𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅? | itachi uchiha

Epilogue

"Her corpse was found in the harbour a couple of days ago. Homicide has been ruled out."

At a police interview room, among [Name]'s small group of friends Yuki clasped a hand to her mouth, falling to the ground. Itachi managed to grab her just in time, supporting her dainty weight with the grip of his sturdy arm. There were many blank stares and teary, disbelieving eyes, but out of all of them, Itachi was the most haunted. His and Yuki's honeymoon had been postponed after the news of [Name]'s disappearance, and now, he wished that he hadn't caved into Yuki's worrisome manner.

"Wh-what?! No, surely you're mistaken, sir, [Name] can't have-" Yuki's sentence was cut off with a loud sob, and she buried her face into her palms, letting out a guttural, ear-splitting wail.

"So you're saying it was a suicide?" cut in Shisui, his arm raised. The police officer nodded, and bowed his head at the small group.

"Her family has already been informed, and it was her mother's wish that you also be alerted," he said curtly. "An autopsy is being carried out right now just to confirm our theories. I'm sorry for your loss. Please, feel free to think things over in here for as long as you want." With a final tip of his hat to the group, the officer took his leave, shutting the door behind him and leaving [Name]'s five friends in shock.

"This is my fault," mourned Hanako, [Name]'s best friend before she had fallen into her depression and cut everyone out from her life. "I knew something was wrong. I knew it. This can't..." She too buried her face in her hands, collapsing into one of the many vacant seats of the interview table. Shisui sat beside her, patting her back sympathetically.

"It wasn't anyone's fault," he said, trying to be helpful. "But..." Beside him, another friend of [Name]'s, a younger boy named Naruto, sat down, completely frozen. Itachi guided Yuki to a seat, and sat down beside her. Thereafter, the group wallowed in silence, each to their own mind.

Until Naruto spoke up in a cracked, tormented voice.

"Why... why would nee-chan... why?" The friends all looked at each other for answers, confusion and loss ridden on their faces. Only Itachi kept his gaze away from the others, a part of him denying what he knew was the truth. Naruto stared at the guilty looking Uchiha, and was subsequently joined by Hanako, Shisui, and finally, Yuki, as if Itachi knew why [Name] had done what she had done.

He could feel the guilt eating away at his heart, but he didn't want to hear a bar of it. Nope.

Itachi balled his hands into fists underneath the table, wanting to shout out that he was why [Name] had gone to the extreme and killed herself, that he was the reason why her life had spiralled downwards into a cesspit of isolation and solitude. He wanted them to blame him, even though a part of him argued that [Name] had been foolish and rash about her decision, and that it wasn't his fault that she had chosen to jump off of the harbour bridge that cold night.

Maybe inviting her to the wedding was a mistake.

Itachi's mind whirred with if's and but's, but nothing changed the fact behind it all: [Name] never got over their break-up. Itachi had known all along that she wasn't sane after their split, yet he had decided to stay quiet about it, silently watching as she broke in the shadows.

"Why would she?" repeated Naruto. Letting out a loud sigh, Itachi made up his mind.

"I don't know," whispered the raven haired Uchiha. "I don't know." The others accepted his answer by slumping onto the table top in agony, wondering what could have led one of their best friends to commit such an act.

Yuki lay her head on Itachi's shoulder, tears streaming silently down her face as she reassuringly squeezed Itachi's arm. He felt as if he should shed a tear or two as well, but he knew better.

This was the punishment he deserved for making [Name] suffer alone for all those years.

He alone would bear the guilt of her death, for as long as he lived.

What if I'd stayed with her? What if I'd helped her?

What if I'd told her I loved her too?

What if?