"Believe in yourselves and choose life over death. Otherwise, you've led a shameful existence" - Izumi Curtis from "Fullmetal Alchemist"
Hiruzen sat across from his old teammates and now advisors. Both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had unreadable expressions on their faces, as they eyed the Hokage warily.
Knowing that the conversation ahead would not be an easy one, Sarutobi took the chance to grab his trusted pipe and take a calming drag to help the nerves.
Jiraiya stood close by his Sensei's side, leaning against the back of his armchair having just finished recounting the intel on the Massacre and Madara.
"I believe that was everything we know about the rogue Uchiha at the moment. Is there anything else concerning you, Koharu? Homura?"
A heavy silence spread across the room, as the two senior advisors exchanged uneasy looks before Mitokado finally started speaking.
"To be honest, Hiruzen, we do not understand your decision to place Izumi Uchiha under the same roof as the Nine-Tails." he delivered, his tone even and measured, but with a touch of judgment that did not escape Hiruzen's notice.
"What is your concern? I am afraid I may not fully understand." Hiruzen replied, his lips a straight line, as he held their gaze.
"That is precisely our concern, old friend." Koharu spoke up, "We are afraid you may not fully understand the possible consequences. Uchiha Izumi was old enough to attend the Uchiha Clan's meetings and hence the question of the girl's loyalty still stands."
"I am afraid I still do not fully understand. Are we talking about a traumatized child who has just lost her last remaining family taking control of the Fox to carry out a coup?" Hiruzen asked, his voice betraying no emotion.
Homura sighed heavily before continuing
"Hiruzen. You are a good leader and a kind man, but sometimes you need to consider how your actions impact the village as a whole. Making that decision without consulting with us first can be seen as reckless. Do not assume that her being a child makes the danger any less. At her age we were already hardened killers, don't you remember, old friend?"
"Those were different times, Homura." Hiruzen countered dryly, "My decision was motivated only by the safety of the children. I remind you, that as the Hokage it is my duty first and foremost to ensure the safety and prosperity of any Hidden Leaf citizen regardless of their background. I still stand by that decision completely. Was there anything else?"
"Do not change the topic, Hiruzen. We are not done yet." Koharu interjected, looking straight into Hiruzen's eyes, "Your decision puts way more lives at risk than it protects."
"With all due respect, advisors" Jiraiya's voice suddenly cut through the tension, "I know for a fact that the seal Minato placed on the Nine-Tails is not for any child to break. Sharingan or not. Besides, the girl just does not look like the type to me at all."
"Mangekyo Sharingan, Jiraiya." Homura delivered sternly, his face contorting slightly in annoyance, "You have said so yourself."
As if waiting for her cue, Koharu Utatane carried on.
"Mangekyo Sharingan was the dojutsu that Madara Uchiha had wielded. Need I remind you how much death and destruction he had brought before Lord First was able to stop him? And that masked pretender was able to wipe out an entire clan with it!"
Hiruzen took another drag, exhaling a cloud of white smoke, as if he was putting up a wall between himself and his old teammates. The old leader could feel their cold fear on his skin, so dense and overbearing that they breathed it for air. Sarutobi swallowed hard. He could admit, he felt that fear too, no less than either of them, but one needed to control it before it could control them or it would spread like wildfire and consume everything.
"We should not compare a little girl to Madara Uchiha, Koharu." he spoke sternly, "The Uchiha Clan was innocent in the Nine-Tailed Fox incident. So much has been proven. And now, all that remains of them are two scared children. It is time to let go of our fears and make amends."
"The second a shinobi lets go of their fears, they die, Hiruzen." the deep, crooked voice interjected before they heard a monotonous sound of the cane, hitting the floor, then slow raspy breathing before they finally saw the dark figure of Konoha's last elder, accompanied by two of his trusted bodyguards completely indistinguishable from each other.
"Danzo." Hiruzen turned to regard his oldest friend and the most bitter rival, "you are late. Take a seat."
"I have been held back." Danzo offered succinctly, as his one visible eye bore into the Third Hokage with a hawkish glint, "You are making a mistake, Hiruzen and you know it. This threat to our village needs to be handled appropriately."
"You are talking about a child, Danzo. Do not forget" Hokage's tone hardened, as he returned the gaze, matching it with his own, "As a matter of fact, I have some questions regarding your methods of… protecting this village."
Danzo's face remained completely still, not a twitch of muscle, not a hint of emotion of any kind, as he allowed himself to sink into the armchair directly in front of Hiruzen and Jiraiya, his bodyguards taking up positions at his sides.
"Questions? So ask them. I would gladly share any information that could be of help to the Hokage."
Hiruzen sighed, taking in the slight undertone of mocking from his rival, as he steeled himself.
"According to Jiraiya's intel, Itachi Uchiha had entered into an agreement with 'Madara' likely seeking help in wiping out the Uchiha Clan to prevent the coup d'etat. Did you know that?" Hiruzen pressed on. He knew he had no concrete proof, but he also knew that Danzo was one of the most fierce proponents of using force against the Uchiha.
Danzo's face still betrayed no emotion even under pressure.
"I am afraid I was unaware of this development. It's certainly most concerning, but I can not see how that relates to me and my methods."He spoke evenly, his eyes still locked in an invisible struggle with the Hokage, "Itachi Uchiha was one of your ANBU. If what you say is true, then you should be keeping a tighter watch over your own subordinates in the future, Hiruzen. I have always said a prodigy like Itachi would better be utilized by Root. It's a shame that we lost such a valuable asset."
Hiruzen bit his lip at the failed attempt to pressure Danzo, as his eyes lingered on the man's bandaged eye. There was something… Something deep in his gut, a sense, conditioned by decades spent guiding his people through the gravest turmoils, told him something was out of place about his rival. But every time the Hokage tried to think about this strange detail, his mind always became shrouded with unrelated thoughts and memories.
'When did this eye patch appear? About a year ago, right around the day of Uchiha Shisui's death? Or.. or has it always been there? That's right, Danzo did lose his eye, protecting me in a battle when we were young, didn't he? That's right. I must be getting old.'
Some quiet inner voice suggested that Hiruzen had more urgent concerns than to question it at a time like that, so the Hokage let the matter drop.
"My decision stands. I know all of you consider it a mistake, but I am the Third Hokage and I believe that this course of action is best for the Hidden Leaf in this situation."
The two advisors looked smitten with their teammate's stubbornness, as they both gave him a confused look, with a hint of disappointment.
