"Naruto!", I call out as I break free from Itachi's grip. I whip my head in his direction as Itachi tries to calm me down. But I can't keep calm. My nerves were all over the place as I comprehended what Obito had just done.
That was his plan? He saw Naruto gain stamina back and that was what he wanted to tell him?
When I slapped Itachi's arms away I connected my eyes with Naruto's wide and unblinking ones. That's when I halted on the spot. The blue in his eyes mirrors that of Minato's perfectly, along the striking blonde hair and the small Kushina resemblance.
Horror was written all over his face upon hearing Obito's words which had sank deep in his heart to the point where it was grazing at his sanity.
I could see the tears which had hitched in his eyes, and hung loose from his lashes.
Itachi, who was near me had stiffened along with me at this sight of Naruto. His entire faith had shook upon hearing those words.
"Obito stop...", I gasped as my legs began to move slowly in the blonde boy's direction. Itachi had let me go as he observes what's happening with his clenched heart and unblinking eyes.
His lower lip was quivering as he stared at me somewhat...accusingly?
"Naruto listen...", I cursed myself for how weak and unsteady my voice came out as I kept staring at him. I quickly deactivated my Sharingan as I treaded on what my feet felt to be thin ice.
Because in a sense, it was...
"Yes Naruto, open your ears and listen", Obito cut me off as he interjected.
Instantaneously, I'd forgot all that was on my mind, all that I planned to tell him in this intense-stricken moment.
Once again, I stood rooted and rigid in my place as I saw Naruto's unblinking eyes falter towards Obito.
The pain that tugged and clawed at my heart in this moment prevented me from forming any words, and therefore rendered me speechless.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi and the higher-ups in charge forbade you from knowing who your parents were. They're the reason why the village had shunned you all your life. Your parents were the Fourth Hokage, Minto Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki who was a Jinchuriki just like you-"
"Obito stop!", my voice came out brittle and uneasy.
A tear finally slipped his wide unblinking eyes as he perilously darted his eyes to mine.
"D-did you know about this?", his brittle and painful voice made me scrunch my eyes shut as a tear slipped away from my eye.
When I reopened my eyes again, I saw his pleading eyes as he trembled, awaiting the truth. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and wiped away my tears.
"Its true...", I informed, making his eyes enlarge even more, "Naruto listen to me-"
"Who you're seeing in front of you is Hanabi Namikaze", Obito interjected, a sly grin on his face, "she spend the first couple of years of her life recieving the love and warmth of your parents, all the while being ungrateful"
Naruto suddenly looked at me in recall, inspecting every feature of my face before his lips fell ajar.
"It's you", his voice was a brittle whisper, "I thought you died years ago-", his breath suddenly hitched in his throat, "I-I can't believe it"
"Not only did she receive your parents' love and attention, but she was also trained by your father, that's how she got the Teleportation Technique", Obito resumed in rubbing salt on the wound, "all that you should have had was all hers, love, affection, parents, you name it. And yet still, she'd run off on rainy nights to the cemetery, putting your father through all that trouble of finding her"
"Why'd you run off to the cemetry?", Naruto whispered, taking me by complete surprise as I didn't have the guts to answer that question.
"Hanabi", Itachi's touch made me shiver as I looked at him pleadingly.
"She ran off to the cemetery because she yearned for her real parents", Obito declared, making my heart sink as I looked over at Naruto to see what he'd make of this.
His brows creased together and his eyes suddenly stopped producing more tears. I'd involuntarily held my breath as I stared right back into Minato's eyes.
I tipped my head low, before forcefully whipping my head towards Obito who was looking at me as well.
"Obito you have to stop this, when did you become so merciless!?", I growl through my tightly gritted teeth. I stepped up towards Obito, my eyes held no remorse for the man standing in front of me. Not even when the face of a thirteen-year-old Obito flashed right before my eyes.
"Oh you really wanna know?", he growls back just as menacingly, and I still ignore Itachi who ushered me to calm down.
I make sure he catches a glimpse of my red eyes, which glowed through the murk of the night.
Through the heavy breaths that I let out I'd suddenly become rooted to my place and my entire body trembled. I wasn't sure as to what had happened and I don't think I can even comprehend it. All I know is that the image of Kakashi skewering his arm through Rin's chest replayed back and forth before my eyes, rendering me to shed a a single tear as I look right at Obito's Sharingan.
Genjutsu.
