Chapter 17 – Lost Along The Way
"…Shisui?"
Having begun stirring over five minutes ago, Shisui wasn't taken by surprise, though couldn't deny that hearing the tired mumble eased the worry from his shoulders. Adjusting his hold on her, he brought her closer, his cheek pressing to the top of her head.
"Did I fall asleep?" she questioned and he could tell she was refusing to wake up fully, as she nuzzled his chest, sighing in content. The feeling of her arms coming around him, returning his embrace, caused a lump to form in his throat. "How are your eyes?"
Was she stuck in a memory? Had her mind gone back to their bubble? Shisui wouldn't deny that he often thought back on those times, allowing himself to get lost in them. In his – no, in their home, they were at peace. They had a routine. They had comfort and safety. Stay there, he silently begged her fragile mind. For as long as you can, stay there.
They had never woken in such a way, despite growing so close. There was the time Sakura had fallen asleep in his bed – once – but that hardly counted, as she had been the one holding him, her body trying to curl around his comfortingly. If he shut his eyes, would he be able to go back to their bubble? To convince himself nothing had changed? That they were home and together and Sakura wasn't…?
"Good," he managed to tell her, voice level. For as long as possible, he would allow her mind to be at peace. He would not shatter the illusion created to protect herself.
"I'll get up soon," she promised, but went against her words instantly by snuggling closer. The lump thickened, almost choking him. "Make breakfast-"
"No, stay," Shisui interrupted. Gods, what he wouldn't give to continue holding her. To have her mind return to its previous state. She seemed so calm, so… okay. There were no signs of the manipulation that had warped her mind. "As soon as we move, it goes back to being…"
"Professional?" finished Sakura quietly. She sighed again and nodded. "Then I'll stay."
Reluctantly, Shisui opened his eyes to the room surrounding them. After she had lost consciousness, Itachi had guided them to a room that was out of the way of the other refugees, bringing her futon to them so that they would be comfortable. Although not entirely alone, he had soundproofed the room, allowing him to speak privately with Sakura once she woke up. It would also hopefully prevent anything from triggering her, preventing another outburst.
He noticed another watching them from the doorway, his gaze briefly meeting Sasuke's before returning to the mess of hair resting on his chest. Itachi had informed him of Sakura's struggle to bathe, making his heart ache horrifically as more torture methods flew through his mind, filling in the gaps. A mundane task – though it wasn't mundane to her, as she'd always taken pride in her hair – couldn't even be completed because of what they'd done to her. Blocking out those waiting for them outside the room, Shisui shut his eyes, hand coming to the back of her head, bringing her as close as physically possible. Through his actions alone he tried to tell her that she was safe, that she couldn't be harmed in his arms. He wanted to protect her so much that it hurt.
While he couldn't see her smile, he could feel it, her cracked lips stretching against his throat. "I like this side of you, Shisui," she murmured. "You're not as closed off."
How much longer did he have? When would the switch be flipped in her mind? How long until she realised she had no access to her chakra? What was going to trigger her? He didn't have to wonder for long, feeling the tension creeping into her muscles and slowly, weakly, Sakura pulled away from his embrace, hands flat to the futon, caging him in as she leaned over his reclined position. Their faces, like earlier, were centimetres apart and Shisui found himself unable to look away as he witnessed the realisation entering her eyes, expression returning to the cold mask of suffering and hatred. There was a responding pain in his chest, one that only increased when he noticed the minute trembling of her body.
"What-"
Making no move to touch her, Shisui asked, "Do you remember what happened?"
Uncertainty rippled through her, features like an open book to him as he regarded her silently. Still, she didn't move away from him and he took that as a positive sign. Did it mean she remembered what had happened before she lost consciousness? Did she remember how she felt after nearly blinding him? The pain she felt for nearly harming him? That moment between them – no matter how brief it was – told him she was still in there. The woman he'd fallen in love with was a prisoner in her own mind, struggling to the surface.
Green eyes shot to the entrance of the room, breath leaving her at the sight of the others.
When her back hit the wall, hands struggling to steady herself, Shisui knelt before her, blocking her view. "Ignore them," he ordered quietly. "Just focus on me, Sakura."
"Th-They…"
Her fear was choking him. He could feel it in the air around them, leaving her in waves as she fought hard to keep their eyes locked, desperate to free herself of the emotion. "That's it," came his quiet encouragement and daringly, Shisui slowly lifted his hands. "Breathe through it."
