Hinata of the White Lotus

Death of a Traitor

Time in the real world started to move again.

Hinata felt her legs buckle, having to lean against the wall for support. The world of Tsukuyomi was no more and she was once again inside the entranceway of their hotel room. Itachi stood in front of her, his eyes no longer in the shape of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

It wasn't visible right now because of the Leaf Headband, but he had the marking of a modified curse seal on his forehead. Kali may have applied the seal while inside the Tsukuyomi, but it had been to his chakra directly. This meant it had affected his physical form as well. He would never be able to use those terrible powers again.

Of course, even without the Mangekyo Sharingan and Itachi was still a formidable adversary. His skills alone had earned him the rank of Anbu long before he ever lost his best friend and achieved that power.

Hinata knew she couldn't fight him and possibly hope to win. That was why she was glad that she wouldn't need to. She glanced up at him and he nodded down at her. They had come to an agreement while within the realm of Tsukuyomi. They would work together. For he had things he still wanted to accomplish too, but without his Mangekyo he had to change those plans.

Itachi hadn't come after them alone. Kisame, wielder of one of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist, was also here. Another opponent completely outside of Hinata's weight-class. Even Itachi doubted his ability to take him one on one after losing his trump card. Which was why they needed each other now.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto yelled from inside the hotel room. He, Kiba, and Shino had all jumped to their feet, but none of them had taken a defensive stance. They still didn't know the situation or anything about what was going on. Unlike Hinata, who had spent an extended time with the enemy already in a Genjutsu, they had yet to obtain any information.

Even they realized Kisame's intentions were far from friendly though. As the shark-man approached them, he had one hand on the handle of a giant bandaged sword. His razor-sharp teeth made him look almost hungry as he smirked at them. Her team wouldn't stand a chance.

"Katon: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi flashed through the seals so fast that Hinata couldn't even keep track of which ones he used. The fireball he breathed took up the space of almost the whole entranceway, singeing Hinata's hair and burning her skin. It only lasted for a second, the fireball flying past her. She hadn't been its target.

"Wha-!?" Kisame never finished the thought, the fireball hitting the back of his sword and blasting him out the hotel room. There was a massive hole in their wall now, leading outside to the city. The flashing lights and dull roar of the nearby casinos drifted into the room, the whole town seemingly still awake despite being past midnight.

"I'm counting on you." Itachi glanced at Hinata for only a brief second before strolling forward and towards the wall. Naruto, Kiba, and Shino could only watch him in complete and utter silence as he walked past and then jumped out the window and after Kisame.

"Okay, seriously." Kiba looked back and forth between the hole in their wall and the door where the two had come from. "What in the hell is going on here?" He asked. Hinata didn't answer him right away, running to the opposite side of the room and looking down below to check what was transpiring.

It was predictably complete pandemonium. Kisame hadn't just flown out of the building, but he had been blasted clean into the other one. The patrons inside were fleeing out into the streets, screaming bloody murder and trampling over one another. It wouldn't be long before the panic reached the rest of the city too.

As would the battle for that matter.

Itachi and Kisame were both S-class Shinobi. It was unreasonable to think their battle wouldn't cause tremendous collateral damage. This city was territory of the Land of Fire. As such it fell under the duties of Konoha Shinobi to protect it. Hinata turned back to her team, looking them all individually in the eyes as she prepared her orders.

Now wasn't the time for doubt and uncertainty. Every second she wasted was a potential life lost. She had to believe in herself and her ability to pull this off. No, she had to believe in her team to trust her with what she was about to ask them to do.

"They're here for Naruto-kun." Hinata said, beginning by answering Kiba's question. They at least had to know why this was happening first. How to deal with it could come after.

"Me!?" Naruto cried out in indignation, pointing at himself. "What the hell did I do!?" He asked, the emotion seemingly genuine. Itachi had told Hinata that Naruto was the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Yoko. He had also mentioned that their generation didn't know that fact. Did this extend to even Naruto himself? Hinata had no idea and she wasn't about to confirm it at the moment either.

"The why isn't important." Hinata forced those words out of her mouth, hating how cruel they sounded. "The two that came for you are Hoshigaki Kisame, formerly of the Mist's Seven Swordsmen, and Uchiha Itachi, formerly of Konoha." She paused, unsure how to conceivably sell the next lie. "I don't know why… but it seems like they've betrayed each other and started fighting."

"Uchiha?" Naruto asked, recognizing the name as belonging to his teammate.

