Last week the Uchihas set out for Mist to attend Aya's wedding and Deidara dropped in to accompany them.
Thanks for all the reviews and favs
This week's chapter is much better and has some plot progression as well.
Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Kishimoto.
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Chapter 35 – Revelations and Responsibilities
Water country hadn't changed any, Itachi noticed regretfully as the small group from Konoha wove its way through the streets of the port town they had landed at a few hours previously. The streets were full of vagrants, the shops empty of customers and the skies colored grey with pollution. It was a depressing sight that froze the hearts of those living there and shattered the hearts of visitors. Yet nothing ever changed.
The oxen were eager to move after having been crammed in the hold of a steam ship for a couple days and were being difficult. Having been raised and cared for in Konoha, where ox carts weren't in use very often they had spent most of their lives in a field doing whatever they wanted. And that was exactly what they wanted to do right now. Run around in a field. The man in charge of the animals, a middle-aged Uchiha named Rokurou gave up about halfway through the town and used a Genjutsu to calm them before insisting they stop someplace suitable later on to let the oxen work off some steam.
While they were waiting for Rokurou to finish, Sasuke made a declaration that turned everyone's heads, "That person's dead!"
Sasuke had his Sharingan activated and was staring at a woman whose corpse was in the full throws of rigor mortis. Her mouth was wide open, her eyes a dull black and a rope was tied to her wrist leading to a small child who was wailing pitifully. As they watched two orange-clad monks walked up and untied the girl, much to the distaste of the two men who had been watching the spectacle.
"Hey!" The dark-haired, anorexic looking man with a scar running down the side of his face yelled angrily as he stood up to face the holy-men. "We have a bet going, now put her back!"
"What are you talking about?" The monk replied sarcastically. Itachi and Sasuke moved closer, both curious about what was going on. Deidara trotted back to them and scowled when the man took several steps towards the monk.
"We're betting on when she starves to death of course! What else is there to do in this god-forsaken land?"
The monk growled under his breath, "Then I came just in time."
"What are you three looking at?" The man turned to the trio and glared with such menace that Itachi actually snickered. For some reason it reminded him of a small dog he had once seen in the village that used to bark at everything and anything, but would run away yipping if you barked back.
Sasuke spoke up, "We're watching you make a fool of yourself."
Itachi stopped snickering. Was his brother an idiot? Picking a fight was not a good idea right now.
Of course Deidara had to have his say as well, "And you are very entertaining."
Itachi groaned, then looked up at the monk, "If you would like an escort to your temple, I would be honored to assist."
"Unnecessary." The monk's companion lifted the girl up on to his back and faced the trio, "I am an ex-ninja and perfectly capable of handling my fellow human beings. We come to this town every two weeks to look for strays so as bad as it sounds, I'm used to it."
"Ex-ninja?" Sasuke asked incredulously.
"I have a lot of sins to answer for." The monk's voice was full of sorrow and his companion sighed and looked down into the muddy, filth-strewn street, "Being a ninja is not something one should be proud of. Now if you'll excuse us, we have an entire town to search before sunset."
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"So why are you boys so quiet?" Sheeta asked later that afternoon as the group rested next to field outside of town. The oxen were trotting happily around a field their keeper had rented for a few hours while everyone else sat around talking or napping.
"Are we?" Sasuke asked softly.
"Yes." Hinata gave him a simple reply
"Oh." It was quiet for a couple more minutes as the two girls sat waiting for an answer that was obviously not forthcoming.
"They're moping." Sheeta finally said.
"Looks like it." Hinata laughed.
"Ninja kill lots of people." Sasuke finally broke the silence.
Hinata sighed, "Yes. It's regrettable."
Deidara started throwing small tones at a small shrub, "Everyone's afraid of us because we're ninja and they think we'll kill them. You just have to accept that and work around it. It helps if you don't dress like a ninja when you're off duty." He patted his jeans-clad leg.
"Humph." Itachi had to agree with that. But on the other hand he liked his ninja clothes because they were comfortable and he had found it useful to be kitted out for emergencies.
"Anyway… we'll be in Mist soon." Sheeta was eager to change the subject. "But I wish it was because we were taking Aya back and not to marry her off."
Everyone agreed with that, except Deidara who continued to throw pebbles at innocent plants. Tama popped up out of nowhere and started chasing the rocks, eventually coming back with a dead lizard, which he plopped down in front of Sasuke.
"That's your dinner tonight, son." Fugaku replied and he joined them.
