A.N. Hello! Happy New Year's! Here's a very long chapter, the first of 2020! I know this series doesn't update regularly, but I'm happy that you all still like it so much!
NOW:
"That is completely unacceptable." The woman spoke through gritted teeth, green eyes flashing with rage behind her simple glasses. Her straight red hair was cut very short, a stark contrast to the waist-long waves of the white-haired ninja, who was looking around the archeologists' camp with interest. Head of the archaeologists, Dr. Miu Sojirou certainly looked the part, her clothes made of rough cloth that protected her tanned skin from the bugs and undergrowth. Though short, she was well muscled and clearly used to hard work, her aura that of someone used to giving orders that were promptly followed.
Tsukiko raised her eyebrow, looking down at the shorter woman. "Dr. Sojirou," she began again. "There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding here. I'm not asking you and your team to leave, I'm telling you. This is the Amaya family shrine, and while I really appreciate your efforts in finding it, you are not allowed to continue your attempts to break in."
Glancing around at the number of bandaged crew members, it was clear that the archaeologists had no idea what they were up against. Even simple traps would be effective against those with no chakra control. They were lucky there weren't any casualties thus far.
If looks could kill, Tsukiko would've exploded by now. The lead archaeologist was attempting to stay calm, but her eyes told a different story. "We found this site, something that's been lost since the Second Ninja War. Are you saying we have no claim to know what's inside?"
Tsukiko met her gaze evenly. "I'm saying there are secrets in there that you could never understand. Furthermore, your group travels through multiple countries, and you have members you picked up along the way. The Land of Fire would never let you leave its borders again if you learned something you shouldn't, for fear that you would sell information to other nations."
Once again, she offered the scroll to the red-haired woman. "This is an official recognition of service to Konoha and to the Land of Fire from the late Third Hokage. He was close with the Daimyo, and asks that you be appropriately acknowledged and rewarded."
Warily, the woman took the scroll and read through it, nodding at the official seal of the Hokage. At the reward amount, one eyebrow shot up.
"That's...very generous," she began, her teeth gritting as she searched for an excuse. "But do you even know how to properly care for the artifacts inside? Do you have any experience gauging their worth, or their historical value?" Dr. Sojirou tried to seem more friendly, her smile not reaching her eyes. "We could help you—"
"No, thank you." Tsukiko's own smile was serene and unbothered. "If my great-great-grandfather wanted the world to know if his research, he wouldn't have planted dummy shrines all over the Land of Fire. This is for the Amaya Clan alone." Straightening her spine, Tsukiko gestured to herself. "And as the head of the clan and only surviving Amaya, I refuse to allow you to continue. You may leave at any time, but you will have vacated the area by tomorrow morning. I'll be watching. If not, you will have to face the consequences, which, as your would-be-assassin discovered, are quite serious."
Fury twisted Dr. Sojirou's face. "How dare you!"
Her shout for the attention of her crew, a group of fifteen, though Tsukiko guessed that they had started with a much larger number, based on the rows of tents surrounding the shrine. It wasn't visible, still hidden in the thick forest for about a half mile, but this was the closest the party could get without triggering any of Akihiro's defenses.
One of the archaeologists walked over to the command tent, his brow furrowed. "What's wrong, Miu?"
Tsukiko turned to the group, ignoring the fuming doctor. "Pack up. You are now on private property, by order of both the Third Hokage and the Daimyo himself. As the head of the Amaya Clan, I offer you my sincerest thanks for your efforts, but ask that you remove yourselves from my family's shrine."
Her announcement was met with fury, relief, and confusion from the crew. Eyes darted over to their leader, waiting for her to speak.
Dr. Sojirou paused for a long moment, then gestured to the tents. "Take them down and pack up," she said, tone like ice. "We're leaving."
Tsukiko smiled to herself, happy that she wouldn't have to get physical. "I'll also need every map you have of this area. I don't want you to get tempted to try your luck another time." Her chipper grin was met with hatred, and several scrolls tossed at her head.
THEN:
His feet touched the branch and leapt off again, moving to the next tree he had targeted. Repeat. Next to him, he caught glimpses of Tsukiko's white hair as she bounded along a branch behind him.
Itachi was in flight, moving with a speed matched only by fellow Shinobi. There was something about gliding through the forest in this manner that calmed him, the steady rhythm easy to maintain.
Around him were three other ninja, teammates he was working with for the first time. Itachi knew only one of them. Mukai Kohinata, the target of Danzo's assassination order.
He was a young man, likely in his late twenties, and had intelligent dark eyes. Currently, he was wearing the outfit of a jounin, and had brown hair that was short and spiky in the back, two long bangs wrapped in yellow bands framing his face. Both Itachi and Tsukiko had discreetly studied him when they were briefed on the situation.
One member of the mixed jounin/chunin team led by Mukai had been injured on a day off, so there was suddenly an opening on the mission. It was well known by now that Itachi and Tsukiko were a paired team, and had been hurriedly brought in to help out.
The young male saw Danzo's shadow behind the chain of events that led to the chunin's injury, and their selection on this mission. He could only assume that Danzo had used one of his own men to injure the chunin, and then intentionally had the pair take his place. There was no other way the team his assassination target led would suddenly have a vacancy, and he himself would be brought in to fill it. Without a doubt, this was a silent message from Danzo to carefully study Mukai's skills, as they carried out the mission together.
Although, the mission itself was seemingly compromised at this point, the Konoha team retreating quickly.
"It's my fault. I'm sorry," the chunin to Itachi's immediate right said to Mukai's back, flying in front of him and just behind Tsukiko and Itachi. The man had insisted that the youngest be in front, safest from an attack at the rear.
"Forget it," Mukai replied briefly, and moved indifferently through the trees.
If they went just a little farther, they would come out in the plains. Once they got that far, the border was dead ahead. The number of their pursuers would likely drop abruptly. Rather than chatting pointlessly, their first priority at that moment was to get to that place. Mukai's reaction was the right one.
It was supposed to be a simple infiltration mission.
The Great War was over, and the villages were maintaining friendly relations. But from time to time, that exchange was excessive, to the point of impropriety.
Konoha had gotten a hold of the information that Sunagakure and Kirigakure were secretly trying to form a military alliance. In the event that Suna and Kiri went to war with the other villages, whatever the reason, they would be allies. In this time of peace, they would agree on the same hypothetical enemy, and cooperate to bring about the fall of the target village. A secret agreement, with the condition of war.
