Akihane stepped back the moment the crows fell away from her.
Black feathers and red eyes filled her vision before they filtered out and left behind the dark and imposing figure that Itachi posed.
For years, Akihane had planned on their reunion. She had spent endless nights awake until the new morning wondering and trying to work on what she would do if Itachi showed up and threatened her or her village.
Those scenarios seldom placed Akihane without cover or the backing of Sasuke. She had planned for the confrontation to be between the three of them, not just two of them.
Itachi didn't seem to care that Akihane was alone, though. He had no qualms about his brother's absence and had even made sure that Haku wouldn't be there to aid her when it came down to it. Akihane was currently alone. Jiraiya would get her far to slow, Haku had no training against Itachi, and Akihane could only do so much.
Even so, Aki did not fail to create at least one fail-safe, the inevitable would happen and leave her without aide against a stronger opponent.
"Itachi." The albino murmured as she channeled chakra into her hands, her body tensed and prepared to fight.
Itachi made no move toward or against her. He merely stood still, his red eyes practically glowing in the fading sunlight. Akihane would even go as far as to say that Itachi did not react to her actions at all.
Finally, after several uncomfortable moments that were spent in utter silence, Itachi addressed her.
"You've grown up, Naru." The Uchiha Traitor told her, his eyes shifting visibly up her form before resting on her eyes. To his surprise, Akihane had not looked away from him. Her stubborn red hues remained transfixed on his own, something deep and scarred burning below the surface.
"I-I…" Akihane tried to piece words together in her mouth. She had only two options, and right now running wasn't one of them. Akihane could either spike her chakra and fight Itachi to the best of her ability, or she could show her hand and hope that he did not take her assumptions the wrong way.
Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Akihane shifted and stood tall as she met Itachi's gaze.
"I don't understand." She finally bit out, her weight shifting as she prepared to leap away from her current enemy. She may have a plan, but it was far from foolproof, which meant that any unanticipated action could tear it apart.
Itachi tilted his head slightly to the side, the slant pull at the skin of his neck, revealing what his large collar had originally hidden. The black cloak shifted with him, the red clouds on it drawing Akihane's attention for a moment.
The cloak was something blatant, a signature to a specific organization. Had Jiraiya mentioned them? Her Jiji? Akihane didn't remember being told anything about the black cloaks with red clouds, nor did she remember a word of Itachi's shifted loyalties spreading across the nations other than what came with his betrayal. He had vanished off the face of the Elemental Nations after the Uchiha Massacre. For all she knew, he could be hunting her or planning the destruction of the village.
Still, she knew she had to ask the question and get him to tell her exactly what had happened that night. She needed to learn the truth from his point of view.
"What don't you understand Akihane?" Itachi questioned her, his eyes never leaving her own, the black orbs burning bright red.
"Why you tried to make us hate you," Akihane stated softly, her eyes trailing the contours of Itachi's face, searching for any sign that Itachi would grant her.
Itachi reached out and placed his hand on her cheek, his grip slightly painful.
Akihane's jaw stiffened and she tensed at the unexpected action.
Itachi leaned his head down so his eyes stared directly into her own.
"What makes you believe I tried? Why would I do that when you have acceptable reasons to hate me? I killed Shisui Akihane, you have all the reasons in the world to hate me."
Akihane closed her eyes and shook her head with a deep breath.
"Stop lying. Danzo killed Shisui, not you."
Itachi's grip tightened and Akihane bit back a cry of pain as Itachi tensed in front of her.
"Also, did you have to use a clone? Why not come in person if you're going to wage Psychological warfare? Why aren't you using your Sharingan? So far you haven't been playing smart Itachi." Akihane's tone took on a dangerous edge, her eyes opening to reveal deep crimson orbs. Her pupils were longer than normal, barely forming ovals that could easily transform into slits.
Itachi stared down at her without a word, his gaze unsettling. Despite the unnerving circumstances, Akihane remained fixed on her target while strategizing as to what she would do next.
"Are you going to remain silent now? Are you not going to tell me what exactly the Elders made you do? Are you going to tell me why you let Shisui die?"
The air grew thick around them as Itachi failed to reply, Akihane's accusations acting more like gasoline on a fire than a knife coming across curtains.
Akihane swallowed the bile building in her throat and let out a heavy breath.
