being known. He will let Sasuke kill him in the name of justice so the village will love and respect him, and never look at him with the disdain that the rest of our clan faced. He will allow himself to be reviled by history, hated by the person he loves more than the world itself. That child doesn't deserve such a horrible, cruel fate.
'And that is why I write you now.'
Even as Kakashi mentally recited the last word he heard a small intake of breath in front of him, prompting him to peek open Obito's eye. Experience dealing with Sasuke allowed him to see the traces of shock in Itachi's otherwise stoic features as he gripped the illusory note with shaking hands, his earlier cold mask shaken.
"This... This is..." He trailed off, raising his head to peer at Kakashi with a look close to dread before suddenly—rage. Pure, unadulterated fury, his eyes flashing with venom as he hissed, "Lies!"
Dozens of katanas suddenly penetrated Kakashi from various angles as Itachi's roar echoed around them, causing him to scream in agony. "Do you really believe this rubbish?" Itachi drawled, sounding almost bored as he stood behind row upon row of his stone-faced doppelgangers. "If so, you are an even larger fool than I believed, Hatake."
Blood spewed from Kakashi's mouth as Itachi's copies twisted their blades, the liquid catching on the fabric of his mask and smothering his breath. Hacking violently, he grit his teeth and glared at his tormenter, his mismatched eyes filled with unmoving determination. "S-stop pretending it's fake," he choked out. "Th-this isn't the real you, Itachi. Th-this is j-just hurting you—grah!"
He shouted as the clones yanked out all of their swords as one before vanishing, leaving the real Itachi to thrust his own blade deep into Kakashi's chest. He could feel the metal slide through the gap in his ribs and scrape the edges of his lungs, the tip piercing through his back to stab into the wood behind him.
"Do not try to deceive yourself," Itachi said, leaning close enough to Kakashi's face to feel his breath. "Uchiha Ryoko may have painted an intriguing picture, but she's hardly a reliable source. Her mental instability was well documented. After all, what kind of sane person kills her own daughter?"
Even as he spoke the world shifted around them, and suddenly Kakashi found himself standing in the center of a faintly familiar bedroom. Uchiha Ryoko's silhouette stood several feet away, a long katana dripping white blood onto the floorboards. His heart lurched as he spied a tiny hand sprawled around the other side of her leg, the sudden chill in his blood far outweighing the residual pain still haunting his body.
"Stop it," he whispered, feeling a growing sense of numbness as he watched Ryoko twirl the sword's handle. He flinched as flecks of blood splattered onto the tiny hand, and tried to turn his head away, to look away from the nightmarish scene, but to his horror found himself frozen in place, unable to even close his eyes.
"Take a good look," Itachi breathed into Kakashi's ear as Ryoko slowly turned her head towards them. "Look at the woman who killed Akari, one of your so-called 'precious people.'"
If Kakashi could move, he would probably vomit. As it stood, he could only watch in ever-growing horror as she turned to face him in full, his eyes widening at what he saw.
Drops of white speckled Ryoko's black face like stars against the night sky, her left eye glowing with a dazzling white Sharingan, but the other eye... Deep gouges marred the skin around her right eye socket, pale gore crusting the torn lid shut even as blood oozed from it. Yet as horrifying as her injuries looked, what made it truly awful was simply her expression. No indication of pain showed in her features despite how much such wounds must hurt, and her mouth curved softly into a small smile as she took them in.
"Itachi-chan," the specter greeted, her smile and voice eerily pleasant as her head tilted to the side, stray strands of hair falling across her face. "You're early. I already took care of Akari-chan, so could you wait until Masaru-chan arrives so I can take care of him too?"
Kakashi swallowed thickly, his teeth gritting beneath his mask as an involuntary shudder ran down his spine. Wrong. This was all wrong. He opened his mouth but for a moment he couldn't find his voice, the growing nausea of the sight before him hampering his ability to speak. "That's not true," he choked out. "This didn't—she didn't say that. She—she never planned to kill Masaru."
"And where, exactly, would you get that impression?" Itachi drawled, sounding almost amused by the notion. A shudder ran down Kakashi's spine at the hint of malicious glee dripping from his voice, able to picture the Uchiha's venomous smirk and the smug twinkle in his eyes. His own eyes were finally allowed to shut, willing the nauseating sense of revulsion to fade as he took a series of steadying breaths.