The current peace was more or less maintained through the ninja villages, with each of the five great nations keeping each other in check. If two countries covertly joined hands and started to move toward a single fixed enemy, the peace would immediately crumble, and the days of war would return. To avoid this, Konoha absolutely had to prevent the secret treaty from being signed.
Having learned that a Kirigakure representative would visit Sunagakure, Leaf officials ordered Mukai and his team to do reconnaissance on the meeting. They were to carefully investigate the details of the agreement, and report back. That was the whole mission. As long as the enemy didn't notice them, it was in no way difficult. Or at least, it shouldn't have been.
Itachi, Tsukiko, and the others snuck into the residence of the fourth Kazekage, and watched over the meeting from the shadows. It ended with the Sand and Mist basically comparing their positions and making small moves toward each other, and Itachi's team had started to leave the hot desert village. But there, an unforeseen situation occurred.
One of the chunin on their team was caught in a trap designed for intruders.
Without a look back, the five started running. And now, they were somehow trying to escape their pursuers.
"The border's up ahead," Mukai noted. "Now that they know Konoha knows about the secret agreement, the two countries can't move forward with things carelessly. The fact that we were found out is good for that, at least," he remarked to the chunin who had been fretting the whole time about being caught in the trap.
Tsukiko took careful note of the man's leadership skills. He was calm and rational, not overly concerned with what had been done and instead focused on future results. A valuable quality in a squad leader.
If she was honest with herself, she had no desire to kill this man, and even a desire for the opposite. But having seen his skill and subtle manipulation tactics (this time used to cheer up a teammate), she couldn't deny the danger he posed if he was a spy, like the intel said. And it could be trusted that Danzo wanted her and Itachi to join the Anbu, so the information had to be accurate.
The world opened up ahead of the group. They came out onto the plains and dropped from the trees to the ground. If they just kept running all the way to the border, they would definitely figure something out.
"Ngh!"
Itachi stopped and turned around, a flash of white hair telling him that Tsukiko had stopped in the same instant. Were they under attack?
Mukai was staring at the woods they had just slipped out of. He put a hand in his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit the end of it.
"What are you doing?" Itachi said. His other team members were equally perplexed at their leader's sudden actions.
Tsukiko cocked her head, the bitter smell of the smoke making her nose wrinkle. "The enemy can follow the scent," she pointed out, incredulous that she even had to say such an obvious fact.
Ignoring the two youngest members of his team, Mukai pulled a golden bottle from the back pocket of his trousers and brought it to his mouth. The sweet scent carried to Itachi by the wind told him that the bottle contained sake.
"Team leader!" He protested, wondering what the man was thinking. A distraction? Was he going to lead the enemy away?
"Well, you just watch there," Mukai said, without looking back at Itachi, cigarette smoldering. The wild wind carried away the purple smoke.
Even a village like Sunagakure, the majority of which was covered in sand, had a great deal of greenery near the border. Young grass stroked Mukai's legs as he braced himself.
"We've already been found out. They're not going to let us get home unscathed. And..." He looked at the young chunin over his shoulder. "We do happen to have the famed Itachi Uchiha and Tsukiko Amaya pair here with us. I'd like them to see what I can do, you know?"
Itachi's baffled teammates smiled faintly.
"Here they come," Mukai said, as several human forms danced out of the woods.
There were more than twenty of them.
Their pursuers quickly spotted Itachi and the others and formed a ring around them.
"Best not to touch us." Mukai put out his cigarette in a portable ashtray, and gulped back some sake.
"So you give up and resign yourselves, then?" one of the ninja said. The mark carved into his forehead protector was that of Sunagakure.
"Dunno." Mukai took another swig. Their opponents seemed alarmed at his excessive insolence.
A flash of light flickered, followed by a sharp noise in front of Mukai, as he brought his left hand up before his face.
"Aaah, you went and wasted my precious sake." A kunai hung from the side of the sake bottle Mukai dropped.
"You got some nerve, standing there drinking at a time like this," a Sand ninja remarked, shaking his head angrily.
"I've got a weakness for alcohol and tobacco. It's how I get myself all psyched up before a fight."
"So you're not going to come quietly, then?"
The jounin smiled flippantly. "Of course not."
Their pursuers leapt at Mukai.
Some of them turned toward Itachi and the rest of his team. With no other choice, Itachi braced himself, Tsukiko sliding behind him in their usual formation. The young Uchiha stiffened in surprise when his chunin teammates grabbed his and Tsukiko's shoulders and leapt up.
"What are you doing?!"
"Just don't get in the boss's way," the older chunin said, as they flew over the heads of their pursuers and escaped the circle.
Mukai noticed that a few enemies were leaping up to follow them. "Your fight's with me!" He launched an incredibly fast kick that exploded in the stomach of a man flying up after Itachi and the others.
Without so much as a cry, the ninja hit the ground and lost consciousness.
Mukai dropped back down to earth. "So, let's get started then." His chakra swelled up suddenly and his left pupil disappeared, concentric circles radiating out from his eyelids.
Byakugan. The kekkei genkai only passed down through the Hyuga clan.
Shisui had said it was unthinkable that any Kohinata would have the Byakugan, given that their family had split off however many generations ago from the main Hyuga clan. But that impossible thing was happening at that moment, before their very eyes.
"Don't usually show this off, but today's special," Mukai said to their pursuers, and his eyes caught sight of the two young chunin for an instant.
"Haaaah..." He took a deep breath, as if he were building up chakra in the bottom of his stomach. He dropped his hips the slightest bit, and leaned forward, before thrusting his left hand out and resting his right hand around his pocket. His hands were unclenched, held straight and flat.
"First, we crush this one!" the apparent leader of the Sand team shouted.
Twenty ninja attacked at once. Kunai rained down, a shower of blades that left no room for escape.
Mukai laughed, and flew up into the rain of death falling on him.
"Hah!" A light roundhouse kick. He caught the flat edge of the kunai before him perfectly. The repelled kunai hit another kunai, changing its trajectory. That chain reaction spread, setting most of the kunai on another course.
Still spinning from the kick, Mukai launched a backward-looking backhand blow. This hit the flat edge of a new kunai. His body began to descend.
Next, it was a front kick. The tip of a blade bounced off the tips of his shoes.
He spun around to the front. His heel downed a fourth kunai.
He landed. The rain of kunai pierced the surface of the earth. Mukai was unharmed. Countless jet-black kunai stabbed through the grass, but left no mark on the man. The area around Mukai's feet alone was completely unsullied by blades. The surprising part of it all was that he had protected himself from the deadly rain by repelling only four kunai.
Outside the circle, Itachi wondered if he could manage the same feat himself. He caught Tsukiko's eye. "Later," she mouthed at him, and his lips quirked upwards. Looking back at the ground, he replayed Mukai's movements in his mind.