"Very well."
She stepped into Itachi's personal space, momentarily surprising the Uchiha before he was reaching to grip her wrists and keep her from attacking him.
Akihane slipped into a well-practiced stance, her palm stretching before her in a harsh strike.
Itachi's fingers circled her wrist as her palm neared his heart, the surface of it humming with a thin outline of wind chakra.
"That was dangerous, Akihane," Itachi informed her carefully as he looked at the stance she had taken, cataloging it just as he had done years ago.
She had improved her style, enough that it had actually branched into something that was not her own. For instance, the form she was in right then was a borrowed technique of the Hyuuga using wind chakra to apply more deadly force to a single area.
She had done the move before, Itachi supposed, since she had not hesitated in performing it on him. Without his knowledge or reflexes, he would either be dead or suffer from internal bleeding from her strike alone.
The wind chakra fizzled out, no longer controlled by Akihane's will. Or at least, she could not hold the control.
"Still not strong enough." Itachi finally spoke, criticizing the Uzumaki as he tightened his grasp on her wrist.
"I'm not done yet, Itachi," Akihane replied, using that moment to raise her leg up, bringing earth with her in the form of armor. Exactly how Kakashi had taught her.
I~~~~I
"Are you sure she's here, Itachi?"
Itachi looked behind him, taking note of the male standing behind him with his hands in his pockets. The male seemed to be bored beyond belief, and rather unconcerned with the situation they were in.
"I'd trust him over you, kid." An irritated voice spoke, the deep tone settling Itachi's frazzled nerves.
"Quiet. This is a Shinobi Village, don't take them lightly." Itachi told the two, his eyes shifting over the buildings they wove through.
Shadows danced around them, the night air filled with laughter and drunken cries of glee. Lights were on across the village, though more were turned off around them than in other more populated areas of the city.
In fact, the current neighborhood they were in was deserted compared to the rest of the village. People were still getting over the large attack that had only just happened, and so rubble still littered the streets and there were still those drowning their sorrows in other mediums.
Before they stood one of the few complete buildings, its walls foreboding in a way Itachi did not expect.
"So, this is her place then? The Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki?"
The bored drawl grated on Itachi's nerves, but he still managed to reply.
"Yes. She should be inside, if not then we will have to find her. Can you get in and out quickly?"
Itachi questioned the male, earning a soft grunt as the boy stepped forward. He reached out, barely giving any warning before his hand started to shimmer. His body shifted and his skin glistened, before the alley, they were in started to light up.
The boy's body vanished into a hazy mist, light bending around him in an ethereal manner.
"Tch, I don't trust the kid Itachi. He managed to get approved by Kakuzu, but that only makes me warier." Itachi's partner spoke from behind him, earning the man's gaze.
Itachi, for lack of a better reaction, could only nod in agreement. He also did not enjoy the companion that they had, but he could do nothing about the matter. As it stood, their Leader had made it clear that the boy was to go along and assist. At the very least, the boy was good at what he did. He was valuable, even if he couldn't be trusted.
I~~~~I
"I had thought they would try and tag along." The male muttered under his breath, his hazy feet brushing the floor in front of the glass door leading into his target's home.
Reaching forward, the male tapped the glass. To his surprise, his hazy fingers rebounded from the window.
"Well, she's smarter than I thought…I suppose I'll have to be creative then." The male spoke, a hint of challenge entering his tone as he thought about how he would get around the seals currently cutting him out.
Looking around the inside, he noticed a glinting droplet of water falling from the kitchen sink.
"Not smart enough, I'm afraid." He murmured with a tiny hum, raising his hand again.
He reached out, taking in the air around him with the condensing moisture. He traced the path from the falling droplet, taking in the path it took and the light refracting from it. Taking a breath, the boy then settled his shoulders and allowed his chakra to flow only a bit.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of the sink with the dripping faucet, the darkness outside drowning out the light he had brought with him earlier.
He remained silent as he walked forward, ignoring the slight flickering of the light overhead and the pulse of the seal behind him. The girl had set secondary measures as well…or at least she had someone else do so. He would have to act quickly before the seal decided to activate.