In. Out.
In. Out.
This is not the real Itachi. This is an act.
The tension faded from Kakashi's shoulders ever so slightly, and his fingers curled at his sides. "Because," he muttered lowly, "if she wanted to kill him, she wouldn't have given him that seal."
He could almost feel Itachi stiffen behind him, no doubt taken aback by his response. "Seal?" Itachi echoed, and for the first time since Kakashi allowed himself to get caught in this nightmare Itachi's voice held no malice or apathy, airing surprise and, oddly enough, even a bit of apprehension. The small crack in his cold veneer gave Kakashi a small burst of strength, his body further relaxing as he gave a small, cautious nod.
"On the back of his neck. It's a seal with the kanji for 'hope' at the center. We only found out during the invasion. By any chance, did you see the giant fire dragon that shot into the sky?" When Itachi didn't respond, he continued, "Could you imagine a thirteen year old boy managing to learn something that flashy on his own, without anyone knowing? Not even you could have managed that, Itachi."
Itachi didn't respond, but Kakashi swore he heard a soft intake of breath. The silver-haired jounin allowed his eyes to open and glared at the macabre illusion of the once-famed kunoichi who still smiled at them so pleasantly. "She incorporated knowledge of a A-rank ninjutsu into a seal she placed directly onto his neck to activate in an emergency," he spat. "Why would she do that if she planned to kill him?"
"Stop it," he heard Itachi whisper behind him, voice so soft it almost didn't register, but Kakashi pushed onwards.
"She wouldn't. I don't know why she planned for Masaru to live over Akari, but she made sure he would be safe at least one time after she died. She even went as far as to make a charm with a tracking seal for every student in her children's graduating class. I'd explain what I mean by that, but I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about."
"Stop talking..."
"After all, she probably made one for you, too, right?" Kakashi guessed. "In fact, I bet you got one of the originals. Maybe she gave you—"
"Don't," Itachi hissed.
"—An omamori?"
The second the words left his mouth the morbid image of Ryoko froze, her smile becoming static. Cracks rippled across her form and her figure shattered with a burst of white light, glass-like shards falling to the ground. As they clinked against the floor more cracks radiated from the impact points and the room fell apart, replaced by an endless black void.
Suddenly Kakashi felt his body jerk into the air and his arms spread outwards as metal clamped around his wrists and ankles, his back pressed against wood once more. His eyes widened in shock and he barely had time to open his mouth before Itachi stabbed him again, screaming as the katana plunged into his chest.
"Shut up!" Itachi hissed, twisting the blade before yanking it out to stab him again. Desperation flickered in the Uchiha's eyes, his typical stoic mask finally shattered and replaced by something more fragile and scared as his lips curled back in a snarl. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
Kakashi didn't bother trying to suppress his screams of pain as Itachi continued to stab him, his body violently spasming with each strike. His nerves felt like they were on fire, his sense of pain heightened to make each stab even more agonizing than the last. A thick glob of blood caught in his throat as he felt the cold metal pierce a lung, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood even with the gloves as his body began twitching violently.
Yet even with all that he kept his eyes open to gaze at Itachi steadily, struggling to keep his voice level as he forced out, "St-stand down, Weasel. You d-don't... need to... p-pretend anymore."
The repeated stabbing abruptly halted and Itachi's hands stilled, his cold expression morphing to one of shock and horror. Whatever happened next, Kakashi didn't see, because at that point he finally, mercifully passed out.
Please, Kakashi, if you ever meet Itachi, help him. Don't let him go through this hell alone. His eyes have evolved into the Mangekyo, granting him access to a powerful genjutsu called Tsukuyomi where he has total control over the victim's senses, to the point of even distorting time. If you can bait him into using it on you, you will be able to speak to him freely without worry of anyone overhearing.
You can show him this letter. Tell him about all the other evidence you've found since reading this, because I know you won't stop at just reading this. He deserves so much better than this, and while you may not be able to help him directly, I believe that just knowing that someone knows he's not truly a traitor will be able to help him so much.
Kakashi, I am so sorry to burden you with this. You've already been through so much, and now I've given you an even heavier weight to bear. But even so, I still think of you as the only one I can trust with this. I really am an awful person, aren't I? If I wasn't, I'd still be fighting for peace to my dying breath instead of letting that happen. But after working for years for that goal, I am too tired to fight what I know to be a losing battle any longer.
