Itachi stared at the flame choked village. They were flaunting his powers well, he thought sourly. People were running from houses and deftly throwing water from the lake on the fires. One young man yelled into the crowd.
"No! Use water-style!" the villagers turned tail from the lake and began weaving hand signs in blurs. They ran obliviously through him. He caught sight of Mizuumi briefly before she melded into the crowd. An image of the library slapped him behind his eyes before it crackled away into static nothingness. He whipped around in time to see the flash on an explosion in the highest window. Itachi set his course for the imposter.
Kaito's wings unfurled like a parachute, the explosion acting as a strong updraft. He hovered at the top of the dome for a moment to savor the feeling of freedom flight brought before gliding effortlessly onto the sixth floor landing. He ran his hand over the polished dustless shelves. The floor was dimly lit by the light of a lone lamp that sat on a wooden checkout desk. The floorboards creaked underfoot as he approached the desk. A woman sat behind the desk. Her hair was the color of unpolished marble, and her skin was a pearly white. She looked as if she'd never seen the sun. Kaito stopped in front of hr.
"I knew you'd come, Kaito. I've been waiting." Her voice was the embodiment of times itself, old and young yet not bound as a servant of age. There were four books on her desk.
"Who are you?" Kaito asked nervously.
"I'm the guardian of these texts. Before you are four of the volumes you seek. After you have learned them you will need to find the rest yourself." Her milky white eyes seemed to gaze through his heart and into his soul.
"Thank you," Kaito placed the books delicately into his bag one by one. The woman's hand grabbed his.
"These are forbidden texts, Kaito, do not forget their power." He eyes were intense.
"I'll remember your warning, I promise." She smiled.
"Farewell, Kaito of the Hidden Leaf."
The guardian faded to ash before his eyes. Shaken, he advanced to the door and opened his wings. Itachi would be there soon.
Itachi fazed through the locked door. The library was dark, too dark for his liking. The domed roof was stained glass, and silhouetted against the pale blue moon was a winged figure.
Mizuumi weaved through the mass of familiar faces. One comrade, the one who'd been yelling orders, grabbed her.
"Mizuumi, help put out the fires."
"But Shibuki, Arashi-"
"He'll be fine, but if we let this fire continue, our village won't."
"Yes sir," she sighed. Toshiro bounced over to her.
"How was the mission?" he extinguished the grass fires as he spoke.
"It was a failure."
"Figures,' the two worked on in silence. Eventually, all the fires were put out.
The burnt buildings stood like skeletons, the smoke could've been their undead breath. The library and the Village Conference Center were the only structures that remained unscathed. They were sentinels over the charred graveyard. The villages congregated within the meeting are of the Conference Center. Even then, Arashi was nowhere to be found.
Itachi watched as the figure expanded its blue feathery wings. It flapped them three times before shooting into the air and drifting lazily to the ground.
"Now we meet," he smiled. Itachi's imposter seemed at peace. Like he knew all the answers.
"Tell me your name."
"My name?" He mused," My name has never really been asked of me."
"Oh? Did your mother hold your hand and introduce you to everyone for you?" Itachi taunted. His imposter laughed.
"Very good, Itachi. You're wrong, of course, but very entertaining."
'Your name."
"Haven't you guessed?
"Kaito."
Very good, Itachi. Yes, my name is Kaito." Kaito applauded him, cocky fool. Kaito looked at him expectantly.
"What?"
"Well? Aren't you going to say something?"
"Why waste words on the likes of you?" Kaito's expression deflated.
"So rude! What would little Sasuke think if he heard you talk like that? How is he, anyway?" Itachi remained reticent.
"Oh, that's right!" Kaito continued, wings moving dramatically with his words," You left him all alone back in the Leaf Village. That' wasn't a very good decision, leaving your little brother all alone thinking—"
"You know nothing!" Itachi's blood boiled with fury.
"How thoughtless. Sasuke must've been beside himself. First his family leaves him, and then Big Brother Itachi goes and joins a band of criminals. Not a very good brother, are we Itachi?"
"You. Know. Nothing." Itachi growled.
"Did I strike a sore spot?" Kaito smirked. He'd done it; Itachi had let his enemy get to him. His first lesson as an anbu blacktop and he still hadn't been able to prepare himself against some insolent body snatcher. He must've gone soft if some coward could evoke what even an Akatsuki couldn't. Kaito was correct, at least partially. He had left Sasuke, but he hadn't even come close as to why. Itachi was so distracted he didn't notice Kaito's approach. He felt Kaito's hand pass through him. Itachi glared, readying a retort. Kaito's expression stopped his insult dead.
