May I Live Once in Peace

by Two Halfs One Whole

"You don't have to forgive me, but no matter what you decide to do from now on...know that I will always love you."- Itachi Uchiha Though he lived a strenuous life he was able to tell his younger brother Sasuke how he truly felt. But now he has been brought back once more and placed in a new world with more problems than he ever thought possible. Adopted from Anime hotty lover.18

40. The Cycle Begins

Anime hotty lover.18 – Thanks for the support you've given me. It means a lot. And yeah, it usually gets dark before it gets bright. But the brightness will come.

AUfan62 – She is a victim of her circumstance therefore she is whatever she thinks she needs to be.

10868letsgo – her version is a tragedy.

Andresskorskiruiz – thanks bud! I'm glad you liked it.

Entity9silvergen – thanks for the constructive criticism. I appreciate it for it lets me know what I have to work on. And yeah, the expose moment is about to come.

Keybladelight – Carson factors into Ayumi's plan big time. It won't be revealed until next chapter though.

Lux arcadia – of course I will continue. I love this story.

DarksiderForever – an honest response. But their relationship and her role in the story won't be fleshed out till the later chapters.

Gabe – Can always count on you to put a smile on my face.

CastieItuang02 – again with this scene lol. Being an S rank shinobi doesn't prepare for something that you've never seen before nor affects that you know nothing about. Plus, he was protecting Carson from it. I can't win but hey in subjective things like stories, I'm not supposed to. Everyone does.

Dragon Dagger P – Thanks?

Guest – Thanks for the review.

KialDeyung – Of course he was holding back. Itachi would wreck this world if he went all out but that's why I don't have go all out.

Erebus D Thanatos – I know right, but I hate the cliché OP character because no one in a world can handle him. What's a good story without conflict to overcome?

---

"What makes you think that whatever story you have to tell me is going to change anything about this situation? I still have to kill you." Itachi quietly muttered.

"I don't want to change the situation. I've been waiting for this for what seems like ever. No, what I want is to give you another side to the story and, unlike The Sage, let you make your own choices and form your own opinions. As your mother-"

"Stop it with that. You're no mother to me, only a liar and a murderer." Itachi said as he cut her off. He saw that the young woman look legitimately hurt by his words and almost felt bad, "I am your mother and you're my son! You have to feel the bond I feel too!"

"No, my mother is Mikoto Uchiha, not Ayumi Uchiha. It's true, for a time I did think of you as my mother. It was like I felt this pull to you that no matter how hard I tried to go away, it would just bring me back to you. It was easy…being by you. But after what you just did; revealing your true colors, attacking me multiple times, and hurting Carson and James like how you did…there's no coming back from that for us." Itachi resolutely said.

"I'm sorry about that. James and especially Carson were never meant to be hurt. I didn't even want to kill Phillip, but your plan put me in a bad situation. You know, you probably said the same thing about your brother after you killed your family and yet the both of you reconciled just prior to you leaving our world. If you and I are proof of anything, it's that nothing is impossible." Ayumi retorted.

"Especially Carson? What do you mean by that?" Itachi asked having caught that.

"Once my story is over, you'll start to piece it all together. And besides, long ago, just after we first met, I told you exactly what that meant. You must not have been paying attention." Ayumi said as she softly chuckled to herself.

"Well you have my undivided attention now. Let's get this story over with. The longer you talk, the more I get to know you and how to defeat you." Itachi said as the moon shined bright at night.

Ayumi caught his words and smiled to herself, "Interesting. You said defeat, but not kill this time. I want you to watch carefully as I show you my past. Some things will be hard to see, even for someone like you who has seen it all. I'm not showing you this because I want you to feel sorry for me, I could care less about sympathy. You need to see what your Sage did to me and the lengths that he will go to get his way. This is more than a story of my past or even a reveal of the origins of the Uchiha. It is a warning to you, my son, about our damned history and why it needs to be reset for us to truly be free. And a cautionary tale about Hagoromo Otsutsuki; my great grandfather, the Sage of Six Paths, and my worst nightmare. All this put together is how the cycle began."

---

(Shinobi World)

Itachi and Ayumi found themselves back in their home world thanks to Ayumi's genjutsu. Itachi knew that they were far back in the past based on the appearance of the people he was seeing. It was extremely formal compared to how things were in Itachi's current world. Itachi looked amazed at how things looked. It seemed so pure to him.

"I see you like it. This was my childhood. Despite how I am now, as a little girl I was actually pretty carefree. I'm about ten years old in this memory. There I am over there, playing tag with the other children at the academy," Ayumi pointed out.

Itachi saw the adolescent Ayumi running around just like how she said she was. The playing girl didn't seem someone who would grow up to become one of the greatest threats the world has ever known. She was of average height for her age, wore average looking clothes like the other students, and had a gigantic smile on her face that brightened the area around her as she played. Itachi didn't know what he was expecting, but this was definitely not it. Though she looked fitter than the other boys and girls, for the most part she just seemed like a girl who liked having fun.

"Shocked? Surprised? I didn't grow up some blood thirsty monster. The world made me who I am, I never asked for it. You know about this better than anyone, son. I grew up more like your brother Sasuke than you. The last war ended long before my birth, so I was able to enjoy a pretty normal childhood. There was only one thing that set me apart…" Ayumi said.

"Lord Indra! To what do I owe this occasion that you have decided to join our school?" A teacher said as the staff and kids bowed in reverence to Indra Otsutsuki. Itachi was shocked to see him. In their clan's history, Indra was as close as you can get to being considered its founder. His very will lived through his clan all the way up until Itachi snuffed his clan out.

Itachi was brought out of his thoughts when one lone girl refused to bow to him. It was Ayumi herself. He eyed her with an intense look before quickly unleashing a sword he had hidden under his clothes and swiped down at her. Itachi watched as the little girl quickly picked up a nearby stick and used it to block Indra's strike. The class clapped at the exchange, but Itachi himself, he stood in awe of what he had just seen.

'She blocked a thrust from a katana with a wooden stick. Not even that, she was able to infuse just the right amount of chakra into it. Enough so that it could withstand a katana without breaking, but not too much that it burst into flames. And at only ten years old that would make her…' Itachi thought.

"Well done! But that's to be expected from Lord Indra's granddaughter." A teacher said in praise of Ayumi. Itachi looked at the older man as his face went from grumpy old man to boasting a proud smile.

"Well done indeed, Yumi. Your level of skill is progressing far past expectations. Your father was nowhere near as talented as you are at this age." Indra said with pride. Ayumi ran up and gave her grandfather a hug. This confused Itachi, "I thought you said you hated your grandfather."

"You know what hate is born from, right? Love. Like I said earlier, I grew up having a pretty normal childhood and most normal little girls love their grandfathers." Ayumi answered.

"Thank you, grandfather! It's all because you are a really good teacher! Mother and father just always ignore me or say that it's not a little girl's place to learn to fight, especially since we're in a time of peace." The young girl complained.

"They're just thinking about the future of our family. You are the only child that your parents were able to bare. And since your father was my only son, the future of our family lies with you. If something were to happen to you because you went somewhere dangerous, our legacy would die with you. It may be selfish, but such is the price of being born into a family of mine and for that I am sorry." Indra said sadly.

"I get it, grandfather. I just wish they saw me like how you do. You make me feel strong, but they make me feel weak…like my life doesn't belong to me." Itachi heard the little girl and felt sorry for her. It was exactly how he felt when he was growing up with the pressure of carrying an entire clan on his back.

"Your life is yours, Ayumi. When I liberated myself from Asura and my father, I made a declaration that future generations can resonate with; we are free and we have the power to achieve true peace. I honestly believe that you will be the key catalyst for that ideology. But if you choose not to, you don't have to go along with it. Ayumi, your life belongs to you." Indra said to ease her worries.

Ayumi smile one last time before running off to her friends, particularly a pair of twins. A young boy and girl who looked identical to each other. Their names were Koichi and Kioko. Both of their names meant happiness. They were, without a doubt, Ayumi's best friends. Questions filled Itachi's head as he and Ayumi watched as the girl went back to playing with her friends.

