Chapter Four: Truth.
The time I spend with you is surprising
When I realize it, the date is already at its final stage
I don't want to let go, I don't want to return
Stop the time, I want to be together forever
The words I hide in my embarrassment
The moments when our eyes met
The times I'm with you
They're not enough, but
Until I see the last train depart
I'll tightly hold the hand you gave me
Your nonchalant kindness makes me happy
If it's a fairytale
I'll quickly go to the tomorrow where you exist
Every time, everyday, everything
Even though it doesn't become words
You are my special place
If my only wish could become true
God, please stop the time that is only ours
Stop the time, just like this
My only selfishness
But that won't come true
I want to tell you about this impatience
There's only twenty-four hours in a day
It's not enough, after a hundred hours
If that's the only thing that exists, more and more
I'll find your endless good
When will we meet again?
No matter how many times I say it, I keep thinking about it
A half of me is anxious and the other half is hoping
This feeling won't change, maybe, surely
What do you think of me?
Every time, everyday, everything
If it's a beloved warmth
Not becoming words, the voice of the heart
Because I'll show it to you honestly from now on
God, please stop the time when it starts to move
It's fine even if it's in selfishness
I'll say that I won't return it
If you're the one I wish for
Without hesitating, I'll attach a flower on my heart
Every time, everyday, everything
Even though it doesn't become words
You are my special place
If my only wish could become true
God, please stop the time that is only ours
Every time, everyday, everything
Even if we're apart, I'll connect the two of us together again
You are my special person
Every time, everyday, everything
Believe, even if time can't be stopped
If it's fate, we'll always meet, right?
If it's fate, we'll meet each other, right?
For you, Azu.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Orochimaru-sama?"
All was silent for a moment. Sakura's heart was pounding in her chest so hard that she almost didn't hear what the snake hissed in reply, from the other side of the door.
"Come in, come in."
Her palms felt sticky with sweat, as she fiddled with her fingers, nervously. Yes, she had accepted the mission because she wanted to get Sasuke back, but that didn't mean she wasn't scared; she was petrified. All thoughts of Aiko and Sukai gone. This was what she had come here to do.. Retrieve Sasuke.
She snapped her head up to the door when she heard the small click of the lock. Kabuto turned the circular handle and slid the wooden door open. She couldn't see into the room, as he walked in, followed by Kakashi and Yamato, who had insisted they went in first. She could, however, see the tension in the rigid line of their shoulders; but then they seemed to relax somewhat, as the silver-haired jounin beckoned them in with a flick of his fingers behind his back.
Sakura, Naruto and Sai filed in cautiously after them, placing themselves imperceptibly behind their sensei and taichou's protective stances; leaving the door open too.
The pink-haired kunoichi peered out from behind Kakashi who stood on the right. The room was tenebrous, though she could see that the walls were lined with scrolls -no doubt forbidden- and posters displaying various kanji, but she didn't stop to read them as she took in the otherwise empty room. In front of them, lying atop the bed, was Orochimaru. He had long black greasy hair parted at the side, that lay on the sheets on either side of him. His skin was still a sickly pale white hue. His eyes were closed, and Sakura felt partly content, she didn't think she could look him in the eye yet, relive the horror they made her feel.
There was no sign of Sasuke, yet she felt his presence nearby. It felt like he was in the niche with them, though she could not see him. Her emerald eyes took another desirous sweep around the room, thinking that he might just miraculously appear. Her heart sunk when she realised that he did not.
She glanced back to Orochimaru, watching him with as much caution the others seemed to be. He had one hand rested behind his head, seemingly relaxed, for their was no sign of hostility seeping out of his chakra signature, as far as Sakura could read. No, it was calm and serene, peaceful almost. He breathed in and out slowly, in perfect harmony with the others. But that didn't mean anything, they were still in danger, as they resided deep in enemy territory. The fear was still there, pounding violently like alarm bells, as her heart danced to a faster rhythm.
Sakura kept her right hand hovering over her kunai holster strapped tightly to her thigh, and she knew nobody would see her discrete action as she was still partly hidden behind her teacher.
"Kabuto, you took your time." he suddenly hissed angrily, his snake-like tongue flicking out of his mouth as he spoke. And Sakura would have jumped if she wasn't frozen to the spot.
"My apologies, Orochimaru-sama. We got slightly side-tracked." he bowed deeply.
"I don't want to here your excuses.."
A beat of silence.