Maybe it's selfish—no, not maybe, this absolutely is selfish—but I just don't have the energy to care anymore. As far as I am concerned, my clan has dug its own grave. Even if this outcome could somehow be averted, and all talks of the coup stopped, I'm too tired to deal with picking up the pieces of our shattered relationship with Konoha afterward.
It's just been too much. I've suffered more than a lifetime's worth of heartache and loss, I feel like I never got a break, not once. The twins are the only reason I've lasted as long as I had, but I've reached the end of my rope. At this point I am willing to accept death just so I can finally rest for once since being born into this goddamn world of suffering and heartache.
I am so sorry, Kakashi. I really am lower than scum.
With this, I suppose my letter is finally finished. I've told you the darkest secret Konoha will harbor, and selfishly entrusted my dying wishes to you. I wish I could say I could go to my death without any regrets, but obviously that will be a lie. But do you know what one of my biggest regrets is?
I never got to talk to you again.
We both went through so many similar losses: our teams, our comrades, our families... Our circumstances might not be identical, but I know the weight of killing someone you love with your own hands. I know the nightmares that follow, the desperate need to scrub your hands raw and the crushing guilt that weighs on you at all times.
You could have come to me, you know. When Obito died, you could have visited. I would have looked at it. I would have helped you. I spent a lot of time researching transplants, I had a pretty good idea on how to help you.
I was waiting for you to come to me, Kakashi. The clan would not let me go to you and offer help unless you asked first, but I honestly didn't care what this clan thought. I wanted you to be the one to take the first step, to gather the courage to push past your insecurities and seek help on your own. I had hoped that your friendship with Akari would help give you that push, but sadly, it never did.
I am sorry, Kakashi. I know I will cause you more pain and sadness, but I have made my mind. The Uchiha clan has been on a steady downward spiral for years, and I know there is nothing left I can do to save it. I have watched my kinsmen seal our future in blood and hatred, and I am too tired to try to fight it any longer. As a mother I cannot allow my children to suffer for their arrogance, and the only way I can do that now is to take their suffering into my own hands.
I am so, so sorry, Kakashi. I do not deserve any forgiveness. I can only apologize for having to take another precious person from you.
I only hope you may someday be able to find peace you so desperately deserve.
Farewell forever,
Uchiha Ryoko
When Kakashi woke up, he found himself staring at a bloody red sky. His mind felt hazy and unclear, his thoughts blurred and largely not present. Listlessly watching black clouds drift across the red expanse, he gradually grew aware of an absence of pain, and he slowly blinked and rolled his head to the side.
Itachi sat hunched nearby, his cloud-printed cloak seeming to hang from his slender frame. Everything about his posture screamed defeat, his silhouette looking tiny and so very vulnerable. He didn't turn even though he surely knew Kakashi had awoken, remaining hunched with his face buried in his arms as the jounin slowly sat up.
"Are we done with the stabbing?" Kakashi questioned blandly, but he already knew there wouldn't be any more of that. The person before him wasn't Uchiha Itachi, infamous missing-nin and clan killer, nor even Uchiha Itachi, the former ANBU captain.
No, the person in front of him was a boy who had felt the weight of the world on his shoulders at far too young an age, and whose world had finally shattered.
"How long?" Itachi asked quietly. Kakashi didn't need him to elaborate on what he meant.
"About three months after the massacre," he answered tiredly. "One of her ninneko showed up at my apartment to deliver the letter. It took me a while to believe it, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made, especially once Danzou entered the equation. We worked together for two years," he added, his voice taking on a softer note. "I had difficulty believing that eleven-year-old boy who avoided needless casualties on missions would suddenly turn into a cold-blooded mass murderer overnight. The letter just cemented those doubts even further."
I think part of me wanted to believe it, he didn't say, but he knew Itachi could pick up on it all the same.
"Ryoko-san..." The younger male lifted his head and tipped it back to stare at the sky, his white eyes dull and lifeless. "Shisui-nii and I had a theory she activated her Mangekyo and it gave her some sort of precognitive ability. She just always seemed to know some things. We never asked her about it, so it was only ever a theory, but... she definitely knew about the massacre before it happened."
Kakashi could sense something more behind his words, a grim sort of certainty which hinted at a larger story. When Itachi didn't elaborate he decided not to press though. They both already had enough to unpack.
