Author's note:
Enjoy reading:-)
Disclaimer:
Same old… Same old…
XoXoXoXoX
"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Biju speaking or Jutsu"
["Talking" Mindscape]
XoXoXoXoX
PETALS OF HOPE
CHAPTER 21
XoXoXoXoX
"Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are... It is the rest of your story, who you chose to be…" – Kung Fu Panda 2
XoXoXoXoX
Itachi walked calmly. Ignoring Kirara's irritating huffs, the Uchiha carefully think of his plans.
This time, there will be no mistakes.
Saving Sakura would be his first most priority. Sasuke would follow as well. However, with Lady Kagura in the same vicinity, that spells trouble. She might say something to his little brother. Frowning a little, Itachi tighten his fists.
"She promised not to interfere with my business… I hope she keeps her part of the bargain…"
With that in mind, Itachi breathes quietly. There is no time to waste. He had to act fast before Tobi does anything drastic.
"Kirara"
Giving him a pointed look, the Fox snarled unglamorously. "What? You're talking to me now?" Hissing angrily, Kirara flips a strand of her hair and continues to walk ahead, deliberately shoving the Uchiha by his side.
Chuckling inwardly, Itachi sighed and removed his Akatsuki ring and gave it to the girl.
"Seems like I'll be retiring sooner than expected." The Uchiha mused. "I want you to give that ring to the Leader."
Her eyes widened, Kirara stared at the man in front of her. She stared so hard that she thought Itachi's imaginary vein ticked.
"What?" The Uchiha even had the urge to ask that stupid question.
"I really wonder what Sakura-chan saw in you…" Kirara said grumpily.
"?"
"Nevermind." Kirara rolled her eyes. Turning around, hiding the expression that passed her face, the fox bit the insides of her mouth to keep herself for shouting. As her eyes shifts to red, Kirara's tail and ears bristled ominously.
"The fortress in Amekagure is surrounded by an invisible barrier. Getting in would be difficult, as HE will immediately notice our presence." The fox said in a thick voice.
Contemplating on the matter at hand, Itachi kneeled down. His sharingan swirling rapidly. "Do you know where the others are?" He inquires out of the blue.
"The last time I see Konan, she is with the big boss himself. Kisame and the others are sent on a mission…" Rubbing her chin, Kirara turn to look at the Uchiha. "…And I mean every single one of them." The girl crouched beside her friend and stares at nothing in particular. "The hideout is quite empty as well. Pain-sama mentioned that he took those punks out of the way… Just to be safe I guess. He must have seen this one coming."
"I see." Itachi nodded. "That is so like him."
"So?" Kirara asks. "What's the plan?"
Smiling serenely, the Uchiha patted the girl on the head like he always does.
"I'm sorry Kirara…"
Frowning, the fox turned to look at the dark haired. "What are you sorry about?"
"This." Itachi said as his Sharingan flashed. Kirara widened her eyes as she fell unconscious on the Uchiha's arms. Before she lost consciousness, he even heard her curse that made him winced secretly. Kisame must have taught her that word. Laughing quietly, Itachi could almost see Kagura's vein explode. Her demon knows how to speak very bad languages. Kisame is really going to get it this time.
Despite being a half-breed, Kirara is still a fox demon that can be controlled by his eyes. Gently putting her between two large roots to hide her body, Itachi removed his Akatsuki cloaked and draped it over the girl.
"Sorry little one, but this fight is mine alone." Itachi said with a soft gaze for his furry friend. "Besides, if you see my brother, which is so likely to happen, you might bite his head off… that I couldn't allow." Smiling humorlessly, the dark haired commented.
The Uchiha stood up and look up in the sky. Petals of cherry blossom were falling gracefully around him, reminding him of his priorities.
Sakura.
Sasuke.
Konoha.
His Sharingan twirls faster and faster. Three dots connected to form a myriad of swirling black lines.
These cursed eyes.
He drifted silently thru the shadows.
He knew what is needed to be done.