"I thought the system of using schools to help grow and foster children wasn't invented until The First Hokage and Madara came along. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you seemed to be a prodigy." Itachi stated.

"That I was. I was the pride and joy of my grandfather. Though my mother and father hated the idea of me training, he always approved and encouraged me to get as strong as possible. He even wanted me to be stronger than he was one day. Everything you know about the modern day shinobi world is just a carbon copy from my time. It is believed that shinobi such as Hashirama Senju, Tobimaru Senju, and Madara Uchiha ushered in peace but in reality they only borrowed it. Even their jutsu is borrowed. My grandfather, Indra Otsutsuki, is the literal creator of ninjutsu."

"I looked up to that man growing up and knew that despite his loss to my grand-uncle, that he was the greatest being on Earth to me. I would've done anything to make him pleased with me…and in the end I did. Even if it wasn't by choice." Ayumi said as they saw Indra eying young Ayumi and her friends with hawk-eyes.

He said something inaudible to their teacher before ultimately walking away. The sound of Ayumi and her friend's innocent laughter was the last Itachi heard before the background changed into something much darker.

---

Itachi and Ayumi were now transported to a time that seemed to be a little further ahead in Ayumi's past than they were before. Ayumi, Koichi, and Kioko were surrounded by a handful rogue mercenaries that had dangerous intentions.

"What's going on? Why are you and your friends being attacked?" Itachi asked. Ayumi pointed towards her younger self, "They're after me. Being the granddaughter of Indra Otsutsuki came with its benefits, but it also meant that I was a target for other bitter sects and clans to try and kidnap for vile reasons. My friends and I were on our way back from looking for berries in the forest when we got cornered."

"Hey, little girl. Why don't you come along with us? We have plenty of berries back in our village…and if you don't we'll just have to kill your friend and make you come." One of the mercenaries said.

"Koichi, I'm scared. Please don't let them take Yumi." Kioko said as she clung unto her twin brother. Ayumi stepped forward in a defensive fighting stance as she got ready to face her would-be captors. She had a katana on her person, but it was obviously designed for a child based on its size and metal quality.

Ayumi didn't care about any of that. All she knew was that her friends were in danger and she was their best hope of making it back home alive. Itachi could see that the young girl was scared out of her mind, but she still kept face so that her friends would have hope as well. The older Ayumi had a stoic look as she watched her younger self get ready for battle, "I hope this shows you that you and I aren't as different as you think we are."

Itachi pondered her words as the scene continued. The young Ayumi started making counts on the total amount of mercenaries that were surrounding them and formulating how best to combat them. The five men started laughing as they slowly inches closer and closer towards the children.

"Let's get this over with. It's one girl versus the five of us." One of the thugs said as he rushed the children with a sword of his own. He got the shock of his life when little Ayumi leapt forward with surprising speed for someone her age. She used her miniature size to get under his defenses and plunge her blade through his shoulder.

Normally, a blade of that quality shouldn't have been able to do much against an armored mercenary, but thanks to the element of surprise and Ayumi's mastery of chakra control, she was able to pierce through and cause major damage. The assailant dropped his sword from the pain before Ayumi kicked his legs out from under him and struck him with the blunt end of her sword.

Another of the kidnappers snuck behind her and prepared to deliver a bicycle kick that would knock her out cold. Ayumi reacted fast by shifting over to the side before the attack could make impact. His foot hit the ground hard and gave Ayumi the opportunity to counterattack by using her blade to sever his femoral leg artery and paralyze him. He screamed in agony but still tried to keep fighting despite the blood spurting out of his leg. The man swung his blade but it was so slow, thanks to his leg being hindered, that Ayumi didn't even have to dodge this one. She merely caught the blade with her bare hand and then used her blade to sever the brachial artery in his arm, thus making his drop the sword and making his arm go as numb as his leg felt. After that, it only took one kick to the jaw for Ayumi to knock him out cold.

"Leave this place now! Your partner doesn't have that much time left before he bleeds out. I kept the cuts shallow to give you ample enough time to get to a medic but if you don't leave now, he will die!" Ayumi warned.

"Wow, look at you. You're going to get someone killed one day, little girl. As fun as this has been, playtime is over. Just give up. If you do, I swear to let your friends go free." The ring leader said as he took advantage of the chaos and snuck up on Kioko and Koichi.

The other three men all cackled as they started to surround the children. Ayumi saw the dangerous looks in their eyes and knew that she was cornered. Fighting them all individually was her best shot at defeating them, but with them all focused on her and her friends being held hostage, the fight was lost.

Knowing that, she dropped her sword and got down on her knees as a sign of submission. One of the thugs walked behind her and put bindings on her wrists to prevent her from trying anything funny. She had a look of pain on her face as the bindings felt like the blood circulation was being cut off from her hands.

"Okay, I yield! Now let my friends go free like you swore you would." Ayumi shouted. She saw that Kioko and Koichi were both crying and tried to console them, "Hey, its okay. This is the only way for you to be safe. Don't shed tears for me. I can die happy as long as I know that you are safe."

"But that's not fair! How can you expect us to go on living our lives knowing that you died alone in some stupid forest? Yumi, we can't just leave you here!" Kioko shouted back with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah! You're our friend too! We don't want to see you die!" Koichi said in agreement with his twin.

"Guys, it has to be this way," Ayumi sadly said in response. Kioko wildly shook her head, "But why?! Why should your life be cut short like this?"

"Because this world is a cruel place." Ayumi said as she glared at her captors. Itachi had a unreadable look on his face as he watched the scene, "This is how it happens, I take it."

The older Ayumi had a sad smile on her face as she nodded, "Yes. It happens almost identically like how yours happened. Like I said before…it's a cycle."

The assailant that held a blade against the throats of Koichi and Kioko started to grow impatient, "I've had enough of this childish banter! You two brats won't have to worry about seeing the princess die because that's not our main goal. No, we have much more…fun plans in store for her. By the time we're done with her, she'll wish she were dead."

Itachi couldn't stop the glare from forming on his face at hearing those words. He'd been around enough vile men to know what those words meant and the fact that Ayumi was faced with that at such a young age angered him. He knew it was barbaric back during her times when clans were first being formed, but seeing it upfront was a totally different experience.

"Now choose which one goes first; the boy or the girl?" The man said as worry crossed Ayumi's face.

"But you said you'd let them both go if I surrendered!" Ayumi yelled. The man laughed at her, "Oh, I know what I said. Do you think I'm so stupid as to let them both go at once? The instant I did, you'd attack or just run away altogether. No, one goes free now while the other comes with us. Once we make it back to our people, then we'll free the other one. Now choose before I change my mind." He said threateningly.

"Yumi, please save my sister first! I beg of you!" Koichi said in a panic. Kioko shook her head and started crying, "No, please save Koichi! I can't take seeing both you and him taken from me. Please pick him!"

"Better hurry up, girl. I'm not a patient man. Choose!" Ayumi knew that he wasn't bluffing and made a judgment call that would forever change her future.

"Let Kioko go! Please spare her life." Ayumi shouted. Koichi sighed in relief as Kioko started shrieking. Koichi quickly consoled his sister and promised her no matter what happened in the end, that he and Ayumi would be fine.

"Please, just run away and don't look back. You have to be brave for the three of us. Tell mother and father that I love them, okay?" Koichi said tearfully.

"I'll protect your brother. Just make it home safe." Ayumi said to her friend. The kidnapper laughed at this exchange as he let his grip of Kioko go. Yumi sighed as she saw her friend finally free, "You have been the best friend I ever could have asked for. Thank you, Kioko."

"Ayumi, I-" Kioko sentence got cut off when the mercenary plunged his sword right through the back of Kioko's skull and out through her mouth. Koichi and Ayumi were speechless as the girl fell forward in a bloody heap as the mercenary laughed.

"Nooooo! You swore you'd spare my sister's life! You just killed her you monster!" Koichi shouted as he thrashed about in the man's grip. The thug laughed at the boy's reaction, "I made no such promise. I said I'd let the two of you go and I meant it. I just let her go right into death's embrace and you're next kid if you don't behave yourself."