She didn't take his hands, but her eyes continued to stay connected with his, wide and scared. "My… M-My chakra. I can't…"
"You scared a lot of people, Sakura," he tried to explain to her, eyebrows knitting together. "It's just a precaution. Soon enough, it will return to you. Please, prove to them that they don't need to fear you. Show them that you don't need to be watched like this."
"Like that'll happen," she snapped, breathless. However, he could see her panic fading and hesitantly, her hands left the wall, instead coming to rest on her thighs. "Just now, I – I mean, why did I…?"
"Itachi and I wondered what would happen if we were to take you away from anything that could potentially trigger you," Shisui stated, though didn't gesture to the room for fear of destroying the unsteady calm between them. "The room has been soundproofed, too."
She was still hesitant, frowning softly. "I thought I was…"
"Home?"
There was a quick, jerky nod. "I forgot about everything, even if it was only for a few moments."
When her eyes suddenly moved to the left, widening fractionally, Shisui followed her line of sight, hiding his frown when he saw nothing. All that was there – to him, at least – were a few boxes. The room was more or less empty, hadn't even been lit up until they entered it.
"Do you see her?" he asked after a few moments, catching her eye once more. "Your shishou?" The feeling of his stomach twisting when she nodded was sickening. It was as he and Itachi feared, then. But how deep did the insanity go? "Is she how you remember her?"
"Sometimes."
"Sometimes?" She flinched, glancing in the direction of the boxes submissively and seeing that she was closing up, Shisui said, "I take it she doesn't like me."
It didn't surprise him when she shook her head. He and Itachi had their suspicions on what Sakura was seeing – and it wasn't her shishou. Well, technically it was. To her, it was. But it wasn't really her. It was a lie. A fabrication based on her feelings and emotions, hoping that it would sway her and make her easier to manipulate. After all, there was a reason why she was scared of the Sharingan, just like there was a reason why she'd repeatedly gone after his specifically, rather than Sasuke's, or Itachi's or even Kakashi's. It was always his.
Unknowingly, Danzo had targeted Shisui's feelings, too. Had it been anyone else, he wouldn't have hesitated to use his Sharingan to reverse the damage. But he couldn't do that to Sakura. He couldn't look her dead in the eye, knowing and seeing how utterly terrified she was of him, as he invaded her mind and changed her way of thinking and the way she viewed the world. He just couldn't do it.
He glanced towards the others when there was movement, nodding once when Itachi stood at the front of the group, his features relaxed but eyes questioning. Unlike every other time he saw him, the younger Uchiha's Sharingan was not activated and he knew it was for the same reason Shisui avoided using his. The last thing they wanted to do was give Sakura more reason to fear them.
There was conflict evident on Sakura's features as she regarded Itachi silently, watching him entering the room and approaching them. Her muscles were tensed, hands clenching into fists in the sheet, but her eyes were uncertain, questioning whether she could trust him.
On his way, he grabbed a box, using it as a chair once it was placed beside their futon. "How do you feel?"
"Empty," she accused. They noticed her gaze darting towards the boxes, eyebrows faintly coming together. She was struggling to stay composed, to hide her true feelings from them. "You took my chakra."
"We discussed why," Shisui reminded her quietly.
With his back to the group and the soundproof barrier keeping their conversation private, Itachi told her, "You are going to show them that it is unnecessary."
"I-" She cut herself off, once more looking over at the boxes. "I know already."
Was she answering Itachi, or her twisted mind? How powerful was the image of Tsunade? Was it constant? Or did she appear whenever Sakura was uncertain and appeared to be trusting them too much? What would he see if he was to activate his Sharingan? He wouldn't, not without her permission, but it didn't stop him from wondering. Would he see through the lie? There was no doubt about it. Prior to his blinding, no Sharingan had been able to go against his. Perhaps Itachi's Mangekyō could give him a run for his money – assuming he'd mastered it.
It was an unspoken agreement between himself and Itachi that they wouldn't disclose any discoveries with the others. Although they surely had their suspicions, they would not entertain them. Those who needed to know what was going on, knew enough. Sakura did not need people gawking at her like she was an animal trapped in a cage, wondering how soon it would be until she snapped.
"Before we allow the others to join us, there is something I want to ask you, Sakura." She immediately looked to Itachi and Shisui didn't fail to miss the flash of sadness in his friend's expression as he witnessed the lack of trust in her eyes. "This." He gestured to the space around them, then to the futon she was seated on. "This set up – would you like this to happen more regularly?"
