Chapter 19: Shadowfall
Konoha, abandoned warehouse, storage room:
Yakumo felt a brief moment of confusion as she woke up. She looked around, realizing that she was not in her bed. Indeed, not even her room. She appeared to be in a storage room of some sort.
There were others in the storage room with her. Four boys that were waking up, and a man lying unconscious on the floor. For a moment, she could have sworn one of the boys was Sasuke.
She sat up, trying to shake off the hazy around her mind. "Where am I?" she asked. "What happened?"
That was about when the memories came back to her. Their time in the forest clearing. The attack and kidnapping. Even her friends coming to her rescue. She remembered all of it. How she revealed her clan's secret and the Shadow taking over her powers. How they were plunged into a nightmare world.
"You're supposed to be afraid of me. You're the weak one here, not me."
"Not anymore."
And she remembers her confrontation with the Shadow and how Sasuke and the others helped her.
No matter how far away you push me. No matter how deep in your mind you bury me. I will always be there, waiting for my moment. The moment you falter and show weakness, I will strike."
"And we'll be there to stop you."
Yakumo smiled even as the tears started to come down her cheeks. She was free. And it was thanks to Sasuke and his friends.
Sasuke took notice of Yakumo's state, causing a worried frown to spread across his face. "Yakumo, are you ok?!" He didn't get to finish his sentence as the young Kurama girl threw herself at Sasuke. "Yakumo, what are you?" he tried to get out.
But was drowned out by the sound of Yakumo's voice. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she kept saying. "The Shadow, it's gone. I can't feel its presence anymore. Thank you."
"It's alright, Yakumo," she heard Sasuke say. Unknown to her, his face now resembled his favorite vegetable. "Y-you don't have to thank me. You were the one that faced her not me."
Yakumo pulled away from her hug and looked at Sasuke. "But if it weren't for you and the others, I would have never been able to face the shadow," she said. "It's because of you that I don't have to live in fear anymore."
"I was only helping," Sasuke said. "You were the one that beat the shadow, not us."
"He's right, Yakumo," Naruto said. Yakumo looked around, seeing that the other boys had gathered around her, smiling at her. "You were amazing," he continued.
The others were giving their nods of agreement. She felt something snuggling up on her lap. She looked down to see that Akamaru had crawled into her lap. Yakumo smiled and started to pet the little dog, who gave a happy bark.
"Thank you, everyone," she said. She owed them so much, that she didn't know how to begin to repay them.
Sasuke, it seems, was a mind reader. "Don't even think about wanting to repay us," he said. "That was all you back there, so you don't feel like you have to owe us anything."
"Right, you're my friends," Yakumo said. She felt a tingling sensation in her mouth at saying that. She had heard that phrase so many times from Sasuke and the others. But now that she was saying it, somehow, it felt more real. "Still, thank you," she smiled at her friends. "You gave me the courage I needed to face the Shadow. For that, you will always have my gratitude."
For a moment, silence fell over the room. But Yakumo was content to enjoy it.
Of course, the moment didn't last long. "Oh, Naruto," Kiba said, looking at Naruto. "I have a question for you."
"What?" Naruto said nervously. The attention of the others was now on Naruto.
"Who was that man with you?" Kiba asked. "The guy with the orange hair and a kimono that looked like fire. What was he doing in that nightmare world? And" Kiba began to look around the room, prompting the others to do the same. "Where did he go?"
"I was wondering about that myself," Shikamaru said. "And don't tell us he was some figment of your imagination. He felt too real to be anything but an actual person."
Yakumo was wondering that herself, the only other person that had been caught in the genjutsu, was lying unconscious on the floor. Everyone was looking at Naruto expectantly.
The blindfolded boy was scratching the back of his head. "I was hoping you guys would have forgotten about him," he said. He had a look on his face. An expression that Yakumo was familiar with." I guess I do owe guys an explanation."
"So, who was he?" Sasuke said.
Naruto was biting the bottom of his lips. Whatever it was, it was something that he wasn't comfortable sharing. "Well, you see its."
Yakumo cut him off. "It's alright," she said. "You don't have to tell us if you're not ready."
The other boys gave her questioning expressions before looking back at Naruto and seeing how uncomfortable he was. "It's alright, Naruto," Sasuke said. "You don't have to tell us right now if you don't want to. We were curious about that guy."
Naruto nodded and shot Yakumo an appreciative expression. "Thanks," he said softly. Then seemly, he made a decision. "But I think I will tell you. But not right now, not here. I want everyone here when I tell you."
That seemed to satisfy the others. "Okay, so what do we do now.?" Kiba asked.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"I mean, what do we do to get out of here?" the Inuzuka boy gestured to the room around them.
Right still kidnapped. The faint sounds of fighting could still be heard through the walls. How much time had passed in the real world? Minutes, hours? For all Yakumo knew, only seconds might have passed.
"Nothing, really," Shikamaru said, yawning. "Konoha's already sent a team to rescue us. So, all we have to do is wait."
"You sure?" Kiba asked. "You think they might be able to beat those guys."
"Sure, they can," Sasuke said, almost sounding insulted. "My brother's leading the rescue. There's no way a bunch of criminals can beat him."
