7
Two weeks later
It was with a certain relief that Itachi Uchiha took in the state of the main dining room, as he stood under the doorless wooden frame. Only one step inside made him see his mistake when out of nowhere, as swift as shadows, three dark hair figures came out from the patio's door and made their way in. His mother, Lady Asano, and her maid, respectively.
There was no such thing as alone time in this house – not in the most prominent household of this neighborhood, his neighborhood. His mother, Uchiha Mikoto, wore a delighted smile on her face contrasting with the dispassionate expression of the young lady by her side.
"Son!" Mikoto greeted him. "We were waiting for you. Did you sleep well? I understood from your cousin that you're off duty today. Am I right?"
"You're correct, Mother."
"Wonderful! I have plans for this afternoon, Lady Asano and I are going to travel to Nagi and wish for you to accompany us."
He put down his tea cup, "You'll be easy targets if you leave Konoha."
The maid's face turned pale, while his mother kept her composure, just like Lady Asano – who assuredly wouldn't protest against his words. Asano had been living with them for months now, a supposed temporary arrangement or act of charity – depending on one's view – for a woman whose home had been forever changed after the war. While most Uchihas lived in Konoha, they were quite a bunch of them established in other places within the fire country, especially civilians.
So as long as they kept serving the Clan, any member was free to go wherever destiny lead them. Asano came with her family, about twenty heads, abandoning a once fruitful business to temporarily establish themselves here. Her father seemed, indeed, determined to find another way to regrow his wealth, even if it meant selling off his daughter.
"Your father and I have already discussed such eventually. As Uchiha, it isn't in our blood to let anxiety rule our lives in fear of a fictional retaliation, don't you think?"
"One of us is missing, Mother." he corrected. "Someone's son, I wouldn't call it fictional. I'll nonetheless accompany you if you wish so."
She let out a breath of relief, while Lady Asano's face remained imperturbable as any Uchiha would in an unpleasant situation.
"Itachi-sama!" a familiar voice suddenly cried out. It was Shiro, a loyal and honest man, who had been serving their family for decades. "Two policemen are waiting at the door; they wish to speak with you at once!"
"One of our own?"
"Aye."
"They may come in," he turned back his attention to the woman, "Mother."
Mikoto's expression darkened, as understanding came to her, "We're leaving in two hours, Son."
At last, he was all by himself again, in a short-lived quietness that was making his thoughts swarm even louder inside his head. A knocking sound suddenly resonated, followed by Shiro and two men entering the room.
"Itachi-sama," they both said, as they bowed respectfully. "We apologize for the inconvenience."
They were two brothers, Akiyama and Kuroyama, and one of the lucky Uchiha who had the honor to serve the Konoha Police. He didn't know them as well as his father, but enough to be certain there were trustworthy.
The oldest brother came forward and cleared his throat "Someone's been found dead yesterday morning."
"Who?"
"Nobu Uchiha."
Itachi's blood ran cold. His first instinct had made him believe the Soma Clan could somehow be involved in this affair., seeing as they were in a feud, a hypothesis that would have been less concerning compared to what was really happening right now.
"He killed himself."
No, it couldn't be. A man like Nobu would have never done such a thing, not after everything he had borne to protect the clan , to protect him .
"Why wasn't I informed earlier?" he asked.
"We…" there was a touch of hesitation in his voice, "We were told not to share any of this until we were sure…until we knew with certainty the cause of his death."
"By my father?"
"Yes."
So they weren't just being charitable today. Instead, they knew exactly what they were doing by coming to him with every intent of gaining favor from an heir, a man that would become their leader.
Self-seekers.
"You're admitting right in front of me, that you disobeyed a direct order from our clan leader, Akyama-san."
Akyama remained silent, surely not expecting to be confronted with his wrongs, which provided enough incentive for his brother to step forward.
"Where's Nobu now? Where's his body?" Itachi inquired before the man could say anything.
"At the police station mortuary," the younger brother answered.
"I wish to see his body as soon as possible."
"That…won't be possible, "the eldest said. "With all due respect, our captain won't allow you inside."
His words made Itachi pause.
While they all had obligations, whether to a team leader, the Hokage, or a boss, they were first and foremost members of the Uchiha clan, and thus their first duty remained to the clan.
"You had no second thoughts about going against your clan leader's orders, so I trust you'll find a way."
"Itachi-sama—"
"I'll meet you outside the police headquarters in an hour," Itachi said in a final and firm tone, "you're dismissed."
Itachi left the room first, his thoughts in turmoil by the news he'd just learned. Today, much like other days, wouldn't free him from his duties. Another one rare day of rest that would go to waste, or rather serve other critical priorities. He went to the patio outside, an edging wooden strip running around the whole building, that opened directly on their garden. On his way, he passed by Lady Asano, whose head lowered in false deference.
Perhaps that was the price to pay to avoid his mother's shenanigans.
Getting looks from passersby, colleagues, underlings or even teammates belonged to his everyday life. There wasn't a soul in this village that didn't know to some extent who he was - one of the downsides of being at the top of the chain. Thus there were plenty of anxious and distrustful eyes glancing at him, entering the building while wondering what someone like him was doing here, especially this early in the morning. It was only a matter of time before the whole police station became aware of his presence.
As planned, a woman he recognized as one of the lieutenants eventually walked to him, offering him an unexpectedly warm smile, "Uchiha-san, you're making my staff anxious by standing here by yourself. How may I help you?"
"Nobu Uchiha."
"Ah…I thought so," she pushed her glasses up her nose. "The cremation's supposed to take place this afternoon, so… I'm afraid you'll have to come back later, Uchiha-san.
"What about the investigation?"
"The case got closed the very day we retrieved your relative's body, as you must be aware, there…sadly…isn't much to investigate when people resort to such…such desperate act."