But Danzo was different. He seemed fully relaxed, sinking even deeper into the lavish armchair. In the dimmed lights of the office, the mysterious spark in his only eye glowed even brighter, almost hungrily.
"Very well, Hiruzen." he spoke, his tone mostly unreadable, but a small trace of anticipation still bled into it, "If you feel so strongly about this matter, I may be willing to support you."
Koharu and Homura now both looked at Danzo, their eyes wide with sudden shock, as both shinobi felt the subtle change of allegiance in the room.
"What do you mean, Danzo? You, of all people, should know exactly how dangerous this girl could be!"
Hiruzen gave his rival a long a hard look
"On what terms, old friend?"
Danzo straightened in his seat, stretching his back, as he leaned forward to meet Hiruzen's gaze.
Jiraiya, who was a hardened veteran himself, though not as much as the others in the room, felt himself shivering with unease. His instincts of a spy rang all the bells in alarm, as he saw his sensei slowly giving ground.
Danzo did not hurry, savoring his impact on the people in the room. He took a moment to note the emotions of everyone, as he knew he only needed a little force to push everything into place perfectly. It was important to not push too hard, otherwise Hiruzen would be tipped off and his only chance would go to waste. The master of the Root preferred to play for the long-term, using his influence and cunning to steer the village in the right direction from the shadows.
"I guess everyone in this room would agree that the only concern with Uchiha Izumi is her loyalty issues. We can not be sure she'd prioritize the village over her clan. If we could find a way to address those issues, perhaps through special training, the threat would be almost mitigated. What do you think?"
Koharu nodded subtly, while Homura took a sip of tea from his cup and hummed in approval, while allowing one of the ANBU to refill his cup.
"What are you getting at?" Hiruzen looked wary of any games.
Danzo did not answer right away, relaxing again in his chair, as he closed his uncovered eye. He did not need to do anything.
"Hiruzen." Homura addressed the Hokage, "The ANBU training could help the girl see things the right way. If we allowed her to go through their conditioning, we could make sure the child remains loyal."
"I agree" Koharu voiced her own approval, to which Danzo opened his eye, listening lazily. But Jiraiya could swear the glint in the man's eye grew stronger.
Jiraya's face contorted in disgust, but he didn't show it. The Sannin could sense his sensei's tension growing and he too felt something was off about Shimura Danzo. He knew he needed to interject and break Danzo's spell.
"Advisors, Sensei, may I make my own suggestion?" he spoke, hiding the urgency in his seemingly laid-back attitude.
Danzo's sharp gaze impaled Jiraiya, but the toad sage held the line, "I suggest we do not rush Izumi into the ANBU." Sannin continued, "We already tried that with Itachi and the consequences are apparent. The boy broke under pressure and defected."
The mood in the room swayed, as all eyes were now on Jiraiya.
"Go on," Homura nodded, "What do you propose?"
"Let me keep an eye on the girl. I assure you I can gauge her loyalty and guide her in the right direction."
Danzo's face contorted with a barely visible scowl before he recovered.
"Jiraiya. Are you sure you have the time to do that? What would happen when you go on another one of your missions?"
Before the advisors could start murmuring between themselves, Hiruzen sensed an opportunity to break Danzo's case.
"Worry not, old friend. I am taking Jiraiya off duty for now. His highest priority mission right now is to guard the Uchiha and Naruto, as well as investigate the identity behind the rogue Uchiha."
Danzo grit his teeth. He knew if he continued pushing, it would quickly become suspicious.
"Very well, Hiruzen, seems like we have reached a decision that is acceptable for all of us." Mitokado took charge in adjourning the meeting, "Are you in favor, Koharu? Danzo?"
Koharu quickly nodded, satisfied with Jiraiya's personal handling of this situation.
"No objections." Danzo concluded the meeting flatly, having already decided to cut his losses, as the advisors slowly left the room, leaving Jiraiya and Hiruzen alone.
"Thank you, Jiraiya." Hiruzen said seriously, looking at his pupil once he made sure they were alone, "Handling my old teammates can prove difficult, but ultimately they mean well."
Jiraiya took a cup and poured himself some tea, taking a sip before replying
"You know, Sensei, those kinds of games are why I will never be Hokage. I like to just get things done. Infiltrate, snoop around, get info, fight and get out. Simple. And this… I don't know how you put up with the likes of Danzo."
Hiruzen allowed himself a half-smile at his student's expense.
"Danzo, huh? Well, he was never 'simple', as you put it."
Hiruzen sipped his own tea, kicking back in the armchair to give his back, still sore from all the meetings, at least some semblance of a rest.
"But, Jiraiya. Without him and his forces our village would not have survived the Nine-Tails' attack. And it won't survive this either unless all Konoha's forces work together."
Jiraiya looked grim, as he unknowingly squeezed his cup so hard, the handle almost snapped.
"I know, Sensei, but the old rat seems to be up to something. I just know it. You think he might have had a hand in all this?"
Hiruzen leaned forward, grabbing his pipe once again, as he looked at Jiraiya with a dark expression on his face.
"The only thing I know is that it is highly unlikely for a thirteen year-old boy to seek out and ally with Madara Uchiha to kill his entire family. At least not by himself. We must tread carefully."
VvV
(with Izumi; later that day)
Izumi watched the shadows of the room slowly retreat and grow shorter, as if they too wanted to hide from the sun.
The girl shut her eyes and tried to tune out every distraction, every stray sensation and unbidden thought.
But instead she still felt her heart working urgently, desperate to keep the blood flowing, the tense heaving of her chest making sure she kept breathing, not caring whether Izumi herself wanted it or not.
Izumi could still hear Sasuke's cries, echoing through the walls, growing more guttural, more immediate by the second. There was nowhere to hide from it, as the sound bled into her ears seemingly from everywhere.
'What should I do? Take care of Sasuke? Try and preserve whatever is left of the Clan?'
Her thoughts felt like a punch to the head. They crushed through her skull and spilled over, making everything in the body go awry.
'What can I even do? It's too late now!'
With every thought Izumi had, she could feel the pressure squeezing her tense battered muscles and grinding away at her bones until she could almost hear them creaking under the strain.
Realizing her legs won't hold her for long, Izumi let herself slide down against the cold concrete of the wall, leaning into it just to feel something stable around.