"Our mission then is to get Naruto as far away from here as possible?" Shino asked, realizing that they had precious little time and reaching the most logical choice considering their circumstances. However, Hinata shook her head.

"...We're going to provide backup for Itachi-san." She declared, barely believing the words as she said them herself.

"You can't be serious!" Even Kiba was aghast by her proclamation. "Uchiha Itachi… as in that Uchiha Itachi, right?" Akamaru whimpered from next to his master. "Why would we ever help him!? And if it's really him, what kind of opponent would he possibly need help against? That fight is way out of our league." Every single word he said was right. It was even more scary that it was the usually brash, and overly self-confident Kiba that was saying it.

Hinata bit her lower lip. She knew she had to say something and fast. Yet her mind was blank. This was a situation she didn't want to be in anymore than the rest of them, but she had given Itachi her word that she would help him. And she never went back on her word. That was what Naruto had taught her.

"Hinata, you've got a plan, right?" Naruto seemed to notice her troubled expression and so he stepped up to her in a show of support. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but if you think there's a shot we can do something, then I'm behind you all the way." He patted her on the shoulder, hand resting on her Chunin Vest. "You're captain of this team. Besides, doing something sounds better to me than just running away."

"...Naruto is right." Shino said, although he sounded like he barely believed the words himself. "Hinata, tell us what you have in mind. We can decide as a team what to do after we hear it."

"...Gah!" Kiba rubbed his hood with both hands before throwing his arms up in defeat. "Alright! Let's freaking do this!" He shouted, as if to psyche himself up. Akamaru barked in support.

"Thank you…" Hinata whispered, once more looking them all individually in the face. She felt a lump build in the back of her throat and swallowed it down. This was it.

They were really going to do this.

As Hinata explained the strategy to her team, Itachi prepared himself on the street below.

Kisame was a formidable opponent. While he had caught him off guard with that fireball Jutsu just now, the rest of the fight was going to be far from easy. Itachi had lost his greatest trump card, after all. That was why the only way to stand a chance was to rob Kisame of his as well: The great sword, Samehada.

Itachi bent down, pulling a scroll from a hidden pouch and unrolling it on the street. He unleashed the seal on the scroll, a small sake gourd appearing in a burst of smoke. Picking up the gourd and attaching it to his waist, Itachi stood back up just as Kisame began to walk out from the building opposite him.

"Well, well." Kisame didn't look angry, in fact smiling with his razor sharp teeth as if overjoyed. "So it came down to this after all, Itachi-san!" He was completely unharmed, pulling the great sword from his back. The bandages around it had been completely burned away, revealing the living organism beneath. "Do you remember the first time we met?" He asked, sounding nostalgic.

"...I do." Itachi replied unemotionally. Betraying Kisame wasn't something he regretted. In fact, they both knew that one day this was an inevitability. If Itachi didn't betray him, then Kisame would have been the one to do it someday. That had always been the nature of their partnership.

"The feeling of killing your comrades… It's indescribable. Ain't it, Itachi-san?" Kisame asked him again. It was the first thing he ever said when they became partners. They were both people that knew the resolution it took to strike down your own. "Say… what is it you're feeling right now, having betrayed someone yet again. Come on and tell me, Itachi-san!" Kisame laughed, throwing his head back and enjoying the moment.

"...Hard to say." Itachi said with a shrug. "Since the very beginning, I never saw you as a comrade." His words cut Kisame's laugh short. Yet even still the shark-man didn't look upset or hurt. As if he knew those were Itachi's true feelings all along.

"Well, I guess that can't be helped." Kisame said with a long drawl. "I did tell you to be wary of me when we first met. And you told me to do the same. So I can't say I'm disappointed either. It was fun while it lasted, at least. But now here we are, staring one another down. Maybe the last opponent we'll ever see?" Kisame's grip on Samehada tightened. "Hey, Itachi-san? Was it worth it, stepping in now of all times? To save the Jinchuriki's life?" He asked.

"...As always, you talk a lot." Itachi didn't answer. He knew that this must have looked like it was all to save Naruto and he intended to allow that misunderstanding to go with him to his grave.

"...Yeah" Kisame agreed with a laugh. "I like to talk, and you always seemed happy to just listen. That's why we made such good partners." He took a step closer, raising the sword and pointing it directly at Itachi. Samehada wiggled in his hand, the mouth at the end snapping hungrily.

"...Perhaps so. However, that's come to an end." Itachi took the sake gourd from his hip and tipped it so the contents inside poured out. A small puddle of sake formed at his feet. From that puddle the hilt of a blood-red katana rose up as if defying gravity. It stood there until Itachi reached forward with his right hand and grabbed it.