This didn't seem to correlate with what he'd just learned earlier, "May I see his body?"
She coughed, then she followed him swiftly, "Erm—one of your clan's representatives already came yesterday to identify the body!"
It was starting to feel more and more like she was trying to convince him not to insist.
He stopped, "Do your policies forbid relatives to say goodbye to their loved ones?"
"We— no, not in theory, but—"
"Who told you not to let me in?"
Her eyes widened, "Look, Uchiha-san, I don't want any trouble with you, nor with your clan. It's just— just that Akyama barged in my office earlier, warned me of your coming, and…. told me allowing you to see Nobu would be a huge mistake."
"Is Akyama your supervisor?"
"No, he isn't, he— ", she paused, as she realized how unprofessional she must look, and suddenly bowed down in front of him, "Please! Accept my apologies Uchiha-san! Of course, you may see your relative. I'll even escort you myself to the mortuary!"
After that, the lieutenant didn't speak a word and led him inside the building. He couldn't say he'd never seen people lose their means while facing him, although Akyama's worlds certainly must have been convincing enough to scare her. There were always advantages to take out of being part of a respected and feared clan.
They went down a stair, to an underground level that made the former police headquarter look absolutely rudimentary, even amateurish. As much as he respected his father's work, he believed dismantling the Uchiha Military Police had brought great benefices to everyone involved. Uchihas had no business dealing with citizens' problems. No, their greatness only came from their fighting abilities and their prowesses through war, which was something one could hardly develop while being limited to dealing with local crimes and paperwork.
Nowadays, as the clan's leader, his father's occupation revolved around dealing with Clan's matters, as well as Konoha's as a council member. The clan had never been as prosperous as it was today. As for the Konoha Police, its restructuring had brought opportunities as well, being now represented by both civilians and shinobi from all origins.
"Alright," the lieutenant said, as she opened a door. "It might feel a little colder inside."
Itachi approached right away the lifeless body lying on the table. Nobu Uchiha. A man known as a traitor for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. People simply didn't care about truth as long as they could justify their narrative. His father's actions only reaffirmed that.
"I wonder what could've led him to…at such age.", she walked to the other side of the autopsy table. "It's mostly young shinobis…their minds break."
Their eyes met for a moment, then he uncovered Nobu. The strange wound on his chest didn't come as a surprise to him, looking questionable – enough to confirm his suspicions.
"How does it look to you, Lieutenant?" he inquired.
"I wouldn't know; I've never killed anyone."
Itachi paused, considering her odd choice of words, his eyes then drifted back to Nobu, "The jugular veins, that's the target someone experimented would've chosen. Bleed easily. No way to miss."
"Heart might be the second choice, there's more resistance, more flesh in the way," he looked at the quiet lieutenant, "Inexperienced killers somehow prefer it, and always miss the right spot."
"I think that…someone attempting to kill themselves would too."
"Indeed," he granted. "Where's the weapon now?"
"In your kinsmen's hands. As I said, yesterday someone came for—"
"Then we're done here."
She nodded and rushed to open the door for him, "Let me apologize for not being more of help, Uchiha-san. I'm afraid Officer Akyama may have more knowledge on this case than I do."
Itachi found a little crowd behind the door, some inquisitive eyes full of paranoia, lacking decency. They all fainted being in the middle of the most compelling discussion, while he walked past them. Once he reached the ground stairs, the lieutenant walking a few steps behind him whispered, "Sorry about that. We don't usually…I mean it's not every day we— we receive someone like you."
They were finally outside the headquarter again, back in front of the entrance where Itachi'd been waiting earlier.
"I can go fetch Officer Akyama if you wish to speak with him. Regardless of his…personal wishes, he'll come if I…order him to."
Certainly not naïve enough to believe she'd more authority on Akyama than he has, she must be well aware of the ludicrousness of her words. It was all about saving appearances, she was Akyama's lieutenant after all.
"That won't be necessary."
She followed his eyes, looking behind herself and recognizing the two figures watching them. Ayakma and his brother. They were standing at rest by the door.
"I… will leave you be," she mumbled. "I wish you a nice day, Uchiha-san."
She hastened to the two liars at once. Itachi saw them exchange some words, certainly unpleasant ones and it was with reluctance that they slowly started to approach him, facing this unavoidable confrontation.
"I swear, Itachi-sama," Akyama started. "I swear this isn't what it looks like."
"We should have followed Fugaku-sama's orders," his brother commented.
"Hold your tongue! I'm handling this!" he barked. "Please, Itachi-sama, hear me out."
Itachi was rather unimpressed by his apologetic tone, being more interested in what information he could bring to him, anything that would lead him to the circumstances behind Nobu's tragic fate.
"Considering your sympathy for Nobu-san," Akyama continued "We just thought you deserved to know. That's it. There wasn't any other ill intent. We didn't know you'd go as far as to want to see his body."
"Why wouldn't I wish to see his body?"
Akyama sighed. "Nobu killed himself two days ago, Itachi-sama. The report says so." He fetched something from inside his vest. "This is the weapon we've found…. held under his fingers. I'm giving it to you as proof of our good faith."
"Against my father's wishes?"
"Against our clan leader's wishes, yes."
Itachi took the offered weapon, a dagger with a strange engraving, that didn't look like any language he'd ever read. "Which hand?"
"Right one."
Nobu was left-handed.
"Were there any founds as to where this dagger came from?"
"We didn't do any research" Akyama answered without hesitation. "The case's been closed, Itachi-sama. Besides, that would have cost us hours at the library, precious time nobody can't afford to waste. Surely you face the same dilemma as we do."
He couldn't blame them for being this reluctant to get involved, after all, nobody would want to defend a traitor like Nobu. Itachi didn't answer the untrustworthy man, instead, he started walking.
"Wait, Itachi-sama! Where are you going?"
"To the library."