"Great. Thanks, Tama." The cat purred happily before running back off into the bushes. Sasuke dug a hole with heal of his sandal and buried the animal, then, out of boredom, stacked several small pebbles over the "grave". Hinata smiled and picked some tiny green leaves from a nearby weed and laid them next to it.
"Lord Fugaku, the oxen have calmed down enough to travel. We should be ready to continue in half an hour." Rokurou bowed politely as he addressed Fugaku.
"Thanks. Let's get ready then. I think some of us are going stir-crazy." He looked at the small lizard grave and smiled as he walked away.
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"There it is." Itachi announced as they stood on a cliff overlooking a small village. "The village hidden in the Mist."
"It's tiny." Sasuke responded.
"It's only about half the size of Konoha." Sheeta added, "But twice as fierce so, you know, be careful."
"You make it sound like I'm going to go out and pick a fight straight away. My names not 'Naruto' you know."
Itachi faced his brother and turned serious, "You may not, but they probably will. Don't get sucked in."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Sasuke didn't feel much like being lectured and opted to walk away instead.
"They didn't seem that way when we were here last time." Sheeta added after Sasuke had left.
"No. Not with me or you, but Sasuke is a different matter entirely. Frankly, bringing him here was neither optional nor desirable." Itachi noted that the person his brother had walked off to join was Deidara. The two were spending way too much time together as far as he was concerned. The blond had a rather easy-going attitude toward life as well as being a constant reminder of Akatsuki – an organization he had always despised.
As they approached the village gate a man could be seen leaning up against the wooden structure. He wore a simple dark blue yukata with matching pants and ninja-style black sandals. His long hair was pulled back in a low ponytail that reached down to his waist.
"Ah. You have arrived. I am Sora, the Lord of the eastern branch of the Uchiha clan." He walked confidently up to Fugaku and looked him directly in the eye. Although he was limping, the man's bearing revealed no weaknesses.
"Well, apparently you already know who I am." Fugaku responded as he gave the Sora the once-over. He was suddenly reminded of some old photographs Kentaro, his old advisor and childhood-guardian, had shown him many, many years ago. His sharp mind picked out a particular photo that the old man had been particularly fond of. It showed him as a child shortly after the village was founded, sitting at the lake with his father as well as the members of the clan Lords family.
"Something wrong?" Sora was a little surprised by the sudden silence.
"Huh? Oh, it's just, you look remarkably like my grandfather, although I only know of him through photos. You even have the same name." Fugaku smiled and gave a short laugh.
Sora returned his smile, "Yeah, we'll talk more about it later. First, let's get everyone settled." He waved at the gate and a small group of men and women came forward and started dividing everyone up. Most of the group was divided up between three hotels while Fugaku, Itachi, Sasuke, Nui (and the children), Toshiro, Kisa and the Hyuuga party would be staying at the Mizukage's mansion.
Mist was pretty much as Fugaku remembered. He had been here on a handful of occasions in the past – usually courier missions – and was always struck with how old-fashioned the village was. There were no phones, very little electricity, and a lot of the citizens wore kimonos, yukatas, and hakamas. It was almost like stepping back a hundred years.
Of course, their lifestyle wasn't completely out of choice. Water country refused to allow them on the electrical grid and rebels had completely disabled the countries phone lines. That left them with just coal and oil to fuel their rather small electrical plant and wood to heat their homes. Therefore, in general, only public buildings and a few other chosen facilities were electrified.
As for the old-fashioned clothing… Fugaku figured that had more to do with Madara's own personal tastes than anything else. Although there were still a lot of people walking around in traditional ninja attire and a few were wearing jeans and t-shirts.
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"Why do I have to stay in the mansion?" Deidara muttered. "I don't know the Mizukage. Something fishy is going on."
Itachi nodded in agreement, "Nevertheless, nothing's going to happen to you so you can quit worrying so much."
Deidara looked closely at the teen walking next to him and smiled, "Then why are you grinding your teeth and clenching you fists? Angry at something? Or someone? The Mizukage perhaps? You know who he is, don't you? I heard he always wears a cloth over his face to hide it."
"Yeah, I know him." Itachi ground out bitterly, then to himself, 'And so do you.'
They finally arrived at the outer wall of the mansion and as they passed through Deidara looked curiously at the one and two story structures that wove throughout the large garden. "This is a mansion? I thought mansions were big, like five stories with huge columns and stuff."
Fugaku answered, "Traditional mansions are only two stories at the most and snake along the ground like what you see here. Much nicer, in my opinion, than the ostentatiousness of western architecture."
"So you approve of my home?" Madara stepped through a large circular, red double-door that marked the guest entrance.