'I could do that…' But although he felt like that after watching the way Mukai moved, he didn't know if he'd be able to pull something like that off through his own instincts alone.
"Get him! Get him!" the enemy shouted, his panic showing. Enormous shuriken, katana, claws, cudgels; the men closed in on the Leaf ninja with every kind of weapon imaginable.
And then Itachi watched it all play out. Mukai, dodging the bloodlust-filled attacks of his enemies. Launching his own attacks to hit exactly in the key spots of defenses to take them down in a single blow. There was nothing wasteful about his movements. His physical jutsu was so skillful that Itachi could do nothing but watch admiringly.
Tsukiko's eyes were wide, in awe of the most complicated Taijutsu she had ever seen being performed flawlessly. She was itching to see if she could do the same, visualizing which elements matched the different steps and attacks.
One person, one blow. Once Mukai had struck twenty or so times, only the enemy leader remained standing.
"Just you, now."
The enemy trembled, long katana in each hand. Though scared, he stiffened his shoulders as the frightening gaze of the Byakugan pinned him in place.
"So, what? You wanna go? I can't exactly let just you go home without a scratch, now can I?" Mukai pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it.
"Eeeeeaaaaah!" Giving a strange shout—it was hard to tell if it was a scream or a battle cry—the leader closed the distance between them.
The first blade came down from on high, to split Mukai's skull. The speed with which he moved was impressive, but not fast enough.
The jounin shifted a tiny bit to the right to dodge it. A sideways slashing attack cut through where he had stood, and Tsukiko saw Mukai's left eye release a flash of white light.
"Wh-what the..." the leader mumbled, dazed.
"You just don't get it, huh?" Mukai asked, cigarette dangling from his lips.
His left hand was slightly raised, katana pinched neatly between the thumb and index finger. A vein popped up on the leader's face, perhaps because the blade did not move an inch, whether he pushed or pulled it.
"I'm not gonna take you down with one blow," the Leaf jounin said, letting go of the katana. Suddenly released from this restraint, the enemy crumpled, and Mukai brought his right foot down, cigarette still lodged in one corner of his mouth.
The man's forehead was almost touching his solar plexus.
"Eight Trigrams: Two Palms..." Mukai placed his palm on the man's stomach, and launched two blows in succession.
"Eight Trigrams: Four Palms." Four blows.
The man opened his eyes wide in fear.
"Eight Trigrams: Eight Palms." Eight blows.
Blood shot out of the enemy's mouth.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms!" Mukai's palms hit the enemy sixteen times, from his face to his legs. The man danced up lightly into the air like a dead leaf blown away by a strong wind, but there was already no light of consciousness in his eyes.
It all happened in the span of a single breath, and all from having just one Byakugan. Tsukiko shook her head in disbelief.
Mukai tucked his cigarette butt into his ashtray, more than twenty Sunagakure shinobi sprawled out on the ground around him. As he walked leisurely toward Tsukiko and Itachi, his left eye regained its light once more.
"It's what you call a throwback," he noted. "The main family and the branch families might be separate in theory, but you can't separate the blood. If the element's in there, it'll show up on the surface like this. Don't run around telling people." He rested a hand on Itachi's head, and the boy quickly moved to shake it off.
Tsukiko frowned at the man, seemingly irritated.
Perhaps thinking they were annoyed at Itachi being treated like a child, Mukai smiled the slightest bit apologetically and walked over to their teammates. "Now, let's get home already. My kids are waiting."
"How is your son doing?"
Mukai shrugged. "Not so great lately. I'm a little worried about him. Gotta hurry home and report to the Hokage."
"Right."
This conversation between Mukai and the others didn't reach Itachi's ears. He also wasn't the least bit angry at being treated like a child, and Tsukiko's frown didn't come from Mukai's gesture. They didn't have the mental energy to spare thinking about something so trivial.
'Shisui, Tsukiko, and I are going to kill this man by ourselves…' It was shaping up to be a difficult mission.
"C'mon, let's go, you two." A smile played on Mukai's lips as he looked back, as if the man wasn't at all aware of the aura of his own death creeping up on him.
NOW:
Tsukiko waited another week before approaching the shrine, taking the time to learn where the dozens of traps were and how they were triggered. She didn't disarm them, just in case she was somehow followed, but felt more and more reassured with each one. It was an effective system for civilians at first, but the traps further in were incredibly intricate, using Genjutsu layered over objects and patches of forest. It would easily fool experienced ninja who weren't being careful, and even Tsukiko couldn't figure out how some of them worked, unwilling to risk triggering the more dangerous traps. It was enough to know where they were.
'This whole forest was made to test my Gensogan.' The realization came on the third day, when she was working with the more dangerous sections closer to the shrine. The only way she'd been able to find all the hidden traps was by using Wind and Earth to send vibrations throughout the trees and pinpoint anomalies. And if she had gotten trapped in any of the Genjutsu, it would've been easy for her to break free.
By day five, she had found the actual building.
It was larger than she'd imagined, hidden behind a final Genjutsu that she'd carefully worked through to avoid completely destroying it. Dark brown wood stretched upward for around six floors, the deep green, leafy camouflage of the roof making the structure resemble a large tree, with the added benefit of hiding it from above. Carved steps led to an ornate door with a complicated-looking locking system. The surrounding glade was purposefully free of undergrowth, foliage, and trees in a perfect circle around the structure, though the grass was thick and green. All this was observed from a quarter mile away.
This had been as far as Jiraiya had gotten, hiding inside a toad that had navigated through the traps with some difficulty. Tsukiko also stopped at this point, using the next two days to hunt and gather food and water. She didn't plan on emerging from the shrine until she found an answer to her problem and how to save Sasuke.
Now, on day seven, she stood at the foot of the carved wooden steps. It had been several minutes since she'd moved, completely in awe of the structure before her.
The Amaya Shrine was not made to resemble a large tree, it was a tree. At the heart of the forest, the massive plant was at least twice as wide as Tsukiko's house, and around sixty feet tall. Short and squat compared to some of the oaks around her, the shrine sat like an ancient throne in a forgotten glade.
But it wasn't unwelcoming. Far from it. Tsukiko could almost feel something inside, waiting for her. The feeling beckoned her, dispelling the paralyzing awe she'd felt at the sight of the shrine. Cautiously, she approached the front door, wary despite her instincts telling her that the traps were done. The lock was the final test of her abilities, a massive bronze piece fitted over the doors. It was a large circle with four colored jewels on the top half: red, yellow, blue, green. Below it were two handprints, clear indents in the metal with obvious instructions. Prove yourself and earn the right to enter.