Suddenly, Izumi's eyes caught a glint of purple in the far corner of the room. It was the shirt she had thrown away before, hoping to never see it again. But now the red and white of the war fan were there to see, spread across the purple fabric. The crest of the Uchiha, she once wore proudly on her back, now crumbled and thrown away to the floor. The white sullen with dirt and sickly gray ash and the red burnt in the fire and soaked with Izumi's own dried blood.
'Save what's left of the Clan? Is it even worth saving when it lets people like Madara out? Or even Itachi. People who are ready to kill so easily.'
Izumi reached out and touched the old fabric of the shirt with her fingers, carefully feeling out every stray thread, every little tear she'd left on it after each day of training. She remembered mom patching it up every time.
Izumi touched one of the stitches, knowing that her mom's hands had also touched it.
"Mom, I need you. I don't know what to do… I can't take care of a kid by myself. Please."
Izumi waited a couple of minutes, afraid to move a single muscle. A part of her was still waiting for mom to say something even though she knew it just wasn't possible.
When the room stayed dead silent, Izumi finally picked herself up and walked into the small bathroom. She turned on the tap, gathering a bit of water into her hands before violently splashing it into her face.
The icy cold touch of water on her skin brought her some momentary relief, as she stared into a small mirror, as if searching for something in her own reflection.
'Can I really take care of Sasuke? I thought I could take care of you, Mom…'
Izumi put her hands under the flow, so she could feel the burning cold of the water on her hands.
'Should I really take care of Sasuke? Nobody took care of me when dad died. Only you. I thought Itachi did too, but he just… All of this happened because of him! So why should I look after his brother?'
Izumi pushed her hair aside and tucked it behind her ears to focus on her face in the mirror. She spent a couple of seconds wrestling with unruly strands, faintly aware of how unkempt it had grown overnight. Eventually she gave up and just stared blankly at herself, almost huddled over the sink.
Knowing she had to at least shower before the funeral, Izumi had to force herself to let go of the sink finger by finger and then get out of her clothes and into the cabin.
Lost in her own thoughts, Izumi twitched, startled by the unexpectedly loud high pitched creak of the valve being turned, as the cool drops of water started hitting her body.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, Izumi grabbed the simple crude brick of soap and started scrubbing the dark grimy film of ash, coating her body.
Occasionally, she winced, touching the red hot burns from the fire, but Izumi didn't stop even then, instead doubling down with even more vigor, as she watched the water at her feet become almost pitch black.
'How can I go to the funeral? How can I look at them? At mom?'
Even after she had cleaned every place on her body, even after the water going down the drain had long since stayed clean, Izumi didn't stop scrubbing, gripping the hard brick of soap so hard there were imprints of her fingers left.
Even when her skin started to hurt from all the friction, she still felt filthy somewhere under her skin. Like there was something she had missed.
'And Sasuke. Should I tell him about the funeral? Or maybe someone else will?'
If it was just some faceless ANBU who told him. A person for whom all of this was just a small part of another day on their job. How much better, how much easier things would be.
After all, Konoha did care for orphans. There was an entire institution dedicated fully to caring for such kids, providing them with dwellings, food and money to fend for themselves.
'Why not just let Sasuke be another one of them? It's not like he is special, there are hundreds of kids like him and they turn out fine.'
Izumi's whole body suddenly twitched, as she stood in the shower, not moving, even letting go of the soap bar, as she leaned her back into the wall.
"Honey, I know how much you loved your dad. And I did too. It's okay to feel sad and angry. Like you don't know what to do. I feel it too and it hurts just as bad. But I am still here for you, my little flower. Anytime."
Hazuki Uchiha's soft somber voice echoed through the bathroom before fading away into nothingness. Izumi knew it wasn't real. It couldn't be.
And it felt like a hard knee to her gut.
'Mom… after dad died, you would never have even thought about just abandoning me, right? No. Any child. Even Sasuke.'
'But I am not his mother! Not his sister! We're just clanmates… Basically, strangers.'
'I am sorry, I am so helpless! I am not like you, okay?! I thought I could protect you, I thought I could help Itachi… what if with Sasuke I just fail again? He'd be better off with someone else, right?'
"Why are you suddenly so quiet? Did you come just to judge me and then leave? Just like that? Help me! Tell me what to do, please!" Izumi suddenly shouted into the uncaring emptiness of the room, surprised at the sound of her own voice.
It felt off, like it was not entirely hers. The pitch, the hoarseness and the subtlest hint of insanity ringing through it. It was not Izumi at all.
Suddenly, Izumi found herself in the depths of an another memory from the day before.
She saw Mikoto's face, etched with pained concern, as she did her best to heal Izumi's burned and broken body, despite her own fear and anguish.
"Shhh, dear" Mikoto whispered, gently stroking Izumi's hair, "It is all going to be alright somehow"
Oh, how many times had Izumi heard those same soothing words from Itachi's mother over the years.
"Izumi. I am sorry for what happened to your dad. If you ever want to see Itachi or feel like you need a safe space, feel free to come over anytime. You are a good girl and we're always happy to see you in our house. It's all going to be alright somehow, okay?"
Izumi almost felt it all over again, as if the seven years between now and then didn't exist. The sudden shudder of her body at hearing those words, the warmth in the woman's smile and the senserity.
"Thank you…" kid Izumi replied timidly, looking up at the older woman.
"Yeah, mrs. Mikoto. Thank you." Izumi in the present echoed, struggling against the tendrils of the memory, knowing full well how it will end.
"Sasuke... He is coming back from his lessons. Sorry, Izumi, I need to go find him!" Mikoto's urgent cry rippled through Izumi's mind, making her whole body shiver.
"But if you go out there, he will kill you!"
"I have to try. I have to protect Sasuke, even if I die."
"Sasuke..." Mikoto whispered, feeling the deathly cold of Madara's blade deep in her chest "I am so sorry…"
'I just stood there! I stood there as he killed them! My mom, mrs. Mikoto, mr. Fugaku! Stood there as he took Itachi. It's my fault, it's because of me that Sasuke has no one now!'
Every time Izumi thought about it, about Sasuke and mrs. Mikoto, the same image burned itself even deeper into her: Itachi, standing on her doorstep, surrounded by cold and darkness of the night, hidden behind the lifeless ANBU mask, blade at the ready. And her mother's unconscious body at his feet.
'How could he? How could he do this to me?'
'Mrs. Mikoto! How could you raise Itachi like that? Where did you go so wrong, that he turned on his own family and clan?'
But then at the same time she remembered his tears, as he shook in her arms, apologizing again and again. How he fought Madara with everything he had to protect her.