Fugaku nodded, "It is pleasing to eye."
Madara smiled in appreciation, he was rather proud of his home after all. "Ah, Deidara, you have come as well. I had my people looking out for a mad bomber for last few days in case you decided to 'decline the invitation' so to speak. I assure you your room has been prepared with only the finest, one-of-a-kind breakable items of immense value so you should obtain immeasurably joy from their destruction. And should you run out of things to break I have an entire warehouse set aside and staff willing to re-stock your room. Should you require anything else, please ask."
That, of course, left the blond speechless and he stared at the taller man with wide, unblinking blue eyes and a stupid expression on his face. A maid in a light blue kimono came forward and led the shell-shocked teen away.
"That's the quietest I've seen him in days." Fugaku remarked. "So why do you want him here? He's been expecting the worst."
"I have some issues to discuss with him, and I want to see how he conducts himself in a formal social situation. He has been handling negotiations for me quite successfully and is quite charismatic. It might be time to up the stakes a bit and change his role in the organization." Madara turned to address the rest of his guests, "Lady Hinata, how nice of you to grace our presence with your beautiful face."
Of course Hinata blushed, "Thank-you for the invitation. It's my pleasure to finally meet you and I hope your wedding and your future are filled with many blessings." She bowed forward a couple inches and averted her eyes to the floor.
Madara smiled, "Such good manners in this day in age. It is refreshing." He locked gazes with Toshiro who was standing protectively behind his foster daughter and between the two Hyuugas who were clenching and unclenching their fists, uncomfortable at being in what they considered an enemy village.
Kisa placed a hand on Hanabi's head and smiled as she spoke up, "I'm sorry if I sound a bit rushed, but it is lunch time and we would like to feed the kids and put them down for a nap as soon as possible." Nui nodded her agreement as she tried to re-adjust Nagi, was on the verge of a temper tantrum and whimpering her disapproval at being restrained.
"Of course. Lady Hinata, you and your party have been given an entire building to yourselves near where Fugaku and his family are staying. There is plenty of room for everyone."
"Fugaku!" Mikoto walked out of the building with a huge grin on her face, "I heard you were here! Sasuke! I'm so glad you're okay; you've been through so much. Are you still in pain? Was the trip too hard? Perhaps you should lie down…"
"Mom…" The blushing boy whined, "I'm fine… quite fussing."
She gave her son a hug before moving to Itachi, who cringed and backed up a step as she approached. "Guilty conscious?"
"Ummm…."
"The correct answer is 'yes'." Sheeta answered.
"Yes." Itachi replied dutifully.
"Oh Itachi, I couldn't stay mad at you anyway." Mikoto gave her eldest son a hug, clinging on to him tightly as if he would disappear if she let go. "I heard about your hospitalizations. I hope Tsunade will return. I don't want to loose you."
Itachi gasped once in surprise, this was not the greeting he had expected. He had been sure his mother was going to at least slap him for getting Sheeta pregnant.
Fugaku laughed, "Don't bury him yet, Mikoto. He's still got a lot of work to do."
She released him and grabbed Fugaku's arm, "Let's skip lunch. I've got something I want to show you in our room."
As the couple disappeared into the building Sasuke scrunched his face up in disgust, "Ewwww… old people sex." It was hard to keep a straight face after that and everyone broke out laughing. Sasuke, who hadn't actually meant to voice his thoughts turned bright red at the slip and smiled impishly.
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The next morning Itachi and Sasuke were summoned to one of the many meeting rooms in the mansion. Upon entering they found their parents and Madara already seated on cushions around a rectangular black lacquer table that was set with water glasses and a small bowl of rice crackers. The windowless room was brightly lit and the walls were covered in decorative scrolls giving it a rather cheerful ambiance.
"Good morning, boys. Did you sleep well?" Mikoto's friendly voice had been sorely missed over the last few months and both her sons smiled warmly as they muttered out approvals over their accommodations.
"My room is great and Tama appears to be enjoying himself as well. The maid found out he's a good mouser and has borrowed him for the day." Sasuke laughed, remembering how excited she had been.
"Never heard of anyone borrowing a cat before." Mikoto spoke truthfully.
"She said she saw a mouse in her kitchen at home last night and freaked out. I'm sure Tama can handle it."
"Anyway." Fugaku cleared his throat and Madara cast a veiled look at Sasuke, "We are here to clear an issue up that… well… Sasuke, all I can say is that you keep an open mind and try to accept the situation. After all, what's done is done."