Placing her hands on the imprints, Tsukiko was startled to find that the metal was warm, feeling almost alive. Resisting the urge to jerk away, she waited to see if anything would happen.
Nothing. If she had to guess, the door was imbued with more chakra, releasing another trap if she got the combination wrong or was not able to use the Gensogan. So she had nothing to fear.
"Alright," she said aloud. "First, Fire." Her eyes turned red as the heated chakra filled her hands.
A shudder went through the door, vibrating back through her body. Slowly, the red gem brightened, lighting up.
"Next, Wind." The vibration got stronger as the second stone lit up. The metal got warmer as she continued pouring chakra into the lock. "Water."
It became harder to keep her hands against the door, the shuddering threatening to jerk her body away. Gritting her teeth, Tsukiko braced her feet with the final element, forcing the chakra into the lock even as it heaved back and forth, testing her. "Earth!"
Her shout rang out, and the shaking stopped suddenly, leaving her to collapse against the metal. Straightening, Tsukiko studied the door for a long moment, not even daring to breathe. The forest waited with her, a long moment of utter silence and stillness.
A line, razor thin, appeared down the center of the door and split the lock in half. It got thicker as the wood bowed and opened silently. The silence seemed to extend into the shadowed depths of the tree, and Tsukiko took a cautious step over the threshold.
"Welcome, Gensogan user."
THEN:
Shisui waited nervously, straightening his vest and using the reflective surface of a nearby vase to make sure his hair wasn't too messy. The gentle spikes of the dark strands were prone to sticking up in random directions.
Satisfied with his appearance, he cautiously pushed the button in front of him a second time.
Dimly, he heard the doorbell ring loudly, the noise rousing the occupant this time. Crashing sounds and muffled curses met his ears, and Shisui couldn't keep the smile from his face as the door opened.
The first thing he saw was a pair of bright green eyes, so different from his own. A messy tangle of brown hair followed, the home's inhabitant stumbling into the threshold.
"Yes?" The girl huffed, clearly having just awoken. Her thick brown waves of hair were forced into a loose ponytail, strands falling into her face. Her glasses were crooked, not quite balanced on her nose, and there were noticeable bags under her eyes, which were darkened with irritation.
Eri Nakamura was a pretty woman, an average chunin-level ninja who worked closely with the Hokage on code creation and breaking. At least on the surface. In reality, she and her brother Akio were elite Anbu directly under the Hokage who gathered information for him. They followed Danzo's orders, of course, but were in no way affiliated with the Foundation, and were in charge of reporting to the Hokage about all the Anbu activity they had access to. After offering himself to the service of Lord Third a while back, Shisui had met Eri.
Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the handsome Uchiha at the door, the hostility vanishing, but the frown remaining. "Shisui." Her greeting, short as always, made him smile.
From day one, Eri had proven to be the opposite of everyone he'd ever met. When they had first been introduced, it had honestly been a bit of a shock to his ego.
"Shisui?" Eri repeated, scanning him with sharp green eyes. Her expression was hard and unsmiling.
"That's me," the male answered, grinning despite a sinking feeling in his chest. There was still a fair amount of negative feelings directed toward the clan. Had Lord Third assigned him such a partner?
"I'm Eri," she said shortly, turning around at her desk. "Lord Third said you were to help with intel gathering?"
"Yes, that's right."
She turned to face him, and before he could react, dumped a huge set of folders into his arms, making him stagger in surprise. "Best get started then."
The girl was completely unimpressed by him, but Shisui got the feeling she wasn't being unkind. There was a brightness in her eyes untarnished by her grumpy exterior. Speechless at the twinkle he saw there and suspicious that she was laughing at him, he followed silently.
Since then, it had been a goal of his to make Eri smile once a day. He had seen the fake ones, the way her face changed when she was undercover or interrogating, and they were all forms of the same mask. Her real smiles, the ones he fought hard for, were the slight upturn of her mouth, a quirk of the lips, and the brightening of her eyes.
Shisui had never seen eyes like hers. His were flat black, a color he was coming to loathe. All they did was reflect hatred and darkness, poisoning everything they touched. He had been right to yell at Itachi for hiding his feelings, but the boy hadn't been wrong in what he felt. Some days, it really did seem like the Uchiha were cursed.
So, selfish though it was, he'd been spending more and more time working with the Hokage and with Eri. Her green eyes were nothing but bright, no sign of darkness within. And the moments when she lit up due to his influence were carefully stored in his memory.
Now, though, she seemed far from smiling, even under her scowl. There was a running joke that Eri's simple bird Anbu mask showed better humor than she did. And it wasn't altogether an exaggeration, to the common eye at least.
"What are you doing here?" She growled, crossing her arms across her chest. Not even in a proper ninja outfit, Shisui had to bite back a laugh at the sight of her pajamas, light green pants and a shirt with sleeping cats all over them.
'Cute.'
Her glare intensified, stern glasses flashing. "Say one word and I slam this door and go back to bed."
Shisui raised his free hand. "Nothing! Really, I like them. They're just—"
"The softest material I've ever worn and the cats are cute. That's all. End of discussion." A slight pink rose to her cheeks, a sight even rarer than her smile. Shisui found himself distracted by the color, a warm feeling flickering to life in his chest.
Eri cleared her throat after a moment, leaning tiredly against the doorframe of the small house she shared with her brother. "What is it?" She demanded, her glare half-hearted. "I just spent twenty-two hours working on the new Mist code for the intercepted messages about the treaty with the Sand, and I'm actually about to fall over dead."
"Did you break it?" Shisui asked casually, unable to help himself.
Her eyes flared as she scowled darkly, the laughter there betraying her. "I wouldn't be sleeping if I hadn't. So for the last time, before your nose gets intimately acquainted with my front door, what do you want?"
Unable to keep a chuckle contained, Shisui held up the bag of breakfast pastries he'd gotten from Eri's favorite bakery. "I wanted to eat breakfast with you and see if you know anything about a man named Mukai Kohinata."
Among other things, Eri was gifted with both photographic and eidetic memory, and her mind was of extreme value. It was part of the reason he was assigned to protect her whenever a mission called her to leave the village, and also why she was the first person Shisui came to for intel.
The dark-haired woman paused, her eyes locked on the back of pastries. "I guess I can stay awake for a few more minutes," she conceded, stepping aside to let him in.
