He floated in an empty white space void of noise or touch.
In his mind, all he could see were hazy memories from his past. His life flashed before his eyes. He saw the first time that he performed the rite of passage for his clan and the proud, yet shocked look on his father's face. It was the first time he'd been his father's "boy" and the first time he'd ever blushed. He saw when he'd participated in the Chunin Exams, clearing opponents older than he was with ease and attaining the promotion before being thrust into the dark and dangerous world of an ANBU operative.
But, as he lingered in this timeless void, he began to no longer recognize the images flashing in front of him. He saw battles he hadn't participated in and kills he hadn't made. Then, he saw his mother, garbed in a Konoha flak jacket and headband, running at his side. He saw her mouth his father's name and the war-torn forest they were in became clearer. The next image that came seemed to go back further in time and Itachi saw a man that he recognized as his grandfather.
In his final moments, he was seeing both his and his ancestor's lives. Another sense came back to him after his sight. He could hear a voice whispering words almost lost to the void.
Izanagi…it's forbidden, but…an eye for a life…
He tried to remember what had happened before the world had gone white, but before he could register the thoughts, he saw something that would've made his heart stop had he been alive.
A man sat on a throne, long black hair dropping past his shoulders and covering his right eye. His scowl was tucked behind the navy blue high-collared shirt he wore and his eyes were armed with an oddly patterned Sharingan. Itachi could feel the energy radiating from him as the memory proceeded and the realization set in.
He was looking through his grandfather's eyes at Madara Uchiha, and he couldn't help but feel that he was staring directly at him. The Ghost stood to his feet and descended from his throne. As he walked forward, Itachi began to feel something form in his chest. It was the first emotion he had in the white space and the worst that he could while trapped.
Fear.
Madara Uchiha reached out his hand. "I see you," he said. "Your anxiety and your fear. You worry about the future of the clan. You worry that some great calamity will fall on our people." The Ghost burst into a bright blue flame, a gleaming azure sword in hand. He raised it over his head as his blood-red Sharingan's pattern twisted to something he had never seen before. "But, you won't be here to stop it." The blade swung down and the light radiating from it blinded him.
When Itachi's eyes burst open, he saw someone in an ANBU mask kneeling over him. His adrenaline fueled his response and he shot out his hand to jab at their throat. But, a hand gently caught his wrist and laid it back at it his side.
"Itachi, I'm here. I'm here." Itachi turned his gaze to his right and saw Shisui seated next to him. Dried blood stained his cheeks and his eyes looked red and irritated. Yet, there was a relieved smile on his face that drained the severity from it.
"W-what..."
His friend shushed him. "I found you buried under the rubble. Those Root bastards were trying to flee the castle, but I made sure they didn't." He nodded to the short shinobi kneeling over Itachi and the younger Uchiha began to register what he was seeing. There was a green glow around their hands and with every passing second, he could feel his strength being restored and the pain from his injuries slowly subsiding. Behind the mask, Itachi could also see a strange Sharingan pattern, a black four-pronged pinwheel against their scarlet pupils.
Itachi blinked slowly, turning his gaze to Shisui. "What...did...you..."
The elder shinobi's eyes grew sad. "Something I promised that I wouldn't." He paused for a moment and then sighed. "There is...another level to the Sharingan past its normal state. Only a handful of our people have attained it because of the toll you have to pay."
Toll? Itachi's breaths were ragged. When he coughed, the metallic taste of blood jarred his senses. He saw Shisui's eyes rip toward the Root shinobi, anger flaring in them as his Sharingan began to eerily glow. The masked man did not stop healing and Itachi watched his friend's temper cool. As his body began to recover, so did his mind. Anxiety sank into his heart.
"Shisui," he said. "Lord Eizoku and Isamu...are they alright?"
"The daimyō is, yes," he said before sighing. "The boy...it was between saving you or saving him. I couldn't..." Shisui shut his eyes and dipped his head.
Part of Itachi wanted to grab his friend by the collar and scream at him. He was already sick, slow, and dying. Their mission had been to protect the daimyō and his family. Shisui had let Isamu die in order to save him. When Itachi thought of him, all he could see was his brother.
"A shinobi must always put the mission first." It was one of the first lessons that he'd learned from his father and one that he had held close to his heart.
Yet...
"Sure, a shinobi who breaks the rules is scum, but anyone who'd abandon their friends is worse than scum." Kakashi had taught him this when they served together as ANBU. It had shifted his perspective on both the supposed "Friend-Killer" and life as a shinobi, making him more understanding of those that could not handle the pressure of their profession. If he had been in Shisui's position, Itachi didn't know if he could or would make a different decision.
