Mirrors of Koneko {Book 2 of the Copy Kitten Series}

Chapter 23: The Uchiha Clan, Together.

Jumping in the trees, both Itachi and Koneko had their sights on stopping the Edo Tensei. Nagato has already given them the location of Kabuto, however they still haven't thought of a single plan. Though, there was a plan that Koneko absolutely refused.

Izanami.

A powerful genjutsu where the user would go blind after one use... He already reminded her that he was dead and that the blindness wouldn't matter. Still, she just felt that it couldn't happen after her countless efforts of her keeping him in a well enough condition to fight Sasuke.

"Sensei..." She suddenly spoke up, "Sasuke... he's ahead of us. Three O'clock." She warned him, already able to sense his familiar chakra.

"Our goal is set onto stopping the Edo Tensei." He said, not bothering to glance back, "I won't stop."

She looked at him, lost in thought before nodding, "I'll stop him for you. Please go ahead without me." She stopped for a moment for jumping and gaining a high vantage point in case Sasuke began chasing Itachi. Then, she suppressed her chakra and continued to jump through the trees.

Her eyes follow Sasuke's as they land on Itachi moving figure before he comes into an abrupt stop to chase him. She lets out a small sigh, thankful that he was too distracted by Itachi to notice her following him. Even with his Sharingan too...

Sasuke, as he was trying to gain Itachi's attention, darted his head around as he felt his finger twitch. Only one person made his body do this... but where was she?

Suddenly, Koneko drops from above him with a kunai in hand. He was able to block her movement, but this only made him stop and Itachi's figure only got farther and farther away, "Nekobaka!" he hissed, pushing her attack back with the Kusanagi.

"The one and only." She winked, "Unless there's another stupid cat I need to know about..."

He tried to move forward to catch up with Itachi, but Koneko only attacked him again, "Why don't you stop him?!" He gritted his teeth, dodging an incoming kick. He mostly stayed on the defensive as he was able to track most of her movements with his Sharingan.

"I understand you want answers." Koneko tossed her kunai to her other hand, striking the Kusanagi directly. Her goal was to break it, but she knew better, "Now isn't the time."

"It was always that! You'll both leave me by myself and say those stupid lines! 'Maybe next time' or 'It's fine' then you'll both leave!" He shouted, punching in rapid succession that she was able to dodge easily, "You two just kept running away!"

Her eyes soften hearing his words. He's lonely. He always felt lonely. That's all that he understood, but that's not all that he knew, "It wasn't my choice to leave you..." She admitted, already feeling guilt overcome her, "It's just that..."

"It's just what, Koneko?!" He kicked her into a tree, however it was only due to the knockback. She was able to block the attack, "Can't think of an excuse?" he taunted seeing as she looked down to avoid his eyes.

"I always brought you pain..." she stood up, preparing for another attack, "I already knew you were hurting. If I was gone, you could have had a better life."

His attacks stopped and the atmosphere became quiet, "Itachi knew what he had to do. He wanted you to hate him for it, though I already knew it was coming." She looked straight into his eyes, not caring if his Sharingan was going to put her in a genjutsu, "He didn't want you to hate me. We were friends after all. He didn't want that bond to end because of his actions."

"Well look at us now." He said, charging at her with his sword ready, "We're at each other's throats with the intent to kill and you call this a bond?"