Tobi is not the only one who has something hidden on his sleeves.
He didn't sacrifice everything just to fail now.
He smiled cynically to himself.
Uchiha Itachi had a date with destiny.
XoXoXoXoX
Sasuke padded quietly to the hallways of the house. How come it was so dark?
Mother always light up the whole house every time the night came, especially if his brother or father were out late.
"I wonder…" The seven year old boy mused, ignoring his earlier thought. "What's for tonight's dinner?"
He still got time before his mother calls him at the table, so he decided to train for a couple of minutes. He had this super cool move he wanted to try.
Sliding the door to the dojo, Sasuke stopped on his tracks as he felt some weird sensation that passed inside of him. Call it intuition, but something is not right.
As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw three familiar figures in the middle of the room.
"Oniisan? Okaasan? Otousan?"
He saw his father's lips move. Like he was saying something. But he couldn't hear it. They were too far.
For the first time in his young life, Sasuke saw his father smile affectionately at him.
Turning to look at his mother, Uchiha Fugaku took his wife's hand and kissed it.
Uchiha Mikoto nodded and gazed lovingly at him.
"Be brave Sasuke… Everything is going to be alright…"
In a blink of an eye, the boy saw the couple collapse at his brother's feet. A pool of red liquid quickly surrounds the fallen form of his parents. His brother, Itachi stood stringently at the same spot where he saw him earlier.
His own sword coated with blood.
Despite his numbing fear that slowly eats him from the inside, Sasuke saw everything. Something that Itachi would never do in front of everyone else.
Sasuke struggles for breath… His eyes dimming with unshed tears.
The scene before him… It was firmly carved on his mind.
Itachi's hands were shaking.
"Forgive me… Sasuke…"
Itachi's emotionless eyes… It was crying.
That night… Uchiha Sasuke's world shattered into pieces…
XoXoXoXoX
Sasuke woke up startled.
That dream…
It was different than the one he remembers in his childhood. As far as his memory is concerned, Itachi wore his usual mask of indifference as he killed their parents right in front of him.
But how come in this dream, he saw Itachi breaking apart.
Gritting his teeth in irritation, the Raven groaned before sitting up. Running a hand through his hair, he stretched his legs out and propped his back against the wall, feeling more tired and restless. Last night, Sasuke decided to use the floor instead of the bed. It belongs to that man.
Tobi even had the guts to make him use Itachi's room. That a**hole…
The woman he met yesterday, Sakura's older sister… She must've played with his mind, planting false memories. Glaring at nothing in particular, Sasuke assessed what transpired that night and this disgusting room that stinks so much of that murderers scent.
Though he didn't knew what happened with the bodies of his other clansmen who also died that night, he is damn sure that his treacherous brother killed them as well… even the women and the children.
"I am going to kill you, Itachi…" Gripping his sword, Sasuke muttered with eyes blazing with pure and unadulterated fury. "This time, I'm going to make sure that this sword will end your life."
Unknown to the young Uchiha, a set of prying topaz colored eyes frowned at the sight of the broken man in front of her. Kagura shook her head in disappointment. The dream she make him to see was the real memory Itachi had prior to that night.
Seems like she had to make drastic changes in her plan. Knowing that Itachi is coming near with the consistent tingles she had on her seal.
"He must have use his eyes to put Kirara out of his way… Hmmm…" Musing to herself, the rosette shifted slightly and glanced at her sister. "She's still unconscious… Looks like he used Tsukuyomi on her…" Caressing Sakura's hands, Kagura gaze softened.
"The family you want to belong to is really messed up, my dear Sakura." The eldest child of the Rain rose up and walks outside the room. Still, she had to figure out how to stop Tobi from destroying her grandfather's memories of this world. What a shame it would be if she fails the old man now…
"But, first things firsts…" Smiling slyly, Kagura activated her Rinnegan and stares impassively at the person who stands in her way.
"What did you do to me?" Sasuke asks dangerously. His fists clenches tightly.