When their eyes met, he told her, "With or without me. It's entirely up to you."
There was no use in lying about what he wanted. Shisui wanted her to want it. He wanted her to want him to hold her close, to pick up where they left off. He wanted to wake up with her in his arms every morning. That brief moment of peace, where everything was perfect and calm and their worlds hadn't been savagely torn to shreds – he wanted it. Even if it only lasted a few moments, he wanted it.
"You can think about it," Itachi added at her continued silence.
"What about the boy and his mother?"
Her question – no matter how offhandedly it was spoken – stirred up hope within Shisui and he held back the urge to smile in her direction.
Itachi sighed at that, admitting, "The chances of them surviving through the winter are close to none. Keeping the illness isolated is all we can do."
"Keeping them isolated, you mean."
It stunned Shisui when his friend averted his gaze, reminding him of the child he'd once been – confused about life and death, unsure what his position in life truly was. Before he was attacked by Danzo, Itachi had been more sure of himself. Not perfect and certainly didn't have his future written in stone, but he knew what he wanted and was determined to protect it with everything he had. How big of a step back was Danzo's attack to the younger Uchiha?
"I already said I can't," she suddenly snapped at the boxes, fists clenching against her thighs. Shisui watched the way the skin strained, her healing wounds threatening to reopen if she wasn't careful. "I don't know the first thing about healing someone."
After only a brief meeting of their gazes, Itachi shifted in his seat and Shisui nodded once, informing him he was keeping her shielded from the curious stares of those outside the room.
"Just because you-" She flinched, sentence cutting off abruptly, before nodding once. "Yes, Tsunade-shishou."
How often were her conversations with the fake Tsunade? How real did they seem to her? Real enough for the image to talk over Itachi. Real enough to demand her full attention, evoking a kaleidoscope of emotions that Sakura had no hopes in deciphering. Surely, some part of her understood that Tsunade was dead. She had even stated once that they tortured her with the Hokage's blood – to make that big an impact, they would need a lot of blood. They would need to keep the torture constant. The Sakura he'd come to know before the attack was strong. No matter what others thought of her, she was strong mentally. To face life's struggles, to continue fighting for what she believed in, to protect their village, to become his carer… Yes, Haruno Sakura was strong. He dared people to argue with him.
It wasn't about the titles she'd earned. So what if she was known as the second Tsunade? So what if she was taught by the infamous Copy-Nin, followed by one of the Legendary Sannin? So what if, during spars, she was known to keep up with the prodigy of the Uchiha clan, the heir, Itachi?
Sakura, no matter who taught her and for how long, clawed her way to where she'd been. She faced countless obstacles, countless heartaches, and still came out on top, even if it took her a while to get there. Her patience, her loyalty, her compassion and determination, was what he'd fallen for during their time together. Every day, without fail, she would wake him in a way that was almost a response to his possible mood of the day. If he was down? She was quiet, but comforting. Silently telling him that she was there when he was ready to talk. If he was feeling determined? She encouraged that determination and added to his hopes with her own, working hard enough for them both and more.
The woman before him was not broken easily. She had held on for an impossibly long time – proven by the fact she was still capable of aiding in not only Hinata's escape from Danzo's tortures, but also releasing him from the slug world. Despite everything that had happened, she was still capable of thinking of strategies and getting the job done. If it ended in her prolonged torture? If she had to keep suffering for her loved ones to be freed? For the refugees to have an extra trump card? She would hand herself over willingly.
She had the heart of a healer. The mind of a fierce warrior. The determination of a loyal friend and protector.
Shisui found himself almost breathless as his eyes greedily took in her features, commanding each and every part of her to memory. Either Sakura would find her way back to them, or the woman sitting before them would learn to adjust, to adapt. But either way, she was going to grow from it. It wasn't going to keep her down. His interference wasn't necessary, but if it was, he wouldn't allow it to keep her down. Just like she didn't allow his loss of sight and the responding depression to break him.
"My offer is still on the table," he spoke without thinking, getting carried away with his own thoughts. "I am willing to learn the ways of healing with you – if that's what you want."