Itachi now knew what she meant. If this played out like how he thought it would, bad things were about to happen. The young Ayumi had an unreadable look on her face as she stared at the corpse of her best friend. All of her senses got dialed up to a ten and her vision went red. At first, Ayumi thought it was because of the deep rage she felt, but it wasn't until a new surge of power flowed through her did she realize what had really happened.

Kioko's murderer looked up at the killer intent that was being exuded from Ayumi. It sent actual chills down his spine, "Let's be safe and knock her out. We have a long trip ahead of us and I don't want to have to worry about her resisting us. I'll take care of the boy."

"What about the others?" The subordinate responded.

"We can't risk her people finding them and tracing the attack back to us. Kill them and burn their bodies with the girl." He coldly responded.

"You'll do no such thing," Ayumi said solemnly. Her hands felt radiant with all of the chakra that was finally flowing through it. The power became so palpable that the chakra started to become visible. Itachi recognized this feeling coming from Ayumi. It was what he felt when he awakened his Sharingan for the first time too.

The chakra in her hands started to turn red and sparks of lightning started to form in her hand. Before the other two kidnappers could react, Ayumi broke through her restraints and plunged her hand through the skull of the mercenary that was right behind her. It was like a horror scene as parts of his brain splattered everywhere and his body dropped.

"What the hell is she?"

"Her eyes! They've changed!"

Itachi knew what had happened. Ayumi had just awakened her Sharingan and based on the look of it, they mercenaries were about to experience their last moments on this Earth. He noted that despite it just being activated, Ayumi's Sharingan had three tomoe in each eye. He also recognized that Red Chidori that had once caved his chest in. It was both incredible and terrifying.

"Now you get a choice. Which of you will I kill first?" The young Ayumi asked as her hand continued to shine that ominous red color. Her Chidori, with the blood of the dead mercenary that got all over her, made her look like a demon. The mercenaries gulped in fear of the young girl that had bloodlust lurking all over her.

Koichi didn't know what to make of his friend. All he could do was watch as she turned toward his direction. He could barely look her in the eye because of scared she made him.

"I still have your friend. You'll behave before I-" Ayumi rushed forward with blinding speed and plunged her hand through the mercenary's stomach. He gasped and dropped his sword as he saw Ayumi's hand inside his stomach. Blood came freely from his mouth as pain reverberated throughout his entire body. Now it was Ayumi who was smiling.

"I can feel your spine. That's funny because I never would have guessed that you had one." She then surged her Chidori throughout the man's spinal column. The result was him being electrocuted from the inside out until his head literally exploded. Only one of the mercenaries was left and by the way he was shacking, he wouldn't last long against Ayumi.

She saw the pure fear in his eyes and stalked towards him, not even paying the shocked Koichi any mind. The kidnapper backed away as far as he could until his back was against a tree with nowhere left to go. Itachi thought that Ayumi had such a look of hatred on her face when she got to him that it put Sasuke's to shame.

"P-Please, spare me. I didn't- I didn't know that he would kill your friend. Please, you have to believe me! The plan was only to capture you and take you back to our clan, but Kenji took it way too far. I'm sorry about…uh Kioko? Yeah, I'm sorry about Kioko! She didn't have to die like that, but please don't retaliate any further! That's how the cycle begins. I have a family! A wife and daughter that's just around yours and her age that stay up north, just past the mountains with the rest of our clan. Her name is Rei and she likes tending to our clan's garden with my wife. I needed the money to provide for them. It's the only reason I agreed to this. Please, let me see my family again! Mercy, I beg of you!" The man pleaded with tears in his eyes and sorrow in his heart.

Ayumi had a stoic look on her face as she looked down at the begging man. In what could have been a miracle, her hand stopped shining red as her Chidori deactivated itself. He looked up and saw that she had tears in her eyes and struggle to hide the anguish that she was feeling. He went to thank her for mercy but made one grave mistake in doing so; looking her in her eyes as she still had her Sharingan active. He soon found himself in a genjutsu.

Koichi looked on in horror as the man began to scratch and claw at his face, tearing literal chunks of flesh out as he screamed in pain about his he felt like he was on fire. Ayumi glared at him as the man began to hemorrhage from his injuries. Yumi released him from the genjutsu only so that she could kill him with her bare hands.

She wrapped both hand around his throat and began to squeeze as hard she could. Ayumi made sure to stare into his eyes as she did it too, almost as if she was peering into his very soul. His face began to turn different colors as he struggled for oxygen. The most terrifying part was the young girls parting words to him right before he died, "If you want mercy, go to God. You'll get no such thing from me, not after what you did to Kioko. I hate you. I just wish you could see what happens next because after I get done with you, I'm going to go to where you clan is just past the mountains and slaughter them like cattle. And your daughter, Rei, I'll burn her alive in her garden of flowers. Not because I have to, but just because I want to. And unlike your associate over there, I honor my word. Goodbye now."

With that, the man passed away. He still had the look of fear and anguish on his face all the way up until he died. Ayumi made sure he died without peace, just as Kioko did. She went over to Koichi and hugged him. After getting over the shock of what he had just seen, the boy reciprocated the gesture with a strong hug to her as well. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever until Ayumi ultimately broke the embrace.

"Take Kioko's corpse back to our sect and alert my grandfather." She said as she began walking away.

"W-Wait, Ayumi! Where are you going?" Koichi asked. Ayumi didn't even turn as she addressed her friend, "Kioko got killed because I was the target. She died because of me. But thanks to that guy, I now know where they all came from. I'm going to slaughter everyone in that clan before they can do something like this again."

"Haven't enough people died?! Yumi, I just want to take my sister and friend home. Don't do this." Koichi begged.

"This world…it's too cruel for mercy. Only those with power can achieve peace and they do that by destroying all that would threaten their precious ones. Koichi, you are precious to me and I don't want to lose you. I'll kill anyone who poses a threat to you." She responded.

"You will never again know peace if you go down this path. Please, come back with me! We can help show each other the light and give each other hope. We can grow together and connect using our words and feelings. We can even share in each other's pain! I already lost my sister. Please…I don't want to lose you too." He said as the weight of it all finally came crashing down on him.

Ayumi went over towards the unconscious mercenaries and killed them now that things had blown over. The adult Ayumi had sad commentary to what was going through her younger self's thoughts, "It was a tragedy. I felt like my life was over. I couldn't be a child anymore. I knew that. When I woke up that morning, I didn't think I would go from hanging out with my best friends to becoming the thing I hate the most…a murderer. I detested violence as a child and yet here I was killing people and not even feeling sorry about it. I was just so mad. I lost myself. When Kioko died, the void I felt in my heart…I couldn't compete with it. It swallowed me whole. I spent a long time lost in the darkness because of what happened today."

"What brought you out of that darkness?" Itachi asked as he couldn't help but feel sympathy for what happened to her. It was eerily similar to what happened to him years ago as a young boy. Ayumi chuckled at him, "What makes you think that I'm not still in that darkness?"

"The fact that you've come this far after something like that happening to you. Most would've given up." Itachi answered.

"The short answer is love." Ayumi answered.

After she killed the men, Ayumi finally turned to look at Koichi as he saw what was left of his friend. There was no light in her eyes like there was before. Only the red of Sharingan and a gaze that could burn the world away, "You'll never lose me, but I have to do this. With these eyes, it's like I can see the world clearly for the first time. It can be so beautiful…and so cruel. Evil infests this decrepit existence of ours. And as much as we want to be good and innocent, this world will force us to grow up. I will always be a target because of who I am so that means you also will be a target as long as you are my friend. As long as you draw breath, there will always be someone I have to kill. I can see now that I will never truly live in peace. And if I can't have peace, then I'll just settle for vengeance."

With those final words, Ayumi left Koichi as he held his sister's corpse in his arms. He knew that though he and Ayumi survived this experience, neither of them could say that they could live in the same manner as before again.

Ayumi wouldn't return to her sect for a whole day after Koichi did. She made good on her promise and went back to the kidnapper's village to slaughter all of them. They didn't even stand a chance against her, not with her Sharingan and training from Indra. Most watching the scene would have thought that Ayumi was a demon, but Itachi knew that that couldn't be any further from the truth. Itachi had never seen a demon cry as they killed people.

