Dreamcatcher

By Airyo

Secrets in a Memory - 6

Itachi stood before the council, mask still in place. Despite the chakra shackles on his wrists and ankles, he felt free. More than he felt in years. The pressure that was gradually choking him had disappeared.

He had held to his beliefs, and Itachi believed that his actions would protect the people he was meant to protect. Even if he were executed tonight, he had no regrets.

But the council was fighting, and their veiled, pointed insults were directed at each other. It was not what Itachi wanted. If only he could make them understand. He'd laid the pieces of this puzzle before them, and they only ignore the horrific picture those pieces formed.

Itachi sighed, and the air inside his mask warmed. He blinked.

Dog had conveniently forgotten to remove Itachi's mask. His anonymity was his weapon. In this situation, no one will believe the Uchiha heir, but they still might heed the words of an ANBU Captain. Given the sly twinkle in Kakashi's eye, it was not a mistake. Itachi dared to only incline his head minutely in gratitude. The Dog ANBU shrugged with a roll of his shoulders that looked like the fidgeting of a bored guard.

Itachi stepped forward, his motion awkward due to the chains on his ankles. The room fell silent and he began to speak, spilling the secrets of the Uchiha clan before the greedy council like bright, over-polished coins.

"There is a higher level of the Sharingan, called the Mangekyou Sharingan. It allows the user to utilize genjutsu that bridges both the greatest weakness and the greatest strength of Uchiha techniques - genjutsu only affects mind. The Mangekyou affects the mind, as well as the body and soul and the very space it resides in. The power of Mangekyou is a terrible one, the power of the normal Sharingan you admire compounded a hundred times, perhaps a thousand times."

Itachi looked at the room as they stared down at him.

"But there is a price. The Mangekyou can only be achieved through great trauma, something like the sorrow of losing someone you love. Uchiha Shisui's mother recently passed, only a month before his suicide. You can have a neutral party affirm it - Danzo's right eye socket holds the stolen Mangekyou Sharingan of Uchiha Shisui."

A wave of outrage rippled through the clan heads like a sonic pulse.

"And embedded in his arm were ten more Sharingan. How many of your fellow Konoha ninja were sacrificed for that?" Itachi gave them no room for more gasps or reactions as he continued coldly. "Interrogate me. Mindwalk me. I offer all I see to be evidence, and I only lay the facts before you."

His voice was soft, so soft it forced everyone to lean forward to hang on his every word. He lifted his chin, wondering if this was the last time he would speak to the people in this room. Perhaps the last time he would be able to see his father, who was currently trying to the set him on fire with his glare alone.

He was losing them. Biting his lip, Itachi tried one last time at reason.

"Konoha is like the mind of a strong shinobi: Hokage-sama his leadership, the council his duty, the Hyuuga his pride, the Aburame his logic, the Yamanaka his self-awareness, the Nara his wisdom, the Inuzuka his loyalty..." Itachi turned his head and looked at each clan head for a long moment as he named them. Methodically, he listed every clan head in attendance at the meeting, saving his own clan for last. Itachi met the eyes of his father. "...and the Uchiha his passion."

Fugaku made no outward sign except a slight widening of his eyes, but Itachi knew that his father recognized him now. Itachi held his gaze as he spoke. "Each part by itself has its weaknesses and strengths, but a balanced mind with all those parts is the most strong. A mind at war with itself will only weaken and crumble."

His final statement was like the crack of whip across the silence of the room. He didn't need to say the next part: just like Konoha will.

AN: I'm going to ignore that the utter OBVIOUSNESS of Itachi using a weasel ANBU mask (got that from Naruto wiki), and pretend that no one knew his identity except Danzo, a few select ANBU, and the Hokage.