"I'm honored." Kisame acknowledged the power of the sword Itachi had just unleashed. "The true Totsuka Blade. A single cut and I'll be sealed inside that sake gourd. But do you think you can do it? Stand toe-to-toe against me in a battle of Kenjutsu?" He asked, voice full of confidence.

He was right to be. Itachi knew that in a simple clash of swords that he would never win. Kisame and Samehada were two different beings, fighting as master and weapon. Together, there was no swordsman alive that could hope to take them on and win. However, wielding the Totsuka blade did assure him of one thing; Kisame wouldn't risk fusing with his weapon while he held this sword. To do so would mean certain defeat.

It was as Kisame already stated, but the Totsuka blade had a powerful sealing Jutsu embedded in it. A single strike was all it took to defeat any opponent. However, wielding it came with a risk that Itachi had never divulged to anyone. The clock was ticking. If he didn't strike down someone within five minutes of having drawn the sword, then he would be the one sealed in the gourd instead. He had gotten around this draw-back until now by incorporating the sword with the power of Susanoo. That wasn't possible any more.

Above them, Itachi saw Hinata's team scatter out of the corner of his eye. They had been given their tasks and she sent them out to play their part. Naruto, in particular, had made a dozen clones that were running around and helping clear out any remaining civilians in the area. Even in this situation, they were prioritizing the lives of the innocents. It was a wise decision. In this clash, they would only be a hindrance to him. And he couldn't afford the distractions right now.

Hinata stayed behind, crouching down at the hole that had been made in their hotel room wall, the Nichiren Byakugan activated. She was watching the battle intently, waiting for the opportune moment to move. He still had no idea what the real power of her eyes were, but it was at least on the same level as his Mangekyo. That meant he could rely on her, so long as she kept her head.

Everything was ready.

Itachi didn't answer Kisame's earlier taunting question. Instead he just closed the distance between them. His legs were so fast it looked like he was gliding. The Akatsuki cloak billowed around him.

There was a loud clang, the blood-red blade making contact with Samehada. The spikes that made up the majority of the sword's body were harder than steel. There was no penetrating its skin, even with a mythical-grade sword.

Sparks flew from the swords' contact, illuminating the faces of both combatants. At that moment, Itachi's Sharingan made contact with Kisame's beedy, shark-like eyes. Even without the Mangekyo, a glance was all it took for Itachi to place someone under a Genjutsu. Whatever illusion he created was of little importance. He didn't need something like Tsukuyomi to win this battle. Just something simple, that would leave even the smallest of gaps would be enough. After all, just a single wound from the Totsuka sword would spell victory.

However, the second he cast his illusion and it was shattered.

"Nice try!" Kisame barked out with a laugh, pushing back with Samehada and knocking Itachi away. His sword was also the reason the Genjutsu had failed. It had eaten the illusion, consuming it like it had been a tasty snack. Itachi always knew Genjutsu wouldn't last for long against Kisame, but even he hadn't expected him to be able to counter it near instantly.

Kisame was on Itachi a second later, swinging Samehada like a mad berserker. Despite the swords massive size, Kisame swung it around with one hand like a normal person might swing a bat. It was all Itachi could do to dodge the raining blows. There was no way he could block them. There was too much momentum behind every swing and he would be overpowered just for trying.

The difference in level between them in sword skills alone was made apparent right from the beginning. If Itachi didn't have his trump card taken away just prior to this then he wouldn't even have tried to engage in such a fruitless battle. However, there was nothing for it here. Fortunately for him, Kisame had no idea about his handicap and so would be on guard for his Mangekyo the whole fight.

Itachi danced to the side, once again attempting to make eyesight with Kisame. Not to put him under any kind of Genjutsu, but just to keep him on guard. The more distractions he could pile on, the more likely he could force Kisame into making a mistake. Of course, he didn't expect such a strategy to work. They were both far too experienced for something like a simple misstep to be the deciding factor.

Kisame kept his sword held high, each swing coming at eye level so as to keep Itachi from establishing dominance with his Sharingan. Even able to read every twitch of the muscle and knowing how he was going to move and Itachi could barely keep up. It wasn't that he had doubts in his own physical ability, it was just that Kisame's physical attributes had all been pushed to the extreme of the human condition.

Up above, Hinata broke into a cold sweat. These two were moving so fast that she could barely track them with her enhanced vision. Jumping in there would be suicide. That was how high above her this fight was and they were still only using swords.