Eventually Ayumi made her way to that specific mercenary's daughter, Rei, with her Chidori ready as the girl cowered behind her mother as they both begged for their lives. Both of them asked why she did this to their village and why they deserved to have this happen to them. Ayumi felt bad for them and decided that the least she could do was explain why she was going to kill them

"Earlier today, I was attacked along with a group of friends. My best friend wound up dying because of it. Those kidnappers come from this village. In fact, one of them happened to be your father, Rei. He said that he needed money to support you and took the job to try and kidnap me." Ayumi explained as she took a step forward. Rei's mother got in front to try and shield her daughter.

"No! My husband is a good man! He'd never do that to you. He-" Ayumi cut her off when she placed them both in a genjutsu and showed both of them the events that transpired earlier. They even saw Ayumi killed Rei's father after he begged for mercy and explained that he really didn't want to do it. The black haired young girl had a stoic look as Rei and her mother tried to process all of it, "You still think that he's a good man? Do you think Kioko thought that he was a good man?"

"Please, we had nothing do with that. Rei is just a child, like you. Don't punish her for the sins of her father." The mother begged.

"We are all punished for the sins of our fathers. Why should Rei be any different? For what it's worth, you have a very pretty garden." Ayumi said as she moves to strike.

"Please, wai-" The mother couldn't even finish her plea before she was executed via Ayumi's Chidori. Rei watched as her mother's lifeless body fell before and screamed in grief and fear. Ayumi looked down at the girl as the red light in her hand dissipated. Rei started to feel hope that she might be spared of this horrid fate that befell her clan.

"Are you-are you letting me go?" Rei asked while looking for a glint of hope. Ayumi's cold eyes never left hers, "Now why would I do that? You'd just retaliate against me like how I am against you. No, I promised your father that I would burn you alive and I honor my word."

Rei's eyes grew wide with fear once she heard Ayumi's plans for her. Itachi then saw the younger self of Ayumi weave the hand signs to a jutsu that would be passed down to generations of Uchiha. It was her first time using the jutsu and symbolized a major shift in her life. He knew it well and knew that Ayumi truly was lost in the darkness and in pain.

"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" Ayumi then proceeded to burn Rei alive. The young girl screamed in agony all the way until she died. The garden caught on fire as well and soon the entire village burned because of it. In the end, she fulfilled her promise; not one soul in that village survived her wrath.

It wasn't until the deed was done and the young girl found herself at the exit of the village that she finally broke down in tears of everything that had just happened.

"How…how did it all go this wrong?!" she yelled out loud. It wasn't until she felt a hand placed on her shoulder did she stop crying. At first, Ayumi thought she let someone slip away and immediately reactivated her Sharingan and Chidori to attack. She plunged her hand forward but it was caught by none other than her grandfather, Indra Otsutsuki.

He had a sad look in his eye as he noticed her Sharingan and the pain that came with it and pulled her into a tight embrace. At that moment, he wasn't one of the most powerful shinobi in history. He was just a grandfather who wanted to make his granddaughter's pain go away.

"I came as soon as Koichi returned to the sect with his sister. I'm sorry that this happened, Yumi." He said sincerely.

"I hurt so badly, grandfather. Why do I feel like this?" the young girl asked while in anguish.

"It's because you're a good person, Yumi. But this world has a habit of turning good people into hurt people." He replied. She merely clutched onto him tighter as the fire behind her raged on. He lifted her into his arms and began to walk away from the burning village, "Let's go home. You're safe now."

---

The adult Ayumi shook her head at her younger, naïve self, "I should've known back then that he was lying. I wasn't safe at all. Who can be with eyes as rare as mine and the blood that was descendent of the Sage of Six Paths?"

"What happened after you returned to your sect?" Itachi asked.

"We buried Kioko. He mother and father were devastated. After seeing their pain and Koichi's sunken heart I knew one thing for sure; I needed to get stronger so that I could prevent this from ever repeating itself. In the end, everyone lost…all except for one person," She commented bitterly.

Itachi watched as the scene changed to just after Kioko's funeral. Koichi and his family were still grieving over her headstone. Ayumi wanted to speak to her friend, but hesitated. She didn't feel like she deserved to be there for him since she couldn't be there for his sister when it really mattered.

Koichi turned and noticed Ayumi. He knew she must feel crushed considering that his sister and she were best friends. He sent her as much as a smile as he could muster with all things considering. Ayumi was about to call out to him only for her grandfather to cut her off.

"Oh, hello grandfather…" Young Yumi said as she bowed to him. Indra noticed the change in demeanor since her attack and sighed, "There was nothing you could do to save her. It's best you cast out the regret you feel."

"Tell that to Koichi. My weakness cost him his sister and then my rage cost an entire clan their lives. I don't know what is wrong with me. Grandfather, my eyes are like yours now but why do I feel like I've never been blinder in my life?" Ayumi asked.

"You were right in all of the choices that you made. That boy recalled everything that happened before I left to retrieve you. Nothing you did or said could have changed the results. It was just meant to be. Sometimes, life can be that way." Indra said callously.

"Life is wrong if this is what it's like." Ayumi retorted angrily. She balled her hands into fists and had to fight back the red lightning that was starting to form around them. Indra noticed her struggle and marveled at her natural ability, "Your lightning exudes a red aura, like the color of blood. Not even my father had that ability. It's no wonder you were able to wipe out that troublesome clan."

"You know about them?" Ayumi asked as she looked up at her grandfather.

"They have been harassing us for quite some time now. Attacking merchants who come to sell goods to us, laying siege to our lands to cut off our food supply, and even attacking our people. Every time I sent people to fight them of, they would just disappear like ghosts. It was very troublesome. Then you come around and not only fight off their mercenaries, but kill them and get the location of their village before wiping them all out. You even unlocked the eyes of the overseer that I deem the Sharingan. Most impressive indeed. You must stop thinking about it like you slaughtered innocent people and starting acknowledging that you just saved our people." Indra said as he looked down to see his granddaughter had begun crying.

"I don't feel impressive or like I saved anyone. I feel sick." Ayumi admitted. Indra placed a hand on her head, "That feeling is natural after awakening the Sharingan. I felt the same way. It, along with your grief, will pass. You will grow past all of this."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked him as she knocked away his hand, not wanting to be coddled.

"Because starting tomorrow, you will be training strictly with me," Indra answered. Ayumi turned towards her parents and saw that they had despondent looks on their faces, "But my parents-"

"They have agreed to send you over to me. You will live, train, and learn under my watchful eye starting tomorrow." He said as he cut her off.

"But…mother and father always hated the idea of me training. Why did they change their minds?" She asked.

"This won't be the last of the attacks that you will see. More and more will come for you. You must be prepared and stay strong. I will train you on how to use your eyes to their fullest potential and utilize chakra at the most elite level. You will also be well versed in the art of Ninjutsu as you train your lightning and get well versified with our legacy, fire. Even peace lovers like your parents see the need for it." Indra stated coldly.

"I see…just promise me one thing, grandfather." Ayumi started. Indra softened his facial feature as he heard her request, "No matter what this world may turn me into, never forget that I am still your granddaughter."

"I'd never forget that. In return, I will expect a lot out of you. You will give everything to me. I want every cell in your body, even your very soul. For it is you who will have the responsibility of carrying on my legacy long after I am dead. But I must say this one warning; always remember that you can't save everyone. To survive in this world you must learn to let go. Only your survival matters." He said as they two began walking away and the memory faded into blackness.

"Something's off with him. Listening to him speak reminds me of reading about Madara Uchiha. I even am reminded of Sasuke for some reason." Itachi noted.

"All will be revealed soon. Now come, time for the next memory." Ayumi said as she changed the background around them to a more mature looking Ayumi. She was taller and filled more into a woman's body. But she still had those eyes from when she was a child. The eyes that could burn the world.

"What are we going to see next?" Itachi asked.

"We will see my freedom, my betrayal, and my rage. We will see the birth of the cycle of hatred."

---

As the years went by, Ayumi went through a tremendous transformation. Gone was the little girl crying at her best friend's funeral. She was now a weapon of mass destruction. Indra worked her day and night in the hopes of making her a strong successor to his legacy. Now, at the age of 18, Ayumi Otsutsuki was one of the most powerful beings in the world. She had full mastery of her Sharingan and a vast knowledge of fire and lightning style jutsu. But with that power she now possessed, dangerous enemies emerged that wanted to steal it.