Itachi felt a cold dread settle over him and he clenched his hands together under the table tightly in an attempt to suppress the childish urge to run and hide. He had a feeling he knew what the conversation was going to be about and while he knew it was important and had to happen, the desire to keep it a secret for just a little while longer was overwhelming.
As if rehearsed, Madara spoke first, "First, I believe I should introduce myself properly. I am Madara Uchiha and I was born in the village next to the Uchiha hideout before Konoha was founded. How I have survived this long is not the subject of this discussion, but suffice it to say that I am that old." He paused when he noticed that Sasuke's face was devoid of emotion, but his stance showed he was listening. Madara continued.
"Shortly before you were born I learned that the host for the Kyuubi was old and dying. A new host needed to be found. I realized, at the same time, that I had a chance to retake Konoha if I used the nine-tails before sealing him in a new host. Gathering up some followers I began to set things in motion. However, I needed a baby to carry the Kyuubi and there were none in Konoha. Itachi was the youngest child and he was too old for the sealing and I wanted an Uchiha."
"So you grabbed Naruto instead. Yeah, I know that." Sasuke blurted out. He was obviously on edge, not liking the seriousness of the conversation.
"No, I didn't." Madara continued.
Fugaku sighed and closed his eyes, "As you know, I can't have any more kids. I explained it to you once, remember?"
"Yeah." Sasuke's eyes opened wide with understanding, "Wait… you… I thought you did that after I was born! Are you saying you aren't my dad?" By the time he had finished the last sentence he was yelling.
Itachi reached over and put a hand on his brother's shoulder but the boy shrugged it off. Not knowing what or if he should say anything, he averted his eyes and stared glassily at a snow-white orchid that had been placed in the center of the table. Years earlier, when he had learned the truth, he had attacked Madara. Of course, he was a small child at the time and had been easily restrained by the bigger man with no harm done to either party, but he still clearly remembered the anger he had felt back then.
"I'm sorry Sasuke, but in blood… I am not your father. However…"
"Figures. That's why you never pay attention to me. You don't even want me." Sasuke pouted.
"Sasuke…" Mikoto spoke up, but was interrupted by Fugaku.
"Blood isn't needed here, Sasuke. You are still my son and if I haven't paid enough attention to you… well… paying too much attention to Itachi didn't work out so well either so perhaps you should consider yourself lucky."
Sasuke didn't know how to respond to that and opened and closed his mouth a couple times as he tried to think up something when another question crossed his mind, "So… mom… is she…" He couldn't finish. His insides had started to knot and his heart was pounding so hard he wondered if it was going to explode.
"I am your mother, Sasuke. I was in the hospital…" She stopped talking and snuck a glance at Fugaku. She had been there because he had beaten her when she tried to defend Itachi from his attacks. The child had suffered a broken arm and she had a concussion. "I… was… there… when Kagura, your cousin Obito's mother and a medic nin, told me she could do an artificial insemination technique and implant Fugaku's sperm into me to produce another baby. So that's what we did. Only…" Her voice faded away and Fugaku picked up the story.
"I have no viable sperm, so when I was told that the council wanted me to have another baby I gave the okay to use someone else's… and I left the decision to my closest advisor at the time. A man who had been my guardian as a child."
It was quiet for a couple minutes and Itachi took the opportunity to look closely at Madara, who had changed position and was now sitting with one leg bent up against his chest and an arm wresting on his knee. He looked very comfortable and informal in his plain yukata and hakama pants, but Itachi knew better than that. The elder Uchiha was always alert and seemed to have a sixth sense about the goings-on of the world.
"So… the only reason he would be here," Sasuke pointed at Madara, "is if he is my dad."
"You are a bright boy." Madara spoke quietly, "I am pleased my plan failed. Fugaku found out and in order to prevent an Uchiha from being sealed with the Kyuubi the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his own newborn son. You are more than I ever hoped for, Sasuke Uchiha. It would have been a waste."
"A… waste? What's wrong with sealing the Kyuubi in an Uchiha anyway… not that I would want that… but…" Sasuke was starting to feel sick and wished with all his heart that the meeting would end so he could go hide for a few hours and think everything through.
Madara continued, "The eyes… our Sharingan can control the nine-tailed beast. Placing it inside an Uchiha increases the power of the host a hundred times. I wanted control of the boy with that power. But instead it went to Naruto… who is powerful from his fathers and mothers genes and the Kyuubi… but couldn't possibly measure up to an Uchiha."
"But why would it be a waste? Power is a good thing, I wish I had more."