"I'm sorry I didn't notice," he said quietly. "You were my subordinate for two years, I should have noticed something was wrong. At the very least, I should have figured Danzou might approach you, if only because of your age and skill."
And really, he should have. While Kakashi may not have been able to predict the full outcome like Ryoko, he'd experienced firsthand how Danzou approached young geniuses and tried to mold them to fit his purposes. Itachi had been even younger than Kakashi had been, and he had both Sharingan and clan heir status on top of that. All of that combined to make him an irresistible target for the old war hawk, and Kakashi should have recognized that.
Itachi shook his head, no doubt sensing his thoughts. "The Uchiha clan's affairs had nothing to do with you. This burden is mine, and mine alone. The fact Danzou ordered it does not lessen my guilt."
"You may have killed them," Kakashi said, "but you're a victim in this too."
"I'm not!" Itachi snapped, whirling his head to face the Copy-nin with a ferocious snarl full of pain and self-loathing. "I chose to go through with it, I willingly stained my hands with the blood of my family—"
"You were only thirteen, Itachi," Kakashi interrupted sharply, leveling his former subordinate with a heated glare that made him flinch. "A child. For all the talent and intellect you might have possessed, that doesn't change the fact you were still young and inexperienced. Most people that age would barely even be genin, let alone plunged into trying to stop a civil war. You were still prone to manipulation and self-doubt, and Danzou saw that. You never should have been put into that position in the first place."
Itachi's face crumpled at his words, his eyes flickering with guilt and remorse and grief. "...I... I just..." The corners of his eyes glittered and he raised his hands to rub them, his shoulders starting to shake as he bowed his head. "Sasuke—if I didn't, he would have died, and I—he was so young, so pure and innocent, he had no guilt, he didn't deserve to—to—"
A choked sob escaped him as he hunched forward and folded onto himself, tears slipping through his fingers to drip onto the liquid-like darkness coating the inky void and send tiny ripples with each drop. Kakashi's face softened and he shifted onto his knees to crawl over, hesitating briefly before placing his hand against Itachi's back. Comforting people never came naturally to him—he tried to avoid his own emotions whenever possible, let alone deal with someone else's—but right now he could tell Itachi needed it.
He felt the Uchiha tense under his palm, but the muscles in his back soon loosened and he leaned forward even further, allowing himself to cry more freely. Five years of pent-up grief and guilt burst forth in a never-ending stream of tears and sobs, the notorious Uchiha Clan Killer crumpling into the broken teenager he really was. Allowing himself to finally, truly grieve for possibly the first time since that horrible night.
Hours seemed to pass like that, Kakashi gently rubbing his back the entire time in the only comfort he could provide. Eventually, though, the tears tapered off, his shaking slowing until Itachi remained mostly still. His face was still buried in his hands, his breathing still rough but gradually becoming more steady.
"I never saw her body." The sudden statement caught Kakashi by surprise, his hand retracting as he recoiled in realization.
"You mean—?"
"Akari," Itachi confirmed, lowering his hands and turning his head to offer Kakashi a weary nod. "Ryoko killed her before I arrived and covered her remains with a blanket, but I could recognize the contours of her form and... her head, thanks to the Sharingan." Pausing, he closed his eyes and added, almost hesitantly, "The... the most I saw was her hand."
Kakashi remembered the false memory Itachi had shown him, the glimpse of a too-tiny hand behind Ryoko's leg, and—oh.
"I'm sorry I showed you," Itachi whispered, his head hanging in shame. "I knew when I read that letter you wouldn't believe it, but... I showed you anyway. I wanted to make you believe it was wrong, do whatever it took to preserve my cover." He shook his head slowly, not looking at him. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."
Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's—" He started to say "it's fine" but stopped short, because really, it wasn't. That tiny hand would likely haunt his nightmares, and he didn't want to offer Itachi empty platitudes and lies. Inhaling softly, he instead said, "I've seen worse. I never saw her body either. When we went to investigate the scene, the Hokage kept me away from it, and the final report didn't include any pictures."
The morose air which haunted Itachi lifted slightly as he shot Kakashi a faintly curious and confused look. "Isn't it standard procedure to include photos with autopsy reports?"