"Don't worry," Itachi from the memory said seriously, "I will not let him hurt you."
Just like seven years ago when Izumi lost her father, she couldn't deny that Itachi had been there for her. That he abandoned his intent on killing the clan just to help her.
Just like she couldn't deny that he had faced Madara Uchiha himself to save her life. And in return, she had failed to save his.
But he was still guilty. He still didn't warn anyone of Madara. Everything that happened had still been his fault, had it not? Even if he himself did not kill anyone, all of their blood was still on his hands.
A strange sound escaped Izumi's chest. It was something in between a scream and a wail, something she immediately felt was not entirely human, as it echoed through the empty rooms.
When she tried to think of Itachi, looking for him in her mind, Izumi was shocked to find everything muddled and shattered, as if instead of one coherent picture she had been looking at an endless stream of fractured glass shards, where each one had distorted the image beyond recognition.
How could she have remembered the warmth of his hand and the coldness of his ANBU mask at the same time?
It was as if Itachi didn't exist in her mind as a person anymore, as if his image had been violently torn apart into two, each one mutilated so much in the process, that both now barely even resembled him.
But Sasuke didn't know about any of this. Just like her own mother, he knew nothing of the coup, Madara and Itachi. Was it fair to not help him, only because he happened to be Itachi's brother? After all, she had lost people too, even when she had been a kid, no older than Sasuke.
And then it hit her. She almost fell, getting out of the shower, as the force of the thought almost threw her body back, just short of smashing it into the wall.
'There is no one else there for us. Sasuke and I. Here's the entire legacy of the Uchiha Clan.'
Walking back into her room, Izumi found a neatly folded black ceremonial attire already waiting on her bed. The ANBU sure knew how to be invisible when they wanted to.
Izumi let out a deep sigh, feeling some of the unstable tension finally leave her body.
She liked the feeling of fresh moisture on her skin and the smell and gentleness of clean clothes. Despite its morbid purpose, it brought at least a touch of normality into that endless morning.
She also noticed another, much smaller set of clothing, hidden away in the corner of her bed.
Telling herself it needed to be done, almost begging her muscles to move, Izumi gingerly picked up the costume, careful not to crumble it, and walked out of her room.
With every step the young girl took, she felt her resolve melting away, but Izumi knew she needed to do it, because it just felt right.
Izumi froze near the door, her fist already raised for a knock. She felt her legs giving out as her heart started racing yet again. One more time Itachi's face, contorted with fear and helplessness, sprung into her mind and, in the moment, she felt a visceral need to run away from it.
But inch by inch Izumi forced her fist to touch the hard, cool wood of the door in a knock.
"Hey…" she said unsurely, feeling her words dying out even before she could say them, "Sasuke?"
She could hear the kid sobbing quietly on the other side of the door, but he didn't answer either because he couldn't or didn't want to.
Izumi sighed deeply and slid down to the floor, her back turned to the door, feeling like her legs couldn't support her any longer.
"You can ignore me if you want." she began, struggling to hold back her own pain, "I am going to the funeral. I just thought… maybe if you wanted to come…" the next words lodged themselves into her mouth and she coughed, feeling her throat tensing up and how hard it suddenly became to breathe. But Izumi knew there was no other way.
'You need to do this. You need to. So you won't regret it later.' she whispered to herself time after time, as if hoping that repeating it would simply drown out all the other thoughts.
"If you felt like coming with me, I could take you there."
There. It was finally done. The words had left her mouth and she could finally catch her breath.
The sobbing gradually stopped, as the boy seemed to listen to her words, but he didn't say anything.
With another heavy sigh Izumi got up, sliding Sasuke's folded clothing through the small opening between the door and the floor, and slowly limped back to her own room, as a wave of exhaustion washed over her every muscle.
VvV
(with Naruto and Izumi; In the corridor)
In the next room from them, behind another closed door stood Naruto, listening intently to the conversation he accidentally overheard.
'A funeral?! So that's why Sasuke was so weird before!' Naruto suddenly jolted in place, shocked by what he heard and accidentally leaned on his door too hard, almost falling out into the corridor..
Naruto was frozen, frantically thinking of what to say. The girl looking at him was very beautiful, but also very sad, like a ghost. The boy wasn't sure how to react.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to..." Naruto frantically tried to apologize, but couldn't say anything coherent.
"It's okay." Izumi sighed, looking away from him. She didn't even stop, just closing the door between them.
Naruto looked around in bewilderment, his little body twitching with a touch of sadness. This girl too didn't even pause to look at him.
Yes, he figured out she was related to Sasuke, that they both had a funeral to visit and probably weren't even thinking about him, but it still hurt.
The boy stood in the gaping corridor, staring intently at Sasuke's closed door, as he could hear him start sobbing again behind it.
'Sasuke… It can't be! Sasuke doesn't cry like that?!'
Naruto wondered for a brief second what it was like to lose someone close to you. Feeling lonely he understood, of course, but being alone was his default setting, something he carried throughout his whole life.
A part of him felt bad for the prank he had pulled earlier. He thought maybe he should say something, but then he remembered Sasuke shouting at him, almost punching him, and recoiled from the door, fidgeting nervously in place. Eventually, he turned back to his room and disappeared behind his own door.
VvV
(with Izumi, in her room)
Izumi heard a knock on her door.
"The Hokage has requested your presence, ms. Izumi. Please, get ready and come with me." the unfamiliar voice commanded from the other side.
Dragging herself out of bed, Izumi obliged and came out of her room, falling into step behind an unknown ANBU member, just as gray and utilitarian as everything else in that place.
The ANBU member had led Izumi into a well-lit room, much bigger than most other rooms she had seen in the Hokage's mansion.
Her eyes immediately caught a spacious table, still simple and pragmatic in its shape and design, as were the most things, which shinobi preferred, but made out of the luxurious red wood Land of Fire was so well renowned for. It was a large round table with Konoha's crest, carefully emblazoned on its surface.
Exactly five soft chairs and five corresponding bowls of steaming hot miso soup had already been prepared beforehand.
One of the chairs was taller than the rest, adorned with decorative patterns of various leaves. It was probably meant for the Hokage.
Izumi thought that room must have been used for ceremonial dinners with important guests like the Daymyo.
When the ANBU beckoned her to take a seat, Izumi couldn't help, but feel a bit out of place there, but still complied.
After making sure she was seated, the masked ANBU disappeared with a faint whooshing sound of the Body Flicker.