" I'll fetch for some help then," Akyama suggested eagerly-contradicting himself once again.
No helpers, Itachi thought, as the distance between him and his father's man grew, just potential spies.
Reinforcement came in the form of three teenagers, who were in all likelihood related to Akyama. He couldn't quite remember their names. However, their faces looked familiar. He recognized the tallest one though, an aspirant chūnin who seemed brighter than his counterparts, especially for his age. Itachi was more than aware that his personal's achievements were far from typical. Even though Uchihas scored better on average, most aspirant shinobis became chūnin through their teenage years and completed any advanced training before reaching their twenties allowing them to either wear the jōnin or Anbu uniform, which lead them in time to more specialization.
Ranks could also be obtained through prowess, although it was rather rare nowadays seeing as people found it too arbitrary. War times were usually the exception, and the last one certainly had proven this. It was indeed impractical to conduct proper training and assessments while being in warfare, thus promotions were given to those who deserved it. Itachi saw no objection to it, throughout his career, he had learned ranks could be misleading, merely titles, especially lower ranks. The teenager in front of him was a good example of that, a genin in theory, but already as skilled as a chūnin in practice.
"Itachi-sama!" he greeted him. "My father sent us, me, my cousin, and his brother," they all bowed down, "to help you out with…we weren't exactly told what, but we're here to serve you as well as we can, Itachi-sama."
Itachi wasn't sure why Akyama thought sending his relatives, young ones, to help him solve a murder would gain him any favor. Despite the sparkling eyes in front of him, waiting desperately for his words, he knew not to expect much from them. The unwillingness of their father and uncle couldn't only be endemic. They must have heard something about Nobu the traitor, like the whole clan had, which meant they must have underlying motives, like most opportunistic people.
"Very well." He simply answered, before following them towards an imposing monument, Konoha's library. It'd been a long while since he'd visited the library. It used to be some sort of haven during his early teen years. The library wasn't far from the Kage's tower and shared some similarities, like its cylindrical shape and yellowing color. However, the building happened to be smaller, only made of two stairs.
When they arrived at the entrance, he took note of the freshly polished door right away, a sign that the place wasn't as abandoned as he had thought. And then, once inside, a rich and musky smell of paper reached his nose all at once. They were raw of books everywhere placed on large shelves that were all converging to one point, and at its center, a circular reception desk, surrounded by a stair spiraling up through the floors above. Nothing had changed since his last visit, except for the painting.
The quietness here would have been really welcome in other circumstances, however, as they approached the empty desk, he could only notice the lack of visitors, and above all the lack of staff, which could be problematic. Finding something here was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Should I ring it?" one of the younglings asked, as he grabbed carefully a shiny golden bell.
"Of course, cousin." Akyama's son whispered angrily. "What else would it be here for?"
"Well, we're not allowed to make any noise inside the library!"
"Do you see anyone here?"
"I— "
"No, not a soul. So ring it. Quick."
And he did, several times until they started hearing slow footsteps approaching them. Someone was nonchalantly going down the stairs. He noticed the kids becoming more and more impatient, one of them was playing with his thumbs, while the other has his eyes on the bell, tempted to ring it again. They were probably unaware that the librarian was an elderly woman.
As Itachi started to wonder how they were going to deal with books , everything suddenly became quiet again, and like his kindred, he looked up.
The librarian was standing still, a few steps away from the floor, staring them down like they had just invaded her territory. But it only lasted a few seconds, until she woke up and finished her descent to finally set herself in calmly behind her desk.
She put on a big smile on her face, "How may I help you?"
Kuro lifted the weapon, "We need to find something to translate…decipher this engraving."
"You mean books."
"Aye, ma'am."
"Hmm. It must be…" she grabbed her chin. "Ground floor, alley five and six."
The young Uchiha nodded and walked towards the aisles she had just indicated, followed eagerly by his mates.
Itachi had never been much in phase with deities, occasionally honoring some of them when traditions demanded it. However, right now, he was starting to think something was at work, how else would it explain her presence in such an unlikely place?
Sakura Haruno.
Two weeks had passed since their discussion, a successful talk that had brought closure to their odd predicament – or so he thought. Seeing her now, almost at arm's reach, her eyes shooting daggers at him, her animosity in plain sight, made him doubt
his victory. She was going to be problematic, more than he had thought.
In any case, he had no time to deal with puerile grudges that had no foundations, especially today, and so he followed the teens in turn, joining them at a table they'd seated themselves around.
"Ah! Between four and five she said, but look around you guys, there're way too many books to check!"
"Get to work, Cousin!" Kuro ordered as he put another pile of books in front of him. "Here, Itachi-sama."
They were indeed quite a bit of work to do, a price to pay to deliver justice or rather to avoid a potential mutiny.
"Wait, the lady at the counter, isn't she Sakura Haruno?"
"Do you know anyone else with pink hair?" the youngest asked. "I don't!"
"Hmm, we saw a man with pink hair the other night, right around the tea shop from the main street, remember?"
"Tch, it happens as often as seeing Hyuugas win a fight against us."
Kuro's cousin chuckled, "You mean against everyone but you, I still remember the way that Hyuuga girl beat your ass last week."
Itachi coughed, "Kuro." They all froze up, remembering they weren't by themselves here. "Look up. Do you see those numbers?"
"Yes, Itachi-sama!"
"Now, go back to the lady, and tell her we need them, tell her a man's been killed with this weapon."
His eyes widened, "I didn't know…I don't mean no disrespect, but isn't... such intel supposed to remain in secrecy?"
"Murders never remain secret for long in Konoha."
He nodded quickly and left without asking more questions while the two others finally started to work. Again, blaming kids for being unaware of the situation would lead nowhere. The less they knew, the better. Itachi was usually working alone or with a few reliable men when it came to internal clan affairs, especially when they directly involved him. This time, he couldn't even trust his own men, not until he had all the keys in hand to understand what happened to Nobu Uchiha.
