"Is Itachi here?" a voice snapped. The brothers exchanged a look before heading off to see.
"Get out here. We need to have a talk."
"Why are all of you here?" he inquired, approaching Inabi, Tekka, and Yashiro.
"Only two people didn't show up to last night's meeting," Yashiro stated.
"Why didn't you show up?" Inabi hissed with a glare. "We get that you've been busy working with the ANBU, and your father keeps telling us the same thing, stating that he's watching over you –"
"But we don't plan on treating you differently because of that," Yashiro finished.
"I understand." Itachi nodded. "I'll be careful from now on. Now, I must ask you to leave."
"I guess that's fine, but…before that, there's something we'd like to ask you. It's regarding the suicide drowning of Uchiha Shisui in the Nakano River last night."
"If my memory serves me right, you looked up to him as if he was your own big brother, didn't you?" Inabi sneered. Itachi's eyes darkened. His heart ached.
"Is that so? I really haven't seen him at all recently. It's unfortunate," he said, keeping his cool.
"So we, at the Police Force, decided to launch an all-out investigation."
"Investigation?"
"This is the note Shisui left behind." Yashiro handed it over." The handwriting analysis shows that it's definitely his."
"If there's no sign of murder, then why are you investigating?" he inquired, taking the note.
"For someone with a sharingan, it would be easy to mimic his handwriting perfectly. He was one of the most talented members of the Uchiha, and was feared as Shisui of the mirage."
I've grown tired of my duties.
There's no future for the Uchiha, or for me.
I cannot walk the "path" any longer.
"He was the kind of guy that would do any kind of mission for the clan," Yashiro continued.
"I'm not buying that a guy like him would leave something like this behind and commit suicide just like that," Inabi snapped.
"It is not wise to judge others based on preconceptions and appearances," Itachi warned.
"I'll be leaving that will with you. Take it to the ANBU and request that they help out with the investigation." He pointed a finger, narrowing his eyes.
"Understood." Itachi nodded. The men stepped outside.
"I certainly hope there will be another lead," Yashiro scoffed as they left. That was it. Itachi tightened his grip on the note.
"Why don't you just come out and say it?" he spat. Turning around, the sharingan flickered in all their eyes, including Itachi's
"You all suspect me, don't you?"
"Damn right, you brat," Inabi hissed. In seconds, all three fell to the ground, bruised and bloody.
Still worried of how distant Itachi had been lately, Kokoa decided a walk would ease her mind. He was busy with work, and like Shisui said, family issues have an effect too. It'll all work out,
"Right?" she mumbled to herself as she got ready to leave.
"Like I said earlier, it is not wise to judge others based preconceptions and appearances," Itachi scorned, rising to his feet.
"For instance, you've made the mistake of assuming I'm a patient man. The clan, the clan! You overestimate your own abilities, with no idea of the depth of my own. And look at you now, groveling in the dirt!"
"Shisui was told to keep an eye on you," Yashiro muttered, lifting his head from the ground. "After working with ANBU for half a year, your actions and manner of speech are stranger than ever. What's going on in that head of yours?"
"Obsessed…" Itachi stared ahead at nothing in particular. "Obsessed with the organization, obsessed with the clan, obsessed with our lineage... A worthless compulsion that enslaves us and limits our capabilities, leading us to fear what you don't understand!"
"Cut it out, Itachi. Calm down." Fugaku stepped in. His son fell silent. "What in the world is going on here? Itachi, you've been acting strange lately."
"Nothing is wrong. I'm simply carrying out my duty is all," he replied coolly.
"Then why didn't you show up for the meeting?"
"In order to reach the height…"
"What are you talking about?" Fugaku gave him a look. Wide eyed, Itachi ripped a kunai from his side, launching it across the courtyard. A crack ran through the Uchiha crest.
"I've had enough this. There's no hope left for this pathetic clan. The people of this clan are all the same. You focus on the trivial and lose sight of what's most important. Change is impossible in this fog of ignorance. How can we evolve when regulation is the only thing we've ever known?"
"Such arrogance!"
"That's enough. If you keep this up, we'll take you to jail!" Yashiro shouted, rising to his feet."
"So now what?" Tekka urged.
"I can't put up with this anymore," Inabi scoffed. "Captain, order an arrest." He glanced at Fugaku. The four Uchiha now opposed Itachi. The youngest stood there alone, eyes cold.
"Ni-san! Stop it already!" Sasuke cried from the house, hiding partly behind the door. The older brother's face softened as he dropped to his knees, forehead against the cold stone.
"It wasn't me who killed Shisui. I deeply apologize for the words I said."
"You've been overworked by ANBU, and it looks like it's catching up to you," Fugaku sighed.