It was, however, just loud enough to startle Izumi and make her finally notice a pair of big blue eyes, silently shadowing her every movement from across the table.
"Name's Naruto… just so you know. Can you maybe tell me yours too? Since we… live together, y'know?"
Of course, Izumi knew his name. Everyone in the village knew who Naruto Uzumaki was. The demon child. The Fox.
Truth be told, Izumi could barely keep her head straight, instead resting it on her arms, as she absently tapped at the table, feeling out its smooth polished surface with her fingers.
"You don't wanna talk to me too? It's alright, I'm used to it, really. I just thought if we are living together, we should be friends…"
Naruto visibly deflated, collapsing onto the table with his shoulders slumped, but he never took his eyes off Izumi, even as he tried to hide his pouting from her.
Izumi barely found the strength to lift her head and look at the kid, wincing subtly at the amount of childish hope flooding his gaze.
"Izumi." she forced herself to say, not to hurt Naruto further, before closing her eyes again.
Naruto's eyes lit up and the kid almost jumped out in his chair, accidentally spilling some of his soup on the table. He seemed to give it no mind.
"Izumi, huh? Cool! It's your first time here right? I mean, at gramps' place. I come here sometimes and the old man even has a meal with me once in a while! Believe it! Nothing as good as ramen, tho!"
Izumi tried to zone him out, burying her head even deeper into her folded arms, but the kid just wouldn't get the message.
With a silent groan, the girl lifted herself up, resigned to the idea that she'd have to say something more.
"Can you be a little quieter?"
Izumi immediately felt another small backlash of guilt over putting it like that, so she pretended to be interested in her own bowl of soup, gently stirring it with her chopsticks, but not actually eating.
'Why won't the Hokage show up already?'
Naruto paused mid-sentence, falling completely silent so abruptly that Izumi even felt a little concerned for him.
"Sorry… I know something very bad happened… I just got so excited about living with you guys."
Naruto's voice fell down to barely above a whisper and he too avoided looking at Izumi, instead fidgeting in his chair and playing around with the napkins.
"If you don't want to be friends…" he trailed off, afraid to actually finish the sentence.
'Seems like I'll have to say something again'
Izumi straightened her back, stretching it against the high back of the chair to take some of the soreness out of her muscles before speaking.
She could feel the tension in Naruto's body, realizing how heavily his well being probably depended on her next choice of words.
"It's not that." she sighed, brushing her hair out of her face, so she had an excuse to distract herself from looking at him, "It's just not the best time, okay?"
Naruto looked pensive and, very uncharacteristically for him, the kid sat completely still for a long moment.
"But when you feel better… Can we still become friends?"
Izumi regarded him with a cursory glance
"Maybe." she offered quietly, "I don't know… If I am ever going to feel better."
Naruto nodded, beaming a smile at her, but said nothing more, finally letting Izumi have her quiet back. She still felt his curious look on her, but that was easy enough to ignore.
Suddenly both kids perked up, seeing the Hokage enter the dining room, accompanied by Jiraiya, who looked at Izumi inquisitively.
"How are you holding up, kid?" the sannin asked with a hint of concern in his gruff voice, "The information you gave us was very useful. Thank you."
Izumi hesitated slightly before replying, but still lifted her head up to meet Jiraiya's gaze.
"Master Jiraiya." Izumi forced herself to stand up from her chair, bowing her head slightly when she locked eyes with the legendary shinobi, "I wanted…"
The girl struggled to reign her emotions in, already feeling a familiar grip on her throat, but she carried on regardless.
"I wanted to thank you… for earlier, but you left so quickly…"
"Don't mention it." Jiraiya waved her off, beckoning for her to sit down. "Like I said, we can talk more anytime you need, if you still have something to share."
Izumi acknowledged the Hokage with a polite nod.
"Hey, old man Hokage!" Naruto shouted across the room, jumping out of his seat to greet the elderly man.
"Hello, Naruto" Hiruzen chuckled lightheartedly, "You look happy. I am glad to see you like it here."
"Yeah! Oh, also this is Izumi! She's my…" the kid hesitated looking back at Izumi warily, but she offered no reaction and he bounced back to his usual cheery self, "yeah, she's my future friend! Believe it!"
"Yes, Naruto, I know who Izumi is. This is my home, after all."
"Oh… right!" the kid jumped up in excitement, "hey, old man, thank you for this. Living with Sasuke's tough, but at least I got Izumi to be friends with… She doesn't want to right now, tho. But she will, believe it!"
Naruto still wilted somewhat and Hiruzen ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.
"Just make sure you don't bother Izumi too much, alright? She has a lot to deal with at this moment."
"Yeah, you got it…"
Feeling Jiraiya's gaze on his back, Naruto turned on the balls of his feet, his curious blue eyes now scanning the man.
"Hey, I haven't seen you here before! Who are you? You look pretty cool, y'know!"
" 'pretty cool', huh?" Jiraiya scoffed dramatically, immediately shifting into one of his theatric poses, "Kid, you feast your eyes upon the one and only legendary Master Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! All woman want my love and all man want my strength and irresistible appeal! That's who I am!"
Izumi tensed up and seemingly shrunk deep into her chair. The various books she had read over the years were right. Master Jiraiya really was a bit eccentric. She still watched his exchange with Naruto, maybe even felt a hint of amusement at a feared and legendary shinobi just fooling around with kids, but still the exhaustion was overwhelming.
'I wish this breakfast was over already.'
"Wooow!" Naruto clapped his hands, positively glowing with excitement, "If I could do that, Sakura would really forget that…"
Sasuke. The mood in the room was dead pretty much the instant the boy had showed up on the doorstep, led by another member of the ANBU.
Izumi quickly looked the boy over. He looked like he had fought a war. His clothes were crumbled, his hair intertwined and protruding in every direction, his face still a bit swollen, but worst of all his eyes looked just black, without any spark left in them.
He stared back at her for a brief moment before silently taking the only empty seat. It happened to be the one next to Izumi, but Sasuke did his best to put as much distance between them as he could by moving his chair away from hers.
Everyone stayed silent for a moment, the only sound in the room being the torturing creak of the chair legs, grinding against the floor.
Everyone in the room felt the shift and just transitioned into eating the soup. Everyone except Izumi.
The girl felt his glare every step of the way. And the kid still looked so much like Itachi that Izumi eventually decided not to look, again focusing on her soup instead. She forced herself to eat a bit just to not be awkward, but the food didn't have any taste to her, as if she was putting ash into her mouth.