"Because I would have had to kill you when my plans were fulfilled." Madara's words cut straight through everyone in the room with their bluntness.
Sasuke gasped a couple times, trying to catch his breath. To have someone come straight out and say such a thing… that he would have died… worse, that he would have been killed by his own father… was too much. He felt someone's arms wrap around him and he clutched tightly at a cotton shirt, closing his eyes he wished desperately to disappear but of course it didn't work. Distantly he registered that it was his mother, her perfume was unmistakable and comforting. Slowly he relaxed and let go of her shirt, but was surprised when she tightened her grip and sniffed loudly.
"Mom… are you crying?"
"I never wanted to hurt you… I'm so sorry…" Mikoto broke down in sobs as she clung even tighter to the boy. All the frustration, fear, and anxiety of the last twelve years seemed to burst forth and she found herself unable to stop.
"Dad?" Sasuke was beginning to panic. He couldn't remember the last time he saw his mother cry, she had always seemed so strong.
"Its okay, Mikoto. Why don't I take you back to our room?" Fugaku stood up and extracted his wife from Sasuke. She pulled a bunch of tissues out of the sleeve of her kimono and wiped her face and nose. He continued speaking as he walked toward the door, "Sasuke, we'll talk again later, but… please remember that you are my son just as much as Itachi is."
Itachi took a deep breath and exhaled as his father pulled Mikoto out of the room. However, right before sliding the door closed he gave Itachi a meaningful glance that the teen understood at once: Do not leave Sasuke alone with Madara. Nodding his understanding Fugaku and Mikoto finally left.
Madara yawned dropped his leg back down and leaned back on his hands. "You will explain all this to Sheeta of course?"
Itachi realized he was being addressed and nodded once.
"We considered having her with us, but she has quite a temper. Mikoto thought it would be less violent if she was told by you."
"Less violent as in I'll be the only one to get hurt?" Itachi replied dryly.
"Yeah. That about sums it up."
"Hmm. Well, she wasn't too happy when she found out we're sharing a room. And a bed." Itachi realized they were just making small talk, waiting for Sasuke to say or do something. But the boy remained rigid, staring at the door his parents had gone through not three minutes earlier. Time stretched on and eventually neither could stand it anymore.
Madara finally spoke up, "Sasuke, you are quiet. What are you thinking?"
Sasuke's voice was quiet, "Is there a way… to remove the Kyuubi from Naruto and put it in me?"
For the second time in half an hour Itachi felt his blood run cold. Was power that important to his brother?
"Removing a tailed beast from its host always kills the host. We know of no way to prevent that. Placing a tailed beast into a host older than an infant has a low success rate, but can be done. However, I for one will not allow such a thing and I am sure no one else would approve either." He looked carefully at Sasuke and could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to think the last statement through, "And Orochimaru wouldn't do it either so don't even consider asking him. In fact, stay away from Orochimaru period."
"Huh? Oh." Sasuke acknowledged Madara's request, then spoke up in a voice that was almost a whisper, "Would I sacrifice my best friend's life to keep my brother alive and his wife and child safe?"
"Sasuke," Itachi's mouth was so dry he had swallow several gulps of water before he could speak, "Sasuke it's not going to come to that. Sheeta and the baby aren't threatened by anything and Naruto and Jiraiya are out right now looking for Tsunade. It'll be okay… you don't have to keep up with this 'I'll protect you' shit." He was beginning to get angry. He didn't like this side his brother was showing because, quite frankly, it scared him and if there was one thing Itachi had never liked it was being scared.
"Sasuke." Madara spoke confidently, his deep voice friendly and sincere, "There are other paths to power. Your brother and Fugaku have walked down that path as have I."
"No!" Itachi cried out, "I forbid it!"
"The Mangekyou Sharingan?" Sasuke ignored his brother.
Madara laughed, "You are very bright indeed."
"I would still have to sacrifice my best friend."
Itachi grabbed the edge of the table and jumped to his feet, "Madara, don't you dare help him like this! He doesn't need it! I can…" He gasped a couple times before succumbing to a fit of coughing. Panicked, Sasuke jumped up and put an arm around his brother's waist and pushed him back down to the floor until he was sitting on his knees.
"Do you need some water?" The boy asked quickly.
Itachi shook his head as the irritation in his throat continued to build. He quickly realized he was beginning to have trouble breathing he was coughing so much and he tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle them so he could get some air.
"He can't breath, Madara! What do we do?" Sasuke's voice sounded far away, as the burning in his chest and throat overwhelmed him. Something cold, like an ice cube, traced a line across his chest and his coughing stopped. Looking up he saw that he was leaning against Madara who was holding him up and applying chakra to his chest.
