Challenge!
Chapter 8- Numb
I forgot to put this in the first chapter, so I will now. I do not own Naruto or any of the singers/bands whose names are used. This song is by Linkin Park.
TxT
Itachi panted, but pushed himself to repeat the same pattern he was working at.
"You can do better than that, Itachi." Said Fugaku Uchiha, his father, frowning. Itachi began going faster and faster, even though he knew he could suffer from muscle damage.
AxA
"Itachi, if you want to protect the village, you need to do better. You can always go higher." Danzo spoke, looking intently at the almost-twelve-year-old.
"Hai, Danzo-sama."
FxF
"Itachi, I'm getting worried for you." Shisui stated one day, coming up to the kid. "You're the walking dead these days. You need to take a break every so often, or you'll just crack."
"Shisui, you know that this is how I advance… I need to get stronger, if only for you and Sasuke." Itachi responded.
"Itachi, I don't need protecting, and Sasuke has entered the academy, he'll learn how to protect himself. Besides, we never have fun anymore…"
"Itachi! I need you for training!" Yelled said boy's father, coming out of the house. Shisui gave him a sad glance.
"Just take a break every so often, Itachi. You'll hurt yourself one day."
SxS
"Itachi, could you train with me?" Sasuke asked his older brother, looking up at him with shy eyes.
"… Fine." Itachi muttered, forcing himself to stand. Sasuke smiled and bounded out the door, not seeing the wince from Itachi as he stood.
The older began instructing the younger on how to throw kunai, but it was when he attempted to demonstrate when it became obvious that he something was wrong.
"Now Sasuke, you must be careful to not let yourself be cut by the kunai. Then you must pull back your arm, and let loose-" Itachi let the weapon fly toward the target, and Sasuke's eyes followed eagerly.
"Itachi that was so- Nii-san!" His brother had fallen to the side, clutching his side.
"What's wrong? Should I get Oka-san? Do you-"
"I'm fine, Sasuke. Just a small wound." The 11-year-old ground out, gritting his teeth. He took his hand from his side, and saw it blood-covered. He put his hands into a quick seal, and began to heal the scratch.
"How did you get that, Nii-san?"
"Just a training accident. Should I continue to teach you, otouto?"
"No, I'll be fine, you should rest."
Itachi sighed, but allowed himself to be dragged home by his little brother after the bleeding had stopped. When Sasuke left, Itachi called out.
"You can come out now, Shisui."
Said teen jumped out of the branch he had been hiding. "A training accident?" He asked in a bitter voice.
"Yes."
"So, who did it, your father? Or maybe even Danzo… or could it even be your squad leader?"
"…Shisui, you know this is how I get stronger."
"With your father yelling at you every moment? Your employer attacking you every second you're not on a mission? Itachi, take off your shirt." The older growled out.
"No."
"You forced me." With that, he sent a genjutsu toward Itachi. Though the younger boy easily dispelled it, it was enough time for Shisui to cut through the lower half of Itachi's shirt.
"Look at that, Itachi. That was obviously inflicted on purpose. It was intended that you either dodge or deflected it… did the blade have poison on it?!" Shisui asked in newfound horror as he looked at the wound. It was a long gash in Itachi's right side, red on the edges.
"I must strive higher and higher, Shisui, how am I going to serve if I don't? I am nothing but a tool to the Leaf and Uchiha."
"We are more than tools, Itachi! Don't you remember Obito?!"
"Obito died in service, still as a tool. He died under the Leaf."
"Itachi, we are human, Obito died saving his friend from the rocks, and gave him his eye…" Shisui croaked out, shocked at the behavior of Itachi.
"And the eye was used, and is still used, in the service of the Leaf by Kakashi-sempai. Face it, we are nothing but tools."
"And Sasuke, is he a tool too will he be a tool?" The fifteen-year-old retaliated.
"…Sasuke will do what is needed of him."
"Itachi, you're my best friend, my younger brother... You don't understand how painful it is to see you like this. You're a kid, just eleven… how is it that you are expected to kill? You may be a genius but you, are, a, kid."
"I can only except what is true." Itachi stated sadly.
"Itachi… I want you to take a break for a day soon, okay? If you don't, you will find yourself naked hanging from the Hokage Monument."
Itachi glared with amusement in his eyes.
MxM
"Itachi, when you are done with this mission, please report to the counsel room."
"Hai, Danzo-sama."
"Dismissed."
Itachi left the room quickly. He wanted to get the stupid mission over and done with. It was the night after Shisui had spoken to him, and he began to think Shisui had been right.
He took care of the older family quickly, making sure there was no noise, but once he got to the children…
"Big sister, catch the ball!" Came a small voice from inside the room.
"Not now, I need to finish giving a bottle to Hideo."
"Forgive me…" Itachi muttered and stepped inside the room.
"W-who are you?" The youngest girl, looking about age seven, asked. Itachi caught her eye, while sending a genjutsu to knock her out.
"What did you do to my sister?!" Screamed the older. She too was knocked out in the same way.
"I'm sorry…" Itachi whipered again and stepped toward the baby…
KxK
"Itachi, the counsel has judged that your father will not be reasoned with. Therefore, we have decided that the clan must be executed. You will be the executioner."
"Hai."
EndxEnd
Yes, a rather bad ending, I know. This would be what happened before chapter seven… Sorry for the late update.