"Why do you all keep adding that to your sentences?" she demanded, green eyes narrowing. "If that's what you want." He hadn't even realised and he could only watch as the annoyance in her eyes grew. "I get that I'm not like the rest of you – Danzo screwed with my mind to the point where I don't even know what the hell is real anymore," she added with a bitter laugh, looking in the direction of where he assumed she could see Tsunade standing. "But stop treating me like I'm a child you're trying to manipulate into behaving." Cold green eyes narrowed once more, though this time, on the boxes. "All of you."
A child they were trying to manipulate into behaving… She couldn't have worded it better. And he could tell with a single glance in Itachi's direction that he was equally as stunned by the realisation that wrapped around their hearts, taking their breath away.
"How are you supposed to move on if we keep holding you back?" questioned Itachi, almost to himself. Faintly, he smirked and leaned back, eyes searching her features until he finally decided on something, asking her, "We have a meeting later this evening, where we will discuss our supplies, living arrangements and most importantly, the safety of those in our care and how we can gain more support from surrounding shinobi nations." After a brief moment of pause, Itachi then added, "I must warn you, Sakura, that during these meetings, we take note of Konoha-nin who are recently listed as missing in action, or killed. There is the possibility that the names of your friends could be on that list."
Would she be able to handle that? What if she heard a name and was struck with memories she couldn't fully understand? What if she was triggered by it?
"I'll be there."
No, he wouldn't worry excessively over what her triggers were, Shisui decided as he watched the determination in her eyes growing. He would let her take risks, but if she happened to wobble, he would be there to steady her. He would offer her strength in times when she felt weakest. He would comfort her as much as she allowed or needed.
Most importantly, he would not hold her back.
They were separated not long after the talk with Itachi. Sakura chose to return to the medical wing until the meeting started, whereas Shisui decided a few hours of training wouldn't do him any harm.
It was an uneventful day other than her explosion – everyone was walking on egg shells around her and each other, doing all they could to prevent another episode. After all they'd been through, they merely wanted an easy life (or as easy as one could live in their situation). Shisui did not argue about Kakashi's presence outside the medical room, nor did he disagree with Sasuke and Naruto situating themselves beside the archway to the main hall, pretending like they weren't listening in on Sakura. To voice his disapproval was to give her unwanted attention. So, Shisui remained silent.
"How bad?"
Instead, he had a new battle he had to face. One that came in the form of faintly twitching red and black eyes, their pinwheel design slowly fading to the usual tomoe at his question. There was exhaustion written all over Itachi's features in that moment, sweat beading on his temple and for a brief moment, Shisui feared the worst. He feared his friend had been spending way too much time with the sick child. The effects of the Sharingan rarely showed outwardly – it was mainly headaches. Sometimes passing out if it had drained them of chakra.
Sensing that they were alone, Itachi eased himself down on to a protruding rock, breathing out a deep sigh. It was with a wary frown that Shisui joined him, the pair of them watching the surrounding area, listening out for potential threats. They were out in the open, though not far from the hideout. Nobody could hear them from inside.
"I am not losing my sight," he explained after a few moments of admiring the freedom of nature around them, his Sharingan refusing to be deactivated. "However, I fear any further use of the Mangekyō will start the process."
Of course. It wasn't the ordinary Sharingan that caused such devastating long-term effects. No, it was the power ups. New power ups always came with a price they had to pay eventually – sooner, rather than later in most cases. It quickly became apparent that overusing the Mangekyō resulted in them growing blind and it was a fate one had to learn to accept, for it was inevitable. After discovering his fate, Shisui always asked himself a single question before using his most deadly weapon: did the village need him to risk going blind, or could he protect them with his ordinary power? If the opponent was strong, then Shisui held nothing back right from the start. The sooner the battle ended, the better.
"It's unavoidable," Shisui stated the obvious with a sigh. "And the headaches?"
"Manageable."
Meaning they were causing extreme pain. Did Itachi really think he could hide such things from him? He watched him grow up. He knew his tells. "The chakra depletion?"
Silence.
"I understand you wish to protect everyone here, Itachi," he said without hesitation, understanding it was a sensitive topic but knowing his friend well enough to know that he needed hitting around the head with the truth sometimes. "But you cannot do that if you are exhausted. If Danzo attacked us today, you would be leading us in the battle against him. You would have to face him yourself. Trust me when I say Danzo is much stronger than he appears. We wouldn't stand a chance in our condition."
"And that is not including ROOT," added Itachi, his gaze going upwards as he watched a bird soaring over their heads, one of its feathers coming loose. Reaching up once it was close enough, he held it in his grasp, admiring the silkiness of the black feather. "They are scouting the area," he informed him after another pause, listening carefully to the resounding caws of his crows. "Other than a family of travellers several miles south, we are alone."