The sounds of humming reached his ears, drawing his steps to the hallway and down it. The last door to the right, painted an appealing shade of lavender, was cracked open slightly with the light on. The other doors, black, and orange as well as a plain one at the end of the hall, were all closed and the rooms were dark behind them.
According to Itachi's intel, the girl sometimes had her friends over, one Hyuuga girl and another male that happened to be Itachi's little brother. The black door was probably the boy's, so he had a 50/50 chance of nailing the target or the Hyuuga.
Withholding a sigh, the boy brushed his hair back and stepped toward the door.
A kunai touched his neck, surprising him for a moment before he registered the sudden change in atmosphere.
The air around him had turned chilling, almost icy. His back felt stiff and he could feel the tell-tale pressure of two fingers against his spinal cord.
Well, he just had to get caught. Why hadn't he sensed the person he wondered? Perhaps it had to do with the seals around the place?
"Who the hell are you and why are you in Akihane's home?" The person behind him questioned her evenly, their tone both feminine and dangerous.
He gulped slightly. Just his luck, it was the Hyuuga.
"I was sent to grab her, Hokage's orders." He tried, glancing back at the girl.
The girl's eyes shaded over and he barely managed to move out of her reach and avoid her severing his spinal cord before he was locked in a fierce taijutsu match with the girl.
Stuck in close quarters, the boy did all he could to duck and dodge the girl's thrusts and jabs, his body moving with unnatural grace.
He knew that the door to the closet was close behind him, so he ducked under the next jab the girl sent, and with a swift movement the girl couldn't match, he sent her over his shoulder.
Rolling out of the way, he rose to his feet and turned sharply, reaching down for the curved dagger hidden in his waistband.
The Hyuuga launched up to her feet swiftly, turning toward him as her eyes suddenly strained.
She had activated her Byuakugan, and that meant trouble. Cursing inwardly, the boy gripped his blade loosely and tossed it at the girl.
He called on his chakra, drawing on it as the blade soured to his enemy. The world around him shifted and slowed as the light's above started to flicker more.
Abruptly, the light in the room collapsed, falling suddenly into a single point. The dagger that the boy had thrown glowed finally, sucking in the light like a sponge and vanishing swiftly.
The Hyuuga flinched and her eyes strained, but she never got a chance to even try to dodge. The dagger from before speared her shoulder slamming her into the wall with an abruptness of force that knocked her knees out from under her and slammed her head into the wall.
The boy huffed, stalking forward in the darkness as the light from the moon outside started to filter into the hall.
"Didn't think you'd make me do that. You surprised me kid, but you aren't who I'm here for. How about you just go to sleep, I'll take it from here." His voice drifted to a soft whisper, the girl in front of him glaring at him even as she tried to grab the handle of the bald embedded on her shoulder.
The boy reached her finally, leaning so he stood eye-level with the girl.
His eyes glinted, shining bright despite the lack of light anywhere but behind him, his dagger having died out soon after striking her.
The color and the meaning of the look scared the girl enough to stop her movements.
"Good girl." The boy murmured, reaching to grip the handle of the dagger.
His eyes, glowing a ghostly blue, never left her own the entire time.
"Now, how about you just sleep and let me take care of this?" He said again, his voice turning soft while his face began to haze over.
The Hyuuga blinked, trying to push past the haze, only to find she could only see blackness.
Her body slumped, and the boy pulled the dagger from her arm. He caught her as she fell forward, slipping with her into the room he had previously seen the light on it.
No one else was inside, and the sparse room left the boy slightly off-center regarding the girl he now held.
Shaking his head, he hauled the girl up onto the white bed situated in the middle of the room.
The boy sighed and turned away, walking out of the room so he could survey the other rooms.
I~~~~I
"She's not here."
Itachi stiffened a fraction, glancing behind him to the hazy figure of his other partner. Kisame stiffened as well, turning his massive body in the direction of the noise.
The boy slumped into himself with his hands still in his pockets, met Itachi's eyes evenly.
"The Jinchuuriki left a few days ago. Not sure where."
Itachi nodded at the boy, glancing toward Kisame.
"We need to find her. Should we head out or try and find more information?" He asked his partner, thinking over who he could find out from or where the girl could have gone.