Shisui entered the now-familiar tidy front room, smiling warmly at the chunin. "Thanks, Eri. This really means a lot to me." His voice was sincere and kind, unable to fully express how nice it was to be able to leave the compound and feel like a normal Shinobi researching a mission.
Eri paused, closing the door. "Of course, Shisui. It's really no trouble." When she turned back, her cheeks had darkened again, and her lips were gently upturned.
The young male's heart sped up, the warmth spreading through his chest. He honestly loved the way she said his name. Never once had she called him Shisui Uchiha. Only Shisui. With her, he was just another person, another man free to do what he wanted, the oppressive cloud of his clan swallowed by the light in her emerald eyes.
And she had already smiled today. Mission accomplished.
NOW:
"Welcome, Gensogan user." The voice, friendly and loud in the echoing hollow of the tree, seemed to have no source.
Tsukiko's hand fell to her shuriken pouch, her eyes turning yellow as she threw her chakra dome out around her.
Light brightened the room as fire lit up strategically placed lanterns around the entrance. The inside of the tree seemed even larger than the outside. The entrance led into a massive library, the shelves filled with scrolls and books. A staircase in the back of the room led to upper floors, surely holding more of the same. The right side of the room held a collection of glass cases with various objects of value and power. On the wall above the cases was a collection of weapons, a white oni mask with yellow horns at the center of the display.
The young woman would have liked to take in her surroundings further, but she was distracted by the man standing at the center of the room, smiling as she cautiously approached.
He was very old, his age and experience lined in his face and his stance, loose and open to shift into defense or attack. His long hair was white like hers, though more silver from his many years. It was pulled up with a green band and fell down his back, blending with his long beard and mustache. He wore dark green shinobi robes. Black eyes regarded her with intelligence and interest, waiting patiently for her to respond.
Her dome told her that she and the man were the only ones there, but even that was a surprise.
Tsukiko found herself feeling embarrassed that this possibility never even occurred to her. He had been only a baby when the Leaf Village had formed, and his family had fled during the First Ninja War when he was thirteen. Realistically, the man was around the age of the Third Hokage, so despite no one having seen him for over three decades, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility for him to be here.
Still, faced with her great-great-grandfather, Tsukiko found herself speechless. Her chest tightened and her eyes starting to water and blur her vision. It was as if she was a small child again, watching her father. His face was misty in her memories, but became clearer as she studied the man before her, his features so similar to what she remembered. Her heart felt heavy with shame, having not thought of her parents in a long while. The word "parent" brought Lord Fugaku and Lady Mikoto to mind before her blurry memories.
The silence stretched out endlessly, Tsukiko unable to form words to the patient smile that waited. At last, she bowed her head deeply. "Thank you. It is an honor to be in the shrine of my family." Her voice quivered with emotion, welling up inside to the point where she could no longer hide it.
Akihiro Amaya chuckled, his deep voice amused. "The honor is mine, young lady. I had thought I would be long in my grave before another Gensogan user appeared. Please come in. I'll make tea."
Tsukiko moved slowly, afraid that the man was an illusion and would break apart. She had already activated her Gensogan, so this was no Genjutsu. The heavy wooden doors closed behind her, but the room was plenty bright from the lanterns, a large one hanging from the ceiling casting a merry glow across the majority of the room.
She followed the old man, unable to stop her eyes from wandering around the shelves. There was so much information hidden in this one room that it would've taken months to get through it all. But now, with the caretaker of this collection still alive, surely her search would be far easier?
Gesturing for her to sit on a cushion next to a small wooden table, the old man pulled out a tea kettle and got to work, eyes turning red as he carefully used Fire to warm the bottom of the kettle, mindful of the wood and paper all around him.
At the sight of his eyes changing, Tsukiko straightened excitedly. "I knew it! You have the Gensogan as well!" It was obvious from the lock outside that only a Gensogan user could enter.
Smiling, Akihiro passed her a cup and poured her some tea. "My parents wouldn't have left the Leaf Village for any other reason. I was born with dark eyes, and they did their best to keep that hidden with a variety of Genjutsu, and when I was old enough, a Transformation Ninjutsu. But the Gensogan awakened when I was thirteen and the risk was too great. So we left, and I usually maintained Earth to keep my eyes green. That element is the easiest for me. Still, it seemed that my bloodline was not as strong as my wife's, as my sons did not possess my eyes, and neither did their children."
Tsukiko sipped the drink, the smell of jasmine calming her. "My parents didn't have it either."
"But your children might," the older man continued, lifting his own teacup. "The Gensogan passes far more easily down the mother's line than the father's. I've long theorized it to be something to do with feminine energy being more aligned with nature, but that remains a guess only."
The young jounin's smile fell slightly, the talk of her own children bringing back naïve dreams she'd used to entertain.
Perhaps sensing her mood shift, the older man calmly refilled her cup and changed the subject. "But I have been neglectful in my manners. What is your name, young one?"
"Tsukiko," she answered, grateful for the shift in topic. "My father was Tensei Amaya and my mother, Hisano Amaya."
Akihiro nodded, stroking his white beard. "I see. Tensei was my great grandson. The last time I saw him, he was living quietly in the capital city of the Land of Fire with his parents. But you wear a headband of Konoha, something I didn't think I'd see again. Did he move back to the village?"
This was a conversation she hadn't mentally prepared for, but Tsukiko steadied her heart, her fingers tracing the whorls in the wood of the table. "No. They moved to a small village to avoid the stirrings that would become the Third Ninja War when my mother was pregnant with me. Four years later, the village sold information about my Gensogan, and my parents died when Mist shinobi tried to abduct me. I was saved by Konoha and the Leaf took me in."
"Another war…" Akihiro sighed heavily, sitting back on his cushion. "I've lived through two now, and it never gets easier. My parents, wife, and one of my sons were taken by that destructive hatred. It is a sad thing, to be forced to say goodbye. I'm sorry that you have experienced this as well."
It felt like something was caught in her throat, making her swallow heavily, blinking to soothe her stinging eyes. She nodded, unable to speak. Guilt was clawing at her insides for not being able to prevent the massacre of her adoptive family, for not thinking about her parents and that loss in the same way she felt about the Uchiha.
"I was...too young, I think," she whispered, clenching and unclenching her fingers around her teacup. "I hardly remember the faces of my parents, and I know next to nothing about my clan. Even my coming here was not spurred on by their loss and wanting to know more about them. I'm sorry." She bowed her head in shame.
Akihiro frowned sadly at the young woman, the last surviving of his line and of his clan. "Tsukiko, do not worry about what you cannot control." His gentle voice made her raise her head, and he smiled, relieved that her sad black eyes no longer looked like she was drowning. "You have lived a hard life, away from all of your family. I'm sure that you created new bonds that are important to you. If anyone is to blame, it is I for locking myself away all these years. Please, do not be ashamed, for this is the last refuge of the Amayas, and you are always welcome here."