Now things would be easier if a certain librarian wasn't purposely making things more difficult than they should – or there was also the possibility she had no idea how things worked here, since, last he'd heard, she was no librarian.
Kuro came back after a short while, "Anything starting with twenty." He sat back, while looking at the book's numbers and then whispered. "I thought she looked at us funny when she saw us. Shouldn't we punish her for withholding information from us?"
"She's one of those?"
The clan had plenty of enemies, whether outside or inside Konoha, a well-known fact.
"Wait, isn't she your brother's teammate, Itachi-sama?" Kuro suddenly asked, "How come you're not acquainted with her?"
Itachi glanced over his book at the three young men who weren't even trying to hide how much they enjoyed gossiping. There were rumors or stereotypes about Uchihas in general. It was said they tended to be cold, dispassionate, and composed at all times. While they certainly had a propensity towards self-restraint, as well as inherited traits and cultural norms that promoted one behavior rather than another, there simply weren't that homogeneous, especially in private.
The talkative and distracted kids in front of him were a good example of that.
"You may return to your duties."
The two youngest, although slightly taken aback were the first on their feet, while Kuro wore a confused look on his face, "Did we do something wrong?"
Itachi shook his head," Your place's at the training grounds, not here. If your father's displeased with you, let him know that."
Kuro nodded quickly, bowed to him, and finally disappeared with his friends. In a few years, they would be perfect minions, reflecting on this moment with horror and shame. While Itachi hated indiscretions, he found the somewhat authentic behavior of kids refreshing at times. Such conduct would certainly never happen in any other scenario, with people, including outsiders, having either too much respect for him or being too fearful of him. It wasn't just a matter of social hierarchy or ranks, but also of personal accomplishments. No matter where one came from, their deeds would grow their reputation, which in turn evoked a reaction in people.
Fortunately, Itachi had no care for what people thought of him, he simply lacked the ability to do so. He was seen as the epitome, the embodiment of what an Uchiha should be, and how they should behave, but few realized that it was just him being…himself. Even as a child, his father had found his reclusive behavior too extreme.
And so, being at last alone in this quietness only invigorated his determination to find what the engraving meant. During at least one hour, there were no more annoyances, not even a sound coming from outside. However, once noon time hit, he went out of luck again.
It started with sounds of imminent footsteps, familiar ones, and it ended with a pink hair librarian in his peripheral vision, arranging books into their respective shelves, as someone working in a library would. Itachi found himself unable to focus then, his eyes constantly darting to her figure, like an imminent threat was going to befall him.
The kunoichi stopped her work all of a sudden, exhaling loudly with her nose, only to turn to him, "Isn't it the police's job to solve murders?"
Her boldness and lack of shame never failed to destroy all his expectations. The mere fact she was there, standing so close, daring enough to speak to him, made him feel somewhat rattled. He saw her grow frustrated, but just as she was about to leave, he reckoned her question, one that'd sounded more like a reproach.
"Not when they're overworked."
"Ah…"
Her emerald eyes were flickering, her fingers tapping the chair back she was slightly leaning on. "Why have we never been introduced properly?"
"Were you listening to us, Haruno-san?" Itachi asked her right away.
She smiled, looking down on him, "You got me, Uchiha-san."
Itachi went back to the book he'd been skimming, having no time to deal with her childish behavior. However, when he glanced over his book a short moment after, he found her seated right in front of him, her bright eyes scrutinizing him.
Why is she here?
"I was serious!" she explained. "In all the years I've known your brother, he's never mentioned anything, not even once, about introducing us, his teammates, his closest friends, to his family. Why?"
"Shouldn't you ask him?"
"I'm asking you."
There was glimmer of a determination in her eyes, a firm purpose in the way she was occupying the space, though a table stood between them, she was too close for his taste.
"You might not like my answer."
She snuffled, "I don't like anything coming out of your mouth anyway. So go on. Try me."
At least he knew for sure where they stood. In any case, she was going to regret being so nosy.
"Though I do not speak for my brother, I believe he must have been aware of our father…disapproval of Team Seven, back when you were merely genin. It might explain his unwillingness to present your team to our family."
"Why would he disapprove of us? We were just kids."
"Surely you know of Uzumaki's…peculiarities."
She shook her head, "Naruto's proven himself at least a thousand times more than everyone else—"
"To my brother's detriment." He quickly said." My father also believed your team's composition wouldn't benefit my brother." He watched for her reaction, "Rightfully so."
Her eyes started flickering, "What's it supposed to mean? Sasuke graduated at the top of the class!"
"History's given reason to my father," he continued. "Why do think he had to leave and betray the village?"
As if the atmosphere hadn't been tense enough, he saw something shift in her eyes, while she seemed to process his words.
"He blames us for it," she said after a long silence, as though it was the most obvious fact.
Her face had closed off, he was surprised she hadn't lashed out yet, however now he could see in her eyes, her fiery emeralds, all the resentment of the world. "And you share his opinion, don't you?"
"I do."
"Do you think of him as weak?"
"Not weak," he corrected automatically, "just lacking."
The kunoichi nodded silently until she grabbed in a swift motion the dagger between them, a piece of evidence of a murder Itachi had completely forgotten throughout the last minutes.
She's dangerous.
"Doesn't look like anything I know," she whispered, while her fingers were caressing the engraving, "in fact, it looks like rubbish, a poor imitation of some distant extinct language."
She looked enthralled by the dagger and its secrets, just as much as he was by her sudden actions.
"If I were you," she put back the weapon in its place, "I wouldn't expect to find any meaning out of it, you're better off looking for its maker."
A wise advice coming from someone so inherently reckless and impudent. She took some books out of the pile next to him without bothering to ask if he was done, for she had decided for him already.