Even Naruto seemed to disappear into his bowl and him being so quiet felt especially uncanny.
'Careful what you wish for.' Izumi thought in the background, not even knowing how to act.
"The funeral." Sasuke just whispered, trying to hold his voice together, "You said we could go together. Right?" he added cautiously, trying to sound like he was still in control and more so just asking.
Izumi knew that particular tone very well, having done the same as a kid, she also knew for a fact how desperately he wanted everyone to just treat him as if nothing happened.
'Okay, you can do this, Izumi. You can do this. He's not Itachi, just a kid, a scared kid.'
"Sure, if you want to." she offered trying to sound nonchalant for him.
The silent twitch went through Sasuke's body, as he seemingly allowed himself to relax a little, falling into his chair more.
Izumi could tell he had more to say, probably a lot more burning questions, because he still continued to glare at her subtly.
She preyed he wouldn't actually ask any of them. And how much would she be able to tell him when he finally did? She imagined what it would do to Sasuke if he suddenly knew what she did.
That his beloved family had actually been plotting to violently kill half the people seating at this table and overthrow the government and his own older brother, whom he adored and admired just decided to ally himself with the most powerful Uchiha to ever live to massacre his family and clan.
That the Hokage everyone looks up to for guidance and protection had failed so miserably in his duty that it fell to a conflicted boy to prevent the civil war in his own village.
"Look, Sasuke…" Naruto of all people suddenly spoke up, causing Sasuke to look at him instead, even if only for a moment. The moment which allowed Izumi to catch her breath and get her thoughts in some semblance of order, as she looked at the boy with a subtle hint of gratitude.
Naruto couldn't sit still, his eyes dashing from one person to the next, searching for something.
"I am really sorry for… you know, what i did. I really didn't know what happened to you, honest! Believe it!"
The Hokage and Jiraiya watched the kids with reserved interest. Hiruzen hummed approvingly, as he watched Izumi from across the table, and Jiraiya was focused on Naruto, a hint of vague melancholy swimming in his eyes.
Sasuke, however, just gave Naruto a sharp look and turned back to Izumi almost immediately. She tried her best to brush it off, but felt herself failing miserably.
In a somewhat desperate bid to escape his gaze, Izumi just acted without fully realizing what she was saying.
"Master Jiraiya… excuse me. Can I ask you something?"
Jiraiya shuddered subtly, coming out of his own thoughts. He clearly did not expect to be addressed just like that. But being who he was, the man instantly read the room and adapted.
"Yes, what can I do for you?" he looked at Izumi attentively and she could tell his look probably meant something close to 'I got you'
Izumi stuttered for a second, but some inner voice inside her just told her to trust the legendary sannin.
"I was wondering, if maybe you could lend me one of your books to read. I heard they were very popular…"
Jiraiya picked up on the desparation in Izumi's voice, but didn't show it, deciding it best to just play along.
"If it's my books you want to read, best come back when you turn eighteen, kid! You're not ready for the fiery passion of love, described in my legendary works! But I commend you on your respect and literary taste!" he joked overdramatic and intentionally so.
Naruto snickered at his over the top antics, making a mental note to himself to get his hands on Jiraiya's book about that 'fiery passion of love'. You know, strictly to improve on a certain jutsu of his.
Hiruzen also chuckled, but Izumi was sure he too was just trying to help her. She appreciated it and it marked a shift in the room.
Suddenly and without warning, Sasuke just got up. Izumi's eyes tracked him, as he left the room. Naruto soon followed suit, probably picking up on the mood shifting again.
The girl got up to leave the breakfast last, her food barely touched.
"Izumi, a word, if you could" Hiruzen called out slightly, causing her to sit back down, uncertain of what the Hokage wanted with her.
"The official version of the events has been revised to avoid causing unnecessary unrest in the village." he said simply and directly.
"From now on, everything that happened is classified and to be shared strictly on the need-to-know basis. Please, try to understand."
'Not even Sasuke?' went unspoken. Izumi wasn't even sure she could handle talking about it to anyone, but the Hokage and master Jiraiya. Especially not to Sasuke.
"I understand, Lord Hokage." Izumi whispered, eyes downcast.
"Good, thank you. There is one more matter to discuss. I need you to decide whether you and Sasuke want to hold a wake ceremony for your family members. It's understandable if you do not feel ready to see them, we could keep the caskets closed or skip the wake and have only the funeral in that case."
Izumi looked at Hiruzen, taking a hesitant step from him, as she tried to calm her breathing, considering the decisions.
'A wake ceremony? Offering incense to their bodies? To see them again? Can I really look at them again? Can Sasuke handle it? Funeral? Closed caskets? This is… this is too much!'
A flash of her mother's body, slowly consumed by the flames intruded into her mind again, as the familiar scent of burning hit her nostrils yet again.
Izumi shook her head, reeling back from the sudden shock, flowing through her body, as she doubled over in a fit of violent coughing.
Jiraiya, who stood a small distance away from them, swiftly appeared behind Izumi, supporting her by the shoulders and Hiruzen immediately wrapped the crumbling girl in his embrace.
"Hey, hey. Izumi, stay with us." Jiraiya whispered into her ear, "It's just a memory, it will pass. Nothing more will hurt you here. Listen to me, to my voice."
"How could you let this happen?" her voice cut through two renowned ninja, somber and very quiet, but powerful, "You were supposed to protect us… How could you leave this to Itachi? Aren't you the Hokage?! How could you allow our clan to…"
"Being a Hokage does not mean I do not make mistakes, dear."
Sarutobi and Jiraiya both noticed how tense Izumi's body felt, and could feel her trembling slightly, unable to repress it.
Hiruzen knew he had to do more to convince her. And he needed to act quickly before her fragile self-control shattered completely.
"What happened to your clan is a hard and complicated matter to discuss. Most of it is classified and can not leave this room. But I promise you, I will address your every concern as soon as you are ready to handle it. As both an ANBU member and an Uchiha, it's true that Itachi had an important role in bridging both sides, but I assure you, that is all there is to it. "
With a characteristic sound, Izumi's Sharingan whirled to life as she pushed Hiruzen away and backed off a few steps from both men and waved her arms, as if trying to shield herself from them.
"How do I trust you? All I know is Itachi had an agreement with Madara and decided to kill our entire clan, including his own family to prevent a coup! Don't tell me he came up with it himself! I know Itachi! At least, I thought I did…"
As if acting on an invisible cue, the ANBU agents quickly closed off the door to the room, making sure the sensitive conversation did not escape its confines.