Only this time did I feel a sudden surge of remorse towards this man, and I even saw the face of the cheerful thirteen-year-old Obito who'd babble about becoming Hokage. The scar on his face was noticeable, but despite all of this he was still...Obito Uchiha...
He'd witnessed Rin die right before his eyes...he was alive...all this time...
More tears started to elude as the ice barrier that numbed my feelings finally began to thaw. Obito is alive...and responsible for the misery most of us had to go through...
Why am I even crying?
He's a monster who made many unredeemable mistakes. I shouldn't be sad at all but I am. Because it was easier for me to think that the one responsible for this misery was someone I didn't even know, Madara Uchiha...
Just then, when my racing thoughts and Obito's face were going to set my heart out of pulse, I felt a sudden burst of chakra entering my body, making me gasp. My heart almost sank when I felt Itachi's large hand snake to my face, where he covered my eyes and yanked me close to his chest.
My back bumped against his solid chest, earning a gasp from me.
With my vision still being in total darkness, I'd felt his warm breath against my ear as he informed, "You're stronger than to fall for his Genjutsu, remember that". His act had took me by complete surprise and I hope that by now he knows that when we're close like this, I tend to breathe heavy.
I sealed my lips together and firmly nodded. He breathed a little heavily against the top of my head, before muttering, "Alright", then subsequently releasing me from his hold.
He retrieved his hand and I opened my eyes again.
Obito and Kabuto were rooted to their places as I contemplated what to do.
"Eleven years ago on October 10th", I narrowed my eyes as I glared daggers at Obito.
"Kushina Uzumaki's pregnancy was due and your birth was to be given in outmost secret, since the seal on a Jinchuriki becomes loose for female vessels, I obviously took advantage of that and stole you right before your parent's eyes"
He was clearly addressing Naruto with his speech, but the catch is...he's not compelling Naruto to his side...
"Hiruzen Sarutobi's wife herself was to administer your delivery, sadly, she died by my hands", he'd said it like it was something to be proud of, which earned him a scowl from both Itachi and I.
"Maybe that explains why Hiruzen left you unattended all this time", Obito grins wickedly, earning perplexed expressions from both Itachi and I, "he has some stigma of his own, Naruto Uzumaki"
"What!?"
"Impossible!"
Itachi and I exchanged a look, both of our eyes were enlarged and unblinking in disbelief.
"Could it really be?", I gasp, hoping that Itachi would supply the answer.
"Anything is possible", Obito remarked, gaining our attention again, "Even I who was presumed to be dead, turned out alive"
"Hanabi, don't fall for his mind tricks, Lord Hokage is older than to hold a grudge against a kid", Itachi inserted, but my mind had carried me back to four years ago when I saved Naruto from a group of adult Leaf citizens.
"It's not impossible", I respond back to Itachi, then purse my lips together, "but that doesn't mean that I will fall for his mind games"
Itachi stares at me in shock, but quickly regains his composure. It had never crossed my mind that Hiruzen would hold stigma of his own towards Naruto because his wife died while helping Kushina deliver her child.
If grown adults would have the heart to kill Naruto very mercilessly then what makes Hiruzen any different? Its's not like he even tried or put the effort to make the village accept Naruto as one of their own.
He's just as guilty as everybody...including me.
"Itachi...", I mutter under my breath, audible enough to catch his attention.
"Do you have anything in mind?", he inquires, to which I look at him and respond, "actually I do, I have a plan to get rid of four-eyes"
"And Obito?"
"We'll have to deal with him later..."
"Understood"
"Okay then", I breath out, and direct my remaining red butterflies to surround Kabuto at once, putting him on alert.
"We'll have to terminate you", I growl as I look back at Itachi to tell him my deadly plan.
*inaudible whispers*
"Am I even surprised?", Itachi scoffs humourlessly, to which I breath heavily in response.
"Let's get this done with", I inform.
Itachi gives me a curt nod before he starts to conjure water chakra.
He performs the hand signs fast and rapid. Since he's an advanced Ninja, I knew for a fact that he can generate a body of water without needing any source of water from lakes, rivers etc.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique"
On instinct, I readied myself as well and conjured my offensive attack.
"Lightning Style: Chidori"
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A/N:- YES, WE'RE ALMOST THERE, BUT OPPSIE I GOT ANOTHER DILEMMA THAT I NEED TO RESOLVE FOR TOMORROW'S CHAPTER. TILL THEN ⊙•⊙
~A