He wasn't welcome here anymore, that much was clear.
Itachi got up from his chair with the intent to grant her wish to see him gone.
"Thank you for your honesty, Uchiha-san," she suddenly said without ceasing her motions, bringing each book back to its proper place. "I've always thought he was ashamed of us. I can see now…how wrong I've been."
Her last words made no sense to him, and so Itachi went forward not without giving a last look to her figure when he reached the end of the aisle. She really was such an oddity – one, that he hoped, wouldn't disrupt the order of things ever again.
Neighborhood after neighborhood, Itachi visited each armory he could fall upon, following clues coming from the skilled craftsmen as to who could have made the dagger. Ultimately, everything led him to the downtown market, a place full of life and all sort of goods coming from every corner of the country and beyond.
It was said a foreigner from the water country was selling unique weapons there, including atypical engravings. Itachi then sought the right stall, until he found one that fitted such a description.
"Does it mean anything to you?" he asked the merchant, showing him the dagger.
"Ah! Back to me already! Of course, it does, 'made it myself!"
"Who did you sell it to?"
"Do I look like a monk to you, young man?"
"I'll pay you." Itachi offered, taking coins out of his pocket.
"Better," he complimented. "Well, a young man…maybe younger than you…I can't quite recall. He bought it. Three days ago."
"Did he wear this crest" he pulled the bottom of his haori, a black jacket reaching his hips, harboring a small and well-known symbol."
"Uchiha! Yes, he was one." The merchant confirmed.
As expected.
"What else? What did he look like?"
"Hmm…dark brown and straight short hair, grey eyes, or was it blue? That's all I can recall."
Grey eyes. There were very few clan members with such recessive traits, something that narrowed the list down drastically. He looked up at the sky, noticing a darker shade than an hour ago, and started walking.
"Wait, don't you want to buy one of my— "
The seller's voice faded into the hubbub of the market, the rowdiness of the crowd domineering the quietness he valued so much. Soon, Itachi found himself at the Uchiha district's gates, heading to the place where everything had started. Nobu owned a modest shack around the pond, a haven separated from the rest of the community, quite fitting for someone ostracized by everyone.
Itachi made his way there discreetly, taking unfrequented paths to avoid being seen. Though nightfall would soon come, he expected to encounter children and elderly people still enjoying the scenery, observing the rich fauna and flora from the pond. Thankfully, Nobu s' hut was located on the opposite shore, far away from any bustle.
He found the now abandoned shack opened. The floor creaked when he went inside the main room, there were three in total, which was rather comfortable considering their rather small size. As he entered the second room, he noticed right away the big fish-drying rack and at its bottom, blood, a huge circular stain of dry blood, some dried fish, and fishing tools. Undeniable evidence purposely overlooked, confirming once again what he'd suspected from the beginning.
Now, one unknown factor remained: the killer's identity. He was young, inexperienced, likely a genin, maybe more, and certainly not bright enough to hide anything that could put him in the spotlight. Regardless of this amateurism, Itachi wasn't the kind to underestimate his opponents. He knew what resentments could do, the same resentment that'd almost sealed his clan's fate fifteen years ago.
Itachi was just about to inspect Nobu's desk, when he felt a presence in the area, possibly a passerby, or his father's men - that were certainly looking for him. He hid behind a large piece of furniture just before the creaking door opened up. A few steps, careful steps went inside the house, exploring the first room for a while, until they entered the second chamber.
From where he was hiding, he could see the intruder's back, his light brown hair, a short haircut, and pale casual clothes. The man knelt exactly where Itachi'd been standing minutes ago, inspecting the items on the ground.
He was definitely looking for something. Hastily. His head doing erratic motions from left to right as if he expected someone else to come. The man went for the desk and started opening drawers in a careful manner. His father's men wouldn't have cared about making any noise.
"Who are you?" Itachi asked as he left the penumbra.
"I—Itachi-sama!" the man cried out, mouth wide open. He looked young and had a baby face, fair skin, and grey eyes. What were the odds? How stupid one could be to be brave enough to return to the crime scene. He had no tangible proof yet, but Itachi didn't believe in hazards.
"This— "
"Identify yourself."
"Ken—Kentaro."
"Where do you live?"
"The Councilor Yuusei's household, I'm his son."
A son. He couldn't remember him having one. Councilor Yuusei was killed during the massacre of the Crimson Moon, along with seven other councilors and twenty-five policemen, who at that time were all Uchihas. It was a terrible attack that'd shaken the whole village, especially the Uchiha Clan. Despite intense searches, the killer had unfortunately never been found, many suspected, however, foreign involvement, possibly from a rival clan or politicians trying to destabilize Konoha.
A mystery unresolved, and here, right in front of him, a naïve man in seek of revenge.
"What business do you have here?"
"I was made aware of…Nobu's death." Kentaro said.
"How?
"We saw everything. I mean…many saw the police the other day…and I came back to see if I could find anything…anything valuable."
Itachi was starting to believe his intuition might have failed him, the young man sounding nothing like a killer.
"Not everyone has it as easy as someone like you," he added, before resuming to scavenging the desk.
Itachi had nothing to retort to such a statement, poverty had never been an issue in the Uchiha district, greed on the other hand. Still, something didn't fit.
"Nobu lived modestly."
"So, the rumors were true."
"What rumors?"
"They said you were close to him."
Itachi doubted visiting a man once a year could be considered as such, people really loved making stories, exaggerating one truth until it turned into a grotesque lie. "He was just an old man."
"A traitor," Kentaro corrected.
"Is this why you killed him?
There was a short moment of silence, followed by the sound of the drawer closing up. Kentaro turned to Itachi, wearing a rather stern expression. "Killing the only person aware of what really happened to my father during the night of the Crimson Moon, wouldn't be clever, would it?"
"Yet you're here, trespassing on a crime scene."