"I understand," he said, trying his best to hide the pain in his voice. "Where is he?"
Shisui directed his gaze to his left. Isamu laid with his hands crossed over his chest, dried blood caked in his hair and on his face. His legs were mangled where they must have been caught by the explosive tags and falling debris. Despite this, his face was serene in death and all the pain and fear the boy must have felt in his last moments had been washed away.
It should have been me. Itachi's intrusive inner voice warred with his gratefulness to his friend. He tried to be thankful, but all he could wonder was why he was still here.
Silence passed between them for what seemed an eternity as the mind-controlled Root shinobi finished healing the young Uchiha's injuries. Shisui inspected him with a quick survey of his eyes. When he seemed satisfied, he drew his tanto from his back and his gaze grew cold.
"Thank you," he said to the Root shinobi whose stony, dead expression did not change until Shisui's blade slipped into his throat. Itachi gingerly attempted to stand, predicting and compensating for his inevitable dizziness. When he had gathered himself, he walked toward Isamu and knelt by his body. He looked at him for a while, remembering the brief interaction they'd had and how foolish it felt to be so attached to him, yet, he knew the reason. The only reason he felt he was doing anything now. It was all to avoid seeing Sasuke in this position.
Though he tried his hardest not to, he imagined his brother unsafe and afraid. And he heard the Root shinobi's ominous words before the explosion. Who protects your little brother when you're away? Itachi's chest grew tight and tears began to well in his eyes. His mask was broken. If he wasn't strong or fast enough to save Isamu, how could he protect Sasuke?
He wept until he felt a pounding pain in the back of his head. Briefly, his vision blurred before suddenly becoming clear. The pressure in his chest faded too.
Odd, Itachi thought. I feel...
"We need to secure Lord Eizoku," Shisui said quietly behind him.
Itachi wiped his eyes and blinked until his face was dry. "Right." He gently picked up Isamu's body and the pair of shinobi fell in together.
As they traveled to where Shisui had hidden the daimyō, Itachi's mind raced, pulling together everything that had happened. The attack on Lord Eizoku's castle had been bold, violent, and efficient, but it was unlike the training they'd undergone as ANBU or even shinobi. They had been taught to strike quickly and quietly before disappearing into the void they'd come from. What this had been was more akin to a statement.
The Root survivors had spent the last three years hiding underground like their namesake, very rarely showing any signs of activity. When they had, Itachi's father had immediately sent assassination squads to handle them with extreme prejudice. For a group that had once operated in fear to suddenly move so boldly was strange to Itachi, but he suspected that they had to have powerful backing or assurances. It couldn't be as simple as blind loyalty to Danzo, whose corpse would be rotting in the ground now if it hadn't been incinerated.
Perhaps, he thought, they'd declared their loyalty to another. Kumogakure seemed to be the obvious answer. It was almost too obvious. Their cloaks bore clouds, true, but they didn't resemble the insignia on Kumo's forehead protectors, nor had they openly declared for the Raikage, even when they thought they had Itachi dead to rights. Instead, they spoke of "serving the dawn".
That, Itachi believed, was the key. Whatever they meant by that phrase could point to whomever they had sworn their allegiance to.
He let the theories go quiet in his mind as Shisui led them to where he'd stashed the daimyō, shrouded by a weak but easily missed barrier in the forests that surrounded his castle. Predictably, Lord Eizoku wept at the sight of his fallen son. He did not ask how it had happened, instead caressing his face and ordering Itachi and Shisui to leave him to grieve for a moment. They did as he bade, keeping watch for nearly half an hour until they heard their lord call for them.
His eyes looked empty and his face drained of color, but when he spoke, the authoritative tone of someone born to power emerged. "There is a monastery ten miles to the north. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, but you will have to pass through a large field before you see it. You will take me there," he said.
Shisui dipped his head. "As you command."
Itachi was more hesitant, maintaining his silence. If the attack on the castle was as coordinated and planned as he thought, he needed to return home and tell his father. He probably already suspects or knows as much. The young Uchiha raised his head. "Forgive me, Lord Eizoku, but I need to return to Konoha as soon as possible."
The daimyō's face was incredulous and even Shisui looked surprised. "Excuse me?" the noble said.
"I fear that the attack against you is part of something larger than we initially thought. If we are going to launch any kind of counter, this intel has to be given to the Hokage," Itachi said.
