Chapter 109. Returning home.
The snow melted into stone and then to grass. Looking out the carriage window, you would be forgiven for thinking you were walking through the seasons, like a journey from the snow queen's castle. When I was younger Mother would read stories to me, one being the Snow Queen. Thinking back, my life as a toddler wasn't so bad. When did it all go wrong?
"Ah, finally!" I looked over at Naruto who cheered. "It's not cold anymore!" he stretched a pleased smile on his face. Sasuke looked unimpressed.
"It wasn't that bad," Sasuke chastised him.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head and chuckled weakly.
"It wasn't as cold as when we fought Haku but it brought back that memory," He confessed. Sasuke looked at him, bewildered.
"I don't want to remember when you stopped moving," Naruto's voice became small. The two stood in silence.
Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, unable to form words. Naruto rubbed the back of his head chuckling with a red face.
"Hehehe, I didn't mean to."
Sasuke patted his head, silencing the blond. Sasuke wasn't good when it came to feelings, and expressing them. As a Uchiha, he could be described as emotional, but saying what he really meant was hard. I watched, amused. The story changed quite a bit, but I was happy to see the two's relationship was still good.
"Flight seal," Sasuke said softly. "Let's make it together and show Sakura." Naruto stared at his childhood friend, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. He gave his signature grin and nodded in agreement.
"Let's get stronger together!" Naruto cheered offering a fist. I blinked. That gesture was Killer B's favourite greeting, did he pick it up from the rapper? Or did he already know about it?
Sasuke gave a rare smile and raised a fist to meet Naruto's.
"Let's get stronger," he agreed.
A fist bump was shared between them and they smiled pleased with themselves. I looked away. Seeing it on the screen was one thing, but who would do something so embarrassing in public? I covered my face. Only the protagonist could get away with something like this!
"Are you okay with how things are right now?"
I looked over at my warden. Itachi's dark eyes are as bottomless as his brother's, but black is better than red when he's displeased. I smiled at him, tilting my head in confusion.
"There are many stories about the Ghost of the Uchiha and his pass with the first Hokage," He continued. "None of them good."
I hummed. The image of Hashirama clinging to Madara's leg when reunited is still in my memory. The image Madara and Hashirama created of their eternal rivalry was accurate at least, what no one knew was how deep their love went too.
"Tch, say what you mean, I'm too tired to decrypt your words."
"Madara murdered my clan!" He yelled.
"As if, Madara has been dead for some time now, that guy was a fake," I said flatly.
"You're defending him!?"
"I'm telling you the truth as I know it," I told him firmly. "That boy was not Madara but he was an Uchiha."
Itachi gritted his teeth, his eyes bleeding to red.
Shit.
"When did you swallow him?"
Why are people calling it that? It wasn't swallowing so much as accidental possession through absorption.
"It wasn't on purpose," I confessed. "When I woke up, he was just there."
"And you didn't tell anyone?"
"Excuse me, Shinobi-san, I know we just had an incident with the Uchihas but I'd like to inform you that the Ghost himself possesses me, Madara Uchiha," I started in a mocking voice. "No, not the guy who slaughtered his clan that night, the real one! The one that fought Hashirama in the valley of the end!"
I dropped my smile and gave him a blank stare. My eyes faded to pale orbs when the others agreed with my sentiments. A unified mind results in my Otsutsuki form manifesting, I realized. We merged to defeat Muryo, like Madara and I did so long ago. When we all agree on something the "true power" comes out. When unified in our conviction we're at our strongest.
With Tobirama and Kurama it was harder to get a unified thought, mostly because Tobirama didn't want to be seen as getting along with Madara. The stubborn bastard. He knew the relationship the two rivals had and didn't like it. Hashirma would do anything for Madara, and Tobirama didn't want his brother to be taken advantage of.
Knowing that beings that can cause a tsunami, a meteor shower and build a village in an instant had such mortal concerns is… annoying. I'm the weakest yet the most mentally stable.
Itachi avoided my eyes and looked away.
"You didn't even tell Sasuke," Itachi muttered.
"Again. How do you expect me to tell a child I am possessed by the man who slaughtered your clan?" we raised a brow.
Itachi bit his lip.
"This isn't what's bothering you," we sighed. "I told you to speak clearly."
He was silent for a moment, his dark eyes looking out at Sasuke, longingly.
"Is it true, about his brother," he looked at us with tired eyes. "Did he really kill his brother for his eyes?"
Power flowed out of me like an opened drain. Tobirama turned away, Hashirama looked guilty and Madara looked annoyed. Izuna was a sore subject for the three. I could see the confusion in Kurama and Minato's eyes.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"That's not something you can mention so casually," I hissed. The whiplash of the power drain was giving me a headache. Note to self, do team-building exercises. I glared at the older Uchiha.
"Let me."
"Are you sure," I asked aloud. "I can do it."
"I can handle it," He promised. Izuna was a sore subject and a reason Madara wasn't and was fond of Sasuke. He liked him for his looks and hated him for not being his brother. We never disagreed on protecting Sasuke because of his similarities to his brother.
Itachi was not Sasuke.
He was more like Madara than many would like to admit. Overprotective of their younger brother, the pride of the family, taking on burdens alone and refusing to share. There was no mistaking the blood connections.
I sighed, releasing my control and taking a back seat.
Green eyes bled to black and Madara was in control. Itachi felt the shift right away, his body tensing with anticipation. Madara looked unimpressed which gave my face an odd look of indifference.
"I didn't kill my brother, nor did I steal his eyes," Madara said firmly. "If I find out who's spreading those lies, I will string up their descendants and kill them in front of their graves." I hissed and Itachi grimaced.