"People... They say you're someone impartial and just . I don't seek anything but the truth, only the truth, does it sound reprehensible to you? Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my situation?"
Itachi remained quiet, finding the man's openness suspicious.
"I know you would, that's why they didn't tell you, right?"
"Scavengers do not make assumptions."
"As I said, I'm looking for information, the most valuable thing one can have in this village. As for you, well, people speak, and even if you never acknowledged me back then. My family used to be well respected, we attended most gatherings, and I saw how much you were praised by your father."
A sudden noise of scratching coming from the first room caught them off guard, they both look at the door's frame, discovering a grey cat – possibly Nobu's– trotting towards them. Kentaro squatted down to pet the little intruder, "Nowadays he hardly mentions your name, you're never seen together in public either, and you don't have any say in the clan's matters, since you're not even part of the council. The heir. It makes people wonder…"
"Gossips aren't the reason for your presence here."
"Hm...true," he said, watching the cat suddenly run away "We all suffer from injustice, that's all I'm saying Itachi-sama." Kentaro rose to his feet and went back to his prior activity, having absolutely no care for Itachi's presence, which, again, was something rather odd.
Itachi wasn't the kind to pass up an opportunity, especially not when the man was giving him all the weapons he needed to strike back. "Do you believe I should be a council member?"
Kentaro paused, looking at him like he'd gone mad. "Yes! Absolutely! Everyone would vouch for you, they all admire you, and it's not just within our clan. You're a role model for everyone! But I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new here…"
"My obligations have the priority."
"See!" he burst out, his eyes lighting up. "One more argument in your favor, power doesn't matter to you. I have—I know people, so many people that are desperate for change, they'd be ready to sacrifice everything if it meant their voices could be heard too."
"Is this why you killed Nobu?"
Kentaro let out a snort, "Corruption must end for the truth to be revealed."
"I'll give you one truth against your confession, Kentaro-san."
He shook his head, "There's nothing you can help me with."
"I killed your father."
The man in front of Itachi went still upon hearing his words, his face slowly going pale as realization hit him.
"Lies." his now trembling voice whispered.
"Nobu-san had the misfortune to fall upon me that night." Itachi continued. "He never knew the killer's identity. Regardless, he was the perfect scapegoat for us."
"I—I killed an innocent man," Kentaro said, after a short silence. "And you—you're your father's dog after all. I thought we agreed with each other in some way—"
"Personal opinions don't have anything to do with duty."
"Duty!?" he shouted "My father died that night, along with thirty-one kinsmen, all because of one man's whim! All because of Fugaku!"
"Not quite."
Kentaro's nostril flared up, "I was right, this corruption must be cleared off! I'm not alone in this enterprise, many have awakened already and rejoiced at the thought of rebuilding everything from the ground, starting with your damn family!"
Itachi wasn't the kind to take action out of emotions, patience and restraint were more rewarding than impulsiveness. Experienced shinobi knew how to wait for the right clue, and once it was there, once there were no doubts left, they made their move. Kentaro was now backing off, eyes wide open, as panic consumed him.
"Don't pull it out."
Kentaro looked down on his chest, his back leaning against the wall for support, completely confused by what he was seeing, by the familiar weapon stuck in his body. Blood started tainting his pale attire around the area where the kunai was sunk, ironically the same one that killed Nobu.
"My father isn't responsible for the Crimson Moon's massacre."
"W—who?" Kentaro managed to ask, breathing erratically.
"Konoha," Itachi revealed. "One truth against another. Was it worth it, Kentaro-san?
"Then you— "he coughed. "You're a traitor."
Imperturbable, Itachi looked at the dying man who was starting to spit out more and more blood. It was objectively a shame. At most, Kentaro could be considered collateral damage, even though nobody had forced him to conspire against the clan.
"Like Councilor Yuusei, you're paying the price for putting the whole clan in jeopardy out of personal motives."
"Damn…damn you!" he growled, "Damn this— "
Itachi didn't get to hear his last words, as he left Nobu's shack. He stationed himself a few steps away from it and waited. Initially, killing the man hadn't been part of his plan, he thought there was a high likelihood that the killer wanted to take revenge on Nobu for the Crimson Moon's massacre, he just didn't expect him to be so personally involved. What was even more worrying now, was the fact he'd mentioned several times having other people involved in this. He believed his group must be rather young, or else someone loyal to the clan would've noticed something going on.
He suddenly felt something brush against his leg, Nobu's cat, who'd just reappeared out of nowhere. The cat then sat silently by his side.
Odd.
Nobu's hut was a rather comfortable sanctum that someone else could have occupied in the future if it wasn't for its now sinister history. Itachi made a few signs with his hands, flames hit the shack all at once and started consuming the rich cedar wood. Soon, all that would be left of it would be ashes.
This grandiloquent fire had every chance to attract attention, and Itachi counted on it. Tomorrow, the police station would be informed that, after all, Nobu didn't kill himself, in fact, in an attempt to cover shreds of evidence of the crime, his killer accidentally immolated himself.
"Taichou!"
There were several men, some he knew personally that were part of the Anbu, and others, his father's men, all coming to meet him, as expected.
Didn't take long.
"What happened?"
"Find the closest relative of Kentaro, son of the former councilor Yuusei," he ordered them. "They must be brought to the Kaisho."
As soon as Itachi entered the study room of his family's home, he was met by the sight of his father sitting by himself and reading scrolls. Unlike what Kentaro had claimed, their relationship was cordial, of course, they'd had many disagreements in the past, but not on the subjects one would expect – mainly his troublesome little brother.
Fugaku greeted him, "I've been waiting for you, Son."
"Why didn't you tell me about Nobu's murder?"
"As I feared, nothing can quite escape you," he sighed. "Who told you?"
" 'Doesn't matter."
