Hello there. My back still hurts. Very badly. I need some Tylenol or something, cause I feel like an old person with arthritis! Lol. Enjoy.
Sure enough, the next morning, Mouse, (Itachi learned her real name was Hikari Katsuki) could been seen turning in her uniform and her mask to be reused for another.
"They never last do they?" Bird sighed as she, Dragon, and Itachi watched Mouse's retreating back from the HQ.
"Not if you almost choke them to death they don't." Itachi said.
"I know my own strength! She was perfectly fine!" Bird snapped defensively. Itachi and Dragon exchanged exasperated looks.
Today was the day Itachi had arranged with "Madara" for the massacre of his clan. Oddly enough, the ANBU seemed to provide an very adequate distraction from this troubling event. Itachi enjoyed interacting with the members of his team. They alone could understand that strange melancholy vibe that seeped from every fiber of Itachi's being.
And they didn't ask questions either.
The trio began to slowly put on their uniforms, knowing fully well that Kakashi was more than likely going to be extremely late as per usual.
So after they finished, they ended up lounging on top of the Hokage monument in a spot where they could see Konoha, but Konoha couldn't see them.
"Has it been an hour yet?" Bird groaned, laying down on her stomach.
"Actually, it's been two hours." Dragon replied with a lazy yawn.
"Ugh..." Bird sighed loudly, and buried her face into her arms. "Why is he always late?!" She spoke into her arm, which muffled her voiced.
"I'm not always late."
The three of them turned to look behind them, and saw Kakashi standing there in his uniform holding his ANBU mask in his hand.
"Finally!" Bird snapped, slowly getting to her feet. "You take way too long to get here! Honestly, Dog, you're in the ANBU for Christ's sake! I think I understand why you were given the mask, to allude what a lazy dog you are!"
"Not all dogs are lazy!" A voice grumbled. From the bushes stepped the little ninken dog, Pakkun. "Look at me. I'm a ninja dog working with the ANBU. Obviously, I'm not lazy!"
Itachi heard Bird scoff, and Dragon chuckle.
"Alright," Kakashi grabbed his dog mask from his side. "Today we're having a simple mission to take out a group of S-Class nin that have been spotted on the border between us and Suna. Since it's the border, the Sand might've sent out their own ninja to dispatch the rogues. Do not engage in battle with them, unless they attack you. We're there to defend our land, not start a war."
"Also, if they ask for a temporary alliance to allow them to search on our lands with us, the answer is no-"
"I think you should just do the talking Dog." Dragon interrupted. "Knowing Bird, she'll say something absolutely stupid and get us all killed."
"Hey!" Bird protested. Dragon laughed, and pat Bird on the head. She literally growled at him, and attempting to swat his hand away from her hair.
"Remember that recon mission in Kusaga?" Itachi asked attempting and failing to contain a smile. "When we met the Grass ninja and Bird interrupted negotiations between Dog and them, and they attacked?"
"That was one time!" Bird snapped.
"I remember that." Kakashi said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "One of them almost got me in the leg with his sword."
"I was almost cut in half by one of their jutsus." Pakkun chimed in.
"That's your own fault!" Bird said, her ears turning redder by the second. "It's not my fault that they were arrogant cocky bastards!" She protested.
Dragon, Pakkun, and Itachi all laughed at Bird's embarrassment, while Kakashi let out one of his rare and genuine smiles.
"Okay," Kakashi said, still smiling. "We need to get to the border. If we go now, we'll probably be able to reach the border at noon, and have the rest of the day to search for the ninja."
"Well, let's go then!" Bird said, and walked past them, her ears still red from earlier.
Still chuckling, the three and Pakkun followed Bird who had already disappeared with a small 'Poof!'. Performing the hand signs, they appeared just outside the Konoha gates.
Immediately, they set off towards Sunagakure.
It was 2 o'clock when Team Kakashi got back to Konoha. They'd taken care of the rogue S-class ninja surprisingly easy. On their way back, Itachi had been silent for a long time. Bird and Dragon didn't ask (Because they assumed it was because he'd killed one too many times and was feeling guilty) Kakashi, however, suspected something else.
Kakashi had asked Itachi what was wrong, how he was feeling, and why was he acting strange? Kakashi knew Itachi too well, and could tell that something was wrong.
However Itachi wasn't about to spill his guts to anyone, even Kakashi.