"What are you talking about?" Kagura answered innocently.
"Don't you dare deny it… That dream… It was all a lie…" The Raven hissed.
"A lie?" The rosette laughed heartily. "Really now…"
Sharingan stares furiously at the Rinnegan.
Sighing, Kagura scratched her cheek. Now, this boy is starting to get difficult. The scars he had were too deep. Itachi did a very good job in manipulating this boy according to his needs. Perhaps she has to show him what kind of person his brother really was.
Her voice deep and menacing, Kagura spoke her words as calmly as possible. "Why do you think people lie, Sasuke? Does everyone need a reason to say things that are not true? Did your brother really tell you anything at all?" Her eyes glinted with mixed emotions.
"That man is a self centered pig… He killed everyone I loved…" Sasuke said, his face devoid of any emotions. But his eyes… His blood red eyes speak volumes.
Hatred.
Loneliness.
Pain.
Vengeance.
"Yes…" The rosette whispered. "You lost everything…" Walking closer, Kagura gently cradled the young man's face, staring at him directly.
"Both of you…" Kagura's Rinnegan rippled as she looks at Sasuke's own Sharingan. "Both of you lost so much…"
The young Uchiha shove Kagura's hands away. Glaring at the older woman, he backs off when his vision started to spin. Clutching his head, he growled angrily. "What did you do to me?" Dropping on his knees, the raven felt his body weaken.
"You don't know my pain at all…" Sasuke replied weakly, attempting to stand up even though his limbs started to turn to jelly.
"I'll show you what really happened that night." Kagura said, ignoring him. "Be warned though… You will feel more than what you are already experiencing right now…"
The eldest child of the Rain even had the guts to smile sardonically. "Pain? You tell me… How about Itachi's pain? Let us be frank, Sasuke…" Kagura crouched beside the Uchiha.
"You don't really know anything at all…"
The last thing Sasuke saw were Kagura's eyes. By then, he fell into oblivion.
That day, Uchiha Sasuke's world shattered into pieces once more.
XoXoXoXoX
Itachi stood in the middle of the Akatsuki's empty hallway. Feeling the darkness surrounding him once more, his eyes were steely and unyielding. He felt resolute.
Dropping his gaze to the shadow that is standing beneath the pillar, the dark haired Uchiha's lip turned into a thin line.
To those who knew him, Itachi rarely show his emotions. But today, it was like reading an open book.
And Tobi feels so satisfied and had the urge to pat his back for a job well done. "It wouldn't have come to this if you submit yourself to me in the first place, Itachi-kun…" The masked man said in a low voice, he sounded like a parent scolding his own child.
Itachi said nothing as his expression continues to blend within the scenery around him. It was getting darker and darker.
Tobi chuckled. "Very well…" Clapping his hands as he approaches the man. "The task is simple… you, Uchiha Itachi, must wake up the princess from her deep slumber…"
Itachi's mask broke. "What did you do to her?"
"I put her into an endless sleep…" Tobi hummed.
Itachi's eyes widen in recognition. "Tsukuyomi…"
"…And the only way to wake her up is for the prince to rescue her…" The masked man added in a singsongy voice. Without a cue, Tobi found himself in Itachi's grasp.
"Don't be too hasty, my old friend…" Effortlessly, Tobi removed Itachi's hand. He walks closer and whispered. "…Or you'll lose your chance in saving her."
The last thing Itachi heard was Tobi's maniacal laughter, echoing around him. Mocking him.
"Sakura…"
XoXoXoXoX
Author's other note:
Special thanks to all those who continue to like my story^^
Ziggy would also like to say thanks… Unfortunately, the witch herself wanted some recognition. Demanding would be the right term… She is asking where the hell are her reviews…
But anyways… Just ignore her… Reviews are insignificant (how little we might receive)… It's the thought that counts… Right, right?
Oh my goodness… The manga is coming to an end (I think)… I just hope the ending is a happily ever after… (I hope)…
Love and peace to you all^^
Ja ne!