"He's right Itachi is really strong," Naruto said. "I think he might even be as strong as the Hokage. Though I think the old man would still beat him in a fight."
"Of course, you would say that," Sasuke said with a smirk.
Yakumo started to giggle. Life was starting to look brighter for her.
Itachi removed his blade from his opponent's chest. The man fell to the floor on his back, a look of shock quickly spreading across his face. The battle had reached its climax.
Of the six missing-nin, they encountered. Only two had been rendered unconscious, one was unaccounted for, the rest killed in battle. Now even their leader had fallen before a Konoha blade. Itachi's blade.
Konoha, in comparison, had no losses, though most of them were tired and had some injuries. Nothing that couldn't be fixed by a couple of days of rest.
Itachi looked down at his opponent, somewhat surprised to see a smile spreading across his face. "So, this is how I die? Huh?" he said.
Itachi knelt down. "Save your strength," he said.
"Don't give me that crap," the man responded. "We both know I'm going to die here," the man began to chuckle. "At the very least, I was killed at the hands of a worthy opponent," he coughs up a thick blob of blood. "It's just too bad it had to be a Konoha-nin that did me in."
Itachi frowned. "Tell me, why did you do this?" he asked. "Who hired you to capture Yakumo Kurama, and what do they want with her?"
The man's smile grew even as the life left his eyes. "Sorry. But your… not…getting… th" his head went to the side.
Itachi checked for a pulse. Nothing. He closed the man's eyes, giving him his final rest. It looked like they would have to interrogate the survivors if they wanted to learn anything.
"You two," he said, pointing to a pair of Jōnin. "Secure the prisoners." They nodded and went to their task. "Izumi, you're with me. The rest of you secure the perimeter."
"Sir," the shinobi want to work.
Itachi didn't waste any time as he swiftly moved through the warehouse, Izumi close behind. There was still one missing-nin unaccounted, and there was no telling where he went. It was possible he fled from the battle once it became clear that defeat was inevitable. In which case, he might have already been intercepted and captured or killed.
The other possibility causes him to pick up his pace. In a matter of seconds, Itachi was across the warehouse and bursting through a door. Entering into the storage room where his brother and his friends were being held, he expected to see a lot of things.
He expected to see the children safe and mostly unharmed. He expected to see them all dead. He even expected to see the final missing-nin standing over them, using the children as a bargaining chip to secure his escape.
This was not expected, though it did bring him some relief. The children were safe and huddled together, happily talking to each other. The unaccounted-for missing-nin was indeed in the room, lying on the floor unconscious.
Itachi had enough time to raise an eyebrow before the children noticed his presence. "Itachi-ni-San!" Sasuke happily said. The others quickly welcomed him with nods or an enthusiastic hand wave, in Naruto's case.
Izumi walked up behind him and gasped. "They're okay," she said.
Itachi nodded and took one last glance at that the man on the floor to confirm he was unconscious. Before he dashed across the room and enveloped his little brother in a tight hug.
"Itachi!?" his brother Sasuke shouted, surprised by the sudden gesture. He struggled against his brother's grip but couldn't move an inch.
After a moment, Itachi released his brother and held onto his shoulders. "Sasuke are you alright?" he asked, looking over at his little brother. "Did they hurt you? Did they do anything at all to you?" This was the second time in his life that his precious little brother had been in danger, and he was powerless to stop it.
"I'm okay, Itachi," Sasuke said quickly. "Really, I am. All of us are," Itachi looked at the other children in the room, seeing that everyone was okay.
Itachi let out a breath of relief. Before pulling Sasuke into another tight hug. "Sasuke, you had me so worried. For a moment, I was afraid we were going to lose you," he said, almost feeling his voice shake.
"It-Itachi?" Sasuke said.
He felt Izumi's presence behind him. "Try not to worry about him, Sasuke-Kun," she said. "He was just worried for his little brother. You had us all scared with the little stunt you pulled," her voice came off as scolding, but Itachi could hear the softness under it.
"I'm sorry," Sasuke said, stammering over his words. "But I couldn't. I had to."
Itachi released his brother from the hug and once again held him by his shoulders. He looked the boy in his eyes. "Sasuke," Itachi said in an even voice. "What you did was reckless and foolish. You could have gotten yourself and the others killed. Or worse," he didn't even want to think about what plans their captors had for them. "You shouldn't have gone after them like that."
Sasuke frowned at him. "But I couldn't just let them get away," he defended himself. "I couldn't let them take Yakumo. She's my friend, so I had to save her."
Itachi smiled at his brother. He truly was proud of the boy- the young man before him. "Which is why I am so proud of you," he said. "There is an old saying in Konoha. Those who abandon the mission are scum. But those who abandoned their comrades are worse than scum. Today you choose to protect your comrades, and for that, I am proud of you, Sasuke," he let go of his brother's shoulders and put his hand on his head. "You will make for a fine shinobi one day."
His brother's cheeks turned red. "Th-thanks, Itachi."
Nodding, Itachi turned his head to face the Kurama girl. He couldn't help but notice she was holding Sasuke's hand. "Are you alright, Ms. Kurama?" he asked the girl.
The girl nodded. "I am. Thanks to your Sasuke-Kun," she said, looking at his brother.
Itachi raised an eyebrow at the honorific. Maybe it was time that his little brother got the "talk."