"That wasn't funny, Itachi." The man said sternly, "Sasuke, take him back to his room. I'll have a medic come look at him at soon as possible." He lifted Itachi to his feet, then turned around and left the room.
After a minute Sasuke spoke up, "You do need help, Itachi. Like Madara said, that wasn't funny. And don't tell me Sheeta and the baby aren't in danger. I don't know exactly everything that's going on yet, but I can sense something is wrong and you… you can't protect anyone if you're in the hospital."
Itachi didn't feel like responding to that, and opted to return to his room instead. However, he wasn't alone. His brother had no intention of leaving him to his own devices until the medic came.
As he approached his room he stopped at looked out at the garden. It was winter and there were no leaves on the trees or flowers on the ground, but the area was still perfectly manicured. He glanced back at his brother, who was standing a few feet behind him with a concerned expression on his face. Closing his eyes he rubbed his temples as he tried to clear his thoughts. But he couldn't calm his mind. The problem, Itachi realized, was that Sasuke was right.
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"Sheeta! I just heard… is he okay?" Mikoto slid open the door and addressed the first person she saw, who happened to be sitting on a couch watching a horror video. The room was dark even though it was early afternoon.
"Yeah. He's in the other room sleeping. The medic removed some gunk from his lungs and gave him a tranquilizer. He had the same procedure a couple weeks ago… it shouldn't have had to be done so soon again. I'm afraid he's getting worse." Sheeta stood up and walked over to the older woman.
"That doesn't sound good… Did he tell you…"
"Yeah. He told me about Madara. He wouldn't take the pill until he did. This family is really screwed up, isn't it?"
Mikoto blinked twice, shocked and a little insulted at her future daughter-in-laws words, "Well no one's perfect."
"And some are a little less perfect than others." She stated adamantly, "Don't give me a bunch of sugary 'things aren't that bad' type of words, Lady Mikoto. I'm not blind."
"You may not be blind, young lady," Mikoto snapped, "but I would advise you to close your eyes occasionally or you will be one unhappy woman in a few years. I learned that the hard way, don't make the same mistakes I did."
Sheeta wasn't sure she understood completely what Mikoto was telling her, but she was too worried about Itachi continue arguing. Plopping herself back down on the couch she huffed in annoyance and proceeded to ignore the older woman.
Mikoto sighed in resignation and sat down next to the teen, "I've mentioned several times how hard your life is going to be as the clan chief's wife. You can't just think of yourself. You have every single other person in the clan to consider as well and they want you bear part of their burdens and solve their problems. We are nothing more than an extended family with a mother and father that everyone can run to when they're being picked on."
Sheeta dropped her eyes from the TV to the over-polished wooden floor and ground her teeth in frustration. After a minute she spoke up in a voice so quiet that Mikoto had to move closer to hear what she was saying, "He tricked me."
"What?" That statement made no sense in the context of the conversation.
"He… used a jutsu to get me pregnant. He didn't even have to guts to ask… he just… he just saw a target and went after it without considering the fallout."
Mikoto's eyes went wide with shock and she sat straight up as her mind tried, unsuccessfully to understand the situation.
"He just… moves on… even though I'm upset and can't trust him anymore… he just assumes I will and carries on like nothing happened. Should I turn a blind eye to that?"
Mikoto gulped, knowing that her answer was going to probably be one the hardest things she had ever said, "Yes."
Sheeta burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Mikoto, "I can't do that… I can't forget…"
Mikoto hugged the girl tightly to her chest and laid her cheek on the top of her head. She knew what it felt like to be betrayed by the man she loved. Fugaku had done it a dozen times. At least. 'Itachi,' she finally said to herself, 'you are more like your father than I thought you were.'
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Itachi's dreams were filled with nightmares as the destruction of Konoha played out in his subconscious with at least five different scenarios that he could remember, and probably more that his dream fogged mind forgot. Foremost was the one he had suffered through since he was a child: Sasuke crying over his dead teammates.
As he looked around the darkened room he noted that not only was it now morning, but Sheeta was sleeping on a futon against the far wall. As far away from him as she could get without being in a completely different room.
Getting up from his own futon he stumbled bleary-eyed to the bathroom and smiled when he saw that the soaking tub was full of hot, steaming water and a clean set of clothes had been set out for him. It was curious. Sheeta was obviously mad at him, but she kept doing little things like this for him. Although he wouldn't put it past her put a poisonous spider in his shirt or dump acid in the water… or perhaps he was just being paranoid?