"She didn't have one. Too many bodies to properly process, from what I'm told. The morticians catalogued the likely causes of death based on visible wounds and then sent them for cremation. They only did formal autopsies on a few, particularly the ones with unusual or noteworthy wounds, but her cause of death was... pretty clear." A disturbed look flickered across Itachi's features, giving Kakashi pause. "Something you want to share?"
"...Nothing," the Uchiha murmured, turning away with a small frown. "Just a thought." Kakashi frowned, but before he could press for more information Itachi commented, "So Ryoko made an omamori for everyone in Sasuke's class?"
The attempt to change the subject was abrupt and obvious, far more blatant than one would usually expect of a high-caliber ninja, but Kakashi decided to let it slide. Talking about Akari's death still felt far too morbid and raw for his tastes anyway. It probably always would.
"We're assuming that. Her ninneko showed up right before the exams to deliver gifts to all the rookies from their class. But for the record, she seems to have used different objects for each person though," he added. "Only Sasuke had the omamori—although, I suspect that you also...?"
He trailed off, looking at Itachi expectantly. The younger male's lips quirked into a small, weary smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I tried to burn it once, when I first got it. Apparently the seals are even lava-proof. She made one for all of us."
"Us?" Kakashi echoed softly.
"Me, Sasuke, Shisui, and Akari," Itachi responded, his eyes closing. "Innocent, Protection, Life, and Light." Kakashi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the choices; some sort of poetic irony existed there.
"Those are almost eerily fitting," he remarked, and Itachi nodded.
"It seemed so generic at the time. I only started to really think about it after Shisui—" He stopped short, his face falling and looking even more somber. Kakashi regarded him sympathetically, shifting to sit a little closer in case Itachi needed the comfort. But while the boy was obviously upset, he couldn't quite quell his curiosity enough to hold his tongue.
"In her letter she said that Danzou killed him, but she didn't include any details so I was never too certain how true that was."
Itachi's shoulders slumped as he sighed, his eyes sliding shut. "She was correct. Danzou ambushed him and stole one of his eyes." Kakashi jolted at the statement, his back straightening as he stared at Itachi wide-eyed. Face stony and blank, the Uchiha continued blandly, "Shisui got away, but he'd been poisoned by a member of Root who came from the Aburame clan. When we met by Naka River, he gave me his other eye and killed himself by stepping off the ledge. He said he thought the grief from seeing him die like that would trigger my Mangekyo to activate."
His lips pulled into a humorless smile, his eyes dark and hollow. "It worked."
His mechanical tone sent chills down Kakashi's spine. Well. This was even worse than he'd expected, and he'd already had pretty low expectations. "Why does the Sharingan have to be so closely tied to trauma?" he complained under his breath. "The more I hear about it, the less I like it..."
"Ryoko-san called the Sharingan a physical manifestation of post-traumatic stress disorder. She complained about the Uchiha's glorification of it quite often." Amusement seeped into Itachi's tone as he spoke, the first remotely positive emotion he'd shown since this whole ordeal began.
"She did, didn't she," Kakashi agreed, shaking his head. "She complained about it a few times when my old team had dinner at her house. She even scared Masaru enough that—"
He stopped himself short as he realized what he was about to say, and a glance at Itachi revealed him to be totally rigid. "...How long did he hide it?" he asked quietly, not looking at him, and Kakashi's shoulders slumped in dismay. Sometimes, he hated talking to other geniuses.
"Until about two months ago," he admitted reluctantly, and he could see Itachi's mouth tighten in a grimace.
"Five years," he whispered, and Kakashi could hear the loathing and hatred Itachi held for himself. Taking a shuddery breath, he raised his head to look at Kakashi with an almost fearful look, hesitating to speak. "And... Sasuke?"
"He activated it during our first C-rank mission. That's partly what led to the revelation about Masaru having it."
"His first...?" Itachi trailed off, his brow furrowing in confusion before his eyes widened with horror. A chill ran down Kakashi's spine at the sight, quickly realizing what that look meant.
"He activated it back then too, didn't he?" he asked. Itachi's head fell in shame, burying his face in his arms.
"Right when I left, he—" He stopped short, before continuing in a murmur, "He must have repressed the memory. Otherwise, he would have been training it earlier..."
In order to kill me, he didn't say, but Kakashi could hear it all the same.
