𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐑𝐄 | sasuke uchiha

Adrift

However, seeing Mikoto so broken and melancholic made Itachi doubt himself, and his loyalty towards his father.

Who was the real enemy?

***

"Itachi!"

Fugaku roared as he dominated the training grounds, spotting his eldest son approaching in the distance. Hordes of fallen shinobi lay on the ground in exhaustion at their leader's feet, having been ordered by Fugaku to take him on so that he could try out the extra chakra boost he had received from the scroll Karin had stolen from the Senju. Much to his satisfaction, it had granted him the ability to use both Water and Earth type jutsu, meaning he had been able to increase his abilities exponentially.

"Hello, father," greeted Itachi politely, although through gritted teeth.

"Fight me, boy!"

Itachi came to a halt at the edge of the training ground, staring at his father as he victoriously leered at him.

"Actually, I came here on behalf of mother," said Itachi, bowing to his father. "She would like you to come home tonight so that you can both give offerings to Sasuke."

"I don't have time for that!" scowled Fugaku, his amicability transforming immediately into annoyance. "Why can't you do it with her?"

"Because... never mind." Itachi sighed, and bowed at his father once more. "I'll let her know."

"Tell your mother if she misses Sasuke so much to just adopt Yuta and raise him! Easy replacement, give or take a couple of decades!" said Fugaku scornfully, glaring at the huffing shinobi still on the ground. "You lot! Back on your feet, let's go!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," said Itachi forcibly, now feeling his own temper rising at his father's reckless suggestion. "But do have fun with your new... toy. Surely, it must be of utmost interest for you to forget that your son has died, and you have a mourning wife at home."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Itachi," called out Fugaku as his son turned on his heel. "You don't want your mother to lose both of her sons, do you?"

"You're crazy," muttered Itachi under his breath, walking away from the training grounds as he ignored his father's empty threat.

All his life, he had gone along with what his father and the rest of his clan wanted, simply because he wanted to keep the peace with his family. However, the deeper they got into the war, and the more Itachi saw how many lives had been altered for the worse, his doubts only grew. Right now, he just wanted to clear his mind, and there was only one person who he wanted to talk to.

***

"... honestly. What could I possibly do?"

As Itachi lay on the grass staring up at the canopy of trees above him, he sighed glumly. The sunlight trickled in over his face as he closed his eyes, getting lost deep in thought.

"I've always been about keeping the peace, but this... I don't know anymore, Shisui. Deserting the clan would hurt my mother just as much as Sasuke's so called death did, and I can't be sure that Yuta and Izumi would be safe if I just upped and left. I doubt Izumi would want to leave, either- my father's plan to ramp up the resentment towards the Senju worked with her. I mean, her unwavering loyalty to the clan is basically the only reason my father likes her. If I tell her the truth about Sasuke, would that change anything? It's worth a shot, right?"

Itachi grimaced as he looked towards the patch he had buried Shisui in, unable to completely vocalise his multitude of entangled thoughts.

"Why'd you have to do it, Shisui?"

With a huff, Itachi closed his eyes once more and lay with his arms behind his head, chewing on his tongue in deep thought.

As he did, a gentle gust of wind breezed by him, and he immediately felt a soothing sensation erupt within himself. Itachi's inner turmoil was briefly put to rest, and as he relaxed in his position, he heard a faint voice.

"You know why I did it."

Brow furrowed as he frowned, Itachi shook his head in disbelief.

"There could've been better ways to approach the situation," countered the resting crow, unsure of whether or not the voice he was hearing was one that his mind had simply conjured up. "But it's been done. What do I do? I don't want to keep hurting people, even if it does mean keeping the peace with my family. Look, I did what my father told me to do, and now my mother is hurting. Everything is beginning to unravel, and I don't want to keep on going. I'm sick of all this war and fighting- I lost you, and now I might as well have lost Sasuke, and my mother as well. I'm sick of it all. All I ever wanted was to be able to raise a family of my own- a normal one. How am I meant to raise Yuta normally in these circumstances?"

"Then do something about it."

"Like what?!" exclaimed Itachi, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. "I honestly don't know what to do anymore!"

"Speak to Sasuke."

"How?"

Itachi opened his eyes to confront wherever the voice was coming from, but as soon as he did he wished that he had had just a little more patience. The voice disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the Uchiha to groan in frustration as he pulled at his hair.

"ARGH!"