The longer she watched, however, the more it felt like her eyes were starting to adjust to their pace. It wasn't enough to catch every detail, but she could see one thing more clearly now; Itachi was being pushed back.

The attacks continued until his back was up against a wall. Not even stopping for a moment, Itachi leapt back, kicking off the wall and jumping clear over Kisame's head. As he passed by, he got his own counter swing in, but it was predictably blocked.

Three minutes had already passed.

In only another two, Itachi would find himself sealed by the sake gourd.

Kisame lunged at Itachi, extending Samehada. The handle of the sword stretched like it was made of rubber, the mouth of the beast snapping at Itachi. He was caught off guard by the unexpected move, the sharp teeth snapping shut around him. Only for the Itachi that just got eaten to burst into a murder of crows.

"Substitution Jutsu!?" Kisame wondered when Itachi even had the time to cast the technique. The crows cried out in terror, Samehada snapping at them with the intent to eat them whole.

A couple of them flew away into the night sky. One of which, Kisame could have sworn he saw had its own Sharingan eye. Those that didn't fly away, hovered distractingly around him. Cawing and scratching at his eyes and face.

"Get outta here, you damn pests!" Kisame swung at them with his whole arm. The crows scattered, revealing the tip of the Totsuka blade inches away from stabbing him in the eye. Kisame ducked, dodging the sword by a hair's-breadth. "That's dirty play in a sword fight, Itachi-san!" Kisame grinned, not actually upset. After all, they weren't swordsmen- They were Ninja.

They both jumped away from one another, landing opposite of their positions from when the fight began. Itachi only had a minute left now.

"Well then, if you get to use your crows…" Kisame grinned, pricking his finger with the skin of Samehada. He threw the sword in the air, sending it spinning high above them both. The moment it was out of his hands and he flashed through a series of seals, slamming his hand on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" He shouted.

There was an explosive wave of water that immediately flooded the street. Kisame rode the wave of water up like it was a fountain. And inside the wave were at least a dozen sharks. They rode the wave as it crashed down upon Itachi, attempting to tear him limb from bloody limb. He managed to dodge, jumping on top of the water and rolling away.

It was at that moment Hinata and her team began to make their move as well.

"Mokuton: Deep Forest Emergence!" Naruto's wood clones had placed themselves at several points around the dueling Shinobi after they had evacuated anyone still in the area. They had then been waiting for Kisame to unleash this tidal wave of water, his wood clones transforming and turning into tall trees that blocked off the entrances and exits of the streets around them. This successfully boxed the flood into a single area and prevented it from affecting a larger portion of the city.

"Gatsuga!" Kiba and Akamaru dove into the battlefield, nothing more than gray drills. The sharks that had jumped at Itachi were hit by their drilling fang technique, bursting into smoke and disappearing back to where they had been summoned from.

"Second Gate of Rest: Open!" Hinata leapt from their hotel room. She sailed through the air, kunai in hand. Her target wasn't Kisame, but Samehada. It was falling now, back towards the outstretched hand of its owner. They were never reunited, Hinata's kunai striking the sword and piercing right through it.

Samehada let out a loud, ear-piercing shriek. Hinata's strike had worked. That was because she could see the natural tenketsu points that made up the creature's unique chakra. She aimed for the most critical one, hitting what was effectively Samehada's heart.

This also put her in danger of its death throes. It felt like eardrums burst, the inhuman screech so high-pitched that she only heard it for a second before she was unable to hear anything else. The spikes that made up Samehada's body stretched out, most of them unable to pierce through her Chunin vest, but several nicking her arms, legs and even cheek. The handle flailed like a tail, the skull-tip striking Hinata over the top of the head and sending her falling.

They both hit the flooded street at the same time. Samehada floundered on the surface for a couple seconds more like a gutted fish. Then it went slack, letting out a final gasp of air. That was it.

Samehada was dead.

One of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist met its end like that. Never to be used again, thus permanently changing that number. Hinata wasn't busy thinking about such ramifications, however. Her whole body was writhing in pain. The numerous cuts hadn't been deep, but they were painful. More than that, was the damage to her ears. She couldn't hear and her whole sense of balance was off kilter. She would barely be able to stand on land, let alone the flooded street.

"Samehada!" Kisame roared in blind rage. All his good humor from before was gone now. He charged at Hinata, everything else forgotten to him. His summoned sharks sensed his anger and were also drawn to the bleeding girl. They swarmed on her.

"Gatsuga!" Kiba and Akamaru didn't let any of the sharks get close, blasting them away with a series of spinning strikes.

