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The Truth
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She is facing a demon who'd committed the massacre of his clan.
"What are you doing here?!" Nanami's lilac-colored orbs are burning with fury. She kept her sword in a defensive position to avoid a scratch on her flesh. Itachi then voices his words, "I mean no harm. So, put your weapon down." Telling Nanami, but she lets out a retort, "Why should I?" The girl questions once again. She scrutinizes his emotionless face that was perplexing when he spoke so casually. "I'll put down mine first." Itachi takes away the kunai knife—expecting that it would work. For a brief moment, Nanami follows along as well. She had to think twice before doing it.
The kunoichi carefully lowers her sword without prying her eyes off of him to have it by her side. She patiently waits for a response from the S-Ranked criminal. Out of all people in the world, she comes across Uchiha Itachi. His lips start moving to expound his abrupt appearance. "I came here to talk about Misa. There are rumors involving Sasuke that he had done something to her." His reply left Nanami bemused. That's the reason why he wanted to see her. He wants information about his brother and her childhood friend.
Nanami built the courage to clarify those rumors. "According to Naruto and his squad, they were on a mission that led to encountering Sasuke. He abducted Misa, as stated by them. There wasn't a specific explanation of why he did such an act against her will. As of today, the village hasn't found any updates yet." She finished her clarification. Itachi perceives what Nanami just elucidated. "My otouto, he has a relationship with Misa. Am I correct?" He earns a nod from the Sato girl. "They've been lovers for a long time." Nanami makes it known for Itachi.
She clutched the handle of the sword that is still in her grasp. She makes eye contact with his obsidian gaze. "Now it's my turn to ask you a question. Why did you come to me to know about the situation?" Nanami asked in a solemn tone of voice. The mysterious man blinks; he isn't giving off an ominous aura. He is mildly candid.
Itachi proceeds to speak, "I can't show my face, especially towards my former homeland. I anticipated that you'd be reliable to tell me everything." His answer to her question was both strange yet somewhat understandable. Nanami furrowed her brows in a disoriented look. "Even though I've told you everything, I am not gullible to acknowledge that you are a terrorist from a secret organization." The lilac-eyed kunoichi walks off to grab the sheath that she dropped. Nanami could feel Itachi's eyes staring at her back. "I may have that title, but I do care for my otouto." He delivers a staggering reply.
Nanami turns herself around, "That was a change of your persona. How do you still care about Sasuke after executing your whole clan?" She is like everyone else that knows the heinous incident. Itachi thought about it in his head. He wasn't sure if he should tell her the truth. Not a single person knows the massacre's background, except for one person that contributed to it. He keeps it a secret and allowed the world to loathe him for what he did. Itachi takes steps further to get close to Nanami. She doesn't move a muscle, nor was she going to attack him. She let the Uchiha stand in front of her petite frame.
"There are things that were untold for the sake of Sasuke's life," Itachi affirmed. Nanami flinched when he places his hand on her shoulder. The rogue decides to give in, "The Uchiha Clan downfall was not supposed to happen. I didn't do it in cold blood. Konoha ordered me." The man emphasizes his rationale.
Her eyes widened a bit, expressing that she is intrigued. "What was the reason? Since Sasuke contempt for your actions." Nanami asked him. Itachi plays a smirk on his face. "At first, you didn't want to communicate with me. But now you do." He remarked. The Sato girl frowns, "I don't need to know then. I also have no clue if you are making up lies." She removed Itachi's hand and was about to leave. He stops her by firmly grabbing her wrist. "No, I want you to listen to me. Please." Itachi refuses to let Nanami out of his sight. She has no clue whether she should or should not rely on a criminal.
For about a minute, Itachi feels her hand on his in a subtle touch. He looks at Nanami with a puzzled face. It appears she is trying to tell him something. "If Konoha was your home, then why did they create corruption towards you and Sasuke?" Nanami gives a question that no one would ever ask Itachi. He gently let go of her wrist to walk over to a tree and sits down under the shade. Nanami reads him like an open book; he wants to get comfortable so he could explain. She moves her legs and takes a seat under the tree with Itachi.
He begins breaking down the truth of it all.
"As someone from a noble clan, we weren't treated equally as the rest. After the Kyuubi invasion, Konoha claimed that the Uchiha Clan was responsible for the attack. Due to the uncertainty, Konoha isolated us from the mainlands on the map. My otou-san despised the unfairness that the Uchiha Clan was receiving. However, the village inhibited us like we are their enemy. While this was going on, I was at the foot to become a shinobi, and Sasuke grew into a kid. Pure yet curious about the reality." Itachi reminisces his brother's precious smile and happiness. It all got replaced by anger and resentment.