"I see," he said. "That's good to hear. Is there something else that might be bothering you," he was subtly referring to the Ido.
He was surprised when the girl smiled at him. "You don't have to hide it," she said. "They know about the Ido. And you don't have to worry about either."
Today seemed to be a day for surprises. He wondered how her uncle would react when he learned that she told the Kurama clan's secret. "How so?" he asked.
"Because I have it under control now," she said, looking at Sasuke and the others in the room. "They helped me."
Itachi looked to his brother for confirmation. Sasuke nodded and mouth. "Tell you later." Itachi sighed. It seemed he would have a lot of questions for his little brother.
But that would come later. Looking over the children, he saw how tired they all were. This had been a long day for everyone. "You'll have to tell me about it later," he said. "But that can wait. I think it's time that we got you home. All of you," he added, looking at each of the kids. "I'm sure your families are worried sick about you."
A groan asked from the Nara boy. "Troublesome, my mother is going to kill me," he muttered.
Itachi smirked, he had heard the Nara matriarch had a temper. "Itachi before we go," Naruto said. Itachi looked at the boy and was put on edge at seeing the serious expression on his face. "There's something you should know about the kidnappers."
"What is it Naruto-San?" Itachi said. If the children had managed to get some intel on the missing-nin, he would listen.
"They had help. Someone in Konoha helped the missing-nin get in," Itachi felt like a trail of ice was climbing his spine. A traitor? In Konoha? The Hokage had to know about this immediately. "It was.'
"ITACHI!"
Even for someone with his eyes, everything happened in a motion of blur. A shadow moved over him, crimson flew into the air, followed by screaming.
But the red he would always remember. He would always note how strange it looked as it floated in the air. The moment passed, and everything came back into focus. The next thing he knew, the man whom he thought was unconscious was falling to the floor. His throat was cut open.
Itachi stood there, trying to process the sequence of events. He felt his hand trembling. He looked down but not at the dead man before his feet.
But at Izumi, as the blood flooded out of her body.
Clang!
The sound of his sword hitting the ground sounded as Itachi dropped down and cradled his girlfriend in his arms. "Izumi," he said as he examined her wound. A large gash had been cut across her chest.
Even though his mind knew the truth, he tried to deny it. This had to be some trick. A genjutsu he fell prey to. Or perhaps a nightmare that he would soon wake up from. A rapidly cooling hand touched him on the cheek.
Izumi was smiling at him. It was both beautiful and horrifying as the red came out from her mouth. "I'm sorry, Itachi," she said. "My body just reacted."
He felt Izumi's hand slipping from his face. Itachi grabbed it and kept on his cheek. "Izumi, please hang in there," this couldn't be happening. He had to be dreaming. "Medic! Medic!" he choked out between sobs. He mildly noted one of the children running out of the room. He thinks it might have been the Inuzuka boy.
Izumi continued to speak. "You were a good man," she said. Her free hand shakily went to where her stomach was. "And you would have been a good fa." She stopped speaking after that.
He felt the hand on his cheek go limp. "Izumi?" He said. What was she going to say? A good what? A fa? He looked at where she placed her hand, wondering why she would use the last of her strength for that?
Then, it clicked in his mind. Choked sobs escaped from his mouth as the full loss hit him. This was his fault. He had killed Izumi. If he paid a bit more attention. If he had just taken care to make sure the attacker was unconscious. Or even tied him up. Then Izumi would still. He would still have.
He had killed Izumi just as assuredly if he had done it with his own hands. He felt his vision blur and shift. An intense pain shooting through his head.
"Itachi? What's happening with your eyes?"
Konoha streets
As he got home, Mizuki smiled. Not the fake smile he had been forced to wear all these years in this wretch village. A true genuine smile.
Today had been a good day. Even if others would disagree with him.
He had to admit, at first, he had been nervous working with a group of missing-nin. Getting them into the village and showing them the best place to hide out had twisted at his heart. He supposed it was the tiny little portion of loyalty he had left for Konoha talking. It wasn't there anymore.
Seeing a part of his home engulfed in a fireball had set his concerns at ease. He made the right decision in turning against Konoha. "This village doesn't deserve my loyalty," he had thought.
And why should he give his loyalty to Konoha? Why should he devote his life to a village that never appreciated his skills? He had worked so hard and sacrificed so much for Konoha that he deserved some recognition, didn't he?
But what did he get for his efforts? A miserable teaching position in an academy full of snot-nosed brats who thought they could become shinobi. Mizuki gritted his teeth. "This village doesn't give a damn about people like me," he said under his breath.
Konoha only cared about the people that came from a Clan or a prominent shinobi family. They catered to their every whim and even let them get away with anything. Like the Uchiha when they tried to betray the village, the whole clan should have been punished and made an example of. But just because a few of them remained loyal, the clan got off scot-free.
Or the Hyūga, who practically enslaved two-thirds of their clan. Kami knew what the other clans were getting away with. Konoha didn't give a damn who you were if you didn't come from a clan or had some connection to someone who did. Hell, they even let a demon attend the academy.
His mind flashed back to that thing in human form. It sickened him to his very core that it was allowed to roam free and treated like a human. "The Sandaime must have truly gone senile. He should have put that thing down the moment the Yondaime turned it into a child."