Crows were remarkably intelligent creatures. Shisui admired the bird as it disappeared from view, cawing a final time before it settled in a tree. Although risky, Itachi's choice to have his crows scout the surrounding areas was wise – they blended in when they weren't coming to his defence or attacking. The only time they would cause someone to do a double take was when they were together, for while a murder of crows was not unusual, the sheer amount Itachi could summon was. Sometimes, crows in the area – ones that weren't even a part of his summoning contract – responded to his needs. He'd always had a connection with them, as far as Shisui could remember.
"Itachi."
His friend sighed and within seconds, the feather in his hand was incinerated, leaving no trace of its existence. Then, their eyes met and he said, "I will take care of myself."
"That includes sleeping."
Like the rest of them, Itachi suffered with insomnia and when he did manage sleep, it was as though he was captured in his own horrifying genjutsu. He once told Shisui he'd rather be exhausted than go through the horrors of his own mind.
"Including sleep."
Satisfied with his vaguely defeated tone, Shisui resumed his watch of nature, his eyes soon settling on the sight of the river. Itachi had informed him on Sakura's promise to herself, of her struggle to bathe due to the tortures she'd been through. He wondered what that must be like, witnessing the beauty of the flowing river, the sun shining off it and promising them a warm, pleasant swim, yet being too afraid to try it for herself, unable to dip so much as a fingertip into the water.
"We can't help her if we don't take care of ourselves," Shisui murmured to him, trying to ignore the all too familiar pain in his chest that always accompanied his thoughts of Sakura.
"I know."
They were loud when they approached the meeting hall and in response, he assessed her features out of the corner of his eye, though not once did Shisui question if they had made the right decision. Sakura needed to be there. She needed to hear the harrowing reality of their situation. Keeping her in the dark wasn't helping anyone.
"We can't trust her," he heard someone snap. "She doesn't even know who she is!"
Deep breaths, he told himself, refusing to let their words anger him. For Sakura – for his own sake – he would remain level-headed. Holding out his hand when they approached the archway, they waited, allowing Itachi another moment to try and calm the other shinobi.
"Regardless of how you feel, Sakura is a valuable asset to this cause and has had first hand experience in fighting Danzo."
Perhaps not wanting to hear anymore, Sakura brushed past his outstretched hand, stepping into the room without hesitation. She didn't falter at the sight of their hard eyes, watching her with clear distrust and she seemed unaffected by the whispering that soon joined the staring. The silence had only lasted a handful of a seconds, every set of eyes regarding her critically.
Shisui remained by her side as she stood there, her eyes on Itachi's as the man sat in front of them all, his body language relaxed but gaze careful. Despite looking so at peace, Shisui knew he would be the first one there should anything happen. The others would not get close enough to Sakura to cause harm, or be harmed by her.
"She only had one use and she can't even do that anymore."
"Shut the hell up," Naruto suddenly snapped back at the older man, blue eyes livid. "Sakura-chan has lots of uses. She was the Hokage's apprentice!"
"If she's so great why is that child still sick?"
"She has nothing to offer us."
"Why did you risk your life saving her when she's useless to us?"
Sakura remained unmoving, seemingly not hearing their harsh words as she stood calmly. It was something Shisui admired greatly, as he himself was struggling to hold onto his composure. He desperately wanted to come to her defence, to argue that the others didn't know enough about the situation to understand her. They had no right to question her usefulness to their group.
"Go, Sakura," he ordered quietly while the others continued to argue amongst themselves about her. To their right, Naruto was one of the most animated in his argument, now red in the face and threatening to beat all kinds of shades out of the small number of shinobi badmouthing his friend. Hinata tried to calm him, but it was a wasted attempt. It only made him angrier. "We will stand closer to Itachi."
Nodding, she walked forward and Shisui kept himself directly behind her, once more admiring her composure. For someone who struggled so greatly with what was real, with her own mind, she was doing so well.
The meeting room wasn't large – not even half the size of the main hall – and many of them were squashed shoulder to shoulder, unable or unwilling to offer them aid in making their way to the front. Only those who knew her personally, as more than just the Hokage's disciple, showed her kindness. The former guard of the Hokage pushed back at the aggravated crowd, parting them and giving her access to Itachi.