"Out of my way!" Kisame roared, not deterred by them in the slightest. He swung at them, his bare fists strong enough to knock them out of their drilling attack and send them crashing through a nearby building.

"Mokuton: Partial Transformation Jutsu!" One of Naruto's remaining clones stretched out both hands, which turned into wood and extended across the field faster than Kisame. Picking up Hinata with the wooden arms, the clone pulled her to the safety of a nearby rooftop before passing her off to the original.

"Hey, I got you." Naruto crouched down, cradling the spasming Hinata in his arms. If she hadn't been in so much pain she might have even blushed in this situation. As she was, she hadn't even heard him say anything. Even now, the pain was already less than before. She just had to wait for the natural energy flowing in to heal her. Cracking one eye open, she turned her head and looked towards Kisame. He had turned towards them, never for a second letting her out of his sight.

"You-" Kisame never finished the thought. The sound of a blade piercing flesh cut him off. A moment later and he gave a cough, blood rolling down his chin. Tilting his head, he lowered his gaze. Away from Hinata and down to Itachi, who stood in front of him.

With seconds left to go before he had been absorbed himself, Itachi finally found his opening. Both hands still gripping the hilt of the blade, Itachi refused to meet Kisame's eyes. Instead, he just stared at where he had stabbed his friend in the heart.

"No one that betrays a comrade dies a decent death." Itachi whispered, only loud enough for the one he just stabbed to hear. "Isn't that right, Kisame?" His long-time partner was beginning to get drawn into the gourd, starting from his feet and legs which were turning into sake and flowing through the cap.

"Right you are, Itachi-san." Kisame gave a small chuckle, his anger forgotten. At least he would be joining Samehada soon, he figured. That didn't mean he couldn't do at least one more thing before he went. Summoning all the energy he had left, Kisame grabbed both of Itachi's arms. He pulled him close, mouth opening wide.

And then he bit into Itachi's throat with his razor-sharp teeth. With a sickening tear, he pulled back, ripping his neck wide open and sending blood spraying in every direction.

Itachi's mouth flapped as if to talk, but no words came out. Every time his lungs attempted to pump air and more blood sprayed from his open wound. His Sharingan eyes dimmed. Then he fell. Nothing to hold him up anymore, Kisame fell too. His bottom half was almost completely gone now, still being drained into the sake gourd at Itachi's hip.

Laying side by side in the flooded street, the last thing the two partners looked at in death was one another.

"I guess that in the end we both really were worthless, huh?" Kisame laughed at the irony. They died fighting each other, just as he had predicted it would end when they first met all those years ago. "Although, I have to admit." Kisame had disappeared up to his neck now, only his head left. "Maybe this wasn't the worst way to go." He smiled as if satisfied. And then he was gone, turned completely into sake and drawn into the gourd.

Itachi's corpse was left behind to float in the water all alone.

Hinata pushed herself off of Naruto and tried to stand, but nearly collapsed.

"Woah, hold on there!" Naruto caught her, slinging her arm over his shoulder and helping her stand. She pointed ahead, mouth opening to say something but without the ability to hear she just made a strange sound. "You want to go over there?" Naruto asked, to which Hinata nodded. She hadn't heard him, but could still at least read his lips.

"Alright then." Naruto shrugged, before helping her limp their way over to Itachi's corpse. They arrived a couple seconds later, the two of them standing over the man they owed their life to. "This was Sasuke's brother, wasn't it?" Naruto asked, to which Hinata nodded again. "Why did he help us?" She shook her head this time.

Naruto stared down at Itachi in several minutes of silent contemplation. He didn't know anything about him, yet he had risked his life to save them, ultimately giving it. But this was also the guy that supposedly had made Sasuke's life hell, so what was up with that? Naruto didn't understand any of it, but what he did know was that Hinata looked incredibly sad as she stared down at the corpse.

"It's over then?" Kiba asked, jogging up to them. Akamaru had transformed back into a puppy, and he cradled the little dog in his arms. They had both been hit pretty hard by Kisame's punches and by the time they recovered, they had emerged from the hole they made in the building to find this scene before them.

"Looks that way." Naruto answered with a shrug. "Where is Shino, anyway?" He looked around, noticing their last teammate still wasn't with them.

"I can smell him coming back." Kiba answered, sticking his nose up and giving another couple sniffs. "He's bringing three… no, four others with him. I think Anbu, by the smell of their cloaks." Not all of their roles had been to help in the battle.