This village was full of people more concerned with your bloodline or fools too soft-hearted to do what was needed. Turning against the village was the best decision he had ever made in his life.
Whoever his benefactor was, they clearly knew talent when they saw it. They had promised him everything had ever wanted and more. For that, they would have his loyalty and devotion. At least until he decided they were no longer useful to him.
A crazed smile spread across his face. "If no one's going to look out for me, why should I look out for them?"
He entered into his home. Almost immediately, his instincts went on full alert. Years of training kicked in as he sensed an intruder in his home. "Who would dare to enter my house," he thought, pulling out a kunai.
"Come out, whoever you are," he shouted. His eyes dart side to side, scanning the area for any sign of the intruder.
"If you insist," a voice said flatly.
An instant later, Mizuki was on the floor and his weapon thrown out of his hand. "What?" he thought. He tried to get up, but something or someone was holding him down.
He turned his head over and gasped when he saw a pair of ANBU holding him down. "Wh-what is the meaning of this?" he said to them. "Why are you in my home? Why are you attacking me like this? You have no rig-" he stopped when he heard footsteps.
He looked over at the source and felt his blood turn ice cold. Fear unlike anything Mizuki felt gripped at his heart, and he ceased his struggling. "Hello, traitor," the scarred man said with a sadistic smile.
"I-i-Ibiki?" Mizuki said.
The man knelt down. "I think we need to have a little chat?"
How could everything turn so bad?
Kurama clan compound
"Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart," Yakumo's uncle said, bowing deeply to Sasuke. The young Uchiha rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed by all the praise he was receiving today. "If it wasn't for you, I might have never seen my niece again."
"I only did what I thought was right," Sasuke said, trying his best to repress the blush he was feeling. Ever since the rescue, all he had heard was how brave he had been. How noble he was to save the heiress of the Kurama clan.
"You must have been brave to face the missing-nin alone."
"Truly, you are an honorable man to save that girl."
"You really are Itachi's little brother. Your father must be proud."
Praises he felt like he didn't deserve. Did they also forget that he wasn't the only one that tried to save her? Sasuke looked over at Yakumo. "She's my friend, and I care about her," the girl blushed.
Looking back at the uncle, he saw that the man was smiling. "Nonetheless. I appreciate that you tried to save my niece. For that, you will always have my gratitude. What's more, you helped Yakumo solve a problem that the whole clan has tried and failed to help her with. The defeat of her Ido."
Sasuke's smile falters for a second. He didn't want to be reminded about that thing and so soon after. "It was nothing," he said. "It was Yakumo who beat it. Me and the others just gave her the push she needed."
The man nodded. "Perhaps, but clan and I have been pushing her as well. And yet we failed were you succeed," he said. "Perhaps we were not pushing in the right way. All this time, we have treated her like she was a threat, not just to herself but to everyone around her. We kept her at arm's length," the man had a solemn look on his face. "But you and your friends welcomed her with open arms."
"She's a good girl," Sasuke said, not really saying what he wanted. "How could we not be friends with her?"
The man smiled at Sasuke. Though it didn't seem to be happy at all. "At first," he began. "I disapproved of your relationship. Or any relationship at all. I had believed that letting her near others was too great of a risk. To herself and the others around her. So, I and the rest of the clan chose to isolate her from the rest of the village, believing we were doing the right thing. That we were protecting the village. That we were sacrificing ourselves for its well-being," the man paused as he considered his words. "But the truth was we were protecting ourselves. If Yakumo lost control while she was out in the village. If the secret of our clan got out," Yakumo's uncle shook his head. "We could not live with the shame. So driven both by fear and pride, we hid away Yakumo from the world. But little did we know that we were only giving her Ido, the Shadow as she likes to call it, an opening it could use to exploit her. It fed upon her feelings of isolation and grew stronger from it."
Sasuke frowned. "So, what you did was for nothing," he said, keeping the bitterness out of his voice.
"So, it would seem," Yakumo's uncle said. "We should have seen it. We were only giving the Shadow another means of attacking Yakumo's mind. We were too blinded by our fear and pride," a sad smile formed on his lips. "Your brother is a most wise man," he said.
Cut off by the sudden change in subject, Sasuke asked the question. "My brother? You mean Itachi? What does he have to do with this?"
"Some time ago, I followed Yakumo to your forest clearing. That was when I learned about you and Yakumo's relationship. I, of course, tried to put an end to it right away," the man said.
Sasuke was not surprised by that. "So, what happened," he tried to look back through his memories, seeing if he could recall a moment when he saw the man in the clearing.
"Your brother stopped me," Yakumo's uncle answered. "And convinced me to let your friendship continue," Sasuke's eyes widened. Itachi never told him anything like that. "He spoke of the Will of Fire. You do know about that, don't you?"
Sasuke nodded. "A little. It's everyone's desire to protect one another. To protect their homes, families, and friends," He knew that Naruto spoke a lot about it, and they covered it briefly in the academy. Truth be told, Sasuke never really understood much about it. How could a simple desire empower someone so much? Looking at Yakumo now, he started to understand it a little.