Deciding that his brain was probably still messed up from the tranquilizer he proceeded to bathe, emerging thirty minutes later feeling much better. It was nearly seven in the morning by then and Sheeta was beginning to stir, opening her eyes she smiled warmly as Itachi sat next her and brushed the hair away from her eyes.
"You're beautiful, you know." He said quietly.
"Are you feeling better?" Sheeta's tired voice cracked a little.
"Yeah. I think I'll grab Sasuke and do some training. Are you spending the day with Emi and Aya?"
"Yeah… a few hours… then Aya has a fitting appointment with the seamstress and Mikoto want to… um… go over our wedding plans… sort of… you know… how it is…"
"I guess it's to be expected. Even though we signed those papers it is hard to think of you as my wife. I guess the ceremony does mean something after all."
"Yeah, me too. I guess you're right. I keep calling you my boyfriend instead of my husband."
"But at least this way the baby and you are covered if I die." Itachi placed a hand over Sheeta's stomach and pushed a small amount of chakra into the womb. "It's so strange to feel a different chakra source inside of a person. Even if it is just a whisper of one right now."
Sheeta laughed as she sat up, "Tell me about it. As soon as it was enough for me to feel I couldn't stop checking on her. It's an amazing feeling."
"You mean him." Itachi teased.
"Her."
"Him."
"I guess if you can argue about the kid you must be feeling better." Sasuke called from the other side of the door. "By the way, I let myself in."
"You didn't lock the suite door?" Itachi smirked.
"We're in a house full of ninjas. What would have been the point? Besides he's your brother. Now the two of you go outside and play nice."
Itachi gave her an evil grin, "Of course." His grin faded as he opened the door and stood face to face with his little brother. The boy's eyes had dark circles under them and he was gazing listlessly at a potted plant. He looked up slowly and slouched, sticking his hands in the pockets of his black pants.
"I kept having nightmares last night. Naruto and Sakura were dead. It was my fault." Sasuke admitted finally, "I can't let that happen."
"Sasuke… why do you think it would happen?" Itachi was naturally unnerved by his brother's words, but kept his face impassive and his voice even so it wouldn't show. This wasn't the first time they had shared the same dream.
"I don't know. That part of the dream doesn't happen, but… somehow… I know that even though I didn't actually kill them, the fact that they are dead is my fault. It doesn't make sense. I don't understand." His eyes dropped again and he went back to staring at the plant.
Bizarrely enough, Itachi had a sudden urge to hug his little brother and assure him that everything was going to be okay. But he didn't. Because things weren't okay and saying otherwise would be a lie.
Itachi changed the subject, "About… yesterday… you aren't seriously considering…"
"I have to do it. But it can't be Naruto. Or Sakura. The dream last night must have been a warning. If I have enough power I can prevent their deaths. But I can't figure out how to get that power."
"Sasuke…" Itachi was interrupted when the suite door slid open and Fugaku stepped into the room. His stern expression was sobering and both boys tensed up visibly when they saw him.
"Sasuke, Madara told me about the conversation that led up to Itachi's illness." He strode into the room, stopped a couple feet from his youngest son. "How serious are you about the Mangekyou?"
"Father!" Itachi's eyes opened wide in shock.
Sasuke stuttered over his words, unsure of what his father's motives were for asking, "I...I… um… d…d…don't know."
"There is a way for you to get it without killing your best friend." Fugaku continued. "I would like you to take over a mission that I had assigned Itachi years ago."
"What is it?"
"That I'm not sure of yet. The actual mission… may change… something is going on here. This isn't just a wedding." He stopped talking and looked at each of his sons. Itachi was upset and Sasuke was confused and looked like he hadn't slept at all the previous night. 'They're just children.' He thought to himself. 'Why am I doing this to them?'
"Oh." Sasuke wasn't sure what to think about that and looked at his brother, hoping for some guidance.
Itachi closed his eyes and clenched his fists, "Did he tell you what happened the last time I was here?"
"The fights? Yeah. He did. A Genjutsu is used to convince the participants that they have a friendship and then they are pitted against each other. The winner kills the looser and the Mangekyou is unlocked. Madara has offered to set up a match."
"Against whom?" Itachi couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was absurd.
"Not an Uchiha. A boy a couple years older than Sasuke was imprisoned last week for murder. He'd killed about five young girls – first year Academy students – dismembering them and leaving the pieces around the village. It was quite disturbing and he is set to be executed."
"A fourteen-year-old did that?" Itachi was surprised. Even in the ninja world extremely violet crime was rarely committed by children or teenagers. They usually just picked fights or waited for a mission to work out their frustrations.