"Their all here like you predicted though, even the two ANBU." Kabuto said appraisingly as he stood.
"Aa." he went on, his tone lighter, sounding suddenly excited. His eyelids slid open, revealing a pair of ominous purple eyes, with snake like yellow slits. "And what a pleasure it is."
Sakura inched backwards.
"Hai. Such a pleasure." The silver-haired subordinate echoed; though he sounded more sarcastic, Orochimaru seemed non the wiser.
"I'm so glad you could join me, team seven. I have such wonderful news."
Naruto looked like he was about to say something, but stopped suddenly as the sannin sat up. He didn't look in their direction, however, but to his subordinate, with a satisfied half-smirk caressing his lips.
"Kabuto, go and fetch Raidon. I'm sure they'll what to see him after I'm done."
A sadistic smile made it's way across his lips then as he licked them. Sakura felt Kakashi still beside her. Kabuto scuttled off, out an a joining door.
"Precious, he is. I'm sure you'll love him right from the get go; I did."
"Raidon.. Who's Raidon..?" Naruto inquired, without hesitation; his words sounding more curious, than frightened or angry.
Orochimaru turned to them then, his purple eyes glinting in interest. "Patience child. I'll start from the beginning."
Why did he think that they wanted to hear about, and see something that made him feel jubilant? In truth, Sakura didn't want to see, nor hear about this Raidon. She wanted to know where Sasuke was, and do whatever she could to get him home to where he belonged. She wanted to tell Orochimaru to stop babbling with himself, she didn't want to hear what he had to say; but something unknown to her prevented her from doing so, much like the rest of her team, Sai even.
"I couldn't take the Uchiha's body." he said his name with such frustration, through gritted teeth, and judging from his expressions, he was reliving the moment he tried to take their Sasuke's body.
Frustration.. Annoyance.. Anger.. Pain.
A violent shiver made it's way down Sakura's spine. She didn't know how the snake took over peoples bodies, but it couldn't be pleasant. She was pleased to know that Sasuke had gotten out of it somehow, because if he were ever taken away from her, to a place she couldn't reach, she wasn't so sure she could go on, knowing that she hadn't been strong enough to stop him from leaving, nor been there to save him. She felt the relief course through her body like a wave of warm water.
"You see, he has a very strong mind indeed.." he paused, "but I had no intention of letting that stop me. After failing countless times, I decided that there had to be another way. If I did manage to take over his body, it would quickly reject me, a very undesirable outcome. So we had to break him, give him a reason not to live on, so he would stay put quietly, in the back of my mind. He seemed to take after his otouto though, as you already know, he's a very hard person to read. This of course made the task difficult, but not impossible.
"Not too long afterwards, one of my subordinates reported a sighting of Akatsuki in the area. They turned out to be none other than Itachi and Kisame. They were tracking down a bijuu. A plan started formulating in my mind.
"Now, Uchiha Itachi isn't the cruel, cold-hearted man that you know; or at
least think you do. He isn't the same as the history books in Konoha. No, he's polite, soft spoken and very loyal."
The room was dark. The only light being the flickering flames of the candles that cast an orange glow around the room from where they were placed in their holders in the stone walls.
Karin had informed Orochimaru that Sasuke was back from training, and so he had sent her to summon him to the main chamber, where he now sat, preparing his wording. He wasn't so sure how to say what he had in mind; all he did know was that he had to tell him, that this plan needed to work. If he couldn't take the Uchiha's body, he would use him as a weapon for the time being, to destroy Konoha; and come up with a plan B at a later date.
The Uchiha casually walked in, though his stance was self-guarding, as he quietly closed the door behind him before facing his teacher, and bowing slightly. He wore a navy blue, floor length robe, tied loosely at the waist, showing the hard, glistening panes of his chest. His hair was damp, not sticking up at the back so much, looking limp. There were dark patches dotted about his shoulders, where the water had dripped.
Orochimaru knew that Sasuke was not loyal to him, and if he was at one point, he most certainly wasn't anymore. Sasuke had a little trust in him, though not much; but that had shattered into pieces the moment he had tried to take over his body. Sasuke knew of his plan from the very start, and had claimed that he didn't care, that if he hadn't killed his brother when the time came, he would let the sannin use his body to do it for him.
The snake-sannin knew that this was lies of course, for none of his containers had given up their body willingly. Uchiha Sasuke was a prideful man, and Orochimaru knew that he didn't want his ambition completed by another, that he had wanted to do it by his own hands.