"Damn," he breathed, mouth twisting in a scowl. Every one of the remaining Uchiha seemed to be broken: Sasuke in his quest for vengeance; Masaru whose eyes burned red over the loss of his sister; and now Itachi, who had been forced to bear the weight of that burden since a far too young age. Kakashi couldn't help but wonder—if Obito had survived, would he eventually be broken too? Or Akari?
...Kakashi decided not to think about it too hard.
"That mission," Itachi said, raising his head. "What happened on it?" Kakashi frowned, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.
"Well, we had to escort a bridge builder to Wave, and things got a little... hectic." Kakashi really did not like to think too hard on what happened there, and how much danger his students had faced. However, he knew he couldn't avoid the subject, because that mission had one other prominent event. Shifting to sit more upright, he turned to meet Itachi's gaze fully, making the other stiffen slightly. "Itachi, I have a question. Are you sure that you, Sasuke and Masaru are the only Uchiha left?"
The question seemed to catch Itachi by surprise, and he flinched ever so slightly before leveling a sharp, startled look his way. "What happened?" he demanded, and Kakashi sighed as he wondered how best to explain the mess.
"By any chance, is it possible for me to project a few memories here? I'd really like to get a second opinion."
Construction workers paraded down the street with wooden beams hefted over their shoulders, paying no mind to Konan as she watched from her hotel room's balcony leaning against the railing. Her left wrist clung to her chest in a sling, the bandages winding it and her abdomen serving as the only indicators of her recent battle. Considering her opponent had been the First Hokage, she considered her injuries as little more than scratches compared to what she could have endured.
An all-too familiar chakra fringed on her senses, so faint that a lesser ninja would have easily missed its abrupt appearance in the bedroom behind her. "Is he alright?" she asked quietly, not turning around.
"Your friend is fine," came the deep baritones of Uchiha Madara. "The only complaint he has is concern for you." Konan's lips quirked into a faint smile, her expression softening as she gazed over the busy street. Nagato had always been prone to worrying; even after Yahiko died, the redhead still tended to be far more concerned than the cold façade he usually exhibited.
"Please tell him I'm fine. I can write a letter if he needs the reassurance."
"Of course. My offer still stands."
"I'll pass. I still wish to wait for Arata-san to recover." Her guard Arata had not fared as well as she had during the invasion, and while he emerged victorious he'd suffered severe injuries. Doctors told her he'd be cleared to leave by the end of the week, so she'd decided to delay her return until he recovered to ensure he would return home safely.
"Fine, fine," Madara hummed, and she could picture him waving his hand in reply.
"How is Shuu-kun?" she queried. "Has he left yet?"
"He sent a crow to confirm he completed his mission this morning, and should be leaving now."
"Good," she murmured quietly. She had been surprised to hear Itachi had extended his stay, and had been slightly worried about his ability to maintain his cover since the Third Hokage would have undoubtedly connected the black flames of the Amaterasu to him. While the clan killer tended to be cold and detached, she found him to be better company than some of their other colleagues. "Do you believe he will encounter any issues?"
"Knowing him, no. The formal debrief will likely have to wait until you return to Ame though." A note of disapproval entered his voice, but Konan paid it no mind. She had no regrets waiting for Arata to recover; Ame needed all the skilled jounin it could get, after all.
"I met another of your relatives today," she commented instead.
"Oh?" Madara made a faint sound of interest. "Which one?"
"Masaru-kun. We only spoke briefly, but he seems different from the rest of your clan." Even now she could recall the way the young boy awkwardly fumbled over his words in greeting her, his ever-polite smile brought on by distress more than anything else. He lacked the stoic grace Itachi held, or the smooth charisma Madara radiated, his overly formal speech stemming from nerves and anxiety rather than haughty arrogance.
Behind her Madara gave a noncommittal hum. "Fascinating, but hardly surprising," he drawled, sounding bored. "That is hardly surprising. The boy's heritage is tainted on both sides."
"Tainted?" she echoed curiously.
"That's unimportant," Madara demurred. "In any event, my relatives are hardly worth paying attention to at the moment. They bear no matter on our objectives."
Konan merely hummed in thought, watching a mangy cat with a coat of black and brown slink out of an alleyway to trail after a young boy rushing the direction of the construction workers with a pile of bento boxes stacked in his arms. Golden eyes flicked towards her briefly and for a moment held her gaze, a strange sort of scrutiny flashing in its irises.