"Why does she get to stand with Itachi-sama?" someone demanded. "She doesn't deserve to be so close to him."
It wasn't the typical fan-girl snarling the demands, Shisui noted, assessing the hard eyes around them. They disliked how she was being favoured over the rest of them – over people who had fought alongside the man who had offered food and shelter to them. They had a point, he supposed. Since the rescue, Sakura had rarely interacted with the rest of them, with Itachi soon going out of his way to help her avoid the others when it grew too much for her. Nobody else had their meals brought to them. They weren't under his protection when they went outside to bathe or relieve themselves. They couldn't understand why Itachi went that step further for Sakura and were now angered that she was allowed to stand so close to him during an important meeting, suggesting her opinion was more important.
When someone blocked their way, halfway through a demand of their own, Sakura reacted on instinct, eyes wide with fright as she slapped their raised hand away from her. A second later and she was behind him, his Sharingan activating and staring the man down coldly.
"Don't touch her."
Genma grabbed the furious man by the back of his collar, throwing him back into line and once more allowing them to move forward. He nodded once at Sakura, something in his eyes causing her to quickly look away, lips turning downwards as she mumbled her thanks.
"How about you try eating with the rest of us before joining something like this?"
"You can't even handle being in the main hall. What makes you think you'll handle this?"
"Enough."
The following silence was surreal to him as Itachi stood to his full height, raising his voice just enough to speak over the rest of them. The way they responded to his authority was something Shisui had yet to grow used to. While he'd always known Itachi would make a fierce leader (he was heir to the clan, after all), he hadn't expected that leadership to spill outside of the clan. People were wary of trusting the Uchiha.
"I understand your distrust and your reasoning for feeling that way," he said to them, gesturing with his chin for Shisui to take Sakura further to the side, where Kakashi and Sasuke were currently stood. They were focused on Itachi when they reached them, but he noticed how they parted, silently ordering Sakura to stand between them. Shisui stood on Sasuke's other side, his back to the crowd of gathered shinobi, whereas they had a view of the younger Uchiha's profile. "The Sakura standing with us now is not the same Sakura many of you knew, saw or heard stories about."
"Because of Danzo," added Naruto angrily, forcing his way to the front of the others. "Tell them she's in the same boat as the rest of us, Itachi. They're trying to ostracise someone who went through hell because of Danzo whereas most of these assholes don't even know what Danzo looks like."
"Naruto-kun-"
"I'm not staying quiet any longer," he snapped before offering Hinata a look of apology for losing his temper. "They're crying about her standing almost side by side with Itachi, but she has more right to do that than any of us here. Most of you wouldn't even be here right now if it weren't for her that night, y'know!"
Noticing their uncertain glances and questioning whispers, Itachi stated, "His words are true. After aiding my parents – the leaders of the Uchiha Clan – Sakura then fought several ROOT operatives, soon followed by battling Danzo himself. All for the sake of allowing as many of us to flee as possible. Sakura did this knowing she would be captured and tortured, or killed." His voice carried throughout the meeting room, the authority everyone could hear warning them not to interrupt him. Shisui wondered if he knew how much he resembled his father in that moment – his presence alone commanded the respect of his followers. "Above all else, Sakura is one of my closest friends and someone I care for dearly. Ask yourselves: if one of your precious friends is not among us, would you go to the same lengths for them? How would you feel if they received the same welcome as you have given Sakura? After all they have been through?
"Sakura is by no means a victim – she is a shinobi. One of the strongest kunoichi I know. And as shinobi we must endure. That is what Sakura is doing – enduring. If I can offer her support, then I will. Those of you who knew Sakura before the attack know in your hearts that on many occasions, she has supported our village. Now, it is our turn to support her."
There is was. What Shisui had always seen in his friend, only magnified. The leader he was born to be and altered to fit his own gentle way of thinking. While proud and strategic like his father, Itachi gained his followers' favour by showing a more vulnerable side to himself, allowing them to see his emotions and hear his fears. To them, he was relatable. He understood them and vice versa.
"Isn't that what we cherished so much about our village? Konoha was a village where we protected and supported one another. It had its faults – nothing is perfect – but we were united."
Risking a glance over his shoulder, Shisui noted that most of the occupants, if not all of them, were once more on his side, nodding their agreements at his words.
"When we take back Konoha, we will do so united."