"It surprised everyone apparently, although those who knew him weren't all that shocked that he was capable of such a thing."
"Still, I don't like it. I don't want Sasuke to…"
Sasuke interrupted his brother, "I'll do it." Once the words were out he gulped audibly and went back to staring at the poor plant.
"You have killed before, Sasuke, in self-defense, and it wasn't someone you knew." Fugaku's voice held no emotion and he gripped his son's chin and turned it to face him, "This will be different. Madara will put a Genjutsu on you to make you think this boy is your best friend. And he is a killer. If you hesitate, you won't come out of that fight alive. I'll give you until tomorrow to think about it." He released his son and turned to Itachi, "This is Sasuke's decision. You will do nothing to influence him."
Itachi watched as Fugaku left the room, then turned to see a tear drip out of one of his brother's eyes. Sasuke turned around quickly and ran out of the room. Taking a deep breath he suddenly remembered that Sheeta was in the other room and had probably heard everything. Concerned, he quickly entered the bedroom only to find her laying on her futon curled up in a ball with her head tucked down to her knees.
"Sheeta… I'm so sorry you heard that…"
"That's how it's done." She sniffed as she spoke, and looked up at Itachi, "Aya has the Mangekyou, did you know that? That's how she got it huh? I can't live with this. How can they be so cruel?"
Itachi laid down next to his girlfriend and pulled the comforter up over them. Wrapping his arms around her she was reluctantly forced to stretch out of her fetal position. "They are cruel. You can say the clan is messed up… but it's really the world that's messed up. The ninja… our life is absurd."
"Then let's leave it. We could sneak away, get a ship to the other continent and the three of us could live without any ninjas. Or the four of us. We could take Sasuke too."
"Sheeta," Itachi kissed her on the forehead before pulling her in closer, "If it was that easy don't you think there would have been a shortage of ninjas by now? Most of them would have run away. There's a reason missing nin are often killed and it's not just to protect secrets, it because the villages are greedy and don't want to loose their assets. And that's all we are, a tick in an accounting ledger used to earn money for the village."
Sheeta sighed, "I wouldn't really do that anyway. I couldn't leave my family. Not really. But Sasuke… what he has to do… its barbarous. You have to stop it."
"Sheeta…" Itachi was silent for a couple minutes, "I can't. You have to know… if Madara and I fought… one or both of us would be killed. And anyway, they could just hold the fight in secret without me knowing anything about it. I really don't think there is anything I can do. And perhaps Fugaku is right. This is Sasuke's decision."
"It's not a decision a kid is capable of making! Fugaku knows that! That's why he's letting Sasuke make it. He's manipulating him, using him for his own twisted purposes. You complain about Madara, but what, really, is the difference between him and Fugaku? Fugaku is older, he has experience and understands more about what is going to happen. What does Sasuke know? He's still a kid, Itachi! No matter what he decides, it won't be well thought out!"
"And what exactly do you want me to do to stop this?" Itachi asked, frustrated.
That shut the girl up and she rested her head on his chest. "I don't know."
"You'll make a wonderful mother, Sheeta." Itachi finally said in what he hoped was a kind voice. "You really care about people."
"If I can't save Sasuke, then how exactly will I save my own children?"
"Sasuke isn't your kid."
"As the matron of the Uchiha clan I am responsible for him."
Itachi couldn't deny that, however a rather chilling thought crossed his mind. If he were the clan chief instead of his father he could order the match to be cancelled. Surprised at the turn his thoughts had taken he felt his heart skip a beat. Kill his father so Sasuke wouldn't be forced to fight to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan? But the match… Sasuke was going to win so he wasn't in any physical danger. His opponent was more than likely just an average or below-average ninja and Sasuke was a genius after all. If nothing else…
"Sheeta. I will attend the match. If Sasuke looks to be loosing or having trouble I will step in and assure his victory."
"But psychologically… what will this do to him?"
"We'll have to wait and see. But that is probably the best I can do in this situation. Please, Sheeta, you have to accept it."
'So this is what you meant, Mikoto, when you told me to close my eyes.' Sheeta thought to herself. She turned her head so that she could look at Itachi's face. She was struck with how handsome he was, how perfectly his skin molded over his face, even the folds of between the eyes and nose made him look somehow wiser or older than his years. But his eyes, though haunted with the events of the past twenty-four hours, were young and vibrant.
"I will trust you then, Itachi."
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Next week – Sasuke makes his decision. How will everyone react?
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