Red Butterfly

Chapter 50, There's A Different Way To Die

"Eh?"

"She died young, that's why we never heard much of her", Sasuke elaborates, making Kakashi feel worse.

I hold my breath from anticipation of Kakashi's next move, but to my surprise he chins up. A bright smile under that mask as he cheerfully says, "let's get to the training grounds under this rain, a shinobi must always adhere to the harsh weather conditions".

The three of them beam slightly, but I could see how off Naruto was. He seemed a bit...depressed. Sasuke, having realized this catches him off guard by saying, "Hey Naruto, wanna race till the training grounds? Or are you too scared to lose to me?".

Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up as he stared back at Sasuke with determination, "you bet!".

"Hey Naruto! Sasuke! Wait up!", Sakura chases after them as the trio begins heading for the training grounds.

I faintly smile and dart my eyes to Kakashi, his shoulders slumped again. I sighed and asked, "you see, you got three amazing students, why not focus on them a bit?".

"I'll try", Kakashi assured, and regains back his composure.

I smile to myself as I watch Kakashi catch up to his students. The Chunin Exams are upcoming next year and I have tasked myself with training Sasuke till then. When I made sure that Kakashi and Team 7 were long gone I turn my attention to Hanabi's gravestone.

"I have nothing to say to you and for that, I'm sorry", these words clenched my chest as I said them.

Chinning up, I marched my way to the Hokage's office. He'd summoned me to discuss something imperative with me. Four years ago he was the one who took the news almost hard. I remember how he stopped dead in his tracks and perilously lowered his head. His hat covered his eyes as he shed one tear. Ever since then, on November 11, there is always a fireworks play at night to honor Hanabi.

While most of the villagers are unaware of the occasion, they cheer and enjoy the fireworks regardless.

After all, she was named after the fireworks Hayate Namikaze witnessed when he earned the moniker of The Yellow Spark.

It was concluded that Hanabi Namikaze was killed on an S-rank mission.

As for me, I'd bit back my tongue like Danzo had said. When I saw him again for the first time after the incident I almost had a panic attack. He'd concealed Hanabi's eyes by wearing dark colored eye lens. It boiled my blood when he put up an act upon hearing the news.

My absence from the meeting four years ago didn't go unnoticed. The Hokage had personally questioned my motives. I'd told him the truth. I told him about the butterfly that warned me. Which was backed up by other Uchiha clan members since they'd witnessed countless butterflies roaming around when the meeting was held.

Of course, I'd left out the part about Danzo for obvious reasons. Not even Shisui knows about that. And so I've been carrying this emotional baggage ever since. My father also seemed in a state of shock at first, which lead him to reveal to me that Hanabi's parents were his comrades during the war.

One day, father had entered my room a few days after her death. I'd not uttered a word or even cried in front of anyone about her. He'd said one sentence and exited my room, leaving me screaming out a cry I'd so desperately suppressed.

"Don't hold it inside, Itachi, it'll only pain you more".

It's as if everything in the village reminds me of her. The most painful reminder being the Hokage's office, where she first noticed me. And so as I tread up these damned stairs to the Hokage's office I'd wished death upon myself. Sometimes I even wish we'd both fell off of that cliff together.