Several clans went extinct just because they were unfortunate enough to go against her in battle. Itachi watched as battles played by him and he saw Ayumi in battle. She was just as effective as she was ruthless. Itachi saw it first hand after Ayumi had just finished decimating a rival clan in battle. They had been attacking Ayumi's people and Indra sent her to wipe them out.

She had attacked them during the night and was met with virtual no resistance. Itachi could barely call it a battle at all as he witnessed her cut through them all like it was nothing. Most of them died while asleep during Ayumi's initial attack. And the ones that survived were mortally injured and in no condition to put up a fight. This, like most of the other battles, was just slaughter.

"Please, show mercy. We yield." The clan leader said as he and the rest of the leadership brass were on their knees. Ayumi rounded them all up and got them ready for execution for crimes against her sect.

"I wonder if you would have shown me mercy if it was the other way around and I was the one on my knees. You arrogant old men always think you know best. Always just wanting more power." Ayumi said before activating her Chidori.

"You monster! You killed our children in your attack. You burning down our medical tent killed wounded soldiers and elderly. We're all that's left of our clan because of you!" The leader's wife yelled out bitterly.

"That's right. I did all of that and more. It was them or me, just that simple. All it took to bring you down to your knees was a simple fire jutsu that wiped out over half of your clan and took out your only exit. After that, picking you all off was merely sport. The children and elderly were a…necessary loss and had to be done. There's no limit to what I would do to protect my family. You all had planned on attacking my people just for the sake of gaining possession of my eyes. You got exactly what was coming to you when I decided to strike first." Ayumi coldly stated as she grabbed the woman by her throat in preparation of killing her.

"It's as the rumors said. You truly are Indra's obedient little dog. You insolent little-" The woman was shut up when Ayumi plunged her hand through the woman's jugular.

"I've had enough of your words. You can all die now." Ayumi then went about the business of killing the rest the clan's leaders, rendering said clan extinct.

"You changed. You're not the innocent little girl that just wanted to play hide and seek with her friends anymore. The world took that away from you. You're shrouded in darkness, the same darkness that shrouds me." Itachi sadly said.

"I had to become that out of necessity. I wanted to protect my loved one and prevent what happened to Kioko from ever happening again. It was towards that end that I was able to justify my action even though I knew what I was doing was wrong. I felt sick to my stomach murdering all of those innocent children who did nothing wrong towards me, only be born on the wrong side. I had truly lost my humanity." Ayumi said as the young girl dropped the final corpse and went back to her sect.

"How is this freedom? I see no choice in this." Itachi noted. Ayumi pointed to how the scene changed to the young Ayumi walking into a store. The store had weapons and tools that Ayumi used whenever she went to battle with rival clans. But more than that, it something else that Ayumi sought after before going to battle, "Yumi! I see you're back already. That was fast."

Itachi saw that the young boy, Koichi, was now a young man who had grown just as Ayumi did. He was sporting facial hair, a more defined face, and even more mature looking clothes. By some miracle he had grown taller than Ayumi, who was almost as tall as Itachi. He put down the katana that he was polishing and went to greet his friend.

"Oh you know, just got back. Not that big of a deal." She replied while trying to be modest. Koichi would not give her the chance, "Everything you do is a big deal, Yumi. You're amazing for protecting us like how you do and super strong. Oh and beautiful too!"

"…thanks." She replied as a massive blush started forming. Itachi couldn't believe that the weapon of mass destruction and this woman were the same person. It was until he saw how they looked at each other that Itachi came to a realization, "You like each other…romantically."

"Yes, we did. We were both so awkward about it too. Waiting for the opposite to make the first move. We were almost as bad as you and Carson." Real time Ayumi said as she started blushing from the memory.

"Back to topic," Itachi said as he wanted to switch it back to his main point, "You stayed in contact with him after all those years of training?"

"Against my grandfather's wishes, yes. After his sister's death, Koichi decided to stay close to his family and train to take over his family's weapon's store. I'd often run my weapons into the dirt from all of the training and battles, so my grandfather would send me to get new ones. It was during that time that I could usually spend time with Koichi." Ayumi explained.

"And eventually that blossomed into love," Itachi noted as the young pair awkwardly try to have conversation without blushing. Koichi had noticed that Ayumi had a cut on her hand and ran over to observe it, "Yumi, you're hurt. Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's just a scratch. It's no big deal…" He cut her off when he grabbed her hand to see her cut. It wasn't that deep of a laceration, but it should at least be wrapped up in order to prevent infection, "Didn't you hear me earlier, Yumi? Everything that you do is a big deal…even if it's only to me."

"I only thought I mattered when it came to killing people. I'm only a weapon after all…" Koichi pulled her head into his chest and hugged her, "You're more than some weapon. You're my friend and I want to always protect you. So please, don't hide your wounds from me."

"Okay, Koichi." The young woman said as Koichi started wrapping her hand up. After he was done, the two got locked into a gaze that could have lasted forever. It wasn't until Ayumi broke her gaze first that the pair would eventually leave their spot, "Well, thank you for wrapping my hand. I hope to see you soon, Koichi."

"You will…hopefully that can be tonight at the Cherry Blossom Festival?" Koichi nervously proposed.

Ayumi blushed before responding, "I would, but my grandfather-"

"That old man doesn't own you. Come on, live a little. We only get one life and at any moment it could get taken away from us. All these years I've watched you train to give your life to this sect and your grandfather, but isn't time for you to stop fighting and live in peace?" He asked.

"I'll think about it." Ayumi said before leaving the shop to report to her grandfather. Itachi wondered if this was what he and Carson looked like whenever they argued about his going out to fight at nights. More than that, this reminded him of his relationship with Izumi, 'It was always one-sided and always ended with me leaving her in worry. At the time, she was the only thing that still kept me human.'

"He really cared about you. I wonder how long he was holding his feelings for you in." Itachi pondered.

"Too long. He couldn't do it anymore and quite frankly, neither could I. I was tired of fighting. That was all I'd been doing since I was ten years old. Fighting and killing. I wanted to be an ordinary woman and live my life for once, but there was still one obstacle I had to overcome. One far more dangerous than any rival clan."

As she said that the scene changed to younger Ayumi bowing down to her grandfather just before he signaled for her to rise, "Grandfather, I have returned. All of my enemies are dead."

He looked down at her with a piercing gaze before responding, "Not all of them. You still have much more to do."

"I don't want to fight anymore. I want to live." Ayumi argued. Indra tilted his head to the side before responding, "That's not what you said when you first came to me all those years ago wanting to be made strong. I did that for you. Made you into a force that no other could oppose. In return, you swore to give everything to me and my legacy. Are you saying that you now have come to change your mind?"

"I have," She responded with conviction, "I don't want to fight anymore. I've done everything that you have asked of me and more. I even killed innocent children for you. I want to take my life back while I still have a life left."

"Very well, I only have one more request and then you'll be free to live your life as you choose." The old man said as he started walking towards his granddaughter.

"I'll do anything! I'll-" She got cut off by the powerful glare of Indra's Sharingan, "You will be married off and bare the future of our legacy in the form of a child. I have already selected who will be your groom based on who's genes the Sharingan would most likely be able to be passed down through. That was the purpose of your missions. You have done well child, but now you must stop thinking of this sect and start thinking of our future."

"So all this time you had me thinking I was wiping out rival clans in the name of protecting everyone, but in reality, you were having me seep through them for scouting purposes?! And the ones you deemed unworthy-" She started as she felt her anger rise.

"Were then scheduled for elimination by you. The process of natural selection and survival by the fittest. I have found the fittest clan for you…The Uchiha Clan." Indra revealed.

"I refuse! How could you do something like this?! I thought you loved me, but I'm nothing but some tool for you to use! Well I'm done!" Ayumi said before stalking away angrily.

Indra stayed cool, calm, and collected throughout the whole ordeal. It was almost as if he had expected things to go this way, "I implore you to reconsider your position. This is much bigger than just you or I and our personal desires. You think you've seen how ugly and vile the world can be, you haven't even scratched the surface. Don't forget the helpless and weak little girl that you were before I trained you. It is never too late to go back to those ways."