Hiruzen sighed heavily, somehow looking even older than he was, almost fragile.
"Hey, kid, what are you trying to say?" Jiraiya tried to close the gap between them very carefully, "Are you saying you think Itachi was ordered to kill everyone by Konoha? Izumi, you are a smart kid. You know our village doesn't work like that."
"I don't!" Izumi continued to retreat further, accidentally knocking a dining chair over. The loud bang startled the girl and she looked even more lost, frantically retreating farther into the room.
"Please, just think about it." Jiraiya immediately stopped, placating his arms peacefully in a show of goodwill, "Even if we put the Uchiha coup down by force, why kill the civilians? Why enlist the help of Madara? He is a criminal who has already destroyed our village in the past. It just makes no sense. We could have just arrested the leaders and supporters. Come on, listen to me, kid."
Hiruzen also came forward to speak.
"Please, believe me when I say this. I would never have given such an order. What you are talking about is genocide. It's true that we had contingency plans with the ANBU agents prepared to respond. But my orders were strictly to detain the protestors. Lethal force would have never been used unless provoked."
"Why do you always only talk? I grew up reading and listening about the great tree of konoha where everyone supports each other… but who supported us? Who supported Itachi? My mom? My Clan? You moved us to live on the outskirts, you blamed us for the Fox and then when we started to rebel you just made Itachi solve your problems for you! Why did he feel so lost he chose Madara over his own village? His own family?! Is this will of fire? I just don't… I can't understand this!"
"I am sorry." Hiruzen said somberly, seeing the overwhelming fear in her eyes, "I have failed both you, your family and your clan. I know my words may not mean anything to you and that would be understandable. But you have my word as the Hokage that I will not let any further harm come to you or Sasuke. Perhaps, given time, we could work together to rebuild the legacy of your clan and the trust between us."
"I… I don't…"
Jiraiya sensed Izumi falling apart and appeared behind her in a seamless body flicker, locking her in a hug from behind, gentle, but firm, so the girl couldn't move.
"Alright, that's enough." he spoke softly, "I think we better skip the wake ceremony for now. Do you want me to take you to your room?"
Jiraiya looked over to his Sensei, nodding subtly when he felt Izumi calming down.
"I… no, thank you. I am sorry for what I said, it's just… all so hard to understand!"
"Yeah, it isn't much better for us too." Jiraiya said very quietly and seriously, "but it's good you are asking questions. Suspicion and critical thinking are very good skills for any ninja to have. Don't blame yourself for it, kid."
Izumi got up, carefully escaping Jiraiya's arms, and slowly left the room, as Hiruzen gestured for the ANBU to open the door.
VvV
(with Izumi and Sasuke; evening of that day before the Funeral)
Izumi found herself standing in front of Sasuke's door once again, this time dressed in customary black attire and almost ready to leave for the funeral. As ready as she could be.
The girl could sense her legs shaking subtly. She felt as if making just one stray movement, saying one extra word could completely shut her body and mind down.
'The caskets would be closed. I won't even see them again. There is nothing to be afraid of.'
She had to hold out. Not as much for her own sake, as for Sasuke's.
"Are you ready?" she spoke, trying to reign in her voice, "it's almost time."
In response Izumi only got a faint sob from behind the half-open door. Through the narrow opening, she could see Sasuke laying in his bed, with his knees tucked up to his chest.
She paused half-way through it, still considering if what she was about to do was a good idea. Izumi took a second, waiting for anything in her body to go awry at the first sight of Sasuke.
'He is not Itachi! Just a child! And he needs you!' She tried to rally herself, but a deeper, more visceral part of her mind was still frozen, waiting for the unbidden memory of Itachi's face to hit it yet again.
'Not now, not tonight, please.'
Not giving herself any time for second thoughts, Izumi entered the room in one quick and quiet motion and gently settled down on the edge of Sasuke's bed.
"Go away." Sasuke whispered into the pillows, "without me."
Izumi noted that Sasuke's room was a carbon copy of her own, with a large window, the same crude bed and the bookshelves.
At the sound of the boy's voice, Izumi had finally caught her mind wandering away, desperately trying to distract Izumi from Sasuke.
'You have to face it. You have to.'
Izumi forced herself to look at Sasuke, carefully reaching out to stroke his turned back.
"If you feel like you can't come, don't. It's alright. Your family already knows you love them."
Sasuke suddenly turned in bed, looking straight in Izumi's eyes. Up close he looked even more like Itachi and before Izumi could do anything, her body recoiled instinctively, followed shortly by an afterthought of guilt and shame. Sasuke didn't notice her reaction, instead reaching out to grab her hand with his own, almost like a newborn would.
Izumi didn't dare take a single breath, silently struggling to keep her thoughts focused in the moment. She didn't know why, but it just felt important and Izumi reluctantly returned the gesture, squeezing his hand slightly.
"No, this is all wrong! Why are they burying empty boxes?"
"Empty boxes?" Izumi repeated after him and only after she had, the true meaning of it finally got to her, "Sasuke. They won't come back. They died, that's it. I saw it."
"No, don't lie to me! Why does everyone keep lying to me? Dad and Itachi are the strongest in our Clan! They must've saved everyone, but they are hiding or something… You know, dad told me we had a secret pla–"
"Sasuke. I know about the shrine." Izumi placed a hand on his shoulder, gently urging him to listen, "They are not there, okay?"
Sasuke looked at her, eyes brimming with hope
"You knew about the secret place too? Not there? Where are they? Izumi, you have to help me find them! You're Itachi's friend, right? Maybe he told you something…"
"No!" Izumi suddenly sprung from the bed, feeling her voice surging, reverberating through the room, her chest filling up with terror before she could even finish. But she knew she couldn't stop it.
Itachi's name, his face, the tremor in his tense body. It all just burned through her and it was too late to contain it.
"They are dead! That's it! They are not hiding, they did not escape, they died. Just like that! One moment they were alive, the next they weren't! I couldn't save them, okay? It's as simple as that!"
She saw Sasuke shudder, as if she was punching him instead, only letting out a short guttural wail after each word.
Izumi stood still, eventually sitting back down, and looked at Sasuke, who turned away from her.
"Sorry" she whispered faintly, "I shouldn't have said it like that."