Lord Eizoku frowned. "I've given you an order. And as I understand, your Hokage also ordered you to protect me and my family." His tone was bitter.
"I understand," Itachi replied. "But, our mission was also to escort you to Konoha. Taking you in the opposite direction isn't something that would align with that objective either." When the daimyō's lips twitched, he continued. "In order to avoid any more tragedies and deaths, we need to act quickly."
The daimyō seemed to consider his words for a moment, his eyes passing to his son before they shut, and he let out a misty breath. "Then go," he said.
Shisui blinked and looked at Itachi. Are you sure you can make it alone? The younger shinobi nodded an affirmative to his friend. He spared another glance at Isamu and the daimyō, then watched them fade away as he darted into the trees.
If he wanted to get to Konoha quickly, he'd have to do it in an atypical fashion. Itachi summoned his flock of crows, before transforming himself into one. The grey sky was covered in black birds, cawing as they ascended into the cold winds. They flew south towards the center of the country. Combining the natural visual acuity of his crow form with his Sharingan, Itachi was able to see farther and clearer. The others in his flock had the same ability along with...
"Clear! Clear!" one returning recon crow said, in a guttural, deep voice. It had come from the east, away from Konoha and near the coastline. As they flew further, the dark gray clouds of the winter storm hovered over them and thick flakes of snow began to fall.
A second group of recon crows joined in with the flock, coming from the north. "Uchiha! Flash!" they cawed.
Good, Itachi thought. They'd only seen Shisui darting through the trees and the way ahead of him at least appeared to be clear of enemies. Hopefully, he'd be able to quickly escort the daimyō and rejoin him to corroborate what he intended to tell his father.
He heard frantic flapping and the flock around him began to caw with distress. He saw the third group of crows he'd sent out flying toward them.
"Attack!" they said over the winds. "Konoha! Attack! Attack!"
Itachi blinked. And felt his heart sink. "By who?"
"Snake! Snake!"
Kakashi was right... he thought. "Where is the Hokage?"
"North! North!" one of the crows from the second group cawed.
That's what they had meant when they said "Uchiha". That also meant that the "Flash" in question was Minato Namikaze. The village's two strongest shinobi had left the village and were on a course toward the border between Kaminari no Kuni and their country. But why? Did Itachi's father think that they were the cause of the attack? Did they even know what had happened?
He had to inform them and Shisui immediately.
"Go to the Hokage and tell him what happened in Konoha. Tell Shisui as well," Itachi ordered. A section of crows diverted from the flock and flew north, leaving a dusting of black feathers behind them. Itachi's mind raced to the next step. Kakashi was still in the village, assigned to guard Lady Kushina. While he was a powerful and skilled shinobi in his own right, the young Uchiha found it hard to believe that he'd be able to stop Orochimaru by himself. And if the Sannin had assistance breaking free from his prison, the chances that anyone could stop him were slim. He had a vendetta against Konoha and Itachi was sure that he'd do everything in his power to seek revenge, especially if he knew that the two biggest deterrents were gone. And if it was vengeance he sought, Orochimaru would most likely target what Father held dearest.
His clan. Or, more specifically...
Itachi's heart sank.
"Where's Sasuke?" he asked his birds.
Quickly, the ones that had flown over the village replied, "Snake! Snake!"
No. No, no, no... "Take me to them now." The flock did as he bid, powering through the frigid winds and swirling snows. They turned sharply to the west, flying with an urgency powered by Itachi's will. The boy's mind was a cloud of worry, more hazy than the mist that came upon them as they started their descent.
As the flock started to navigate through the canopy, he sent them back in a silent burst of smoke and flew alone. His Sharingan activated, he quickly caught on to the color of his brother's chakra and trailed it from above. At the very least, this meant that Sasuke was alive. Perhaps instead of killing him immediately, he was using him as a hostage to dissuade pursuit.
He was weak. After four years of having his chakra siphoned from his body and restricted movement, there was no way that Orochimaru was at full power. And it just so happened that Itachi wasn't either.
It only meant that he had to perform a quick and simple extraction. He'd follow the same principles that he and his Genin team had used during the second phase of the Chunin Exams when their mission had been to retrieve a scroll and keep it away from their pursuers. All he had to do was surprise a shinobi with thirty years more experience and two wars under his belt.
Sasuke's life rested on the next few moves Itachi made.