"I would have done anything for your approval. All of the heinous acts I committed, all for the sake of making you proud of me. Grandfather, the only thing that is ugly and vile right now is you. I won't be married off to some second rate clan like a harlot. As of this day my life is my own once more. Find yourself another pawn. I'm done." Ayumi said as she walked away.

Indra's Sharingan then shifted to their Mangekyo form, "You're done when I say you are. It's a pity for someone with eyes as fine as yours to be so blind to everything that is going on around you. Your life stopped being yours long ago."

Itachi watched the scene change from Ayumi walking away from her grandfather to her and Koichi holding hands during the festival. For the first time in years, Ayumi truly felt joy in her life. It was nothing like the woman that stood next to him in real time. He noted the older Ayumi's reaction to the scene and saw that she took was in shock by just how different she was with Koichi.

'I really did love you, Koichi.' They watched as the pair acted like a couple that was filled with love. They laughed at each other's jokes, ate from travelling food carts, and acted as if they were the only thing that mattered to each other. They even dressed the part with their traditional garments that they wore.

Itachi saw the couple break off to themselves as they were bathed by the moon's glow. Koichi turned to face his friend before he spoke, "Yumi, thank you for coming out tonight. I didn't think you would come what with your grandfather's strict rules and all. But you surprised me…like always."

"You don't have to worry about that old man anymore. I left his stable. I just can't take his manipulation anymore. I want to take back control over my life and make my own choices. I…I even already made a choice of my own." Ayumi shyly said in the end.

"And what choice is that?" Koichi asked with confusion. Ayumi then closed the distance between the two and kissed him. It was small at first, but eventually the two poured the passion of years of yearning into it. Koichi pulled Ayumi's body close to him as the two embraced each other in love. When the kiss was over, both parties were out of breath.

Ayumi looked deeply into Koichi's eyes, "I choose you. Koichi, I'm in love with you."

"Do you-do you really mean it?" Koichi asked with shock and joy. Ayumi nodded before kissing him again, "I do and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Run away with me. Let's just leave this place and make our own home somewhere else. It can be our restart."

"Ayumi, are you sure you want to do that? Starting over will be hard. I have my shop and you have your family. Can you really just abandon it all?" Koichi inquired.

"I'm sure this is what I want. As long as it's for you, I can do anything. So please, come with me." Ayumi responded.

"Okay, but only if you agree to marry me." Ayumi gasped at his proposal but quickly recovered and nodded rigorously with tears in her eyes. They embraced again in joy of their future union. They then departed the festival and quickly ran to their perspective house to pack lightly before making their trip to freedom. They didn't know where they were going. They just knew that they'd always be there for each other for better or worse.

As the pair left the sect, Indra looked on with glaring eyes. He deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan and turned to head back inside the front gates. He had a smile on his face as he strolled through the park to the spot where Ayumi and Koichi confessed their feeling to each other, "I held my end of the bargain. Now you must uphold yours…father."

---

"What happened after you and Koichi left the sect?" Itachi asked. Ayumi had the scene change to answer. It showed Ayumi and Koichi getting married. The young shinobi noted how happy the pair looked. The two didn't have much, but that didn't stop them from loving each other as much as they did. Despite how touching the scene was, something definitely felt off about it.

"So you both got married. How do you get from marrying the love of your life to being the monster you are now? What happened to you, Ayumi? Help me to understand his madness." Itachi inquired as he struggled to see how this was supposed to change anything between them.

"How did you go from an innocent little boy to being one of the worst mass murderers in our world's history?" Ayumi countered.

"I was never innocent nor did I ever have the option of ever being so. It was always an illusion." Itachi answered. Ayumi shed a tear as she caressed Itachi's face, "And as you will soon see, my happy ending was never so nor was it ever meant to be. That, like your life, was all an elaborate genjutsu that not even the Sharingan could see through. Both of which were created by the same entity."

"I don't understand what you're saying. I created the illusion of my life. It was my choice." Itachi responded. Ayumi shook her head as the scene changed to a cellar where a beaten down, nude woman was being chained. Her face couldn't be recognized, but the look in her eyes made it look like her spirit was broken a long time ago. It was unnerving to Itachi as he didn't want to think about whom that woman was and how she got into that position.

"Sadly, nothing about either of our lives had anything to do with choice. Only pain, lies, and convenience of another. You think this is a story of events that made me the monster I am today, but you're wrong. No series of events did that, only one person. The same person ruined both of our lives. They even did it for the same reason. It's the reason I came up with Project Aratana Hajimari; or New Beginning." She explained.

"Say I believe you when you say that someone manipulated my life to such an extent that not even I could notice. That they were so thorough and cruel that they made me think that I chose to murder my mother, father, lover and clan while also making my brother's life a living hell were all my own choice when in reality, it was their own will. That the same person also manipulated your life for that very same will lifetimes before I was even born. That would mean that that person is either very old…or very…" Itachi started to slowly piece together what Ayumi was trying to show him.

"Or very immortal. Itachi, let's continue on with the story. It will all be made clear soon. And by the end of this story, you will know whose responsible for all of this, just how deep this goes between us, and what Project New Beginning is and why you are so essential to it." Ayumi said as the scene changed to a younger Ayumi holding a small baby boy.

"I see. So who is that?" Itachi said as he pointed to the baby. Ayumi chuckled at his question, "Isn't it obvious? It's you…in your first life."

"My first life?" Itachi incredulously repeated. Ayumi nodded, "The sons of the Sage aren't the only one who reincarnate because of the need for a second chance. You did too, as I was owed for it. That boy's name is Itachi Uchiha. The first born heir of the Uchiha Clan."

"I thought you rejected the Uchiha Clan and chose to marry your first love." Itachi responded while not believing what he was hearing.

"I did…and I didn't. Like I said earlier, my life was nothing but an elaborate genjutsu. And I never had a chance against it." Ayumi sadly said as Itachi continued to look on at the young boy. Nothing was making sense to him, 'Just how deep does this story go? And why do I have the feeling that I know how it ends.'

---

The Team and the Justice League were all back in the Watchtower. There had been no news of Itachi's whereabouts and that led to them being on edge. But, just as always, only more bad news seemed to always come their way.

Wally and Artemis were holding hands on a couch, Conner and M'gann were staring out into space, and Robin was doing his own independent search via the dark web as Zatanna tried using location magic to find Itachi. Carson and James were still resting as Carla silently watched over them. Kaldur was with Rocket and Roy trying to come up with the best possible leads and the adults were in a conference discussing their next move in light of everything that had just happened with the exception of Batman, Doctor Fate, and Flash. They were pouring their minds together in the hopes of deciphering everything that they couldn't yet understand.

While the location of Itachi and Ayumi still escaped them, Batman and the other did happened to find something else of equal, if not more, importance.

"Guys, you need to come to the main computer, fast!" Flash said as he came sprinting in. Everyone followed him to where Batman and Doctor Fate were waiting. Artemis was the first to ask if they found their friend yet.

"Where did she take him? And when are we leaving to bring him back home?" Artemis started.

"Yeah, we need to end this nightmare." Robin added.

"We…did not find the chosen one. I am sorry." Doctor Fate answered much to the disappointment of everyone in the room. Superman was the first to recover and ask a follow-up question, "So why did you call us all in here for then?"

"Though we were unable to find Itachi, we did manage to discover a few other things that are just as vital. It was something else that we lost and the dangerous application for it that we never thought of." Batman answered.

"What are you talking about? We only lost Itachi and should only be focusing on him!" Artemis lashed out.

"This is about him. In fact, it's about all of us. Our timetable just got shorter." Batman replied.

"What are you talking about? Enough with the riddles and vagueness." Captain Marvel complained.

"The interdimensional portal transmitter was taken from us when Savage took control of the Watchtower. At first, we thought that it was a mere coincidence but then Batman started to question why that was the only thing taken. We have some of the most dangerous tech in the galaxy right here in the Watchtower but a device meant to send someone back to their home dimension was the only thing taken. Then soon after that, Itachi gets kidnapped as well. Something didn't quite add up." Flash hypothesized.