She was silent for a long moment, then closed her eyes. "It is...hard for me to be here, knowing that I have given little thought to my own clan for a very long time. But meeting you means more to me than I can say. I thought I was alone, for the longest time. The last survivor, someone who has lived through two massacres due to luck." Her eyes opened, a fragile determination there. "But you are here now, and I am honored to be in your presence. It is rude of me to ask, but I need your help to save my adoptive brother."
The old man nodded approvingly. "That is a fine request, and I'll of course do what I can. I owe this family of yours a debt, after all. And in my prime, I did what I could to heal and help others." He avoided his curiosity at her mention of two massacres, not wanting to tip her back to a dark place.
Looking around the shelves, he sighed. "It will be nice to put this old library back into use. I had to seal it and myself away to protect the secrets I've collected. There are any number of evil people who'd love to get their hands on a trove such as this."
Tsukiko nodded, mind filled with gold eyes and scales. "I agree. There is one such person who recently attacked my brother, so I've had to be watchful of my movements. Can you tell me anything about Curse Marks?"
Nodding thoughtfully, Akihiro stood. His long beard fell neatly to his waist as he walked to a nearby shelf, his dark green robes blending well with the shadows. He seemed to be almost floating, but there was a peculiar twist to his walk, a slight limp that she hadn't noticed before.
"They fall under Juinjutsu, or Cursed Seal Jutsu," he called out to her. "Tricky, since they differ in ability and influence. In my experience, they are used to bring someone under the control of the caster by dealing out pain." He emerged from a different section of the library, carrying several scrolls and a book.
"Take the Hyuga Clan, for example. They have a Curse Mark meant to protect the Byakugan in case of death, but the main branch can use it to inflict tremendous pain on the side branch to keep them in line." Shaking his head with irritation, he set the items down. "They are terrible, and generally fall into Forbidden Jutsu territory. I've always hated them."
Tsukiko listened intently, her quick mind committing each word to memory. Her heart sped up with hope. The old man knew a lot about the subject, so maybe he'd have a cure!
Leaning forward, she took one of the scrolls and opened it. It was on the subject of mental fortification against foreign chakra.
"Tell me about the one your brother has," Akihiro ordered, producing a pen and paper from the sleeve of his robes as he sat down.
"It is from a man named Orochimaru," Tsukiko began, skimming the text of her scroll. "He had previously put a Curse Mark on one of his students before leaving the Leaf Village, and she sealed it away with no complications. But as soon as he returned, he was able to activate it despite the seal, enough to hurt her. Sasuke, my brother, got bit by him and developed the same Mark. Orochimaru has interest in him, and the Mark fights against our seal constantly. It eats away at his chakra and gives him power in return."
Writing furiously, Akihiro's brow furrowed. "I see. It sounds like the Mark is attempting to replace Sasuke's chakra with its own. Interesting. Anything else?"
Tsukiko set down the scroll. "It spreads across his body when it takes control, and his power skyrockets. Orochimaru has perfected a Body Transfer Jutsu so he can live forever and steal the power of more talented shinobi." Her hands clenched in her lap. "He wants Sasuke, and he's dangling the power to take revenge for our family in front of him like a lure. I don't know how long he can resist now."
Akihiro's expression clearly showed his disgust, and he stroked his beard, deep in thought. "What a dangerous ability," he murmured. "How old is Sasuke?"
"Thirteen," Tsukiko answered hollowly. The number was far too low for her liking, despite her own accomplishments and challenges at that age. She'd wanted better for Sasuke.
"Not old enough to know better than accepting the promise of easy power, but not young enough to be weak and naïve to the danger." The old man shook his head. "I can understand your concern. Revenge is a powerful motivator, but it corrupts just as easily as it grants power." He clapped his hands. "Alright, I think I have a way to help."
Standing once more, he headed over to the collection of items, presided over by the oni mask. "Now did I sort it with the other scrolls, or with the healing items?" He asked aloud, peering through glass cases.
Tsukiko's heart was in her throat as she watched him, body practically humming with excitement. She thought she'd be searching for days, if not weeks. It had been less than two hours since she entered the shrine, and her great-great-grandfather was about to give her what she needed to save her brother. After all the trauma of the last few weeks, the relief was enough to make her cry.
"Here we are!" With a small exclamation of victory, Akihiro returned, a tiny scroll in his hands. "This should do the trick."
She took the small brown item by the wooden ends, holding it between her thumb and forefinger. It was almost the length of her pinky, and seemed incredibly fragile. "Can I open it?" She asked doubtfully, afraid the brittle paper would crumble if she touched it.
The old man shook his head with a smile. "Not yet. You cannot open it until you get back to young Sasuke."
"What does it do?"
"That, Tsukiko, is the last of the Zei Scrolls, the tools of a monk from over two hundred years ago. He was a revered healer, and preserved his chakra in ten scrolls passed down to his disciples. I've been able to track the use of seven of them, managed to preserve one myself, and am still searching for the remaining two."
The jounin listened intently, the little bit of wood and paper in her hand becoming heavier and heavier as he spoke.
"While I would've liked to find a way to remove the Curse Mark without resorting to extreme lengths, time is of the essence. It is said that this scroll, once properly charged, can be used one time to cure any ailment, even to the point of restoring those long gone from this world." He smiled wryly. "Though I do suspect that to be a bit of an exaggeration. At any rate, it should be more than enough to heal Sasuke."
"Charged?" Tsukiko questioned, her heart lightening with each word. It was as if a great weight on her chest had been suddenly removed. Even breathing felt easier.
Akihiro nodded, becoming serious. "How far along is your Gensogan?"
Blinking at the unexpected question, Tsukiko answered. "I can use two elements at once, and I am working on mastering Lighting, though I am very comfortable with it at this point."
"I assumed so." He shook his head sadly. "Our kekkei genkai is activated by great loss, and our own sadness and guilt. Thus, we are granted the power to protect in exchange for the burden we carry in our hearts. Well, though I am sorry that you have faced such hardship, it is useful to us that all five elements have been made accessible to you."
"Wait," Tsukiko held up her hand, thinking. "There's one more thing. I was fighting an enemy a while back, and my eyes turned...more black, if that makes sense."
Akihiro raised an eyebrow, stroking his beard. "Black, you say? Like a void?" At the young woman's nod, he hummed thoughtfully. "Well now! That is impressive indeed. I was twice your age before unlocking that power." His smile faded. "Though I imagine the conditions under which you were placed were not ideal."