His little brother's chakra presence had grown harder to see in the mist that had slithered between the trees. But he had a clear idea of where he was. All of his senses were focused. He gathered what strength and explosiveness he could as he waited for his moment.
He knew that he would only have one chance.
Itachi darted through the canopy of the forest, eyes peering along the ground for any potential signs of his brother or Orochimaru. The further he ventured into the trees, the thicker the fog became and the less he could see with his Sharingan. Was this natural or some kind of smokescreen? Itachi had never seen anything like this before, but he quickly drew the conclusion that at the mist's densest, he'd find the Sannin. He was masking his trail and escape as he headed to the border.
He heard a distinct sound, a quiet and frustrated groan that penetrated the silence on the forest floor, and recognized it instantly. His wing flaps would be too loud now. Itachi reverted back to his human form and landed gingerly on a branch. He waited again for a noise and heard what sounded like another groan. And it was only meters away. The Uchiha quickly sprung at the noise and drew his sword. As he descended through the mist, the image of Orochimaru came into view.
His back was turned. Sasuke hung in his right arm, swinging his legs in an attempt to free himself. Itachi's blade sliced through the mist and aimed at the Sannin's arm. Once he cut it off to free his brother, they'd both disappear in a swirl of crows and be out of the forest and back home within the hour. He saw it as clear as day.
But he didn't see that Orochimaru wasn't alone.
The counterattack came from Itachi's side, a high-precision strike that sent what felt like a knife of chakra through his ribs. It blew him back, and he crashed onto the ground, rolling into the underbrush before gathering his balance and slipping into the trees again.
What the hell was that? His eyes whipped around, searching for the assailant. He felt a chill at the nape of his neck and instinctively moved. The tree was sliced through where his head had been and Itachi jumped to the next branch, turning to see who was behind him.
His instincts again told him to keep moving. Before his toe could touch the bark, the tree exploded in a wave of chakra that sent him tumbling to the ground. He flipped and landed elegantly on his feet. Enough evading, he told himself. He needed to stand firm and see who or what he was fighting. They were using the mist as cover and their attacks were precise and powerful. If not for his muscle memory and the brief moment of precognition his Sharingan was affording him in this dense fog, he would've been dead.
Again, he thought sourly.
The phantom looked back at him with one blue and one white eye. Itachi recognized the pattern of attacks. A mixture of efficient strikes to the vital points combined with the smooth, water-like movements of the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist. But, this was no Hyūga. The Byakugan in his right eye was surgically implanted. Stolen, Itachi deduced.
Then it hit him. The one Danzo had contacted to kidnap Lady Hinata was this man. One of the Hyūga clan had been last seen leaving the village in pursuit of someone, but they'd never returned and their body hadn't been recovered.
The man was older and wore his experience in battle on his face. His gaze was cold and indifferent with more similarity to the snow that surrounded them than anything human. Itachi's own mask was sliding down his face.
Sasuke was getting further and further away.
Attempting to overpower this shinobi would take longer than he had and would waste the chakra he'd need to catch up to and potentially fight Orochimaru. His opponent darted toward him again, enveloped in the mist. Itachi waited until the last moment as the man emerged from it, allowing his Sharingan to register his muscle movements as his chakra-coated hand came toward him. He could see exactly where he was aiming. He didn't need to dodge.
Itachi raised his arm to redirect the man's attack away from his face and tilted his neck to look at the man. He disappeared into the mist again before the young shinobi could fully see him. Interesting, he thought. I think I know what to do. His father had taught him that to be a true shinobi, he needed to master all three skills they employed.
"Every jutsu has a counter," he had said. "And every foe, a weakness you can exploit."
He had a few theories on this man's weakness. Since he had already deduced that the Byakugan was implanted, he was sure it took a similar toll on the man's body that the Sharingan had on Kakashi. This meant that he couldn't use it for long nor would it be attuned to the taxing nature of the Hyūga's Gentle Fist. Second, hiding and attacking was an admission that in a straight fight, this man feared that Itachi would have the upper hand. The way he used the mist to shield himself prevented the Uchiha from using his Sharingan to his fullest potential. But, it didn't stop him from using the Byakugan to see Itachi.
And this brought the boy to his final conclusion. He didn't need to see the man to defeat him. The man just needed to see him. And with his stolen dojutsu's range of vision, the rest was easy.
Itachi stood in place again, waiting for the next attack. It came predictably from behind. The Uchiha let the man's hand touch him. Then, he turned his gaze on him.
What the rogue shinobi would experience was Itachi exploding into a murder of crows that descended upon him, pecking at his face and eyes as they cawed, "Thief! Thief!" While in reality, he was frozen in place.
