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Chapter 89
The ones who know everything
"Where am I?"
His dumb yet simple question echoed through the area, or if one could say through a vast river. His eyes glanced around and saw two banks on either side of the river, while he was standing on top of the river.
Itachi had barely started to understand his surroundings, when he saw someone crashing from the sky.
His instincts were proved correct, when someone crashed on the ground creating a big crater sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
"I've been waiting for you, NARUTO!"
Itachi got a small sweat drop on his face, when he saw a young 15 year old boy emerging from the debris. He had spiky black hair, and a small bandage that was covering his nose. What surprised Itachi was the fact that this person was wearing a Blacklight uniform, and judging from his earlier statement this person knew his elder brother.
And he had seen this guy somewhere before?
"(sigh) You screwed up again, Kotetsu" said another boy who emerged from the shadows of the forest on the other shore.
The boy was also wearing a Blacklight uniform and had black hair, while his eyes were covered by a set of dark goggles.
Itachi watched curiously as the boy known as Kotetsu got a small pout on his face, and gave an annoyed glare to his fellow Blacklight.
"Shut up, Aoba!" retorted Kotetsu, but Aoba just got a small smirk on seeing the embarrassment evident on Kotetsu's face.
"You haven't changed at all, Kotetsu.." said Iwashi happily, as he appeared beside his long time comrade.
"Well, you just got here, idiot. And this gaki looks so similar to Naruto, and there is so little light here-"
BAM
Itachi chuckled a little when a young kunoichi having purple hair smacked Kotetsu on the head, and grabbed his neck in a head lock.
"Stop making excuses, Kotetsu. We all know you're itching for a fight with Naruto...but this is not him" scolded Yugao,
"Hn"
"Oh, he's just as handsome as his big brother..." said Hisana cheerfully, while giving Itachi a small playful wink and chuckled when the boy got a large blush on his face.
"And as naive too..." said Bird and Eagle masked Blacklights,
"Hey, cut that kid some slack. Though, he's like his brother when it comes to women, I can't believe you can't chose between that medic and that Yamanaka kunoichi...not to mention-" said a Hawk masked Blacklight jokingly, shocking Itachi completely.
"Stop mentioning my personal life, idiot!" yelled Itachi hurriedly, how did this guy know about Sakura and Ino?
"Alright, everyone. You have teased the poor boy more than enough..."
Itachi was shocked when the last person arrived and he didn't need more than a glance to recognize this Blacklight. Although, he was relieved when the boy gave him a warm, welcoming smile...
"I'm Armin Arlert, pleased to meet you..." said Armin in an enthusiastic voice, giving the younger Namikaze a small eye smile.
Looking at the faces of all these people, made Itachi realize who they were. These were the very same people in one of Naruto's old photographs, and he easily recognized Armin from the photo which Rangiku had shown him.
"Did I really die?" asked Itachi hesitantly, as all these people had another thing in common besides being Blacklights.
The fact that they were all dead...
"Not exactly, but you're close..." said Armin sheepishly, as the other Blacklights sweat dropped on hearing that vague answer.
"He means you're in a limbo, like us..." said Kotetsu quickly, making Hisana smack her own forehead as Itachi got even more confused.
"What the fuck is a limbo?" asked Itachi in a frustrated voice,
"Means stuck between two realms..." said Bird and Eagle in unison,
"Zombies..." suggested Yugao cluelessly,
"Maybe the walking dead...that does sound cool. Hey, are you guys even listening to me?" asked Hawk irritatedly,
"Hawk, we're there dead so it doesn't matter what we're called. And your title's pitiful..." said Aoba flatly, and chuckled when his comrade got a dark cloud hovering above him.
Itachi couldn't suppress a smile coming on his face on seeing the banter among these people. They were all so different, yet even he could feel the camaraderie between them. In a way, even death didn't set them apart...
"Itachi, we're dead, but as for why you're not on this side and instead in the middle of that river is because you're still alive..." said Iwashi patiently, and smiled when he saw further questions arising in the boy's eyes.