He had heard from his sources she had been put in a position of power after the invasion. Why would she leave when she held that type of standing? Was she made into a diplomat? Even then, wartime laws, and this would be a war for Konoha, stated that any available Ninja had to stay in the village to act as protectors. Sending the Jinchuuriki, and a promising Kunoichi at that, out of the village at a time like this was a stupid and odd decision on Konoha's part.
The elders were really screwing up the village if they thought this was helping. Itachi wished he had ended them when he had the chance…If only he had pushed a little harder, then maybe the Village would no longer have them meddling with everything.
"I say we leave. This place gives me the creeps." The boy suddenly spoke, earning Itachi's glare.
The boy shrugged at him, not affected by the dark stares he was suddenly receiving from both of his partners.
"Just my opinion. No need to be defensive." The boy waved his hands outside his pockets for a moment, before relaxing back on his heels with his gaze settled back on Itachi's face,
The boy had guts to risk exposure to the Sharingan like that. Still, Itachi knew that he had the skill to back it up. To this day, Itachi had known only the boy and their leader to be able to break out of Tsukuyomi.
"Tch, I agree with the kid for once. We need to find the Jinchuuriki…and the less time wasted, the better." Kisame spoke up, the blue-skinned male meeting Itachi's gaze as well.
Itachi sighed, figuring he had little choice since he had just been overruled. He wanted to press the issue harder but was forced to pause when the clone he had sent out earlier suddenly vanished.
Memories flooded back to him, ones detailing Akihane's departure from the village to a place close by in the direction of Tanazaki Gai.
Apparently, they wouldn't have to wait, then.
"Alright, we'll leave." He offered the two, turning to walk away.
Without prompting, the two followed him.
I~~~~I
Hinata awoke suddenly, her eyes snapping open as she rose sharply to a sitting position. Without warning, her hand slapped at her shoulder, right over where she had sworn she had been stabbed.
To her utter shock, the wound was closed and her arm felt fine. Even more surprising, she was back in her room lying on her covers without any tell-tale sign of a fight around her. The sky outside her window indicated it was still dark, and the clock near her bed started it had only been an hour since she had been attacked.
Had she been attacked? She was certain she had been, but every time she thought back to it…
Blue, icy blue that spread a feverish heat across her limbs. Hinata's body felt numb and she tried not to collapse back into her bed at the feeling. The world spun and she gripped the blankets below her, only to find that she couldn't feel anything.
The world darkened and she was left without any of her senses, her head pounding without the pain registering, the feeling a dull throb that mine as well have been absent.
Suddenly, everything rushed back and Hinata was left to cry out sharply, her body losing its balance as she plummeted from the bed to the floor. Her hands tried to move forward, but they were hardly fast enough in their sluggish state. Her side hit the floor with a thud, a soft cry leaving her lips as pain shot up her body.
"Hinata?" A voice called out, the near-silent padding of steps sounding before someone dropped down beside her.
"Hey, Hyuuga, what's wrong?" Sasuke's voice rang above her, her eyes closing to push against the pain in her head and body.
The man, her attacker…hadn't he wanted Akihane? Had he been after her friend? Had he been there at all?
As far as she remembered, something had happened, and yet the haze only grew.
"A-Aki…S-Someone came…Looking for h-her…" Hinata managed just before blue filled her vision again. Ice crept along her skin, turning her feverish once more. This time she succumbed to the darkness more willingly than before.
I~~~~I
"Well, that's not good."
Itachi turned to survey his partners, catching the blue eyes of the least-trusted individual under the brim of his straw hat.
The man's gaze burned in a way it hadn't before, the ice within chilling even Itachi's soul.
"She woke up. I would expect company soon, the Hyuuga I ran into proved to be more troubling than expected…Curious." The man commented idly, glancing behind them to the shadows shifting across Konoha's inner forests.
They had only stopped at a training ground to discuss where to go next. Itachi had never expected that they might end up fighting someone, especially since the man had told him everything had been taken care of.
"What do you mean?" He questioned with a faint narrowing of his eyes, keeping track of the way the man shifted and turned to the village with watching eyes.
"I mean that she managed to break the paralysis, even if it was only for a few minutes. She dissipated my chakra." The man reiterated, his eyes narrowing momentarily before his hand arched before him.
Abruptly, the light that the moon had cast grew, thin silvery tendrils racing from the spaces between shadows cast by the source. The tendrils wove together to form an impressive wall of pure light, though the light failed to do more than illuminate their faces.