"Moreover, my otou-san established a coup d'etat of wanting to subvert the village's leadership. Fugaku is his name. He planned to construct the members of the clan as spies. I graduated from the Academy and surpassed the shinobi levels. I then got recruited in the Anbu Corps. But, I disagreed with my otou-san. I didn't believe it would be efficient and will cause another war. During that time, I had one true friend who'd stood by my side. Shisui. He also opposed the coup because he desired peace, and the Uchiha Clan is not a disgrace. Regardless, there is no trust. Shisui, unfortunately, ended his life before he gave me his eye. But my clan asserted that I was the murderer of my friend's death."
The look of dismay gets written on Nanami's elegant face. "Your clan accused you. Did Shisui had a purpose beforehand?" She wonders. Itachi opens up to address the confusion. "Shisui thought it was best to use his Mangekyō Sharingan on the Uchiha Clan's leaders to change their minds. Someone, though, disrupted his strategy. A man named Shimura Danzo took Shisui's right eye. The Third Hokage thought to find peace for the clan will not lead to a feud. But Danzo contradicts him."
"You may be wondering, what if the coup happens? There were two possible outcomes: there will be extermination to the Uchiha Clan, including Sasuke and me, or I assassinate my entire clan and spare Sasuke's life. So, you already know the answer. The night where the bloodbath starts, I slaughtered the people with someone that helped me. He kept his identity unknown, but he goes by Tobi. After that, I betrayed Konoha and Sasuke. I became who I am now." Once he ends it there, Nanami realizes the tragic misunderstanding of Itachi.
He loves Sasuke and wanted nothing more but to protect his brother. However, he had to sacrifice all of it. Nanami can see him staring at the sky as if he could be free from melancholy. She assumed that deep down, he must've feel hurt while telling her the truth. "Itachi." She says his name softly. The older Uchiha veers his gaze from the view and has his attention on Nanami. "I feel pity for you. The chances were going to be negative. Even if you didn't do it." Her lilac-colored eyes downcast.
The girl from the bakery has a heart for a broken criminal. Itachi feels a sudden warm sensation in his chest. She is sympathetic despite his cruel demeanor that hid his benevolence. "I can thank your forgiveness, but it doesn't change anything." He bluntly said. "It's difficult for a rogue to redeem themselves. You shouldn't be entrusting me." He goes back to his brusque attitude. Nanami understood, but she knows that Itachi doesn't need all of this suffering in his life.
"Well, you did say I was reliable, and I gave my consent to let you indicate the hidden facts. So you do trust me." The Sato girl countered back. Itachi never knew she would be this smart to pinpoint his words. A smile etched his lips. He shifts his body to face her and shows his smile fully. There was no glint of mischief but a cordial expression. "What's your name?" Itachi asked. "Nanami." She responded, a bit confounding. The Uchiha leans himself closer, and she could feel her heart beating a thousand beats. Nanami wants to push him or do something, but she stayed put. He is inches away from her that their nose almost touched.
"Arigatou, Nanami." Itachi is genuinely thankful that it shocked the girl.
"For what?" She sends him a nonplus expression.
The smile never left his face. "You're the only one who sees my real self."
✧: *.☽ .* ✧
A silent yet eerie place.
Misa is cautiously walking into the hallways of the hideout. She has been alone all morning because Sasuke went to his private training room and didn't see him once. She went to look for him but stumbles upon a bright blue room that resembles the ocean. Misa peeks inside and spots multiple water tanks. She checks the hallway to make sure no one sees her. It seems like it's clear. The Akiyama enters the room; there wasn't anything unsettling in her perspective.
"What is this place?" Misa whispers a question while looking around. They're just plain water tanks that Orochimaru might've used for experiments.
"Eh~ I wasn't expecting a visitor."
A voice has spoken. It was a male voice that was a little playful-sounding. Misa becomes alarmed, and she quickly pulls out her kunai knife, "Who's there?!" She asked out loud but also sensing a signature chakra point. "Right behind you." The voice again directs her. She whirls herself to look at the tank that talked. "Are you inside the tank?" Misa puts the weapon back in her tool kit. The girl tilts her head like a confused puppy. "I am, but this isn't my actual form." They answered. So it wasn't in her imagination that she hears a voice through a water tank. It was a legit person.