Itachi left him there, stuck in a mental hell, while he raced after Orochimaru. To his surprise, the fog thinned the further he pushed into the forest. It must have been centered around the shinobi he'd fought and not the Sannin. If the fog was still present though, Orochimaru wouldn't automatically suspect that Itachi was after him. There was still the chance of an element of surprise. And that he could save his brother.
He felt a surge of strength fueled by his determination and pushed himself forward. As he traversed the trees, he saw a silvery light breaking through the canopy. When he burst out from the leaves, he landed in a snow-covered field that stretched for miles. Itachi rolled to his feet and his eyes darted around, searching. His ears caught what they didn't.
"Big Brother!"
He turned and saw Sasuke bound in the snow. A wave of relief fell over him that then cascaded into worry. Where is Orochimaru? If he had escaped, that was no matter. But, leaving Sasuke out in the open? It was a trap. All of Itachi's instincts told him so.
He decided not to care for a moment and rushed toward his brother.
"Itachi, don't!" Sasuke screamed.
Itachi knew what to expect. The ground beneath him exploded, but the Uchiha nimbly dodged, jumping over the ice and fire. It wouldn't be the only one. The entire field was probably trip-mined. He ran forward again and as the next mine went off, he transformed into a crow and flew over the field. Itachi swooped down and grabbed Sasuke in his claws, lifting him in the air. His little brother's worried face told him what he already knew; below him, there was a mine that would be triggered when he moved. When the explosion erupted below them, the elder brother replaced both he and Sasuke with two logs that were incinerated. The two Uchiha crashed onto the ground near the edge of the clearing back where Itachi had come from.
Sasuke squeezed him tightly around his neck and sobbed. "Big Brother," he cried. "You came."
Of course I did, Itachi wanted to say. Instead, he remained silent and hugged his brother.
The little boy looked up at him, eyes still wet with tears. "Did you get Hinata too?" he asked.
Itachi's heart dropped. He hadn't seen her anywhere in the forest. Had the mist also been a diversion to shield them taking her? Before he could answer his brother, he felt a chill down his spine.
"How precious," a deep voice said, slithering its way into his ear. "To see you both this way in your final moments."
Itachi turned around and saw Orochimaru, still garbed in the rags he'd been wearing when he was imprisoned. Snake-like eyes stared back at the Uchiha, gleaming with malice and killing intent. Itachi understood. His father had been cruel regarding his imprisonment, bolting him to a wall and hooking him to a machine that constantly and painfully siphoned his chakra. Death would have been preferable.
Still, the Sannin was a traitor. As a Konoha shinobi, Itachi was duty-bound to kill or capture him. Yet, as a brother, he was also responsible for his younger sibling's life. Dedication to his village or to his family. It was an impossible choice. Orochimaru knew far too many of Konoha's secrets to be let go but, with Sasuke rested the future of the Uchiha clan and perhaps the village as a whole. Even if Itachi decided that he needed to fulfill his duty...
I can't win. It was a painful thought, but true. Perhaps if his body was not debilitated by illness, he had a chance, even if it was slim. The most that he could do was bluff and let his preceding reputation do the work for him. Still, against someone like this...
"You have miles of field behind you," Itachi said, carefully moving Sasuke behind him. "You can have a head start." He felt his little brother's eyes on him.
"You're not a fool, boy," Orochimaru replied. "You and I both know what must happen."
"I do," the young shinobi said. He looked down at Sasuke and saw in his eyes something that caused a fire to rise in him. It was true, he was duty-bound to serve his village and destroy a traitor. But, he was also an older brother. He could protect Sasuke and handle Orochimaru. He would.
He felt stronger with his new conviction and the way that his little brother stared at him, he knew that something else was different.
"Big Brother," he said. "Your eyes...that's not the..."
"Sasuke," Itachi said. "Whatever you do, keep running. The village is directly to the south. Don't stop until you're there."
"No! I won't leave you! I can help you!" He was nearly in tears. It pained Itachi to see it, but it would be worse if he had to keep him out of the way.
He reached out with his index and middle finger, poking his brother in the forehead. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," he said, feeling his emotions well in him. "This...is the last time."
His brother was crying now. Crying and running.
As he fled, Itachi turned to Orochimaru, who stayed in place while they interacted, a look of confusion on his face. The confusion turned into curiosity.
"What an interesting pattern in your eyes," he said. He burst forward, reaching out with a pale hand.