Senbon crashed into the tendrils, each one vanishing into the light without a sound.
Earth erupted beneath them, forcing the three nin backward, across the clearing they had been resting in.
Three forms, all dressed in the standard uniforms of Konoha Jonin, dropped into the clearing. Each sported hair in varying shades of brown, though the tallest of the group had a reddish tinge to his hair, while the others were dusty and blondish.
"I told you." The man muttered, standing tall as he observed the three newcomers.
The middle one glanced at them but quickly looked away from Itachi.
Well, that meant they knew about the Uchiha. Bummer, he hadn't wanted to get involved again. If word spread…well, Hidan would laugh his damn head off for one, and he'd never be able to face his sister again. She'd jest him, he knew it. Also, he had no need to be targeted by Konoha's Shadow Users. He'd had his fair share of troubles with them before.
"Uchiha Itachi, former Leaf Nin, and S-Rank Criminal…Hoshigaki Kisame, former Kiri Nin, and S-Rank Criminal. And…"
The main man paused, staring at the man with a slight frown.
"You are?" He questioned warily, earning a raised brow from the man himself.
"Wait, you seriously don't know me? Damn, Konoha Nin is really forgetful…Oh well. Just call me Shiro for simplicity's sake." Shiro told them with a moment's pause.
The man at the front stepped forward threateningly, only to pause when Shiro's teammates finally kicked into gear. Itachi stepped in front of his group, his black eyes surveying those in attendance.
"Namiashi Raidou, Shiranui Genma, and Tatami Iwashi. Former members of the Hokage Guard Platoon and current guardians of one Uzumaki Akihane." Itachi spoke up, leveling the playing field between the two parties for a moment.
Shiro shifted and reached down into the pockets of his pouches, the fabric of his sleeves falling over his hands to hide them from view.
"Why are you in the village, Itachi? If you came to get Sasuke…then you might as well leave. We won't let you take him." Raidou spoke up, his tone threatening and harsh.
Itachi paused at the mention of his younger brother, reaching up through the fabric of his cloak.
Shiro allowed chakra to flow through his limbs when he noticed Itachi's starting signal, the unbuttoning of his cloak and the laying of his hand across the fabric so that the previously concealed limb now hung in the open air.
Kisame gripped the handle of his sword hanging on his back, his lips twisting into a large and frightening grin that showed his sharp teeth. Shiro withheld a chuckle and pulled his hand out from his pouch, drawing out enough needles to slot between each finger.
The three shinobi tensed and all shifted into fighting stances. Raidou took the lead, and within moments, the three shinobi flew at one another.
Shiro darted over to the Jonin wearing a bandana over his head. He let go of several needles, drawing his other hand up in an arc with another glass blade. His target wove under the needles and met his blade with one of his own.
Chakra sparked between the two before Shiro smirked and pushed the advance. Surprisingly, the Konoha Nin allowed him to lead him away from the other two, the shorter Nin with sandy hair clashing with Kisame while the leader of the group met Itachi in a swift taijutsu fight.
Itachi would finish his opponent soon enough. Shiro would just have to hold on till he did, and then he could knock out the man before him and be on his way. He still had to complete the mission that the Leader had sent him on.
Sending the remainder of his Senbon and bringing his blade up to block the strike that his opponent, Genma if he wasn't mistaken, sent at him, Shiro prepared his chakra. Light burst forward, drawn from the spaces between shadows. Tendrils danced along his limbs, twisting and stretching toward his opponent in an effort to overcome him.
Genma backed away faster than he thought the man could move, his hands flickering through signs.
"Fire Style, Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" The man shouted, drawing in a breath before letting loose a series of flaming pellets all targeting the blue eyes man still wearing his cap before him.
Shiro muttered and raised his hands, drawing the light before him in a barrier before pushing it onto the pellets with the clenching of one fist.
The other hand remained open, the fingers on it tapping at the air while it grew cold. Goosebumps shifted over his revealed skin, the hair at the back of his neck rising as he drew at the energy in the air.
His eyes closed, a flash of a sad smile entering his vision. Beautiful yellow eyes that held a hidden fondness for him echoed in his mind's eye and left him feeling utterly empty.