He faced forward following their responding yells and cheers, allowing a minute smirk to play on his lips. What had they been so worried about? Itachi had it under control. His friend had to stop doubting himself so much – he had to stop doubting him, too. Itachi was no longer the thirteen year old boy who was torn between his loyalty to his clan and his love and need to protect his village. He had grown from that.
"We will start the meeting now, so please seat yourselves. This will be a much longer meeting than usual," Itachi informed them, copying the rest of them as they sat by sitting in his chair. For the briefest of moments, Shisui noticed his discomfort of facing the rest of them in what looked like a throne while they sat on the cold, hard stone, but he reigned in those emotions and returned to being their leader. He supposed it was quite the change for him, but he would have to grow used to it eventually. It was in his blood to lead. "I would like to start by following on from the previous topic – Sakura and her position."
Why it only just occurred to him that Itachi's Sharingan was not activated, Shisui was unsure. It wasn't until he met Sakura's eye that he noticed she was still calm – no flinches or noticeable fear like when she caught sight of their Sharingan.
"While everyone here deserves an explanation as to what happened earlier today, please understand that I will only share necessary information to protect my friend's privacy." The silence was intense and Shisui found himself holding his breath, muscles slowly tensing. What the others were about to hear was not going to go down well. "Simply put: Danzo has unethical methods of manipulation and torture. And it was recently discovered that after the attack, Danzo acquired the Sharingan. More specifically, my father's."
There was noticeable tension in Sasuke's body as his expression darkened, leading Naruto to glance his way, possibly wondering if he was best switching places with the youngest Uchiha. Shisui shook his head at him when the blond sent him that same question with his eyes. Take a closer look, he wanted to tell the boy. Sasuke was fighting the activation of his Sharingan, as he knew it would only exacerbate the situation. He knew how important it was that Sakura was accepted into the group. He would not jeopardise that. For the first time in a long while, he was pushing aside his rage and putting someone else first.
"It was unknown by most that my father had gained the Mangekyō. He kept it a secret from both the village and his own clan, for he knew it would only cause more conflict. For those of you who don't know, the Mangekyō is an advanced form of the Sharingan, created by great emotional trauma. Only a handful of Uchiha manage to obtain it."
It felt odd sharing their clan's secrets with what were classed as outsiders. After growing up under their strict rules, Shisui had grown used to protecting their secrets, to sealing away Sharingan if he happened upon dying clansmen. The Sharingan was their most prized possession – it was what made them the fearsome Uchiha Clan. However, it was necessary. The others had to know what they were up against.
"Due to my father's secrecy, it is unknown what jutsu and techniques he acquired through his Mangekyō. Like no two people are the same, no two Sharingan are the same. They can learn the same jutsu and share similar traits, but they each have one unique ability. My own Mangekyō, for example, has the ability to trap the minds of whoever I choose in a powerful genjutsu. Only a second will pass on the outside, but in the person's mind, I can draw out the genjutsu for as long as I wish. It can last hours or days."
There was an uneasy feeling around the room, Shisui noted as he watched the others from the corner of his eye. Sakura was all but on the edge of her seat, green eyes hard and narrowed as she listened intently, fists clenching on her thighs and giving away her true emotions. She wasn't as calm as she appeared – she was scared. Just the mentioning of the Sharingan filled her with fear.
"My friend and fellow clansmen, Shisui, is known to you all. You know him as 'Shisui of the Body Flicker'. A prodigy of our clan. However, what many of you don't know is how terrifyingly powerful his eyes truly are. They are classed as being of the highest calibre. No other Sharingan can withstand his Mangekyō or go up against it, warranting many to try and steal them over the years once his abilities became known to enemies."
He pretended not to notice the startled look in Sakura's eyes as they snapped to meet his, a fraction wider than usual and skin growing sickly pale. By her side, Sasuke shifted in his seat, more than likely preparing himself for another one of Sakura's attempts to take his eyes.
"Sakura." That startled look soon became more palpable as it filled her entire features, no doubt the pressure of the meeting weighing down on her as Itachi spoke with her directly. "There is a reason why, when you are feeling threatened and lash out, you always go for Shisui."
"Danzo," she replied numbly, swallowing. He noticed her fists faintly trembled.
Itachi nodded once. "And there is a reason why Danzo has ordered you to take Shisui's eyes every time you see the Sharingan," he began patiently, then briefly glanced out at the gathered shinobi. Fortunately – whether it was due to the tension that was slowly choking all hope out of them – the rest of the group was staying silent. "While Danzo possesses my father's eyes, he knows he is unable to go against Shisui's. The rumours of his eyes being the most powerful since Uchiha Madara's time are not an exaggeration."