Upon their arrival back in Konoha, in the ANBU HQ, Bird, Dragon, and Kakashi undressed. Then Bird and Dragon left for the newly opened barbecue restaurant at Itachi's insistence.
"Go on ahead. I'll meet up with you guys." He said and waved away his colleagues.
"Alright." Bird said with a shrug, then took Dragon's hand and led him away. Dragon mouthed the word, 'Sorry' to Itachi as they left the changing room.
"Itachi..." Kakashi said, still standing in full uniform leaning against the locker next to Itachi's.
"Yes?"
"Whatever happens tonight...just be safe okay?"
Itachi's hands shook ever so slightly as he grabbed a sword from his locker.
"Of course."
"Itachi." Kakashi grabbed Itachi's shoulder, and forced the boy to look at him. "You're sure you're okay?"
Itachi steeled his frayed nerves, and hid his true feelings with a curt nod. He couldn't afford another panic attack right now.
Kakashi continued to stare into Itachi's eyes, making the Sharingan-user feel uncomfortable. Finally, he released his grip from Itachi's shoulder, then left the HQ.
Itachi was left there, standing next to his locker, still in his full uniform, mask hanging at his side, sword on his hip.
Taking a deep breath to calm his pounding heart, he looked to the clock in the corner of the room. 2:37...
He'd scheduled his rendezvous with Madara at 4. They meet at the gates, taking out the guards that patrolled the district on a daily basis.
His parents would be at home right now...probably preparing dinner, or in his father's case, working through the large stacks of paperwork on his desk... Sasuke would get home from school in about another hour or so too...
How could he do this? How could he kill his family? His clan?
"Fugaku." Mikoto said, walking into his office.
"Enter." Came his reply.
Mikoto walked in, her face looking paler than usual.
"Fugaku, we need to talk-"
"About what? What more do we need to talk about?"
Mikoto bit her lip to hold back a fiery retort. "Itachi he- I think he's in trouble."
"How so?" Fugaku asked, without looking up from his paperwork.
"I think he's on a secret mission for the ANBU. He's been acting so strange lately-"
"ANBU?" That was when Fugaku gave his full attention to his irritated wife.
"Yes. Have you not noticed? I meant to ask you earlier but..." Mikoto trailed off, leaving an awkward silence between the pair as they thought back to their argument from yesterday night.
"If he is on mission from them, he'd have reported to me-"
"Fugaku, I think he's going to kill us." Mikoto interrupted in a quiet voice.
Fugaku's eyes widened, and he slowly closed his mouth. His son? His Itachi? Killing him and his wife?
"Impossible." He muttered gruffly.
"Fugaku Uchiha, use your head for Christ's sake! Think! He's being acting so sullen, and not only that..." Mikoto cast an anxious and stressed look around the room before continuing in a quieter voice. "I was cleaning his room, and I saw the official assignment papers."
Fugaku's nostrils flared in anger. "Is that so?"
"He signed them. I read it all. He has to assassinate the Uchiha." Mikoto wrung her hands, looking up through her eyelashes to see her husband's reaction.
"The entire clan?!"
"I'm afraid so."
Fugaku groaned, then went and sat back down in his desk once again, head in hands. Mikoto quickly made her way over to him, and began to rub his back.
"How could this happen?" He asked, his voice muffled by his hands. "Our very own son?"
Mikoto blinked back her tears. Uchiha women didn't cry.
"He'd always dreamed of peace. I think this rebellion has received the notice of the Village, and now Itachi has accepted the assignment. Because by our death's, will peace come."
"Is there no way to resolve this matter with?! Can we not-?!"
"You and I both know that he's accepted it already. If he does not follow through and complete the mission, he'll be killed."
"No, he can't- Not my son-!"
"Fugaku." Mikoto said. "Look at me." She knelt down in front of her husband's face, and pulled his hands away, revealing tear-stained cheeks.
"He has to do this."
"Our son...I never knew...I never meant for this...Mikoto-" Suddenly, Fugaku stopped as the tears began to fall from his eyes. His body was racked with silent sobs for his son who'd have to kill his parents.
Fugaku laid his head in the crook of his wife's neck, and let the tears fall. Mikoto wrapped her arms around her husband, and she too, began to weep silently, not for their inevitable deaths, but for the death of Sasuke, their friends, their clan, for each other...
And for their son, Itachi Uchiha.
I started tearing up while writing this. I hope this makes you feel sad too. Because if you feel the feels right now, I'm doing my job right.