His eyes opened and lightning sparked all around him, growing and funneling into a single pillar before him. The flames that struck the lightning only caused it to grow, while the tendrils of light started to multiply. They shot from the lightning, and with a single seal formed by his one hand, Shiro channeled them at his opponent.
Genma bounced back again, weaving out of the way of the tendrils aiming at his chest. Each tendril had razor-sharp edges that sliced through the two mudwalls he tried to halt them with. The tendrils also glowed eerily, sucking all light from their surroundings without expressing it to the environment. It seemed like they could take all the light from their surroundings and only stay at the dim hum they had been from the beginning.
Shiro stepped forward, his eyes a dull blue that left much to be desired. His emotions had been drained, everything directed at his opponent.
The tendrils slashed down, slicing clean through the ground below Genma without a sound, their edges turning the ground red-hot without letting any light past them.
Light channeling was a simple technique when one figured it out and trained their affinity for the correct elements. Stealing light and turning it into energy for something, such as his tendrils, contained any excess energy that might otherwise have given off an eerie glow in the cool night air.
A tendril sprang stretching and moving faster than before, its length wrapping around the ankle of its Jonin target. The Jonin shouted, his eyes darting to the tendril even as he felt the heat rise from his bandaged limb.
Shiro drew his hand across the space, forcing the tendrils to attack Genma all at once, the wreathing mass compounding and growing into a large wave of concentrated light.
The heat could be felt form where Shiro stood. The Jonin was no doubt feeling worse.
Shiro sighed and turned around, preparing to help out his teammates.
A jolt of chakra halted his movements, his body suddenly growing warmer as the previous chill faded and a new sensation pricked at his skin.
Shiro hissed and turned around, lashing out with a single hand in time to cut off the long shadow that had spread from the forest toward him in an effort to steal his will.
"No!" Shiro snarled abruptly, rage suddenly flashing in his eyes as the tendrils shrank and retreated, gathering around him like a shield. Light, brighter than before, flashed before it all sparked upward and then abruptly collapsed.
Amidst the light, Shiro's cap flew from his face, his hair flying back from the force of his blow. His blue eyes glowed sinisterly, while his hair settled on his shoulders like a glowing halo. He looked every bit like an Angel scorned, like the fae that took on the deceiving form of a prince to steal from others.
The light from Shiro cast the entire clearing into a white haze. Or at least, every part of the clearing barring the space before him where a large wall of shadows had been erected.
A boy, small in both stature and in experience, knelt down by the injured Jonin Shiro had been prepared to kill or injure severely. In front of the boy stood another figure.
The man was dressed in simple deer-skins and held himself with confidence. His hair was captured in a spiky tail that hung over the top of his head. A goatee covered his chin, and his black eyes were narrowed on Shiro's form.
"Shiro Omega, S-Rank criminal of Yugagakure. Wanted for the murder of the former leader of Yugagakure and for the decimation of the Water Temple, as well as the betrayal of the Shiro Clan. I thought I told you to never step foot in Konoha again?"
Nara Shikaku, head of the Nara Clan and the resident specialist of shadows and one of the few masters of Yin Chakra remaining, spoke icily to the man glaring at him from across the field.
"Well, what do you know. Shikaku Naru didn't think I'd ever see you again." Shiro muttered crossly, his icy hues growing colder and filling with a deep malice that saturated the air around him, turning his brilliant tendrils a hazy blue.
Shikaku uncrossed his arms from his chest, walking forward calmly as he called over his shoulder.
"Get Genma to safety Shikamaru." The man ordered his son, watching a Shiro stayed where he was, facing the challenge head-on.
Without warning, shadows and light collided and brilliant sparks were drowned in darkness. The heat was consumed by the cold, leaving nothing but desolation.
I~~~~I
Dear heaven this took too long. You guys have no idea how long this chapter took…rewriting it was a hassle in itself, but then just when I was having trouble again, something just dropped itself into the story and now I have a plot point that makes sense and ties things together more than before.
Omega Shiro, someone who I doubt I have fully mentioned. He's a little important, though not enough to completely detract from the main story. For now, he's there to act as a messenger and as something else to grab Akihane with.
Well, thanks for reading, hope you all enjoyed! I hope you didn't mind the OC, he kinda just jumped into the story before I could realize that he had. Happy 40th Chapter!