Hinata knew they were still in the Land of Fire and as such there had to be Konoha Shinobi somewhere nearby. Shino had the best chance at any of them of finding someone and then getting their attention with his ability to communicate with insects. He had succeeded quickly too, but the battle had been short. Like most true fights against Ninja were.

She hadn't heard the conversation just now between Naruto and Kiba, but she saw it as Shino entered the range of her Byakugan. In a matter of minutes he arrived on the scene, the Anbu members with him splitting up to secure the area. Only one of them approached together with Shino, no doubt their leader.

"I don't believe it." The woman behind the mask gasped as soon as she saw the identity of the corpse. "It really is Itachi…" She trailed off, looking at all the Genin and observing the severity of their wounds. "We need to debrief you now. While the details are still fresh… This is huge for Konoha." She turned to Kiba first, leading him away to begin the debriefing. After that, she spoke with Naruto.

In the meantime, Hinata focused on healing. By staying completely still and allowing the natural energy to flow through her, she was able to restore her sense of hearing by the time it was her turn. There was still a bit of ringing in her ears and she got the feeling when she talked, it was a little louder than normal, but she could at least communicate again.

"Tell me exactly what happened." The woman, who introduced herself as Yugao, told Hinata after they had walked out of earshot of her teammates. By this time, Itachi's corpse and Samehada had been prepared for transport. The only thing left was for her to give her version of events.

So Hinata told her the story that most closely matched the events her teammates had seen. Itachi and Kisame had walked in the room when Itachi suddenly betrayed his partner. As they fought, Hinata came up with a strategy to help and the two killed each other in mutual combat. When asked how she knew they were here for Naruto, she told them Itachi had whispered it to her when they entered. That was the only thing he told her.

She knew nothing about why he betrayed his partner.

"I see." Yugao sighed, apparently believing Hinata's lies. Of course she did, because the truth was far more absurd. She would never believe they had spent time in a time-dilated dimension and her previous life had battled him into submission where they then made a deal for their mutual benefit.

"What happens now?" Hinata half-shouted, still talking over the sound of her ringing ears.

"That depends on you." Yugao nodded at Hinata, or rather her Chunin vest. In other words, the mark of her leadership. "If you want, we can arrange to have another team take over your mission. After what you kids went through, you could use a well-deserved rest. Or… you can continue as is. Since it seems like none of you sustained any injuries that would warrant a mandatory withdrawal."

"We'll continue." Hinata said without hesitation. "Our mission is time-sensitive." It was also only something they could technically do. Since no one but Hinata was really allowed to have access to the scroll with the necessary information. She didn't say that part, however.

"Thatta girl." Yugao reached forward, thumping Hinata on the shoulder. Hinata could also see her face behind the mask thanks to the Byakugan, and her expression was one of tacit approval. "What you did today… it was hella reckless. Those guys could have killed you with a single look." Her words were harsh, yet her tone was the opposite.

"I just…" Hinata started to say, but couldn't find the words. Not without compromising her story.

"You got your team through it." Yugao praised her. "Not just that. You prioritized civilian lives and you were smart enough to call for backup too. Konoha could use more leaders with guts like you."

"N-no-" Hinata quickly shook her head, trying to deny the praise. The misunderstandings since the tournament seemed to be getting worse. If word of this incident reached the village… who was she kidding? There was no way this news didn't reach Konoha. She and her team had been directly involved in the battle that saw the deaths of not one, but two S-ranked Nukenin.

"Don't be modest, kid." Yugao stood up to leave. "I'll talk to the Hokage myself. Your team didn't technically kill either of them, but there's still a case for you to receive partial reward for the bounties. You and your whole team." With that, she turned and began signaling her team. The Anbu were gone seconds later, taking Itachi's corpse with them. That just left Hinata, her team, and the destruction of the battle around them.

Their first day of the mission was over.

Only the whole rest of the week to go.

Birth of a Hokage

Far below Konoha, in the deepest dungeon, Itachi's body was laid to rest.

It was a small, dingy room. Only a single table placed in the center, where Itachi's body had been haphazardly thrown, his transporters lacking any regard for the sanctity of his corpse. The fluorescent light above his body flickered, the bulb only just bright enough that you could barely see the mold and insects crawling through the cracks in the crumbling brick wall.

"Good work, everyone." Yugao nodded to her team. "Now let's go report to Lord Hokage." She said, turning to the door. Only to stop as someone stood at the entrance.

"No need for that." Sarutobi Hiruzen was already there. The four Anbu dropped to their knees, inclining their heads in the presence of their leader. "You've all done well today. Why don't you go up and get some rest?" He suggested, pulling out his pipe and lighting it. The very act suggested he wasn't down here in any official capacity.