"Captain?" Yashiro questioned in disbelief.
"The ANBU is under direct order from Hokage-sama Even the police force can't arrest him without an official order. Besides, I'll be taking full responsibility of watching over him. Please…"
"Understood"
"Let's go inside, Itachi." He started off. Peeking out again, for the first time, Sasuke met a pair of terrifying mangekyo sharingan.
Taking a breath of fresh air, Kokoa turned to see Yashiro, Tekka, and Inabi walking her way, obviously angry. She blinked in surprise. She had seen one or two of them around, but never really engaged in conversation. She stiffened when they stopped before her.
"Hello?" she managed. Yashiro stared off to the side. Tekka played it cool. Inabi came face to face with her.
"You're always with Itachi. What's going on?" he spat. The heat rose to her face.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"That brat thinks he can walk all over us because he's ANBU now."
"He – he wouldn't –"
"Something's not right, and if he keeps acting this weird, your little boyfriend is going to end up in a lot of trouble. If you know anything, I suggest you come clean, before he drags you down with him." With that, they left. She stood there stunned, lips parted, eyes wide. Snapping out of it, she turned to watch them walk, trembling slightly.
"What the hell is going on…"
Kokoa stepped into the Uchiha compound, hoping she wouldn't run into Inabi and the others again. She approached Itachi's home. Her heart raced. If Fugaku was home, he'd kill her. She wasn't an Uchiha. Whatever happened was none of her business.
"Psssst!"
"Eh?" She glanced over to her left. "Sasuke?" He stepped out from behind the building.
"Kokoa, why are you here?"
"I heard something happened. Are you alright?" she inquired. He shrugged, staring at his shoes.
"Come on. I'll get you a snack." She led him out, glancing back at the house. "Where's Itachi?"
"In there with Father."
"Alright. Let's go eat for now."
"Can you tell me what happened, Sasuke? Three of the Police Force stopped me earlier to ask about Itachi," Kokoa started, taking a bite of her dumpling.
"They showed up asking him why he didn't go to this meeting, but then…there was a note."
"A note?"
"A suicide note."
"What?" Her stomach dropped. "Was Itachi planning-"
"It wasn't Ni-san's." He interrupted.
"Th-then…"
"Shisui-san."
"…What…"
"He's dead, Kokoa. No one knows why!" he exclaimed. Setting the food aside, she stared at her hands in thought.
'I had just seen Shisui the other day. He was fine. There's no way –'
"Worst of all, they think Ni-san did it."
"What!" Her eyes snapped over to him.
"That's why everything happened. They accused Itachi of killing Shisui."
"He wouldn't –"
"He got angry, and they fought a little outside. Then he started talking crazy," he explained, gripping her sleeve.
"Crazy?"
"He kept saying "the clan this" and "the clan that." That it was pathetic, that there's no hope. He just kept yelling and saying things. It was scary….I never saw him act like that before. Then Father came to break it up. After that, everything about Ni-san changed. He was quiet, and seemed truly sorry for what he said. He promised that he didn't kill Shisui though."
"Do you believe him?"
"I do. Do you, Kokoa?"
"Of course I do. There's no way he'd kill Shisui. He was his best friend, his brother. Those guys think Itachi could do such a thing?"
"I know Ni-san is innocent, but…he's been strange. No one knows why. Before the police guys left, I saw something…something scary."
"What, Sasuke?" She placed a hand on his head.
"His eyes…Ni-san's."
"The sharingan?"
"Yes, and no. It was the sharingan, but one I had never seen before. It looked scary, painful."
"I see."
"What's happening Kokoa? Things aren't the same, and I hate it. Ni-san isn't the same."
"I know."
After the talk with Sasuke, Kokoa didn't run to find Itachi. She didn't meddle, she didn't push. For once, she took a step back and waited. Unable to fall asleep, she laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Nothing was right. Nothing felt right. The person she loved most had become so distant, and now everyone was turning against him.
Creeeeaaaak. The window opened. She jumped up to a sitting position, ready to grab the kunai from the side table.
"Itachi-san," she sighed in relief. Tossing his shoes to the side, he stepped onto the bed.
"Kokoa, I am sorry for not coming to you earlier. There was a lot happening –" She pulled him close against her, arms coiled around his back and neck. She did nothing but hold him. No questions, no arguments, no speaking. Surprised at first, he loosened up, returning the hug. He wanted to let go completely, just this once. To break open, to shed tears for his fallen brother. To shed tears for the clan he would erase, the parents he would slay, the brother he would torture, the girl he would leave behind.
(So I'm working to get the rest of the chapters posted here so the story is finally up to date like on my main account. That means expect a ton of new chapters throughout the week. Arigatooo ^^)