Yakumo's uncle nodded. "Indeed," he said. "I'm ashamed to admit this, but I had forgotten about it and its meaning. He said that Yakumo didn't need to be isolated from the village, that the Will of Fire was what she needed to defeat the Shadow," the man fell silent, seemingly to reflect. "He was right in the end. Having friends, having people to care for. That gave her the strength she needed to face the Shadow."
Sasuke could have told him that. "My brother is considered a prodigy," Sasuke pointed out.
Yakumo's uncle shook his head. "Being a prodigy and wise are two separate things," he said. "Your brother sees things that others cannot. He saw what Yakumo needed the most and told me as such. But being the fool I was, I tried to deny it. But looking at you two now," he said, looking between Sasuke and Yakumo. "I can see that he was right all along. The next time you see him, tell him that. And tell him he has the thanks of the Kurama clan and my thanks as well."
Sasuke nodded. "I will."
The man nodded, then smiled. "Well, I believe that I have held you up long enough. This had been a long day for all of us. I'm certain that you want to get some rest."
Sasuke wasn't about to argue. Half of the time, he had been afraid he would fall asleep. Sasuke stood up and bowed to the man. "I thank you for the hospitality," he said.
Yakumo's uncle nodded. "The honor was mine," he said. "You are welcome here at any time. And welcome to see my niece at any time."
Sasuke hid his blush. "Thanks," he said. Then, he looked over at Yakumo. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Yakumo nodded. "In the clearing."
"In the clearing," Sasuke parroted. He left the Kurama compound. The sun was the sun was setting, signaling the end of the day. He was surprised to see Itachi waiting for him.
"Itachi?" Sasuke said. "I thought you were at the hospital."
Itachi smiled at him, though it seemed a bit empty. "I was just discharged," he said. "I thought to come and get you before going home."
The two brothers walked down the street leading away from the Kurama compound. An uncomfortable silence fell over the two. "I'm sorry about Izumi," Sasuke said after a moment.
Itachi remained silent for a moment longer before he spoke. "There's no need to apologize. There was nothing you could have done to stop it."
"But Itachi," Sasuke began. "If me and the others had been a bit more careful. If we hadn't been caught, then maybe."
Sasuke's plea was cut when his older brother abruptly stopped and turned around to face him. He knelt down and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Sasuke," he said. "There was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened. You shouldn't blame yourself for things that are out of your control. That kind of thinking will only lead you to a dark place," Itachi smiled at him. "And that is not a place I want you anywhere near."
"But Itachi," Sasuke tried to protest.
"If anyone was to blame, it's me," Itachi said. "I should have been more attentive, I should not have relaxed my guard the way I did," as he spoke, his voice grew heavier. "But I know what has happened cannot be undone."
"But doesn't it hurt?" Sasuke said. "Knowing that she's gone."
Itachi nodded. "It does, and I don't think it will ever stop hurting. But there is nothing I can do about it. The only thing that I can do is move forward. I know Izumi would never want to me to dwell on the past. So please stop worrying about it."
"But I," Sasuke said, then stopped himself. Some part of him understood what Itachi was trying to say. But he couldn't help but feel guilty. "If I was just a little bit less reckless."
"I understand," Sasuke said after a moment.
Itachi continued to smile at him. "One day, you will," he said, letting go of Sasuke, and stood up. "Now then, tell me, how did your meeting go with the Kurama clan head?"
"You mean Yakumo's uncle?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes," Itachi confirmed. "How did it go?"
"Good, I guess," Sasuke said. "He thanked me for helping to save his niece. He said that if it wasn't for me, he might have never seen her again."
"You deserve it," Itachi commented. The two started to walk again.
Sasuke wasn't so sure about that. "He also asked me to tell you something," Itachi looked at him expectantly. "He said to thank you and that you are a wise man."
Itachi's smile faltered for a second before he regained his composure. "I see."
Sasuke nodded. "I think I understand what he meant by that."
The sun had set by the time the two brothers got home.
Kurama clan compound, Yakumo's room
Yakumo crawled into bed. She was so tired that she almost fell asleep right away. But she forced herself to stay awake.
Her uncle Unkai pulled the covers over her body. "You've had a long day, niece," he said.
Understatement of a lifetime. In a span of twenty-four hours, she had been kidnapped, rescued, re-captured, pulled into a nightmare world by the shadow, dealt with the shadow, and rescued again.
So much had happened that Yakumo was still having trouble processing it. She needed the rest, so her mind could finally comprehend it all. But one thing did stick in her mind was this.
"I'm free."
She didn't know what to make of it. What that entailed for her. For as long as she could remember, the shadow had haunted her dreams. Whispered in the back of her mind. Now it was gone.
Her uncle seemed to notice her thoughts. "I'm sure you're looking forward to a good night's sleep," he said with a soft smile.
Yakumo didn't give much of an answer, only a nod. It would be interesting to have a night where she didn't wake up screaming.
Her uncle looked at her for a moment longer, his smile slipped away. "I am sorry, Yakumo," he said. "I have been a terrible uncle to you for these past few years. All this time I thought I was doing what was best for you. I isolated you from the village and kept you at arm's length. But all this time, all I was doing was hurting you."
Yakumo sat up in her bed. "Uncle Unkai, I know you were trying your best," she said to the man. "You were trying to keep me safe. And you were trying to keep others safe as well."
