Mind reading was a lot different then Miko ever expected.
Minds were not books.
They were onions. Had many layers. She hoped these layers covered the fact that she was a reincarnation. So caught up in the moment, flushed with pleasure that she could prove Danzo's guilt, she had overlooked that one tiny detail.
Itachi squeezed her hand, mistaking her sudden case of nerves to be from the mind reading-not her cover possibly being blown. Itachi had assured her their family was safe, and that was good enough for her.
For now.
Danzo had gotten away because of lack of evidence.
Miko was happy to provide some.
When Inochi walked into the room, a serious expression on his face, Miko squeezed Itachi's hand. It felt like he was already reading her mind.
"You witnessed Danzo's betrayal."
She nodded.
He exhaled and placed his hand on her forehead, partially obscuring her vision. And then she was falling. The best description was the feeling of swinging high then letting go. She tumbled through air with startling velocity and would have screamed if she wasn't suddenly standing still, bizarrely watching herself. And Shiikamaru and Hinata waiting-
-For Akira.
He breathing quicken and she jumped when a hand fell on her shoulder.
Inochi looked down at her with barely disguised pity. She supposed it made sense he cared for her, as Miko was friends with Ino and he had given therapy to her brother. The pity brought her back and she looked up from the ground, only to see Inochi staring at an approaching Akira.
It was like he was alive again.
Akira grinned and waved and Miko snatched her traitorous hand, who had wanted to wave back. He tucked a paint brush still wet at the tip behind his ear and his hair was windswept. His clothes were splattered in red paint among other less noticeable colors.
SCHUNK.
Miko screamed.
Inochi held her back as Akira was run through and she could not tear her eyes away. Things she hadn't noticed before suddenly seemed so obvious. The porcelain masks hiding at their flanks, the red tint in memory her eye's,
How the blood was redder then the paint.
And then she was flying again, Inochi's hand squeezing her shoulder as she cried and sobbed.
"Those were root agents." He mumbled, brow furrowed. She nodded.
And then they were in that tiny horrible cramped box again. She heard them whispering about where they were. Inochi tensed up when he heard Shikamaru crying. Her heart ached for him, but this was a memory.
And then they were blinking.
Inochi gasped.
Word for word, memory Danzo spoke. Incriminating himself. Inochi burned it into his memory.
"Kuhkuhkuh~"
She shivered and screamed when the fighting broke out again. Inochi hoisted her up and chased after them, barely disguising his horror as they toppled over the cliff.
Miko gasped and jumped out of bed. Inochi stood straight up and ran out of the room, carrying the evidence with him. Itachi had caught her trembling form and was rubbing her back-trying to calm her down. It had been hard going through all that again.
She closed her eyes and shook against Itachi's chest.
She was so tired.