"I have never seen you before. Did Orochimaru-sama found a new alliance?" They were unfamiliar with Misa. She shook her head, "I am not one of his people, but I do know his student, Uchiha Sasuke." Misa tells them in particular. "Oh, okay. I speculate that you are Konoha shinobi." They detect the headband on her neck. She nodded as a nonverbal reply. Letting out a chuckle, the boy in the tank continues with the conversation. "My name is Hozuki Suigetsu. Nice to meet you, pretty girl." He politely introduced himself. His compliment flustered the ebony-haired girl. "P-Please to meet you, Suigetsu. My name is Misa." She shyly looks at her feet.
"You are so adorable!" The boy said, laughing wholeheartedly. Misa's cheeks turned pink. "No need to be nervous. We can be friends, right?" He asked her. The mood is more optimistic that made Misa smile. "Sure! I haven't talked to anyone besides Sasuke-kun." She admitted that most of the time, she is with her lover. "Wow, he sounds like a clingy person to me." Suigetsu commented about Sasuke. Misa giggles, "No, not exactly. He's protective, that's all." The beauty shrugs her shoulders.
Suigetsu can speculate the sincerity from Misa when she corrected him about Sasuke. He hums, "Hmm, so you two have a deep connection of some sort?" The boy wonders about their relationship. For some reason, Misa could hear him smirking when he said that. "I mean, we are in love." Her blushing cheeks are now crimson. She feels bashful than ever. Suigestsu snickers, "It's completely normal, Misa-chan. I'll probably meet Sasuke on my own time. I can even find out the type of shinobi he is." His whimsical choice of words expressed his personality. Suigetsu may look like water, but he'll be entirely different in a human form. Misa is looking forward to seeing how they will interact.
She also asked him what's it like living in the tank. He didn't take her question as an offense because it's already two years of being stuck in Orochimaru's lair.
"It does get lonely, but I'm always thinking about an opportunity to renew the Seven Ninja Swordmen and be the leader. My plan needs to be resume until someone sets me free." Suigetsu is hoping for that moment to happen. Misa comprehends what he meant. "Don't stop dreaming because it might come true." She tells him. He let out a chuckle of delight, "You are a poetic speaker, Misa-chan." Suigetsu enjoys giving her compliments. "I can't wait to have you see my true appearance." He said. "Me too." The Akiyama girl smiles mirthfully. Afterward, she says goodbye to Suigetsu and leaves the room.
Misa suddenly picks up another sense of chakra in a far distance. She goes straight to the end of the hallway and discovers a room with double doors. She slowly opens it to reveal Sasuke without the long sleeve shirt, and his back is showing. Misa almost forgot to breathe. She could feel her face burning hot. His pristine muscles are flexing, and those defined shoulders with snow-white skin.
"Do you need something, Misa?" His velvety voice speaks.
The ebony-haired girl jolts and is extremely embarrassed. "N-N-Nothing at all!" Misa stutters in panic. She doesn't remember how long it has been since she last stuttered. Sasuke curves a slight smile; he knew she was staring at him, but he wanted to tease her. The raven watches her stepping in and observes his private training room. There are numerous amounts of wooden pillars that act like they are trees from the forest. "So this is where you train." Misa assumed. She turns her head to meet his Sharingan—red eyes with three tomoes. Lethal yet somewhat alluring.
Sasuke parts his lips to talk about his times of training in the Sound village. "Orochimaru as my master has taught me some things, but I mostly do it myself. I've developed my own jutsus over the years. That's why my Chidori abilities have enhanced and learned how to use this." He placed a hand onto the handle of his weapon. "The people from my hometown use frost as tools in combat. This sword has been my possession." Misa depicted an ice user's proficiency. She then summons her sword as well.
The Uchiha plays a smirk, "Shall we spar then?" He asked his lover. Misa didn't hesitate to oblige when she nodded in agreement. Sasuke withdraws his weapon and sideswipe with Misa's. The blades made a loud noise. They promptly depart from each other and progress. Sasuke tries to avoid hitting Misa, but she isn't going easy on him.
His Sharingan detects her rapid movements.
Sasuke dodges when Misa aims for his head. He hops backward, but she was quick enough to take action. The Akiyama roars, and their swords clashed. "I have to say, your speed is extraordinary," Sasuke noted. He puts more pressure on the sharp blade. Misa ghost a determined smile, "Same goes for you." She comments back. Sasuke managed to slip the icicle sword out of her hands. It caught Misa off guard when he attacks with a blink of an eye. She immediately jumps in the air to assemble floral shurikens through her fingers and hurls at him. Sasuke quickly strikes every one of them.