"What does one have to do with the other?" Kaldur asked. Doctor Fate explained this time, "Nothing at first, young one. Sure they could send the chosen one back to his home, but when they hacked into our files, they would have seen that another device had been built as well. But they only took one. Why is that?"

"Maybe they only needed one or they were just low on time on finding the other? So what? It still has nothing to do with Itachi." Wally responded.

"It does when you remember that Itachi has a unique gift. Something so valuable that the enemy took a giant gamble and risked Itachi getting this power just so that they would have the opportunity to use it for themselves. Wanna guess what that is?" Flash asked.

"His Rinnegan. I mean yeah, it makes Itachi pretty unstoppable, but I still can't connect the dots." Conner said.

Robin groaned as he started to get what the trio was trying to say, "I can and it is bad news for literally everyone."

"What are you talking about?" Wonder Woman asked. Robin knew that things got from bad to disastrous as he finally understood the depth of how badly The Light had just played everyone in the room, "One of the abilities Itachi got from the Rinnegan was Timeshadow."

"Yeah, I remember that. Itachi explained how it works to us. He said that he can only use it on something specific that he is seeing at that moment. The way he put it, his eyes are like a live video feed. Just like with video, Itachi can move time backward or forward based on what he saw in the feed. If the feed breaks at any point, then Itachi won't be able to use it on that time period anymore." Wally added.

"So if Itachi wanted to go back in time about a week and stop a bystander from dying from a car accident, he couldn't because he would have had to keep watching that scene for the entire week to keep that extent in time going. The instant he walks away or focuses on something else he would break that time interval and since he can only go back on a live time interval, and not a previous one, then that would make stopping that bystander's death impossible even if Itachi were there to see happen because he didn't use Timeshadow while his feed was live. It's why Itachi doesn't use it very often; a lot of conditions have to be met for it to be used properly." Kaldur finished.

"It's a powerful and precise technique. Itachi can use it to influence a person, object, or set zone if wants. The set zone is hardest for him because it would mean he'd have to keep his eyes on that zone for him to be able to make an interval out of it. The only thing Itachi can't use it on is himself since there's no way for him to look at his own self to begin a live feed. He also can't bring the dead back to life with it. He can bring use it to revert time back to change whatever is about to kill them, like say a knife stabbing someone or a bullet from a gun hitting someone, but he can't actually bring them back to life with Timeshadow. The wound would heal but the soul wouldn't come back into its body." M'gann added.

"Wow, that's a lot to wrap my head around. So, Itachi can't bring someone that was dead back to life, but can he make someone that was alive die?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Under normal circumstances, no. He could use his eyes to influence time and make it so that something else kills his target, but Itachi himself can't use Timeshadow as a killing technique." Batman answered.

"Under normal circumstances?" Superman asked as he caught on to Batman's verbiage. Everyone but Robin wondered what he meant by that too. The boy wonder spared his mentor the burden of what their theory was, "Yes, under normal circumstances Timeshadow isn't a killing tool, but these are not normal circumstances. We have a wildcard variable that could change everything."

"What is that variable?" Canary asked. They were tired of all of the wordplay and wanted answers, "What is it that you discovered that has you so scared?"

"The Masked Stranger. Or the unknown of the Masked Stranger that is. From the intel given to us by Itachi, the wielder of the Mangekyo Sharingan is granted extra powers upon its awakening, powers we know nothing about. Timeshadow is a technique that Itachi has control over, but the Masked Stranger still went through all of the trouble of capturing him. So what does that tell you?" Batman asked to them to see if they were finally getting the picture.

"That either she is really confident in her chances of convincing Itachi to go along with her plan or…or that she has a way of making him go along with her plan thanks to her eyes." Kaldur regrettably assumed.

"Now remember when we said that Timeshadow isn't a killing technique, but what if it was amplified via an outside force. Itachi can revert back time as long as he's there to establish a live feed, but there's no limit to how long that feed can be. So what if, hypothetically speaking, the Masked Stranger also had a time ability that could go along with Itachi's? What do you think could happen then?" Flash asked the group.

"The savior would be able to revert back time back to how far he saw it began. So if the great evil had the ability to peer into the beginning of time, and the savior sees it, that would mean that the savior would be able to revert time back to the very beginning." Doctor Fate added.

"But that's impossible. Itachi can only affect a limited area at a time. Doing something of that scale would mean that Itachi would have to observe the entire planet. No way would he be able to do that nor would he be willing to. I mean, what would it mean for us if he turned back time on Earth far enough backwards?" Captain Marvel asked as the others wondered that as well.

"There would be no more us," Batman coldly answered. Everyone gasped, "If he turns back time far enough to where none of us existed, even ancients like J'onn and Doctor Fate, we'd all cease to exist. And not just us, but everyone else on Earth as well. It would make Timeshadow the greatest killing weapon in human history if Itachi were somehow able to see far enough backwards."

"No, Itachi would never do that to us. We're his friends." Artemis said while not willing to believe that their friend would harm them.

"I'm sure Itachi's family thought so too, but they died by his hands all the same. Itachi isn't like us. His sense of justice has always been that of someone who is willing to live with being the bad guy for the greater good. Someone who could murder their own parents in their own home is capable of doing anything." Batman coldly responded.

"How dare you say that?!" Conner responded with rage. The other young heroes got angry at his comment as well. For Itachi to have done so much to help them and Batman still not trust him just rubbed them the wrong way, even Robin. Batman shook his head at the young heroes. He didn't want to be so cruel, but had to face the facts that when it came to Itachi Uchiha, everything was on the table as a possibility.

"Of course, this is just a theory that we are only about 7% sure on, but all of the greatest discoveries in life came from assumptions. We still don't know why the portal transporter factors into this, or just how Mask Stranger plans on using Itachi, but we are sure about her goal of turning back time. When the Light took over the Watchtower, they hacked into our systems. When we were freed from their control, I was able to run a counter program to hack into their systems because of the established link. I only got one thing out of it, but that one thing is what gave way to this theory. A name of a project; Project Aratana Hajimari. It means New Beginning. It's all just a theory, but there is no newer beginning than going back to where it all began. I have no intention of letting it get to the point of where Itachi has to make that choice though." Batman concluded.

"We fight back now. All we've been doing is be on the defensive while this Stranger has kept knocking us down, but that stops. We're getting Itachi back." Flash declared.

"But how? We have no idea where she took him and the more time that passes by, the more time she has to convince or force Itachi to go along with her plans. Not even magic locater spells are helping us." Wally asked his uncle.

"We won't find them. We'll let them come to us." Batman responded. The others got confused by his statement, "And why would the Stranger come to the group of people that are trying to stop her?"

"Because we have the missing piece of the puzzle in our possession; Carson Collins. We will use her as bait." Batman responded.

Artemis had a huge problem with that, "Nuh-uh, no. That's my friend you're talking about you jerk! The one who currently is recovering from having a hole in her chest thanks to the Stranger. The one who is expecting to wake up and see Itachi sitting next to her, but oh would you look at that, we still don't know where he is! Hasn't she been through enough? Besides, why would the Stranger come for just her?"

"The Stranger meant to take Carson along with Itachi according to your debrief. Do you really think that it was just because of a whim? It was part of her plan. Itachi saw through it and fought to a compromise where only he was taken. It won't be long until the Masked Stranger makes another attempt to take her, only that time we won't have Itachi to help us protect her. We need to use her now or we will lose our opportunity." Batman replied.

"But she's just a girl. We don't even know if the Stranger has already dumped off Itachi to the rest of her cohorts. It would all be on a hope if we do this," Wonder Woman replied sadly.

"If the Masked Stranger is after her, then she is more than just a girl. This villain doesn't do anything without a deeper purpose. Carson is our best hope of getting Itachi back." Flash responded.

"How can you be sure? We'd be putting her life on the line so we need to be sure." Superman chimed in. He didn't want Carson going through anymore than she should have to.

"The Stranger risked her entire operation just to get both of them before, she will do it again. We will leak the news to the press about us transporting her to a secure facility towards the outskirts of the border of Mexico. Her accomplices will contact and inform her of the leak and she will abandon her current path to try and take her. She will be arrogant and try to take Carson from us, and it is then that we will take Itachi from her." Batman explained.