Yugao's team did as instructed, standing up and quickly shuffling past the Hokage as they made their way out. Yugao herself stayed behind a minute longer, as she still felt the need to give her report. Before she could do just that, however, she noticed something unusual.

"Sir…" She asked, unsure how to broach the subject. "Is that a crow on your shoulder?" So she just came right out and said it. The Hokage hadn't come down here by himself, but together along with a crow. The bird sat perched on his shoulder, one side of its face turned so it could look at her.

"Yes it is." Sarutobi said, blowing out a puff of smoke with his answer. "It used to belong to Itachi… you could say it is how I knew he had finally fallen." He took a couple steps further into the room. "You don't need to worry about it. I'm just bringing it to see him one last time." The crow then let out a squawk, as if crying for its former master.

"I see…" Yugao said slowly, before quickly shaking her head to dismiss the thought. It was strange, certainly, but no reason to think it was suspicious. At least not in isolation. "Sir, Itachi fell attempting to defend the Jinchuriki. Why would a traitor like him do something for the good of the village?" When she put the fact that Itachi died fighting for their village together with this crow, however…

"You don't need to worry about that, Yugao." The Hokage stepped closer to her, this time close enough to reach a hand up and place it on her shoulder. "You're tired. Go get some rest. You can leave your report on my desk… and forget those troubling thoughts." As he spoke, the crow had turned its head so the other eye was looking at her now.

The crow had a Sharingan. Anyone would immediately recognize this fact. Yet for some reason Yugao missed it. No, it was more like she had been made to miss it. Even as she looked at it now, it was like she wasn't even aware it was there.

"Yes… I'll do that." Yugao agreed with the Hokage's orders as if in a daze. She turned and walked for the door, closing it behind her on the way out. As she left, she forgot completely about the strange suspicions she had just been carrying.

With the Anbu gone, it was just Hiruzen and the crow alone with Itachi's corpse now. There was no one to talk to. Yet as the Hokage pulled out a mask and a dark cloak from the hidden folds in his ceremonial robes to place on the table, he talked to the corpse.

"You can wake up now, Itachi." He said.

A moment later and Itachi's eyes opened. The right one was his usual Sharingan, but the light had completely dimmed in the left. As he sat up, he seemed to subconsciously rub at his throat as if to confirm it was all in one piece.

"Painful death?" Hiruzen asked him, a small hint of humor in his voice.

"Far from pleasant, even with Izanagi." Itachi answered, voice hoarse. Sarutobi passed him a bottle of water which he quickly opened and drank half of in a single gulp. After downing the water, he turned to the crow and held up his arm. It flew from Sarutobi's shoulder, landing on the outstretched arm.

Gritting his teeth, Itachi reached up and pulled out his blind left eye. Then with no regard for the crow itself, he ripped out its Sharingan eye before planting that in his now empty socket. The shock from having its eye ripped out apparently killed the crow, and it dropped dead to the floor where it was quickly swarmed by insects.

"I wish you would have used some kind of medical equipment to do that." Hiruzen had watched the whole process, not even trying to hide his disgust. Maybe his stomach was getting queasy in his old age, he thought.

"It's fine." Itachi hissed, speaking through the pain of having one eye ripped out and another jammed in. He used a medical jutsu he had copied to heal the nerves together, before slowly blinking. His vision shifted in and out of focus for several seconds as he adjusted to being able to see out of both eyes.

Then he pulled off his headband, looking into the reflection like a mirror. The curse mark Kali had placed on his head was still there. Of course it was. Izanagi undid his death. So there was no reason to think the curse mark would disappear, but he had hoped.

Just to be sure, he tried to activate his Mangekyo. The right eye remained a normal Sharingan… so no Amaterasu. The left, however, transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan. Whatever Kali had done, it would seem it only worked with his original eyes.

As Itachi looked at his new Mangekyo, he realized something wasn't quite right. The shape was off. It was neither Shisui's four-pronged Shuriken nor his own three-pronged one. No, this was like a combination of both and was now that of a seven-pronged Shuriken. It couldn't be...

An Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Itachi didn't understand why, but he wasn't about to question his good fortune either. If it was like this, he would be able to more freely use Shisui's Mangekyo ability: The Kotamatsukami. This was very good news. As he was going to be relying on its ability a lot from here on out and he no longer had to worry about losing his eyesight from its use.