"They were not," Tsukiko admitted, feeling her chest clench painfully. "I was protecting Sasuke from the man who destroyed our family. He's Sasuke's older brother and...someone who I would've died for, once upon a time."
The sympathy she saw in her great-great-grandfather's expression eased her burden ever so slightly. This wasn't the pity she was used to seeing, but a deep understanding that could only come from someone who experienced the same tragedy.
"The desire to protect is a strong one," Akihiro said heavily. "Superior to guilt, loss, hatred, and even love. It comes from a place of mixed emotions, pushing one to the limits even more than any singular feeling. And when you are willing to die to protect a loved one, that feeling can in turn empower you."
Remembering the moment she'd seen Sasuke pinned against the wall, Tsukiko nodded. It had been like a switch flipping inside her. "So, in that state, I can use all five elements interchangeably?"
Akihiro shook his head. "You can use them simultaneously. But be warned, the required stamina for that sort of state can easily kill you. It will take a lot of training to use it for any real length of time."
Stunned, Tsukiko stared at the table for a long moment. "All five?" She repeated, reaching for that feeling of power inside her. But it wasn't there, not where she could access it. "How do I control it?"
"It will only awaken when you have a desire to protect, at least at first. With repeated use comes mastery. This new evolution of the Gensogan is called Kigen Gensogan."
Vowing to achieve full control of her abilities later, Tsukiko rolled her shoulders, physically willing the distraction away. She had other worries at the moment, and this new ability required great consideration. "So how can I charge the scroll?"
Nodding approvingly at her focus, the old man tapped the table. "The reason it can only be used once is that you must store immense energy within it, linked to the person you wish to heal. Once opened, the Jutsu is activated, and the scroll is destroyed in the process."
"Energy...do you mean chakra?"
"No, but that is necessary to activate the scroll and to direct the energy. What I am referring to, Tsukiko, is life itself." Taking one of his papers, Akihiro made a rough sketch of the human body.
"Earth is the body, the physical limits we possess, as well as the means to push past them. Those proficient with Earth chakra are headstrong, eager to improve themselves above all and protect what is precious to them. Water is the blood in our veins and the chakra within, the power to grow and shape our lives. Shinobi using water chakra are able to thrive in change and chaos, creating their own paths." He paused to make sure she was following, then continued. "Wind is the air in our lungs, the words we say, and the promises we make. Those who use Wind chakra are loyal and capable of great understanding and empathy. Lightning is representative of the mind, of great intelligence and strategy. Shinobi of this nature are good leaders, thinkers, and builders. Finally, Fire."
He tapped the chest of the figure. "Fire is the spark of life, the soul itself. Those fueled by Fire are ruled by emotion and great ambition. They represent the best and worst of what we have to offer in terms of drive, goals, and accomplishments."
Tsukiko nodded thoughtfully. She'd heard similar theories as to the nature of the chakra used by certain shinobi before. But what did this have to do with her?
Sensing the question, Akihiro pointed at the Zei Scroll with his pen. "You must fill that with energy corresponding to the chakra nature of the one you wish to heal. You must control the element in its most raw and powerful form and seal it within the scroll. It is a difficult task for a normal shinobi, nearly impossible for those under the level of Kage, but your ability gives you an edge."
Determination seemed to blossom in her chest, revitalizing the young woman. She had a goal, something that only she could do. For once, she was the main player in her own life, capable of changing the story. Suddenly impatient to get to work, she eagerly leaned forward. "Okay, what's the most powerful form of Fire?"
"Fire?" The old man's eyes tightened, and he hesitated. "Are you sure Sasuke's primary nature is Fire?"
Confused by his obvious discomfort, Tsukiko nodded. "Sasuke has recently developed Lightning as a second nature, but he's been using Fire jutsus for a long while now." Plus, she added silently, the personality traits matched him well. "I'm also the most comfortable with Fire. I imagine that it would've been my nature had I not been born an Amaya."
"That's good, then," the old man said distractedly. "Fire is my worst one, but this task will be easier for you. The unfortunate aspect is that Fire is the hardest to harness, as its most powerful form is not naturally occurring."
Tsukiko frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Because Fire is representative of the soul and of drive, crucially linked to humanity, it's rawest form occurs at the height of human ambition." Akihiro stroked his beard, frowning. "It would've been easier to stick you in the middle of a tornado or tsunami, honestly. How troubling."
Despite the pit forming in her stomach, Tsukiko's expression didn't change. "I don't care how hard it is. What do I need to do?"
There was a long pause, the old man considering. "Alright. You'll have to talk to the Uchiha clan."
"...What?" Tsukiko's voice was strained, as if she'd been punched.
Akihiro nodded, folding his hands into his sleeves. "I understand. Difficult though it may be, they are the only ones with the chance of helping, and even that is slim."
"But…" Tsukiko grasped for words. "But they're all dead! All but Sasuke and…" The world was breaking apart again, despair threatening to pull her in. If she lost Sasuke, if he died...she'd be left with nothing.
For his part, Akihiro looked just as upset, though his shock turned to anger. "The Uchiha are gone? How?" No longer the calm tone he'd used up to that point, his words were sharp.
Distantly, the young woman explained what had happened, that Itachi had killed his entire clan, save Sasuke.
"More senseless destruction," Akihiro growled, shaking his head. "Even at their worst, the Uchiha didn't deserve this." He glared at the table, before his eyes widened. "Hold on."
Fixing Tsukiko with an unblinking stare, he continued. "Do you mean to tell me that you were sent to live with the Uchiha after the death of your family?"
At her careful nod, he closed his eyes and let out a breath through clenched teeth. "What was the Hokage thinking?" His voice was strained with clear anger. "I do not mean to speak ill of the dead, or those who raised you, but the Uchiha…" Taking another deep breath, his eyes opened, expression calmer. "I'm sorry, Tsukiko. Even after all these years, I hold an anger for those that drove my parents from the Leaf. But that is not fair, as the Uchiha you grew up with might've been different."
Tsukiko opened her mouth to agree, but paused, certain memories coming back. "My family was good to me," she began softly. "Lord Fugaku and Lady Mikoto always treated me as their own, and since Lord Fugaku was the head of the clan, I had a certain degree of protection. They loved me, that I am sure of. But I can say with the same surety that the rest of the clan, save a few younger members I was friends with, hated me and feared my Gensogan." She had to be honest with herself, had to recognize that while she mourned the loss of the Uchiha as a whole, it was only for her family and friends that she felt true sadness.
