I do not nor will ever own Naruto
-xXXXx-
"I don't have all day," Uchiha Madara said darkly, standing in the doorway to Itachi's family's house. The young Uchiha pursed his lips.
"I'll meet you at the gates in a few minutes," he mumbled. "Don't let anyone see you."
"Don't take me for a fool," Madara snapped, his Sharingan gleaming fiercely behind his mask. "I'll give you an hour. Any longer than that and I'm starting without you."
Itachi narrowed his eyes. It would raise unnecessary alarm. "I'll be done before an hour," he muttered, and, with a final glare and swirl of his mask, Madara disappeared.
Itachi turned back to his empty house. The still silence permeated through every inch of the once-lively home. He felt wretched, having let the murderer of the house's occupants just stand in the doorway, but he didn't let it show on his face. He knew he couldn't pick a fight with the Uchiha here. Especially because he would lose, despite the damn good fight he would put up. Itachi eyed the dusty floors. He supposed that, after he was gone, the place would be ransacked. He stepped forward, frowning. He couldn't take much, but at least...
"Itachi?"
Said Uchiha widened his eyes, feeling his heart stop for a moment. His controlled facade cracked.
"...Shisui," he said in recognition, steeling his expression. He slowly turned around.
Shisui stood in the doorway where Madara had been, looking at the black and red cloak Itachi now wore in confusion. He looked as worn as Itachi felt, with pale features and heavy movements, and the younger felt a harsh stab of guilt. When he looked up to Itachi's face his eyes widened, and he clenched his fists. The indifference Itachi was showing could have fooled anyone, but for Shisui...
"I..." he began, his voice no louder than a whisper. Itachi watched the other male warily. Shisui knew he would bolt at any minute. He closed his eyes in a pained grimace when he remembered what he had said to him. Feeling absolutely wretched, he whispered, "I'm sorry..." He looked up at Itachi. The younger Uchiha had frozen, and shock had broken through his carefully schooled expression. "I... I wasn't thinking." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have said... what I said."
Itachi pursed his lips, lowering his gaze. He felt weak. His chest hurt. "...Everything you said was true," he mumbled, shaking his head. "The things I've been planning-" His throat tightened suddenly and he swallowed to clear it. "... Even with you and Akane," he whispered. He closed his eyes. "I don't know... if I would have been able to do it or not. But I would have had to take the mission." He started trembling as Shisui's hands curled into fists.
"Even her...?" Shisui asked, looking up at him with hard eyes.
"No survivors," he muttered painfully, eyes still closed.
"And you...?" Shisui then hesitantly asked, his face paling in alarm.
Itachi released a shaky breath. "No survivors," he repeated.
"They'd make you...?" The information seemed to horrify Shisui more than anything else for some reason, Itachi thought. Maybe it was just this added to the pile.
He looked off to the side, not wanting to meet Shisui's eyes. "...Even if they didn't, I would have done it anyways."
"But why?" Shisui demanded. Itachi stood silent, unable to organize the thoughts flying around in his head in his distress. "Why even her?" Shisui asked, gesturing harshly out to the compound. "Why even you?"
After a tense moment of silence, Itachi shrugged. He didn't even know anymore. Why even them?
"Damnit!" Shisui bit out. Itachi looked back up at him. Shisui ran his hands through his hair helplessly, looking around the room with teary blue eyes as if searching for inspiration, and Itachi felt his own eyes sting in response. "Is there nothing we can do? Are we just... subject to this? Eventual imprisonment or dying?"
"...No," Itachi murmured, shaking his head. "There is always a compromise. It's never one option or the other. It's never just black or white. You... Tamotsu is a good man. He can lead the clan in the right direction. Seek reform diplomatically... If you push, you will succeed. Tell them that the Uchiha Clan was not responsible for the Kyuubi attack... Tell them..." Itachi swallowed. "Tell them it was Uchiha Madara." Shisui furrowed his eyebrows. "There are many things possible in this world, Shisui. Immortality is one. Sandaime-sama knows how true that is."
Shisui fixed him with a stare. "How... do you know it was him...?"
Itachi's gaze lowered. "He told me. I've... met him."
"You..." Shisui shook his head. "Why do you want me to tell them? What... are you going to do?"
Itachi's head lowered as well. His pulse was racing frantically. "I'm leaving." He'd never thought it would be so hard to say. Shisui's eyes widened. "You were right. The coup can never happen without me. And, well..." He paused briefly, sighing deeply, tiredly, helplessly. "Neither can the massacre."
Shisui looked for everything like he was about to object, shaking his head in denial, eyes shining much brighter than normal.
"You can't change my mind, Shisui," Itachi shook his head, blinking away his own tears and stepping back when Shisui stepped forward. "I don't want to kill. I've done enough of that. Madara will be the last one, and I'm going after him. I'm leaving."
Shisui looked shattered, wounded so deeply that it was etched across his face and swimming in his dark eyes.
"Don't," Itachi pleaded, taking another step back. Because if you try to stop me, I just might listen.
Slowly, resignation spread through Shisui's expression. He closed his eyes, a sob nearly escaping him.
"That's..." he began in a whisper, shaking his head in defeat, "...probably for the best."
Itachi swallowed, unable to keep back the tears now. He stepped forward, hesitantly raising a hand. He rested it on Shisui's chest, flinching when Shisui's own hand shot up to grab it. "...Take care of Akane. Cherish her. And your father." He attempted to smile encouragingly, but couldn't. Not with Shisui staring at him through his wet eyes that way. "Keep that promise we both made about the Akane and Sasuke. I can't anymore but... Please, keep yours."
And though it slowly took every inch of Itachi's control, he forced himself to pull his hand from Shisui's and turn away.
Madara was waiting.
"No, wait," Shisui choked out, and he grabbed Itachi's hand and yanked him back. He kissed Itachi, pouring everything he could into the kiss, and Itachi, flinchingly, hesitatingly, tried to do the same.
"I do love you," Shisui muttered into Itachi's lips when he pulled away, mournful navy eyes staring into agonized red. "That never changed. It never will."
"Why do you have to make it so much harder?" Itachi whispered, crying in earnest now and clutching tightly onto his arms.
"Because I'm stubborn, remember?" Shisui joked weakly, trembling almost as bad as Itachi. He kissed his mouth again, once, twice, pressed a kiss to his hair, each time murmuring, "I love you."
"I love you," Itachi mumbled in response to each, "I have to go. I love you."
And then he was gone, and Shisui, for the first time, selfishly, cursed his own clan for driving him away like this.
-xXXXx-
Fast updates because everything's already written and I wanna get this over with so I can focus on my other multichap O.o
One chapter left of this part, guys.
Happy late birthday to Itachi. God, I am such a bitch.
As always, you guys are amazing for following such a depressing story. In my defense, it IS filed under Hurt/Comfort/Angst.
Also, I have remembered that I have a LiveJournal account. Link's at the top of my bio, and I'll eventually get around to posting SMFTN. You must have patience with me though, I never bothered to learn how to operate on that site xP I'm working on it, though!
Toodles, my dearies.