"You wished to speak with me." Sasuke stated coldly, distant.
"I did."
"Well make it quick." he said more like an order than a request. "I'm busy."
Sasuke didn't want to speak with him, that was obvious, but usual. His tongue flicked out of his mouth as he licked his lips in excitement. "This isn't something I can be quick about, dear Sasuke-kun."
"..and why not?"
"For it regards your brother."
Sasuke looked up at him then, face cold and angry.
Orochimaru thought it only prudent to stir the already boiling broth some more before he began. "Yes, Uchiha Itachi."
"I don't want to hear it." he snapped.
Knowing it was only his pride talking, he replied, "Oh, but you do."
"Do I?" the raven-haired Uchiha questioned, raising a brow.
"Yes. I thought that you of all people should know the truth."
"Truth?" he whispered back, his hands slowly clenching into fists.
"Now, before I begin. Do you remember that time Itachi fought your old sensei
when he came to Konoha with Hoshigaki Kisame?"
"Of course, he tried to kidnap Naruto, but failed because he was under the protection of one of your fellow sannin, Jiraiya."
"Well you see, that wasn't his real intention."
"What do you mean?"
Although he hid it well, Orochimaru knew he was confused. "After the Uchiha clan massacre, Itachi appealed to the third hokage to shield you from Danzo and the other higher-ups. He then threatened Danzo and left the village."
"What was this threat..?"
He sounded intrigued. Good, Orochimaru found himself thinking.
"That if he laid a hand on you, he would leak every detail about the village to unallied nations. Though above all else, he was concerned about you, he couldn't tell you the full truth. He had no choice but to say the things he did. By making revenge your goal, he hoped to make you strong. The Uchiha clan was a proud clan of the hidden leaf, and he wanted you to keep believing that. He beseeched the hokage that you never learnt of the truth. And from that moment he left the village, he was resolved to fighting you, and dying." he finished darkly.
One of the candles lighting the room blew out, partly shadowing Sasuke's face.
"He entered the village when the sandaime died to make a statement without words, to show Danzo and the higher-ups that he was still alive. You were foremost in his thoughts, everything he did was all for you. You were precious to him, and he staked everything to keep you safe. You see, for the sake of the shinobi world, for the sake of the hidden Leaf village, and for your sake, Itachi gave up everything. That is his truth."
"No, you've got to be kidding. He.. He tried to kill me!" he sounded panicked. His shoulders dipped, and he started to breathe hard as he continued more to himself, "Why would he do such a thing..? You've got to be lying."
"To protect you."
"Did you just say.. protect?" he sounded bewildered.
"Hai."
"From what?" he sounded shaken.
"Them."
"Them..?" Sasuke echoed, confusedly.
"Konoha.. They wanted you dead."
"Explain." he ordered through gritted teeth, he didn't seem to be believing anymore.
"You think you know your brother, but you know nothing."
The raven-haired Uchiha didn't respond to the taunt, and so Orochimaru began, right from the beginning, his voice scratchy and dark, "Itachi was born into the Uchiha clan and was praised by all as the best of his generation- a genius above all others. Even by the standards of the battle-adept Uchiha clan, Itachi's prowess far outshone them. However, not even his family, friends or teachers could understand him. When he was only four, Itachi had already witnessed many lives lost due to the third great shinobi war. Being as emotionally traumatised as he was, he turned into a pacifist, and hated war.
"As time went on, he continued to grow. He graduated the academy at the age of seven, mastered his sharingan by eight, became chuunin by ten, and became an ANBU captain by the mere age of thirteen."
"What has this got to do with anything?"
"Just listen, Sasuke-kun, and you will understand."
It was silent for a moment, and then he sighed, his voice was tight, "So talk.."
"When the Kyuubi attacked sixteen years ago, the incident sealed the Uchiha's figurative demise; it was known that the ocular powers of an Uchiha could tame and control the nine-tailed beast, and so the blame fell on to them. Though it was a natural occurrence, a natural calamity- the Uchiha had nothing to do with it. When the suspicion fell on them -that the Uchiha had revolted and sought to take power- the whole clan was put under strict surveillance by the ANBU black ops, and they were forced to relocate to the outskirts of the village. They became totally estranged. The third hokage was the only one to voice opposition to their treatment; but Danzo of the black ops, and the rest of the counsel would not listen.