Kaito was staring at his hand sadly. He seemed deep in thought.
"So that's it," he whispered.
"Your plan going up in smoke?" Itachi taunted.
"It's going better than your relationship with Sasuke!" Kaito fired back.
"You know nothing!"
Kaito exited the building, leaving a stunned Itachi far behind. He pulled his cloak back on over his retracted wings.
"Didn't see that coming did he?' Kaito smirked. He jogged over to Mizuumi's house and opened the doors to her cellar. Kaito walked easily down the stairs into the damp darkness. He didn't need a light; his prisoner was right where he'd left him.
"You ready for your big finish, Arashi?"
Mizuumi snuck out of the meeting. Her house wasn't far; all she'd have to do was run. Two people were waiting for her outside her house.
"Arashi?" She called.
"Mizuumi?" Arashi whimpered.
"Arashi, stay there!" The other person spread a pair of silver feathery wings, pulling themselves and Arashi high into the air.
"Put him down, he's just a kid!" Mizuumi yelled. The winged person laughed.
"Children die every day, why should your brother be spared?"
"Because he doesn't deserve to die!"
"Not good enough!" The boy shot higher into the sky. Mizuumi felt her heart stop as she watched Arashi fall. She seemed to move in slow motion. She heard Arashi scream, saw his tears, and then it was over.
Kisame waited outside the village for Itachi. Something was wrong, his partner didn't seek destruction, yet the smoke billowing above him told a different story. He had no choice; he'd have to contact Pein. He wove the hand signs and a projection of him appeared in the Akatsuki base.
"Where's Itachi?" Pein asked automatically.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
"Elaborate." Kisame told Pein everything, from the girl to the destruction of the village. Pein listened, occasionally asking for clarification on certain matters Kisame mentioned.
"He's changed, Leader~Sama. It's like he's a different person," Kisame concluded.
"Perhaps Itachi has finally seen the light. As of right now he doesn't pose a threat to us."
"And if that changes?"
"You know what to do."
Kaito smirked and rose back into the air with Arashi hanging limply in his arms. Mizuumi was too stunned to speak. He n=mentally checked off number 67 o his listed.
"Before you ask, my name is Kaito. I saved your brother because he has something I need."
"What's that?"
"Your help."
"I'll never help you!"
"Never? I wouldn't be so sure."
"And why is that?'
"Take a look," Kaito ripped open Arashi's shirt with one easy tug. He heard Mizuumi gasp. Perfect, he thought, number 16 really does work. Arashi's torso was covered in explosive tags. With one sign, he could destroy him and part of the village. Of course, then he'd have to find someone else for number 17. Decisions, decisions.
"Ok, I'll help you."
"Excellent, Mizuumi." Kaito lowered her brother safely to the ground. Kaito waved her over and led her to the Academy's swimming pool.
"What now?" She asked uncertainly.
"Swim."
'…What?"
"Swim. Just do it." She noticed his eyes had changed to red and black instead of gold.
"Ok…" Mizuumi dove into the pool with as much grace as she could muster at the moment. Kaito's eyes followed her every motion. After a moment of observation, he retracted his wings and dove in as well. Mizuumi stared in astonishment as Kaito swam. They resurfaced together.
You may go," Kaito climbed out of the pool.
"That's it?"
"That's all I needed" Kaito unfurled his wings and disappeared into the night.
"Mizuumi!" Arashi ran over to her.
"Arashi!" Mizuumi stared," Why on earth did you change your shirt?"
"What? I've been wearing this all day."
"What about the explosives?"
"Explosives? Oh, the fire! Mrs. Kari's furnace exploded." Arashi was eyeing her strangely. Mizuumi realized with disgust that she'd been tricked.
Kaito swam out of the village triumphantly. Number 28 was a success!
Itachi sat huddled up under a tree in the clearing he'd selected for camp. His conversation with Kaito kept replaying over and over again in his head, fast forwarding to the last bit.
"You know nothing!" He yelled.
"Don't I?"
"What do you mean, coward?" Kaito's smirk became more vicious in ever flashback.
"Wouldn't you like to know, brother?" Kaito disappeared in a cloud of feathers.
"Brother?" Itachi asked, back in the present, "Kaito…is my brother?"
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