Unkai shook his head. "No, I wasn't. What I told your friend was true. I wasn't doing it to keep you safe. I did it because I was afraid of what you would become. I did it because I was scared of what would happen to the clan if word got about you."
"Uncle," Yakumo said.
Unkai looked at the ceiling. "Your father must be rolling around in his grave," he said bitterly. "I promised him I would take care of you should anything happen to him and your mother. I told him I would raise you like my own daughter. Yakumo," He lowered his body to the floor, placing his hands on the ground and bringing his face to the floor. Yakumo looked down at her uncle in shock. "Please forgive me. I have failed as the head of the Kurama clan. I have failed as a brother to your father. But most of all, I have failed as an uncle to you. I kept you from the life that you deserved all because of my fear and pride. Yakumo, my niece, I beg for your forgiveness."
Yakumo was shocked beyond words. Her uncle was asking for her forgiveness. No begging for it. He had lowered himself to beg for her forgiveness. Yakumo opened her mouth to speak. Then closed it as nothing came out.
She didn't know what to say. But her uncle was on the floor waiting for a response. Even though a small part of her wanted him to stay like that. She knew she couldn't bring herself to watch anymore. "Uncle Unkai," she said. "Please raise."
Her uncle raised his head to look up at her. "Yakumo?"
Yakumo smiled at the man. "Please, Uncle, raise. I forgive you," she never raised how hard it would to be to three simple words.
"But Yakumo, I," he tried to say.
Yakumo would not hear any of it. "Uncle, you don't have to punish yourself like this," she said. "So, please raise. I forgive you," her uncle looked shocked, but he nodded his head and rose back to his feet. "I know what you did wasn't with the purest of intentions. But you did try to help me. Even as you tried to isolate me from the rest of the world, you did your best to ensure I did not feel lonely. You let Kurenai become my sensei. You tried to convince me to display my paintings in public. And you let me keep my friends after learning about them," Yakumo had a wistful smile on as she spoke. "You have done everything you could to help me, and for that, I am thankful. So please stop punishing yourself."
"Yakumo I," her uncle began. Then he stopped and smiled at that girl. "You are more forgiving than I deserve," he said with a small bow. "Truly, one day, you will become an amazing woman," then a knowing smile spread across his face. "Something I imagine your Uchiha friend will appreciate."
Yakumo blushed as she realized what her uncle was implying. "T-thank you, uncle."
"Very well then," Uncle Unkai said. "I accept your forgiveness. But I do ask that we start over as uncle and niece. Let us leave the past where it belongs."
On that, Yakumo could agree. "Alright, then, uncle," she said.
Unkai nodded. "Now then, get some rest Yakumo. Today has been a long day," he said as he pulled the covers back over Yakumo as she laid back in bed. "And you have an important appointment tomorrow."
Yakumo frowned slightly. "What appointment?"
Uncle Unkai smiled down at her. "Why with your friend Sasuke," he said. "Didn't you agree to meet with him tomorrow? Wouldn't want you to keep him waiting now, would we?"
Yakumo smiled and nodded. "Will you be getting some rest too?" she asked him.
"Soon," her uncle answered. "I have some important matters to address first. Then I will get some rest," he switches the light off, leaving Yakumo's room in darkness.
"Goodnight, Uncle Unkai," Yakumo said.
"Goodnight, Yakumo," her uncle answered back. "And have a pleasant night's sleep," she heard the door slide shut.
Yakumo was still smiling as her eyes slowly shut and darkness overtook her consciousness. That night no shadows haunted her dreams, and no flames licked at her heels. She dreamt of better things. She dreamt of her friends. She dreamt of Sasuke. She had dreams of a better life.
It was the best night of sleep she had had in her life.
Hokage tower
The moon was high in the sky when the last guest arrived in Hiruzen's office.
He turned over in his chair, seeing Kurama Unkai walking in and shutting the door behind him. "Ah, Unkai-Sama, it's good to see that you have arrived," he greeted the Kurama clan head.
"A little bit late, aren't we?" Ibiki commented in a dry tone.
"I apologize, Hokage-Sama, for my lateness," Unkai said. "But I was taking my niece to bed. And there were some things I had to discuss with her.
Hiruzen nodded. A small weary smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "No need to apologize, my old friend," he said, waving the man off. "Family should always come first. Wouldn't you agree, Fugaku-Sama?"
The Uchiha clan head nodded. "Completely Sandaime-Sama," he said.
"Speaking of," Hiruzen said, turning his attention back to Unkai. "How is young Yakumo-San doing? She had a long day today," the old man was thankful that the day was finally ending. Though he knew it would leave its scars.
"She is understandably shaken, Hokage-Sama," Unkai said. "But she is holding up remarkably well. We have her friends to thank for that."
Hiruzen smiled at the man's statement. The next generation of Konoha looked like it was shaping up to be the match the previous. They may even surpass them. "But that time is still a little way off," he thought to himself.
"That is good to hear," Hiruzen said. "Now then, I think that is enough of the pleasantries. Let us discuss what has happened today," the others in the room nodded. For this meeting, he called in his Jōnin commander Nara Shikaku, the ANBU commander, and his head interrogator Morino Ibiki. In addition, he had requested the presence of the Kurama Unkai and Uchiha Fugaku for their special insights.