"But I got stabbed through the heart..." argued Itachi, but was surprised when instead of a hole in his heart, A "Sun" shaped mark had slowly started to appear.
"What is this?" asked Itachi curiously,
"Maybe you should ask Naruto about that, he can answer your questions. I mean when you get back..." suggested Kotetsu, gaining a nod from Itachi.
"So, if I'm not dead, and you guys are. Then what is this place really, aren't you supposed to go to heaven or hell after death?" asked Itachi hesitantly, unsure of what to ask.
"For starters there is no heaven, only hell. Although the souls which are not in hell, end up here. It's a soul plane or limbo, all of us don't know what's ahead. Hisana, Bird and Eagle were the first to arrive here, there were also other Blacklights and Konoha ninja...but over time, they disappeared. I guess they found their peace..." said Armin honestly,
"So, what are you guys waiting for?" asked Itachi suspiciously, and was clearly annoyed when all of them just gave him a mysterious smile.
"You'll know when the time's right...for now, we've got some unfinished business. That's all you need to know..." said Yugao seriously,
Silence prevailed between them as wild gusts of wind blew in the area. Itachi saw a bright moon shining in the sky, with its light illuminating the dark world surrounding them.
He was intrigued when he saw a regretful look appearing in Armins's eyes...
"We have caused Naruto so much pain-"
"No, Nii-san loves and respects all of you. Especially you Armin and Kotetsu, you are Nii-san heroes..." said Itachi honestly, making Armin smile a little.
"And that's where the problem lies..." said Kotetsu regretfully, surprising Yugao and the others. They had never seen such side of the boy before...
"What do you mean?" asked Itachi curiously, intent on finding out the mystery.
"While trying to save something precious, conflict is born. As long as love exists, so will hatred..." said Hawk sadly,
"And shinobi consumed by hatred will always be used like toys. Your brother is just another victim of this corrupt ninja world..." explained Hisana patiently, as Itachi got a small frown on his face.
"I don't understand..."
"Remember what your brother was like, before the war? Was he the grief struck, angry person...or just an innocent child who dearly loved his family, especially his little brother?" asked Yugao sympathetically, and was satisfied when Itachi started to understand.
"Itachi, the worst suffering for a person is when he sees someone he loves die right in front of their eyes. All of us died too soon, we never had to go through the same suffering as your brother..." said Iwashi seriously,
"But you survived the war, like Rangiku and Mikasa. How are you so different from my Nii-san?" countered Itachi,
"Every person is different, and I didn't have to do those things which your brother had to while spying on the Akatsuki. The fact that I don't share the same heritage as Naruto is also a major difference between all of us and him..." said Iwashi mysteriously,
"My heritage?" questioned Itachi,
"You and Naruto are the combined descendants of the Uchiha and Senju clans. But while you share a lot of traits, beliefs...it doesn't change the fact that Naruto is more similar to an Uchiha, while you are a exact copy of a Senju clan member. I know you won't be able to understand, because you have not seen what we've seen through all this time. We have watched both you and Naruto..." stated Armin sympathetically,
"What difference does that make? We're brothers..." said Itachi flatly,
"Two completely different individuals at that. Now don't get me wrong, Naruto is a great person and a loyal friend...but he has issues. His love for you and all of us is his greatest strength and weakness. The more he loses people he loves, the stronger his visual powers get...just like the curse that every Uchiha faces. And now he has reached such a point where his beliefs have been destroyed..." explained Hisana in detail, and Itachi didn't like the direction this conversation was heading.
"You can't blame my brother for what is happening..." said Itachi in protest,
"We're not, but things have changed Itachi. I'm afraid, Naruto has crossed such a line from where there is no return...and he is going to start a revolution that has never been seen in our world. And it won't be stopped even if you return..." said Armin worriedly,
"Naruto has the powers of a god. And those powers will make him lonely, set him apart from everyone and the world itself..." said Bird honestly,
"Is that a bad thing, Nii-san won't harm anyone..." said Itachi confidently, and was satisfied when some of them gave him affirmative nods.