His father paused, put aside the scrolls, and stood up "I must make you aware that Nobu took his life willingly, a regrettable and unquestionable outcome." He laid his hand on his shoulder. "I knew you would be quick to make conjectures, my Son, but in this case, there isn't anything more we can do that wouldn't anger more people."
Itachi looked straight into his eyes. "We went past this point already when they decided to conspire against you, Father. Against the clan."
"What are you saying?"
"Nobu was murdered by Kentaro, son of Councilor Yuusei ".
A flicker of recognition flashed through Fugaku's eyes. "Do you have proof of your words?"
"He has admitted his crime, blindly believing I would join his cause. Kentaro considered Nobu responsible for his father's death. He also blamed you for allowing a murderer to live."
"As much as I respected his father, murder doesn't make a man, and I've never seen anything remarkable within him and certainly do not believe him to be a threat to us. Where's he now?"
"Where he belongs."
"Itachi," he huffed. "We got one missing man already and a suicide on our hands to top it all, another corpse's the last thing we need."
"You underestimate the situation, Father," Itachi warned. "He wasn't acting by himself."
"Is that so?" Fugaku growled, "You claim our kinsmen are plotting against us? Against their own blood? Have we been too lenient? I gather you have names."
"Fetched men earlier to look for them," Itachi confirmed. "They're being brought to the meeting room as we speak."
"Very well, we shall make an example of them then," Fugaku concluded. "Tomorrow, we'll talk some more, Son."
Itachi bowed in front of him, stood up, and left the room, knowing his father would meet him outside. As he closed the sliding door, he sensed a presence behind him and soon felt a hand lightly grasp his shoulder.
A soft voice whispered, "What's happening? Where have you been all this day? Did the clan Soma capture one of our own once again?"
"You should return to your room, Mother."
She knew him enough not to insist when he showed such a cold demeanor, but he didn't miss the concerned expression on her face. In time, she would be let in confidence by his father, not him, since he had no say in what could be shared with her or not. They trusted her with heart and soul, but they didn't want to burden her even more – at least for the night.
Itachi joined the back courtyard and passed under an arch opening on an adjacent court, which like most households was surrounded by high white walls. At its center stood what they called the Uchiha Kaisho, a building where most of their meetings and council took place. The back path could only be used by the main family since the arch making the junction with the Kaisho came from their own garden.
Itachi walked alongside the edifice until he reached the front entrance, where he recognized some of his men standing by.
"Taichou!"
"Did you find them?"
"Affirmative." one of his men answered. "They're inside."
"Did they show any resistance?"
"No, they were…oddly cooperative."
He nodded and then climbed the few steps of the building before going inside. More men greeted him, faces that he knew personally, many of them being Anbus, brothers in arms whose abilities and judgment he trusted. He left the lobby with them and they all entered the main room. The air felt suddenly heavy, everyone was silently setting themselves in, men spreading themselves in every corner, securing the place accordingly.
The three culprits were knelled right in the middle of the room, two men and one woman, all in their twenties, obedient servants waiting for their leader to appear. Just as he wondered when his father would arrive, the latter made his entrance, followed by two other council members. The Uchiha council was comprised of twelve members, mostly influential men or elders. Tonight, the late time and exceptional nature of this session explained their low numbers.
Itachi discreetly walked to another spot where he could have a better view of the culprits.
Despite appearances, he was no member of the council and had no says in any decision taken for the Clan's well-being, at least officially. In practice, his father sometimes sought his advice, moreover, he'd been in charge of their military force off and on, which involved being aware of Council's ordeals to some degree. However, there was no title, no assigned role for such duty, simply because one couldn't work for the clan's interests while being away on a mission for weeks or months. For that reason, the lead was given to whoever was capable enough and available – he couldn't say he'd played that part much throughout the last years, his duties as Anbu captain taking most of his time. Ultimately, being twenty-eight years old prevented him from being part of the council, unless he became the clan leader.
"Do you know why you were brought in front of us tonight?" Fugaku inquired, seated alongside other council members while towering over everyone else in the room from the slightly elevated tatami they were on.
They remained quiet, not daring to speak.
"Nobu's death, two nights ago." He continued. "Does the passing of an old recluse, a harmless fisherman, mean anything to you? No. I think not."
Itachi was scrutinizing the tree rebels' body language, looking for anything that would confirm his presumptions. It turned out they were rather good at hiding whatever was going through their head right now, but he trusted they would sway soon enough.
"I gather you're well aware of rumors concerning him, absurdities that'd been running around for too long. Who would be foolish enough to believe such stories? Uchihas are not foolish. We do not tolerate traitors!"
The woman's fingers clenched a bit on her garment.
Kentaro's sister.
Fugaku looked bitterly at the young adults, "After confessing Nobu's murder, Kentaro Uchiha immolated himself tonight"
Tears started running down the woman's cheeks, despite this she remained still experiencing as much shock as her cousin by her side, whose eyes were wide open.
"Lies!" the third man screamed, "All lies!"
"Do not speak!"
"I won't let anyone ruin our family's reputa—"
Pushed roughly onto the ground by the guards, forcing the man to go back on his knees.
"I care not for your claims or justifications, young man. You're a shame to everyone, to the whole clan. Thus for your actions, you'll be given three choices." He made a gesture toward one of the councilmen.
The elder cleared his throat, "You may reassert your allegiance to the clan, or choose exile. If you choose the latter, you'll be free from your obligations, you won't be allowed to wear our name anymore, your eyes, if blessed with sharingans, will be given to us and every child you sire will belong to the clan without exception."
Freedom from the clan, a mere lie. Nobody had ever left the clan, it'd be akin to committing social suicide.
"Or the third possibility may suit you better, "Fugaku suggested. "Perhaps your loyalty remains towards a foolish man with preposterous ideas. We do respect people who remained true to their beliefs. Therefore, we're giving you an honorable way out."