Ibiki stood forward. "Hokage-Sama, as per your request, we have conducted a thorough interrogation of the prisoners," he said in a calm voice. But Hiruzen could hear the spark of sadism in it.
"Report," Hiruzen commanded. "What have you learned from these men?" he hesitated to use that term.
Ibiki nodded. "The subjects broke quite quickly under our interrogation. I would dare say it was some of our finest work to date," he said with a smile that would put hardened veterans on edge. "I can confirm that the attackers were indeed missing-nin hailing from Iwa. They were led by the now deceased Ohara Daichi."
"I see," Hiruzen said. "What can you tell us about their mission?"
Ibiki nodded. "Yes, the attack on the village was a diversion. Their true object was the kidnapping of the one Kurama Yakumo. They were aided by the traitor Mizuki in their infiltration of the village. He even supplied them with the location of their hideout."
"Speaking of," Hiruzen interrupted. "What is the status of Mizuki?"
The ANBU commander stepped up. "Currently in our custody Hokage-Sama," he said. "He is being held in ANBU headquarters as we speak. With your permission, we can transfer him to T for interrogation. I have also taken the liberty of having his house searched."
"Permission granted," Hiruzen said evenly. "Ibiki, I want you and Anko to handle his interrogation. I want to know what else he has revealed to our enemy and why he chose to betray our village. Understood?"
Ibiki nodded. "Yes, Hokage-Sama. I look forward to having a little chat with him. May I continue with my report?" Hiruzen motioned for him to continue. "The missing-nin do not do this on a whim, Sandaime-Sama. Someone hired them to kidnap the girl and bring her to a drop-off point."
"Do we know where this drop-off point is?" Hiruzen asked. If they were lucky, they could catch the man or woman responsible for today's events.
Ibiki shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The knowledge likely died with their leader.
Disappointed but not surprised, Hiruzen asked another question. "Do we at least know who this client is? What did the prisoners have to say about them?"
Again, Ibiki shook his head. "Unfortunately, they knew very little about who their client was," he said. "Except for this one interesting thing. Their client was a shinobi."
An unsettling silence fell over the room. "Any indication if this shinobi is affiliated with one of the hidden villages?" Sarutobi asked.
"Nothing," Ibiki stated. "Either they never found out, or their leader never told them."
"So, in the end, we have more questions than answers," Shikaku said. "We don't know who hired these missing-nin or why they wanted the Kurama girl in the first place."
The ANBU commander looked at Shikaku questioningly. "I thought we established that they wanted to create a new clan of Kurama," he said. Hiruzen noticed the tight frown Unkai quickly hid.
"That was only speculation," Shikaku said. "It is the most likely motive, but we cannot be certain until we can capture and ask the client themselves."
Hiruzen nodded. He agreed with his Jōnin commander, and it told him that the man was having similar thoughts to him. Despite all the evidence that Kurama Yakumo was the target of the missing-nin's mission, Hiruzen could not shake the feeling that something more was going on.
"Is there anything else that you would like to report?" Sarutobi asked.
"Not at this time, Hokage-Sama," Ibiki said. "Once we have conducted our interrogation on the traitor. I may have more to report to you."
Moving on, then. He looked over at Kurama Unkai. "Now, I have read over the after-action reports of the rescue at the warehouse. According to the children, one of the missing-nin attempted to kill them."
Unkai nodded. "Yes, and my niece attempted to save them by using one of her genjutsu on the man."
"Fugaku, if you would?" Hiruzen said.
Fugaku nodded. "I understand," he stepped out of the Hiruzen's office.
When the door shut, Hiruzen activated the room's silencing seals. "At which point," he continued from where he left, "she lost control. Her Ido managed to take control and drag everyone in the room into a nightmare world. Is this true?"
The Kurama clan head nodded his head. "I talked it over with my Niece, Hokage-Sama. She has confirmed that everything is true. Everyone in that room was dragged into a nightmare world where they had to face their fears and doubts."
Not at a pleasant experience, Hiruzen imagined. The boys had been sparse on the details of what they saw and experienced. "Does the girl pose a possible threat?" The ANBU commander said.
He quickly received a heated glare from Unkai. "No, she does not," he said dryly.
"The boys were able to break free from their nightmares and aid Yakumo as she faced the Ido, or the Shadow as she calls it," Shikaku said. "Though I do have to wonder how they did it."
Hiruzen quickly shot the man a looked that told him to drop it. "However, it happened whether they had stronger wills than the Shadow was prepared to deal with or something else. The important matter is that they were able to help Yakumo suppress the shadow. Unkai, can you confirm if this is true?"
Unkai nodded. "It is true Hokage-Sama. Yakumo has defeated her shadow and gained full control over her abilities."
"Are you certain of this?" The ANBU commander pressed. "It could be a trick from the shadow."
"I do not believe so," Unkai said. "I have talked with my niece, and I did not find any trace of the shadow. I will, of course, keep monitoring her in the coming weeks and months. But I believe the threat of the Shadow has passed."
"That is good to hear," Hiruzen said, with a smile. "Without the Shadow holding her back, I am confident your niece will become a splendid kunoichi."
"On that, we can agree, Hokage-Sama," Unkai said with a small smile.