''Sure, not intentionally. But those who will get in his way, in the way of accomplishing his dream...they will burn. And in this case, it's the entire ninja world..." stated Eagle honestly,
"Naruto plans to destroy the ninja world by eliminating the entire hidden village system. He plans to unite them all and form an empire...The Empire of Japan" announced Armin worriedly, completely shocking the young Namikaze.
"An empire? Are you insane, not even Nii-san is strong enough to destroy the ninja world..." said Itachi vehemently, his heart unwilling to accept this fact presented before him.
"You don't know your brother's powers or his hatred of the ninja world. We have served with him, lived with him for years...and one thing is for sure, when Naruto makes up his mind there are little to no forces that can stop him" said Kotetsu harshly, instantly destroying any protest which Itachi wanted to make.
When the young Namikaze saw the same feelings in everyone's eyes, he just didn't know what to do. Naruto was his brother, his hero...it was his duty to support him. No matter what...
"I won't abandon my brother, no matter what happens!" shouted Itachi, surprising the Blacklight ninja.
They tried to search for any doubt, but didn't find even a single ounce of hesitation. And this brought a smile on Armin's face...
"You indeed have a good brother, Naruto" thought Armin happily, at least with Itachi beside his friend he could have some happiness.
"Neither will we!" replied all the Blacklight members in unison, surprising Itachi.
"You guys..." said Itachi happily,
"We just don't want Naruto to suffer anymore. His intentions are noble, but Naruto is a military commander. Sure, he can conquer to world...but how will he control his empire? How will he form a new system? How can he make the people of this world agree with him? These are the tasks in which he will need your help, Itachi. You maybe a genin and a little naive, but among the brothers...you are more rational. Protect Naruto, there is still good inside him...Itachi. You're the only one who can prevent him from becoming a tyrant, from becoming another Madara...I couldn't protect Naruto from this suffering, so I'm asking you to look after my brother" requested Armin,
Looking into the Blacklight's eyes and the feelings which he had for his brother, made Itachi finally understand just what kind of bond Armin shared with Naruto. Even after death, he still wanted to save Naruto from falling into darkness...and maybe this was the reason why he had not moved on.
Why all of them had not moved on...
Just what kind of people were these Blacklight? Itachi had never seen such a bond in any squad, it was as if...
"We're family, we look out for our loved ones. Even from a crappy place like this..." joked Kotetsu, making everyone laugh.
The Blacklight members were surprised when Itachi gave them a respectful bow...
"Thank you for caring about my brother, for all of us. I see why Nii-san loves you so much, you are indeed real heroes..." said Itachi happily, making them smile.
"We have protected Konoha and Naruto once again, we have no regrets..." said Hisana proudly,
"But we can only do so much, it will be up to you to protect Naruto and the world. One day, you'll become a great leader...Itachi" said Iwashi with a small smile on his face,
"Me, a leader? Nii-san is far better for that job..." said Itachi sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"You'll see in time..." replied Kotetsu confidently,
Itachi was surprised when a bright light started spreading from the sun mark on his chest, and Armin came beside him quickly enveloping him in a warm hug.
And the Namikaze returned the gesture with a small smile on his face...
"Tell Naruto he does not have to shoulder everything alone, he has comrades to depend on. I'm glad he's looking after Rangiku and Mikasa too..." said Armin happily,
"Armin, you really are-"
"I leave Naruto to you..." said Armin confidently,
Itachi gave a last glance to the other Blacklight members who offered him smiles and thumbs up, while Kotetsu stepped forward.
"You will be the voice of our people..." said Kotetsu confidently, gaining a firm nod from Itachi.
"I will be more than that!"
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
I'm not going to explain why I did this, it should be pretty obvious. If not read the summary of the story, all of you are smart enough to understand my reasons.
If you still have any doubts or objections, PM me or leave your thoughts in reviews.