Too late. Izumi ended up breaking the last rampart holding Sasuke together and he just cried. If that was the right word to call it. It was a weird, almost animalistic sound that echoed around the room, pinning Izumi firmly in place.
"Why do you say that?" Sasuke managed to squeeze out in between his ragged breaths, "Why do you lie like that? Why don't you help me find him?! You aren't Itachi's friend! You just want to take him from me!"
Izumi moved to say that wasn't true. But could she?
"Mangekyo Sharingan! Please! I beg you! Omoikane!" her own desperate cry ringed in her ears, as she was violently plunged into their battle against Madara one more time.
Once again she felt time around her grow viscous and slow until it grinded to a complete stop, bent by the power of her eyes.
Again, Izumi was forced to watch as the sharp wooden splinter slowly protruded from Madara's bare hand, splitting Itachi's throat, a horrible fountain of blood gushing out. Again and again, until she found the secret behind his technique and the timeline in which Itachi managed to strike just fast enough to exploit it.
She saw the sudden dark blur of movement as Madara's fallen corpse jerked back to life and finally Itachi's face, his eyes widening with terror and despair seconds before he was gone, whisked away by Madara's wormhole, his gaze pleading with Izumi to run.
'If only I had looked a little further with Omoikane! If only I saw and warned him, Itachi may have survived! I really took him away from Sasuke, didn't I? But then didn't Itachi deserve what he got?'
With a startled gasp, Izumi fell back out of the memory, finding Sasuke still staring straight at her and tugging at her arm, demanding an answer.
For a second she felt it again. As if instead of Sasuke, Itachi himself had been staring at her, asking why she hadn't saved him.
Acting on instinct, Izumi reached out and grabbed Sasuke into a hug, burying his face into her shoulder just to not see it.
"Let go! You lied to me!" The kid struggled, hitting her with his little fists and thrashing with his whole body against her grip.
"I am sorry. I really took Itachi from you."
Sasuke stopped cold, suddenly falling completely limp against her grasp.
"Why? Big brother trusted you."
"I know. If he hadn't tried to save me, he might've lived. I am sorry I couldn't save him and your parents. If I was stronger, if I trained more… You could have had your family now. I am really sorry I am all you have."
They sat like that, in the complete silence of the room, each only listening to each other.
Eventually, Izumi noticed Sasuke's breathing growing restless and labored, felt his little heart exploding against her own chest, as he suddenly groaned.
"I… I don't feel well. It's my head… Something is not right." he desperately clung to her, gasping for air, "It's burning! It's burning me! It hurts!"
Sasuke twitched, his panic growing, as he screamed for help, grasping Izumi even tighter.
Izumi sighed, doing her best to pull him closer, not letting him move.
"Shh, it's alright." she held him gently in her arms, "just relax. I know it hurts, I know… shh"
"It's not fine! I feel like I am dying! What's happening to me?! Please, make it stop! Make it go away!"
Izumi rubbed the boy's back gently, resting his head on her chest, so he could hear her breathing.
"You're not dying. I know you feel like it, but it's alright. It will pass, I promise. Just focus on me and breathe. Let's do it together, okay?" Izumi whispered gingerly, taking a deep breath.
Sasuke was hesitant, but did the same, allowing Izumi to lull him into the rhythm of it. In. Out. In. Out.
"What's wrong with me? What's happening! It's all red and I can't see! Why?! Why?"
Izumi took a moment to respond, her voice taking on a hint of soothing sadness.
"Nothing's wrong with you. You are just growing up, that's all. I know you are scared. When it first happened to me I was very scared too. Back then… Back then, Itachi helped me. And now I am helping you. It's okay…"
"Growing up?! Wha–"
"Shh, don't talk, just breathe. I'll explain, okay? Just listen. What you are feeling is normal for every Uchiha. When we're very sad, our body reacts in its own special way, alright?"
She paused, giving Sasuke a moment to think about what she said. When he hummed through the tears, the girl continued.
"Our eyes change and that's how every member of our Clan gets their Sharingan. It's very painful and scary, but it's just a part of being us."
"But I don't want anything to change! It's… it's…"
"Unfair, I know. Yeah, I feel like that too." Izumi finally allowed herself to cry too, as soon as she felt Sasuke was fine, "But even our special eyes and jutsu can't bring our families back. I wish there was a way… If there was, I would give everything to find it."
Unexpectedly an ANBU operative appeared at the door.
"Ms. Izumi, we need to leave for the funeral. It's almost time."
Izumi moved to end the embrace and leave, but stopped, as she felt Sasuke's body tense up at the mention of the ceremony. She paused, lost in thought.
'I need to be there. To say goodbye to mom!'
Izumi closed her eyes tightly, summoning the image of her mom and reminding herself why she needed to go in the first place. But instead her thoughts wandered back to the day her own Sharingan had awakened and the warmth of her mom's hug and her favorite homemade ginseng tea when Hazuki Uchiha comforted her daughter. She also felt how tightly Sasuke was gripping her shoulders.
'Thanks, Mom… for finally telling me what to do'
Shaking her head subtly, Izumi looked at the masked shinobi, nodding her head in gentle disagreement.
"I am sorry, but we're not going." she said quietly.
"But, ms. Izumi, this is important for your clan and your family. Lord Hokage has already made preparations."
"My family doesn't need me anymore." Izumi offered calmly, "I know, mom would understand."
The ANBU offered a simple nod of acknowledgement and disappeared silently into the shadows of the Residence to inform Lord Hokage.
Sasuke didn't say anything, but Izumi felt his breathing relaxing gradually and with time the boy slowly drifted into an uneasy slumber.
Making sure he remained soundly asleep, Izumi carefully moved the boy to his bed and made her way back into her room, feeling her exhaustion building up with every step.
It had been a long and painful first day at her new home, but now somehow Izumi felt a spark of fragile relief, now gently smoldering alongside her pain.
Author's Notes
Lilthug: Yeah, Naruto kinda did drop the ball pretty heavily last chapter, but he ultimately owns up to it, so who knows, maybe in the future he could try to be a little more understanding towards Sasuke, however difficult it might be.
So, here you have the last chapter of the "In the Shadow Of Death" Arc. Maybe, I did go too deep with Izumi's and Sasuke's emotions this chapter (I mean 10k words deep!), but I think they badly needed to have those moments and everyone who thinks otherwise I hereby challenge to an ordeal by combat and may God decide with whom the truth lies.
Seriously though, there will be some proper shinobi action next chapter. Believe it!
Peace to everyone.