Hiruzen deactivated silencing seals. "If that is all. Unkai, you are free to leave," he said, getting a nod from the man. "As you leave, tell Fugaku he may come back in. There is something I need to discuss with him."
Unkai nodded. "Have a goodnight Hokage-Sama," he said with a bow and left the room.
A few moments later, Fugaku walked back in. The door shut behind him, and Hiruzen reactivated the silencing seals. "Now then, Fugaku, I will not waste time. There was a troubling detail that showed up in your son's report," to be more precise, Naruto's too. "Can you shed some light on this?"
Fugaku gave a grim nod to Hiruzen. "Yes, Hokage-Sama. Though if I may ask a question."
Hiruzen already knew what the question would be. "I have already stricken it from the reports. Only the four of us in this room will know," though Hiruzen would not be surprised if Danzo came to him. "And it will stay in this room."
Fugaku nodded. "Then I can confirm that my eldest son Itachi has awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan," then he added bitterly. "Konoha now has a new powerful tool at its disposal."
Hiruzen remained silent for a moment. He understood where the feeling of resentment was coming from. The Mangekyo was a powerful tool to have. But the price that had to be to receive. Hiruzen felt it was too high.
"I see," Hiruzen said. "And how is your son? Mentally speaking."
Fugaku was silent for a moment. "He is holding up well. Considering the loss, he suffered today. But I am his father, and I know he's hurting."
"So that now gives us three Mangekyo in the village," Shikaku said. "You, your son, and Shisui. What will you do now?"
"I'll talk with my son," Fugaku said. "Find out what abilities he has gained and warn him of the drawbacks of the Mangekyo. Aside from that, I'll assure him that I'll be there for him. And so will the rest of the family."
Hiruzen sighed. He was ready for this night to be over. "Tell him he has my condolences," he got an appreciative nod from the man. "If that is everything. We can go over the final details of today's events and then call it a night," it was days like that Hiruzen wished he never took the hat back.
Unknown
"Master," a figure said, kneeling. In the darkness, a set of eyes opened.
"Report," his master said.
"Our plan was a success," the first figure said. He pulled out a scroll from his sleeves. "The missing-nin did their job and provided me with the opening I needed," he tossed the scroll toward his master.
A pale hand grabbed the scroll. "Kukukuku. Well done, Kabuto," the second figure said with a snake-like smile. "With this, our plans can move forward."
Kabuto pushed his glasses up. "Unfortunately, I could not copy everything from the Scroll of Seals. Konoha responded to the situation quicker than we had expected. Much quicker."
A frown appeared on his master's lips, but it only lasted for a second before the smile returned. "A shame," he said. "But as long as you got the Jutsu I wanted, it doesn't matter. All of its secrets will be mine once that decrypt village is burned to the ground. Ahh, but I get ahead of myself. What has become of our friends? Were they able to complete the mission we gave them?"
Kabuto frowned. He was not sure how his master was going to take this. "I'm afraid not, Lord Orochimaru," he said. "As I said, Konoha was able to respond to the situation quicker than we had anticipated. Somehow, they got wind of their true objective and surprised them at the hideout we supplied," Kabuto remained silent, trying to find a way to ease his master's anger. "I will, of course, look into the matter so it can't happen again."
He looked at his master's face. Looking for any sign of his displeasure, but to his surprise, he only saw a brief shadow of disappointment. "Ahh, that is a disappointment. I would have loved to learn how the Kurama's genjutsu work. I think it might be something in their brains."
Kabuto allowed his surprise to leak through. "You're not disappointed that we did not get the Kurama girl?"
The snake Sanin smiled at him. "Kukukuku, Kabuto," he said. "The girl was never the prize I sought," he held out the scroll. "This was. The secrets in this scroll are of far more value than some little girl. Granted, it would have been a nice bonus to have her as well. But alas, if it is not to be, then it is not to be."
Kabuto nodded, showing his understanding. "Maybe you will get another chance?"
Orochimaru's smile grew. "Yes, perhaps you are right. When Konoha is finally reduced to ashes if there are any survivors from that clan. I will study them and learn the secrets of their minds."
"Yes, Orochimaru," Kabuto said.
"If that is all," the Snake Sanin said. "You may leave and continue with your missions," Kabuto bowed deeply and left the chamber.
Alone now, the former Konoha-nin looked at the scroll. He was pleased with Kabuto's latest assignment. Granted, it was a risk. No doubt, the old fool tightened the defenses around his precious village. But that did not matter to him. There were other ways in. Other weaknesses he could exploit to destroy his former home.
A snake always found its way in.
The Kurama Kidnapping arc comes to an end. Not quite the happy end everyone might have hoped for. I'll admit I might have done Izumi and Itachi a dirty here. It feels like Itachi can't live his life without some form of loss in his life. I can't promise this will be th last time a character gThe Kurama Kidnapping arc comes to an end. Not quite the happy end everyone might have hoped for. I'll admit I might have done Izumi and Itachi a dirty here. It feels like Itachi can't live his life without some form of loss in his life. I can't promise this will be th last time a character gets killed off, I already got two or three slated, so be ready for that.
The next time we'll skip on to the gradute arc, and from there the rest of Naruto's shinobi adventures. So I hope you're looking forward to that.
Until next time.