Her lips quirked into a small smile, waving a few fingers at the feline in greeting. It squinted at her before turning and stalking after the boy who now walked alongside the workers, tail raised high in the air as if snubbing her. "Perhaps you are right," she murmured as she watched the procession turn a corner and vanish from her line of sight.
"Remember, we have greater priorities and objectives. I hope you don't get caught up in trivial details." She heard the telltale swish of air warping and his presence vanished, leaving Konan alone on the balcony. She continued to lean against the railing as she gazed over the street, mind swirling.
(She didn't mention that she noticed the way he hesitated before responding the first time. She didn't mention the tiniest hint of relief she heard when she agreed.)
(She also didn't mention hearing that boy whisper the name of the Nanabi jinchuuriki and a quiet agreement from Shibuki about friendship as he handed over an envelope outside the hospital.)
(Uchiha Masaru would play a role in the Akatsuki's plans, whether Madara wanted that or not.)
A/N: And with this, the Invasion Immediate Aftermath is officially wrapped up!
Sorry for the wait! I had three finals projects due on Monday/Tuesday and a fourth on Wednesday, so I had no time/energy to work on the story until today.
Today's chapter is possibly the most important chapter to date outside the actual massacre, and one I've been wanting to write for ages now. I've spent a LOT of time on this chapter. If Itachi seems out-of-character, just keep in mind he's been spent the past five years living a lie and pretending to be a cold-blooded killer. This is a world-shattering revelation for him, so he won't admit to it easily. It's also my opinion he genuinely despises himself for what he's done, and he doesn't want anyone to feel pity for him as a victim since he sees himself as a monster, hence his desperate attempts to "prove" Kakashi wrong.
There is so much I want to say about this chapter, especially Ryoko's letter. This is the most in-depth look at Ryoko's mind yet, and I hope it helps explain some of her 's gone through a couple rewrites, the most recent iteration was written AFTER my old laptop's hard drive crashed. But one part that didn't change is how it ended. I first referenced the letter way back in Chapter 18 ("Change the Future"), and with the rest of the letter those last few paragraphs gain some MUCH clearer and deeper meaning. The next chapter also included Kakashi's conversation with Tenzo about why Itachi spared Masaru, ending with the notable line, "I'm saying the Uchiha clan massacre is a fucking shitshow, and there's definitely more to it than meets the eye." That was specifically in reference to her letter.
The chapter as a whole reveals a lot of secrets, and adds several mysteries, too. There's a lot of little comments in here that foreshadow MUCH larger secrets, some of which I don't think anyone will predict.
On a brighter note, the end of the chapter marks the beginning of Masaru's pen pal relations with Fu. And also that Konan knows about it too. Yeah, this is going to lead to some very interesting stuff in the future.
With that said, I have officially no chapters after this one, so I'm going on hiatus to give myself time to write. Echoes of Light will return in full in January. As I said last time, everything from here on out will totally deviate from canon, so I need time to plan and write. Beyond that, today my dad dropped off my old laptop at a special service to see if they can recover any of the data from the hard drive. I want to hear what they have to say before I start.
Although, on a related note, I'm thinking of rewriting the ending to the Wave arc. A recent review on FF got me thinking, and I the confrontation with Zabuza came out as MUCH more cracky than I intended. It doesn't fit the overall atmosphere of the story. I won't change WHAT happens specifically—Gato will still die at Kakashi's hands, Team Seven still uses a lot of pranks set up on the bridge, and Zabuza and Haku will still live—but I want to rewrite it to be a bit more serious.
And a final note: I'm thinking of writing another story, tentatively called "Silver Vines". It would be about Kakashi having a civilian younger sister. Except she supposedly died as an infant, only to be found shortly after the Kyuubi's attack. ...Also, she would have mokuton. Yeah. Should give you an idea of where she was while she was "dead". And of course, Kakashi's not exactly in the right mindstate to support HIMSELF, let alone deal with raising a likely traumatized six-year-old little girl.
Would anyone be interested in reading that?
Anyways, that's all I have to say for now. See you guys in the new year, or maybe even a bit earlier. ;D
(Also, to Dark Souls:
Mi español no es buena. Utilicé el traductor de google, lo siento por unos errores. Fuu podría morir, pero me gusta Fuu mucho. Es muy divertido escribir Fuu, para que ella podría vivir.)