In the brief flash of time that Itachi had before the Sannin made contact with him, he settled into a deep sense of awareness of both himself and his surroundings. His body felt stronger, but he was still in intense pain. He had resolve, but his chakra reserves were fading quickly. But in all that his body was going through, he knew that Sasuke would be safe. He had sent a crow to warn Shisui. His little brother and best friend would cross paths on the way back to the village.
So long as he fulfilled his duty.
Itachi drew a kunai, missing his downward slash. Before Orochimaru could touch him though, the young Uchiha substituted himself with a log and reappeared in a puff of smoke behind the Sannin. Grinning widely, the former pupil of the Third turned to him and swiped at him again in a flurry of kicks and punches. Itachi read each move precisely, dodging or blocking what he could. He slashed at his opponent's arms and hands, scoring one cut that caused blood to gush.
He didn't expect a snake to emerge from the open wound. The white serpent wrapped itself around his neck, squeezing tightly before tossing him to the air. Flipping, Itachi took in a deep breath and unleashed a massive ball of fire, a screen that he used to transform into a flock of crows and descend. When Orochimaru punched a hole through his jutsu, the Uchiha emerged with his ninjato in one hand and a kunai in the other. The Sannin's yellow eyes widened.
He fought against any sense of relief when he pinned the elder man to the ground. When he tried to cross his blades from Orochimaru's shoulders to his neck, the man gripped his arms tightly and held them in place.
"It's been quite some time since I've had this kind of fun, Itachi. Danzo was right about you after all. You would have been a fine member of Root," he said.
"Flattering." Am I that weak now or is he that strong still? Despite his best efforts, Itachi couldn't move Orochimaru's arms or break free from his grasp.
"To lose you and your little brother will be a tragedy for Konoha, yes. But especially, your father. It's unfortunate I won't be there to see him mourn you both." His jaw dropped. Then unhinged as another snake emerged, opening and loosening its own jaw. Itachi's eyes widened as a blade extended from the creature's mouth and shot toward his face.
Itachi couldn't react fast enough to avoid being hit, taking a gash over his left eye that ground against the bony ridge of his eyebrow. The pain was an excruciating shock to his system that sent him reeling. He shut his eye and watched with his right as Orochimaru rose to headbutt him.
The Sannin pinned the boy's arms to the ground with his knees and tore his weapons from his shoulders. The first punch split Itachi's lip. The next opened the cut over his eye even more. The third broke his nose. Then, Orochimaru stopped and sucked his teeth.
"Is this really all you have?" he said. "You've run out of fight already?"
Not quite. One of Itachi's crows descended behind the Sannin, folding its wings as it dove toward him. Orochimaru smirked and jumped upwards. The black bird evaporated into smoke and dark feathers as it came within inches of the boy's face.
Metal cut through the smoke. Itachi rolled out of the way and sprung to his feet in time to raise his blade to defend against Orochimaru's sword swing. To his horror, his ninjato chipped then broke, the splintered piece whistling through the air before landing somewhere in the snow. A second strike came at Itachi's neck, and he could hear maniacal laughter over the humming of the blade.
"Any last words, boy?" Orochimaru taunted.
Itachi's mind was silent. Void. Empty. He was at peace and calm. Then, he felt blood and tears pour from his right eye as he heard one word in his head.
"Amaterasu."
The name came from a lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was a little boy. She would hold him in her arms, cradling him against her body as she rocked back and forth. Her voice was so sweet and soothing.
Dark as the midnight sun
The world needed light
Dark as the midnight sun
The goddess set things right
Dark as the midnight sun
Amaterasu gives peace
Dark as the midnight sun
Let your sleep bring release
Black flames covered Orochimaru's arm, swirling up to his shoulder. His maniacal laughter turned to panicked screams as he tore at his clothes, only causing his other arm to catch fire. He dropped to the ground, rolling in the snow. Steam rose and Itachi could smell the sizzling of his flesh as it melted away.
His head pounded and his neck was hot. He reached for it and felt blood. His blood. Orochimaru's sword was lodged into the side of it and every breath he took caused more blood to bubble into his mouth.
He dropped to his knees.
He would miss the Tsurara Festival with Izumi but...
His father and Shisui had been warned.
The Byakugan thief was incapacitated.
Orochimaru was burning.
Sasuke was running home.
He'd done what he had to as a shinobi and a brother.
Itachi smiled.
He painted the Uchiha crest in the snow with his blood.
And then, he took his final breath.