"That's an obvious trap. No way would she fall for it." Hawkwoman said as she shot the plan down.

"She doesn't have a choice. The fact that she attacked in the manner that she did means that she only has a certain window of opportunity to execute her plan. From the very beginning we have been strung along like puppets as we went along with her plan, but now we will make her abandon that plan. Carson is our only hope." Flash said as he backed Batman's plan.

"It's now or never. We can't hesitate or hold back. When we do this, the entire Justice League will be there for the final battle. All of us, even members of your Team, we will fight this battle. It will literally be the safest place for Carson to be. If the entire Justice League can't stop Stranger, then that means no place on Earth is safe for her anyways. We've lost too many to this monster already. Hal, Itachi, and even civilians too. We stop her now, all of us." Batman said to everyone in the room.

"Artemis, I think Batman is right. We need to do this to save the world…to save Itachi. I promise you that we will protect Carson. So please trust us." Superman said to the young hero.

Artemis looked up defiantly, "Fine, we'll do this. But if anything happens to Carson, I'll never forgive you and neither will Itachi."

"If the world stays safe, then I can live with that." Batman resolutely replied much to Artemis's chagrin.

"So when does this happen?" Robin asked. Batman sent an email out to his butler, Alfred. He then entered a password as the second interdimensional portal transmitter came alive, "Now. Everyone except Artemis and Miss Martian get ready to deploy. Make sure to securely bring Carson on the Javelin. The Stranger will want to verify that she actually is with us before making her move."

"Wait, why aren't we going? That wasn't part of the plan!" Artemis angrily said.

"I want to fight for Itachi. Don't sit me out of this." M'gann begged. The other members of the Team were on their side.

"You're not sitting this one out. In fact, you have the most important part to play in this plan." Flash responded.

"Wait what? What are you having us do?" Artemis asked. Batman made the finally preparation to the portal transmitter before giving it to the girls, "Get us some help."

"From where exactly?" They asked. Doctor Fate placed an enchantment on the transmitter before responding, "To the savior's world. Even when put together, we are no match for the great threat. But perhaps, they may be someone from the savior's world who is willing to help us. We want you to find them and bring them to our world for the final battle."

"Itachi is an infamous mass murderer in his world. Even if it's just a lie, I don't know if he has that many allies after living the life he did. And even if he did, there's no way they'd believe them being from another dimension." Wally skeptically said.

"That's why I specifically chose those two. Artemis and M'gann are the closest with Itachi. No one else would be better for proving how good of a man Itachi Uchiha is. And with Miss Martian's abilities, it should make the process go faster. But hopefully, if you meet someone in particular that I'm thinking of, we won't need to convince him of how good of a person Itachi is. It is just a hope though. But just in case you don't, we will need you convince them. It is better to be safe than sorry." Batman answered showing his complete faith in not only Artemis and M'gann, but also Itachi.

"Th-thank you. We won't let you down. We will get the help and come back to kick the Stranger's butt." Artemis declared.

The girls turned to device on and the portal opened up. They both went to embrace their boyfriends before heading out, "Please be safe. And don't do anything too rash okay."

"I'm usually the one telling you that. Please keep Carson safe for Itachi." M'gann asked of Conner. He kissed her before responding, "I will."

"Good luck, babe. You're the best person for the job. I mean, you are his best friend after all."

"You think so?" Artemis asked. She really hadn't thought about it like that. Wally chuckled at her, "Of course you are. No one cares more about Itachi than you on The Team. You always have his back. This is your chance to go save him. Take it."

Artemis passionately kissed Wally before leaving his embrace, "I will. Let's end this once and for all. Keep watch over Carson. Itachi has lost enough in his life already. I don't want him to lose her."

"He won't." The adults smiled and gave their nods of approval before seeing the girls off. This would begin the final mission for them all. The last thing M'gann and Artemis heard as they entered the portal was Batman telling them all to move out.

---

Once they exited the portal, the girls found themselves in foreign surroundings. It was just trees and forests everywhere that they looked. It didn't take long for them to confirm that this was indeed Itachi's world based on his memories.

"Well, we're here, but where do we even begin to look?" M'gann asked.

"I have no idea, but we have to hurry. Remember, time flows differently here than in our dimension so we have to make every second count. The first order of business is to find someone who would be able to understand us, make them believe that we are from another world where Itachi is alive and has been living in with us, and convince them to help us save Itachi, who is in the clutches of some ancient threat from decades ago." Artemis said aloud as the pair started walking in the forest.

"And let's not forget there's the problem of Itachi kinda being infamous here so that doesn't help us with finding possible allies. Hey, who do you think Batman was referring to when he mentioned that someone could be here that still believes that Itachi is a good person?" M'gann asked.

"Who knows with that man? I'm still in shock that he thinks Itachi is a good person. You wouldn't think it from how much he distrusts him." Artemis commented.

"Batman is just a complicated guy I guess. Let's just concentrate on- look out!" M'gann yelled as she fazed Artemis just in time so that a pair of shuriken went right through them and hit the tree.

They saw the shuriken was tingling with electricity and got worried, "That could have killed us if it hit. What the heck? Whoever did this, come out now!"

Just then a young but hardened looking man came out from the shadows with a cold look on his face. Artemis and M'gann took note of his appearance. He had on a grey, long-sleeved collared shirt that had grey cuffs on the end, a periwinkle vest that he wears over it, black pants, a purple belt, a grey fingerless glove on his hand, a pair of brown leather belts with a sheath that held his sword, a brown shuriken holster that the previous shuriken must have come out of, brown shinobi boots, and a black cloak with purple lining on.

The most striking features, though, happen to be his long hair that covered his left eye, him missing his left arm, and the facial feature that they swore they had seen before. It was eventually M'gann that put it all together as she jumped in excitement, "Oh my goodness! Artemis, don't you recognize him?"

"No, this is my first time ever being here. Should I know him?" She retorted. M'gann laughed at her friend, "Yes! This is Itachi's younger brother. Time works differently so he looks so much older now, but no amount of time can change that they look alike. This is Sasuke Uchiha."

Artemis almost did a double take at her friend's statement, but she soon determined that she was right. They were standing before Sasuke Uchiha. They saw him activate his Sharingan which pretty much confirmed it to them. They would have leapt for joy if not for the death look he was giving them. When he spoke they didn't understand what he said because of the language barrier, but thanks to her mental powers, Miss Martian pretty much translated for him.

"'Who are you and how the hell do you know my brother?' That's what he just said. I guess he recognized when we mentioned their names. Um, Artemis, he doesn't look like he's in the best mood." The Martian noted.

"Yeah I got the 'I'm going to kill you vibes' coming off of him too. We're in trouble, aren't we?" The archer asked.

"Oh yeah," Was all that was said before the fight against time, and possible for their lives, had just begun. The good news of their situation was that the first person they met in this world was Sasuke Uchiha, and the bad news is that the first person they met in this world was Sasuke Uchiha.

---

And so finally, this chapter is done! Hi guys, I'm back and am not dead or abandoned this story like some of you think lol. See with the Navy, we have things call underways where we go out to sea and have no internet connection so that made doing this chapter so freaking challenging. Plus, I fell into depression and got really low but I'm all good for now. I eventually made it. And I made it a long one to make up for it being so long since the last upload. I'll try to be better in the future.

We got a lot out of this chapter; the first half of Ayumi Uchiha's background to her tragic decent to becoming the Masked Stranger thanks to her grandfather, a glimpse into her real plans and how far they go, and the reaction of the good guys. I promised you guys a long time ago that eventually I'd bring in someone else from the Narutoverse and I keep my promises. Next chapter, Sasuke will get answers. One way or another. The final battle is approaching as well and it will be epic.

Thanks to everyone who has stuck by this story for so long. It has definitely been a journey, but it isn't over yet. Thank you for all of the favorites, follows, reviews, and PM's. Keep them coming because they really cheer me up whenever I feel down about my days in the service. You all are the best and expect next chapter to hopefully not take 3 months like this one did. Thanks again and till next time guys and gals!