"In the end, the Uchiha clan was not trusted, and the discrimination began. Their distrust bred hatred, and eventually their suspicions became reality. The Uchiha clan plotted a coup d'etat to take over the village. Itachi being their main pipeline.
"Instead of being bound by obligation to his clan, he was a ninja who loved his village. He was a man who put his village's safety first, and strove to preserve peace. The village higher ups preyed on that trait. They assigned him a top secret mission. An eye for an eye. For them to oppose the Uchiha, they would need the sharingan. And so, the higher-ups of Konoha planted a spy within the Uchiha clan. That spy was your brother, Uchiha Itachi. He became a double agent, from that moment, Itachi's suffering began."
"I don't care. He should suffer! He killed our parents..! The whole clan.." Sasuke abruptly shouted, silencing him as he strode forward angrily. "He became a nukenin, and joined the Akatsuki. He's despicable beyond measure."
"It's true that he annihilated the Uchiha clan that night, and deserted the hidden Leaf." Orochimaru continued knowing that Sasuke was just trying to deny it all.
"Then.."
"That is what he was ordered to do.. by Konoha." Orochimaru interrupted.
Sasuke looked up at him suddenly, questioningly, and Orochimaru nodded in response to the unspoken question. "Yes, Sasuke-kun, it was a mission. That night Itachi sacrificed himself, killing his personal feelings, he fulfilled his mission; to be the sole perpetrator of his clan's slaughter, and become a rogue shinobi- leaving his reputation in tatters- all of it was a mission."
"No.." Sasuke whispered in horror, bringing his hands to his face.
"Itachi completely fulfilled his duty, with one exception.. He could not bring himself to kill his younger brother. He killed his friends, his superiors, his lover, his father and his mother.. But he could not kill his little brother. He cried tears of blood, and killed every shred of feeling he had inside of him. Then he killed his brethren for the sake of his village. But he couldn't kill you. Do you understand what that means?"
Sasuke looked at him blankly, not able to utter a single word.
"To him, your life.. Was more precious than the village."
"As if I'd believe you!" he shouted with all his might, as he fell to his knees, "Itachi committed an unspeakable crime, and then joined Akatsuki! He's nothing more than a treacherous murderer!"
Orochimaru gave him a few minutes to simmer down and take it all in. Then he went on, "Itachi took sole responsibility for an unspeakable crime, and left the village. He found a way to join Akatsuki and watch over an organisation that was dangerous to his village from the inside. He was always thinking of his home, and you. By making you defeat him, he had avenged the Uchiha clan; in order to raise you and make you the hero of the hidden leaf village. For the peace of Konoha, but most importantly you, Sasuke-kun, his little brother, he has to fight you and die, a criminal and traitor in your presence."
The raven-haired Uchiha looked so far away, gazing at nothing in particular; his eyes glassy, his face the picture of pain and confusion.
He was finally getting somewhere. If all went to plan, Sasuke would feel sorry for his brother and hate Konoha for all that they had done to him. He would grow furious and form a plan of attack himself. Then all the snake-sannin had to do was sit back and watch, be entertained.
"Those who knew the truth about Itachi were Danzo of the hidden leaf, the third hokage, and his advisors Homura and Koharu. I killed the third hokage, and now there are only those three aging folk. Still, those three will probably never reveal the abominable truth. The truth about your brother will fade into darkness forever; just as he wished, but is that what you want?" he goaded, accentuating the you.
His voice was trembling, his sharingan ablaze, as he whispered quietly, threateningly, "If you continue speaking such nonsense, I'll kill you."
"Fine. What I tell you is the truth."
His crimson eyes were narrowed as he asked, "On what basis should I believe? Your untrustworthy."
"Despite being an Uchiha, you were kept in the dark because you were still young, but it's all true; if you don't believe me, go ask him yourself. He's in this town, I'm sure you'll find him somewhere." Orochimaru stated, cruelly.
"And how long have you known..?"
"Since the very beginning." he hissed in reply.
This is my tribute to Itachi. Hope you liked it. Review if you have time.
There's one more chapter, and then there will be a sequel.
As you've probably noticed ive changed this story to 'The Sasuke Retrieval Mission.' the next will be 'Defying Ones Destiny.'
This ones more Sasu/Saku, but the next will be an Ita/Saku story, I promise. Maybe with a twist of Sasuke in there, a little bit of a triangle, but I duno yet. You'll have to see.
Ja ne,
Rudiieee-Mikomii.x