Looking troubled but unsurprised, the older male shook his head. "While I am glad that you found a home that took care of you, it was a mistake to place you with the clan that—" He cut himself off, glaring at the table.
"The clan that was responsible for the near extinction of the Amaya and of the Gensogan?" Tsukiko finished, grateful that he was attempting to spare her feelings, despite his obvious dislike.
Intelligent black eyes regarded her with sorrow. "So you do know."
"Yes." It wasn't a pleasant memory. "I found out a few years ago, when I was a member of the Leaf's Anbu Black Ops." That definitely chalked up there as one of the the simultaneously worst and best days of her life.
"But it doesn't matter to me." Now her voice was strong. "The past is the past, and I spent much of my childhood watching the Uchiha being persecuted by the Leaf and treated as second-class. Only now that Sasuke is the sole Leaf Uchiha is he given any respect, something bitterly ironic. But he has a place, a home, and though I am tainted with association to Itachi, he has a real chance at happiness in Konoha. That is what I care about. The time for old grudges against the Uchiha died with them. All I care about is protecting him." Leveling a guarded gaze to her elder, Tsukiko's tone brooked no argument. "Now, what do I need to do to save him?"
THEN:
The same poisonous air of gloom ruled the main shrine, filling the place with darkness. Unable to stand the weight of it, Itachi let out a deep breath.
"I have something I want to tell you all today," his father said solemnly, standing with his back to the altar where the avatar of the god was enshrined.
Itachi saw an ominous shadow in his father's tone, heavier than usual. "Itachi's entry into the Anbu is at hand."
His father sounded like it was already a done deal.
Assassinate Mukai ... Not a mission he could carry out as easily as all that. It was sure to turn into mortal combat, with his life on the line. There was a serious chance he might die. Not that his father knew the exact details. Tsukiko was in danger as well, but she wouldn't die. That, at least, he'd promised himself.
"An Uchiha will join the Anbu. This is the most favorable opportunity we've ever had."
"Then, Chief," Tekka, his father's trusted aide, said quietly, prompting a specific announcement.
Everyone held their breath. The air of unrest and anticipation gradually grew thicker.
Itachi heard his own heart pounding fiercely in his ears. Unconsciously, he sought out Shisui.
His friend was three rows in front of him, staring at Itachi's father, motionless, the strained tension loud and clear in his back.
'Stop it, Father!' Itachi shouted in his heart. He had no voice in this place. It was like the malice of the clan had solidified and slid into his mouth, pressing into his throat and stilling the urge to protest.
"We have exerted ourselves any number of times until now on behalf of the village. But what have they done for us in return?"
No one answered, but instead silently bent their ears toward Fugaku, so as not to miss a single word he uttered.
"At their root is prejudice against us." His father's words mercilessly tightened around Itachi's chest like one of the snakes that haunted Tsukiko's nightmares.
What Itachi hated most in the world was on the verge of materializing before his very eyes.
Hatred.
Fighting.
'War.'
Whatever word he used, the essential nature of it was the same: the senseless deaths of a large number of people. The destruction of lives and of the delicate peace that so many had already perished for. Did their sacrifice, only a few years ago, mean nothing?
"We have endured it all this time. But we have reached our limit."
Itachi realized he was shaking his head when his field of view rocked slowly from side to side. Faster than his thoughts, his body was rejecting his father.
But no one was looking at him. Their eyes were all focused on Fugaku, in the seat of honor.
'Leave it. Stop it, Father. Please stop…' The pleading voice of his heart didn't reach his father. Words that he could never say aloud were locked inside his ever-tightening chest.
Abruptly, Fugaku's eyes were colored red. Sharingan. The agitation in his heart had changed his father's eyes.
Not for the first time, Itachi felt an icy dagger of fear from the sight of those red orbs, the ones that were powerful enough to plunge the ninja world into another senseless war.
"Taking advantage of Itachi's entry into the Anbu, we will move toward a coup d'etat."
Everyone raised their voices in unison, not a drop of confusion in the collective cry that rang out. The singular voice even had an echo of joy to it.
"Itachi." Over the cheer, his father called his son's name.
To Itachi, it sounded like he was calling someone else. The man before him looked nothing like the one he respected as his father.
Staring at his unresponsive son, Fugaku continued, "The true objective of you joining the Anbu is to investigate the particulars of the situation in the village, and report back to us."
'A spy…' Itachi thought about Mukai Kohinata. Even if they were all in the same village, leaking information about one side to the other when there were two forces in conflict was nothing other than spying.
'So I'm going to be the same as Mukai?' Itachi asked himself. 'Who then, will eventually be charged with my assassination?' There was no reason to expect a reply, but the image of white hair waving brought physical pain to his chest.
"The information you bring us holds the destiny of the clan." His father was seemingly unaware of the agony within his eldest son, the expressionless mask Itachi used more and more often fooling even those closest to him.
All eyes were turned on him. A sea of red eyes...
Even though he wasn't under any Genjutsu, Itachi felt dizzy. Where on earth was he headed? And more importantly, how was he to protect Tsukiko from such a life?
A midnight-swathed crow and moon-white owl soared up toward the heavens. Sinister inky black arms tangled around the dark bird's feet. The darkness tried to tie it to the ground.
No matter how he kicked and struggled, the arms yanked him down. The heavens receded, the owl's sharp eyes unable to find him in the overwhelming black.
Drops the color of blood spilled from the crow's eyes ...
"The day of action is near."
Everyone stood at Fugaku's declaration. Itachi continued to sit. He was pinned by the malice of his clan, unable to break free.
The legs of the brethren all around him looked like trees colored by darkness, as though he had gotten lost in a forest at midnight. In the middle of the trees that filled Itachi's field of view, he caught sight of one other person sitting.
"Shisui..."
His friend looked back and caught sight of him. There was a sadness in his eyes that Itachi had never seen before. Shisui smiled miserably.
"Our fight will certainly lead to the glory of the Uchihas." His father's voice elicited a cry of delight from almost all present.
Itachi listened with a feeling of gloom, feeling his ideal future slipping away like a white owl in the night.
But he was not yet aware of the true nature of the darkness that would visit him.
The evil held its breath and waited silently. Until the day came when it would hug him to its black chest...
A.N. And that marks the end of the first Itachi book! Yay! (It all goes downhill from here).
What did you guys think of some of the new characters? Akihiro, Eri, and Dr. Miu Sojirou are some of my new favorite OCs. Miu was named after a character in a video game series that I really enjoy.
Anyway, have a good day and please comment! Those really motivate me more than anything else!