"Izuna was fatally wounded in a battle against the Senju. It was too late to save him so he offered his eyes, for the sake of the clan." Madara looked down, lost in memory. He clenched my fists as he continued. "At the time my sight was already failing so Izuna offered me new eyes; his own. We couldn't have known what would happen when he did."
He clenched my teeth.
"Not only did my eyesight recover, but I also gained new abilities, the perfect Susano being one of them. Though it didn't matter in the end, since Hashirama was stronger no matter what I did." I forced our body to relax and he looked out the window, Sasuke scolding Naruto coming into view. "I never experienced the darkness of losing my sight after that, so the Eternal Mangekyo was born." He looked back at Itachi, activating his Mangekyo. Itachi flinched.
"These eyes are my brother's final gift to me and I promised to end the war with them. In a way, I suppose I succeeded." He looked downcast. "The good it did them," he muttered bitterly.
"You never lost your sight again?" Itachi asked, his eyes wide.
"They're not called eternal Mangekyo for nothing," Madara sighed. "Before you go ripping out your eyes and offering it to Sasuke, it's not an easy thing to do." He narrowed his eyes. "If there is even a single mistake in the surgery, you will go blind and so will Sasuke."
Itachi flinched. Madara sighed, leaning back and crossing my legs. "Right now there is no need to take such a drastic step. Sakura is perfectly capable of maintaining your vision until absolutely necessary. If you want to pass the responsibility to your brother by making yourself blind, I suggest you make him stronger."
"I am not trying to burden my brother!" Itachi objected. "I want to protect my brother!"
"Then stop thinking of sacrificing yourself!" Madara yelled.
The carriage grew quiet.
"There's no reason you can't both be happy, there's no reason you have to go blind so Sasuke can get stronger. You should cherish life more. The memories you make with your brother are a legacy you can leave behind." Madara's Sharingan blazed. "If you're so eager to die, do it somewhere that's not in front of me."
Itachi looked down in shame. He was always the type to throw away logic concerning his brother. He massacred his clan when he learned Sasuke would live. He became a spy when his brother's safety was guaranteed. He died when he thought it would make his brother stronger. I sighed regaining control of my body. How old was he now? I calculated and groaned. He was the age Naruto was when he entered a war: this world and its child soldier policies.
I stood, staggering over to Itachi's side and sat beside him. Dark eyes looked at me and I reached out with both hands, pulling his head to my chest.
"It's fine, it's fine, everything is within my calculations," I muttered into his hair.
"You say that as though you're a mastermind, He choked.
…
I rubbed comforting circles on his back.
As Konoha's gates appeared on the horizon, I knew I was home. I stretched, being locked in a carriage with a revolving cast of wardens was exhausting. Whoever was in charge of my imprisonment ensured I didn't interact with the genins, while I'm not complaining, being stuck with Jonins and ANBUs was not fun.
Our carriage crossed the threshold after a routine check, and I could already feel the overwhelming wood chakra that engulfed the village. The Senju brothers were nostalgic as our carriage travelled down the bustling street.
Seeing the Hokage, the villagers waved happily, though some shinobis who knew about the chunin exams were confused by our early arrival. I looked forward to seeing Hiruzen's next move.
We stopped before my house and Kakashi helped me out. I smiled at the Jonin. He was quiet during the journey home, unlike Itachi who questioned me about everything, he was more, accepting. I thought he would want to speak to his sensei, at least, but he said nothing. Perhaps he was feeling bad about not doing more for Naruto. Maybe he didn't trust Madara with his feelings, he was so hard to read sometimes.
"I'm sorry," He said softly.
I stopped and turned to him, blinking in confusion. Had he just apologised?
"About what?"
He sighed, running a hand through his silver hair.
"I," he tried, the words not flowing. He looked pained and frustrated. It wasn't something I was used to seeing. I turned to him, watching the emotions flash across his face, and the storm of his chakra raging.
He took a breath and looked at me with his dark eye.
"I wasn't able to protect you," He said, his voice steady. "I won't fail you again. Next time you won't have to sacrifice yourself to protect everyone."
The wind blew by in the silence that followed. The sun was warm against my skin, the breeze cool and refreshing. The smell of flowers announced the reign of spring. My birthday was coming up. I wonder what my parents are going to do this year.
"Are you feeling guilty?"
I flinched.
Chancing a look, I was greeted by Kakashi's pained expression. I looked away.
"You don't need to worry so much, sensei," I said in my best cheerful voice. "I'm strong so I'll be fine. Besides, I have the Kages with me! No one is my match!" I struggled to maintain my smile. "If I can't handle it, it's best you run, ya know."
Ah, why was his chakra changing like that?
He smiled with his eyes.
"Yes, I suppose if the Kages can't handle the threat, I really shouldn't try my luck, huh."
Why did he sound, hurt?
"I should get going," he turned to leave. "I have a mission report to write."
I grabbed his wrist. He looked down at me in wonder.
"It's been a while," I spoke without thinking. "Stay for dinner."
He looked about to refuse.
"You said you would protect me," I cut him off. "My parents will be all over me, ya know. You have to protect me from them."
I gave him my best puppy eyes, lips trembling.
He looked unimpressed.
Sighing, he rubbed his neck.
"Fine, but it will be your fault if I don't get this report done."
I pulled him towards the house.
"I'll help you write it after dinner!" I promised. I relaxed when his chakra took a neutral state. I've never seen Kakashi cry and didn't want to start now.
"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" I called.
"Sakura-chan!"
Next Chapter
October 30