"What is that mark?" Hiruzen gasped, noticing the curse seal. "It almost looks like the one that the Hyuga…" His voice trailed off, not finishing the sentence.

"That Hyuga girl put it on me." Itachi confirmed. "It's why all this became necessary." He was still frustrated at the loss of his own Mangekyo Sharingan, but maybe this was actually a blessing in disguise? He would no longer be going blind, at least. He was also home, even if the whole world would now think he was dead.

"Hinata?" Hiruzen asked.

"No, not that one." Itachi shook his head. "Kali." He looked up at the Hokage to find him staring back blankly. "Wait… you don't know about her?" Hiruzen shook his head, sending Itachi's mind reeling. Was it a secret known only to the Hyuga? Itachi didn't know, but it was going to be one of the first things he looked into.

Although he would admit, he was interested in Hinata now too. The only thing he had told her to do was separate Samehada from Kisame at the first opportunity she had. That was all they had time for inside the crumbling Tsukuyomi. What he had not expected was for her to kill the sword, an act he didn't even know was possible.

The last words they shared before they had been forced out of the Tsukuyomi was a promise to meet again. He hadn't told them how he planned to survive, but if Kali was half as knowledgeable as she let on, then she probably already knew the answer.

"Moving on, Itachi." Hiruzen said, picking up the mask and handing it to him. "There is much to do. Things in Konoha are not well, as I'm sure you know." Itachi nodded. He had heard about Orochimaru's invasion. It had been why he and Kisame were sent by Tobi in the first place to see if they could exploit the chaos and take Naruto. "Danzo is using the invasion as an excuse to make another power grab." Those words sent all Itachi's previous thoughts crashing to a halt.

"Danzo?" Itachi asked, trying and failing to keep his voice emotionless.

"That's right." Hiruzen nodded. "He's using my weakness for having not stopped Orochimaru earlier to call into question my leadership. He's seeking to take the mantle of Hokage for himself. Nevermind the fact he probably had some hand in this invasion." Hiruzen grumbled the last bit bitterly, almost as if an afterthought.

"I see." Itachi nodded slowly. There was more work here that needed to be done than he thought. The mystery of Kali would have to come later. Danzo absolutely could not be allowed to take power. If he did, who knew what he would do to Sasuke.

"You'll wear that mask from now on." Hiruzen said, indicating again the mask he had just handed over. Itachi looked at it more closely. It was pure white, only two small slits for eyes. Otherwise it was completely unmarked. It didn't seem particularly note-worthy at first, yet he also felt some strange power emitting from it.

"What is this?" He asked. It felt like there were a lot of things he didn't know about recently, something he was going to have to fix.

"It's an old mask from the Uzumaki clan shrine." Hiruzen explained. "That one is known as the Mumen Mask. Anyone that wears it is imperceptible to those around them. Not invisible per se, but it would be more accurate to say no one takes notice of your presence so long as nothing is done to draw attention to you." He then handed Itachi the black cloak. It was very much like his Akatsuki robes, just missing the red clouds.

"I see. This will be beneficial." Itachi wondered why they had left such a convenient mask sitting in an abandoned, worn-down shrine all this time. He knew there were many other masks in that shrine as well, did they all have a purpose like this one?

"Indeed. No one should even notice as you stand behind me from here on out." Hiruzen said, pointing at Itachi as if making a proclamation. "To all those who enter my office, you'll simply be a faceless guard. Meant to protect your Lord Hokage. This should allow the mask to work and influence their perception of you, making it seem to all others that you are not there at all." Even if anyone did manage to see past the mask, then Kotoamatsukami could be used to convince them to ignore him as a backup, Itachi added this thought silently.

"However, you are no mere guard." Hiruzen continued. This was it. The real reason Itachi had come back to the village. It was why he had sent out his crow in the middle of that battle to race here to the Hokage before his corpse arrived. If he didn't have his Mangekyo to give to Sasuke, then he would protect this village in a different way.

Sarutobi Hiruzen would still be there. From the outside, everyone would think they were answering to him. However, the true mastermind would be behind the shadows, just outside their perception. A faceless entity without even a name.

"Uchiha Itachi, you are now the true Hokage."

Chapter End

AN: This was originally going to be two chapters, but I kinda thought ending on Itachi's apparent death might not go over too well. So that's why there was a second title card during the scene break. This might occur in future chapters as well.

In Canon, we saw a bunch of masks at that shrine, so I thought it would be cool if more of them had abilities. This one was called Mumen（無面）which means No-face. I might use more of the masks later in the story, but I'm not sure yet.