A man hidden in the darkness came forward, holding unmistakable weapons in his hands. Itachi recognized three tantô in their sheaths, sharped double-edged daggers . He placed them in front of each culprit, who were all starting to express more and more signs of distress, eyes getting redder, spasms in their jaws, and heavy breathing.
Itachi would have executed them one by one for their crimes. Once again, his father proved to be too clement, underestimating the threat. By giving them the illusion of choice, he hoped for them to be reasonable, to let their fear make them kneel and beg for forgiveness.
The man who'd resisted earlier moved first, his hands reaching for the tantô like it could burn him. "Kentaro…he wouldn't have killed himself. Cousin, brother, you know this."
"He can't be gone!" the woman sobbed.
"Take it Kozue, they'll hurt you if you don't," her cousin insisted, putting the dagger in her hands. "We can't betray him, we have to do this for Kentaro, for our family. Promise me you'll do it!"
She nodded furiously.
"Brother."
"I understand."
Time seemed to have stopped, as everyone watched the three young adults unsheathe their dagger from their sheath. The premise that would soon seal their fate forever. They all look at each other with a regain of determination, and they shouted together the name of their loved one, of the man they acknowledge as their leader, "For Kentaro!"
After a short moment, two bodies fell on the ground, bright blood riveting slowly from their chest. Despite this, all attention was on the third culprit, Kozue, who was still very alive.
"I can't— I can't do it!" she cried, fingers shaking wildly around the tantô. "Forgive me, brother! I can't do it!"
Though civilians like her cherish honor like everyone else, that was rather an unexpected turn, which became even more exceptional all of a sudden.
She was crying all the tears her body could produce. "Aah! My eyes! I can't—I can't see anything! It hurts!" Vermillion blood was flowing down her cheeks and down into her white yukata, attracting even more attention from everyone.
An unexpected good omen. There wasn't a more beautiful sight than seeing the manifestation of their power, their bloodline, surging through a soul. A rare sight to witness that made the two bleeding bodies at her side utterly inconsequential for a moment.
"Please!" she begged, kneeling, her hands and head down. "I'll do everything you ask! Please, just make it stop! Please, help me!"
Nobody moved, it was her pain to bear. When the spectacle came to his end, Fugaku stood up, "At least, one valuable thing came out of this treachery." Itachi didn't miss the last accusatory look his father gave him before leaving quietly the Kaisho.
Men as quick as light took the traitor's bodies out right away. Their unfortunate death would be covered by well-fabricated lies, something that his father would have to deal with himself.
Soon, Itachi found himself alone in this great room – or almost.
"What are you going to do with her?" a familiar voice asked.
The woman was still sobbing quietly on the ground, curled up on herself, her face hidden by her thick black hair spread all around her like a halo. He'd never heard of any case like hers, especially a civilian awaking a kekkei-genkai at such an age, lacking the training required to use it properly.
"One of your guys might be willing to marry her, don't you think?"
"How long how you've been here?"
"Since the beginning."
"Pick her up, Shisui."
His friend – if he could still call him one – walked nonchalantly to Kozue and pulled her up her feet. She didn't resist, trembling slightly, barely able to walk properly. Her face was messy, her skin painted by long trails of blood.
"Open your eyes," he commanded.
Two black tomoes revealed themselves behind her eyelids. Another astonishing outcome.
"Itachi-sama!" she cried out, recognizing him. "I—I'm all alone now. I have no one, no family anymore. My brother…he couldn't have abandoned me! He couldn't—"
"You're right, he didn't abandon you." He said, his red eyes reflecting into hers.
Suddenly, they were inside Nobu's hut, both lurking in the shadows, observing two men talking to each other. Though their lips were moving, no sound could be heard, Itachi and Kozue couldn't even hear their own breathing, as if they were in reality whose rules were defined differently. Itachi looked at the scene, impassive, while the woman by his side had her widened eyes glued on her brother. The brother she'd just lost. Everything went abruptly downhill when Kentaro got stabbed by the other man. And as he moved backward, they saw the horror in his eyes, before he fell down. Kozue screamed, rushing right away to her brother but when she touched him, he disappeared in her hands, his body evaporating itself like water. Confused, she looked behind her shoulder and met the eyes of her brother's killer.
Kozue gasped, fury and rage flashing in her eyes, before she launched herself at Itachi, only to faint right in front of him, hit on the head by Shisui – as considerate as ever -who was now holding her sleeping body in his arms. "That was cruel, even for you Itachi."
"Better me than my family."
Shisui sighed, "She's going to live the rest of her life in hatred— "
"Giving her enough will to survive."
"Or destroy herself." he countered. "You should've told me about this sooner, Itachi. We could've found another way to deal with it."
Itachi started walking towards the exit, knowing all too well where this conversation would lead them. "Sacrifice must be made for the common good, that should sound familiar to you, Shisui."
His words were met with silence, one that followed Itachi all the way through the main path outside the Kaiga's walls to his family's domain. There, right in front of the entrance, stood a silhouette, an animal, that walked up to him as soon as they noticed Itachi.
His commandant's summoning.
"The Commander's convening all the captains tomorrow morning. The Godaime's back."
Having likely other people to inform, the white fox puffed out into the air, leaving Itachi by himself once again.
It looked like his second day of rest was going to be postponed, a recurrence that didn't faze him at all, just like the day's events – no matter how unexpected they'd been. Regardless of what people thought to be true concerning his benevolence towards Nobu the traitor, the reality was that the few interactions he'd had with the man had never been motivated by anything personal. Nobu's death, just like Kentaro's and his family's, was merely a bit of ink written on an already thick scroll, which never ended.
Such was the life of a shinobi like him, a man devoted to his duties, born and trained to serve both his village and clan, his existence only thriving in a natural order, which under no circumstances should be disturbed.