Having grown used to the ever watchful eyes of his clan, Shisui was unaffected by the many gazes boring into his back, instead continuing to watch Itachi. On many occasions, Fugaku and the elders had spoken of him as though he wasn't even in the room with them, discussing the abilities of his eyes and how they would benefit their clan during the coup d'état. It wasn't a stroke to his ego and it didn't make him feel good about himself having his techniques boasted about. It was merely something he endured, since being powerful always came at a cost.
"Danzo knows that he cannot run a village for long on fear and punishment. Eventually, people will fight back. However, with Shisui's eyes, he would be able to resolve that issue before it even arose." There was a long silent pause, one that seemed to drag out for an eternity and allowed them to hear the children playing in the main hall. "Shisui's Mangekyō – more specifically, the technique Danzo wants more than anything, is the technique that allows him to enter a person's mind and manipulate them. This is done by giving the person false experiences, resulting in them believing they are acting on their own free will. They are responding to the false images and experiences. The worst part is that the victim never notices they are being manipulated."
"And whatever's been done to me, can easily be undone by Shisui," she added, her voice sounding thick. Once more, uncertain green eyes met his, the fear in them forcing him to look away. "Why haven't you done anything?" she demanded quietly. "Instead of leaving me like this, as a liability and a threat to everyone here, you could've reversed whatever he's done to me."
His answer was swift and simple as he told her, "I refuse to manipulate you and take away your freedom."
"What freedom?" came her snapped response. "Do I look free to you?"
"How would I be any different to Danzo if I was to use that jutsu on you?" he questioned without missing a beat, finally braving her fear as he met her gaze steadily. "Like Danzo, I would be manipulating you. I would be in control of your mind, Sakura. Do not take Kotoamatsukami lightly."
But she didn't seem to care, her expression growing desperate as she moved closer, begging him to reverse the damage. It wasn't hard to notice the heaving of her chest or her heavy breathing, however. She was panicking despite her desperation to be free of her mental torture. More than anything, Shisui wanted to help her. He wanted to take away her pain. But in the long run, it would do her no good. It could even have adverse effects on their relationship down the line. Who was to say his own selfish wants wouldn't transfer to her? What if he unknowingly manipulated her feelings regarding him? Shisui would never forgive himself.
"The mind is already a delicate thing," he explained after a moment, interrupting her. "Yours more than anyone's-"
"I don't care," Sakura snapped. "It could help me get back at him."
"You're going after Danzo?" Sasuke scoffed suddenly. "Even if Shisui reversed the damage, you're in no state to go after him."
"Damaged or not, I'm going after not only Danzo, but whoever was involved or there during my time being tortured by them," she muttered coldly, that rage he'd grown used to seeing taking over everything else. "They're going to regret everything they've done to me."
"Don't be ridiculous," someone shouted from further back. "You can't possibly know every face that was there and even if you did, how the hell will you fight them? We've all seen you be subdued. You wouldn't last five minutes against ROOT."
Another stood up, her single eye piercing as she went against the shaking of her hands and body, her expression trying so hard to show her determination as Hinata told her, "I was by your side in that cell, Sakura-san. I will be by your side when you face Danzo, too." Glancing around herself and nodding her thanks to her sister and cousin for their unwavering support, Hinata then said, "As we are in this moment, Sakura-san and I have no chance in winning against Danzo. But we will grow stronger together. We will naturally move past all that has happened."
"No more manipulation," Naruto agreed with them.
"We won't follow in Danzo's footsteps," Genma stated, the senbon in his mouth moving with his words. "The people we lost that night would be sickened with us if we went back on who we are. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a beautiful woman waiting for me on the other side – she'll give me hell if I'm anything like the man who sent her there."
"The Will of Fire," Itachi spoke over the rest of them, commanding their attention once more. "Konoha is a family – we cherish, believe in and fight to protect our village and the people in it. Just as our predecessors before us."
"The Will of Fire," the occupants of the room repeated.
A/N - A reader on one of my other stories has said they're interested in me posting my playlists for my stories. For each story, I have a completely different playlist, one that inspires me or fits with the story and they said they love listening/seeing what inspires the author. Is that something any of you would find interesting too?
ANYWAYS what did you all think of this chapter? How do you think Sakura should respond to the with or without Shisui part and why? ;-)