He sees her gracefully landing back onto the ground. The young Uchiha deactivated his Sharingan. "That's it for now. I should've expected that you would really impress me." Her overall effort fascinated Sasuke. His feedback overjoys Misa. She was born to become a shinobi. Strong, beautiful, and full of kindness. The raven starts putting his sword into the solid sheathe and dresses his shirt on. Sasuke approaches Misa to bring her a warm embrace. She smiles; he has her in his arms so she can be close to his heart. "I appreciate that, Sasuke-kun." Misa encircles her arms by his waist and tip-toed to reach his height.
Their lips merged tenderly—a pure and romantic affection.
✧: *.☽ .* ✧
As hours went by, the lovely sunset is here.
Itachi's onyx irises reflect the vivid yet enthralling sight. He held something that is his favorite food, a dango on a stick. Nanami actually went back to the bakery and gave the sweet treat to him. She doesn't see him as an S-Ranked criminal, more like an ordinary person. He thought it has to do with telling her his secret that he didn't wish to be immoral. Nanami is generous, witty, and good-natured.
"I didn't think someone like you would like desserts." Nanami munch on a colorful sphere that tasted so pleasant. Itachi smiles more than he ever has at this age. "Anyone can like something. It doesn't need to be critical for the person." He puts it into simple and logical terms. This current moment reminded him of when he was a Genin and sharing sweets with the girl that was his first love. Itachi hated how she didn't live longer because she was from the same clan as him. But she did love him, and it was a powerful emotion. Izumi is somewhere in the clouds of heaven, watching over with his parents and Shisui.
He looked over at his left shoulder and captured a picture that was straight out of a painting. The sunset made Nanami look like a radiant goddess. Itachi got lost in a trance. His cold, empty chest is feeling jovial. Itachi can't lie; she is a beauty. Her dark hair flows down to her midsection with a perfect set of bangs. Those lilac-colored eyes are like gorgeous gems, and she has a mellow-spoken voice.
"Itachi," Nanami spoke that startled the Uchiha. He clears his throat before he could respond. "What is it?" Taking one last bite of his dango. She sighs, "How are you going to have Sasuke forgive you? He clearly wouldn't dare like to see your face." Nanami asked him a question that is hard for Itachi to distinguish.
He processes it in his brain; there weren't a lot of options or answers.
"I'll be confronting him in the most brutal way possible. I know he doesn't want me alive." Itachi tells Nanami while viewing the sunset. Her eyes widened because she was appalled by his reply. He believed that death is the solution to make Sasuke understand. Nanami gingerly grabs his hand in a tight grip. Itachi verts his eyes from the sunset. He was utterly baffled. "You shouldn't say that death is going to change your brother because he will be plagued with a sinister mindset for what the village made you do. Otherwise, he might plot a destruction against Konoha." She is pleading for Itachi to not get into a battle with Sasuke.
Itachi knitted his brows and took her hand into both of his brawny ones. "You have to realize this, Nanami. The world we are in has lies, truths, living, and death. Sasuke is already corrupted from what Konoha and I did to him. There's no doubt that he intends to seek out for revenge." All in all, the older Uchiha knows the fault of his cruel actions will not be a happy ending for him.
Nanami dislikes that he is right in every way.
Their hands haven't parted yet. Itachi notices how her delicate touch has the power to feel warmth and comfort. "Nanami, do you care for me?" He inquired placidly. She began to move her lips, "I do, but I don't know if it's absurd in such a short period." Nanami openly conjectures. Itachi shook his head, "It's not. I am grateful that you do." The onyx-eyed man has a content smile drawn on his handsome face.
Many miles away from them is Konoha.
Tsunade was getting done typical paperwork like there is nothing else to do. She desires to drink some sake and gamble her money, but being a Hokage prevents her from doing those things. How unfortunate.
In the middle of the work, she hears a knock from the door. "Come in!" She allowed whoever is out there to enter. It turns out it was Sai. "What do you need?" Tsunade folds her hands underneath her chin. He digs into his pocket and pulls out a letter. "I got this from the message area of the Anbu corporation. You won't believe who wrote it." Sai strides his way up to her desk. She takes the letter and reads it. Tsunade's hazel eyes instantly enlarged,
"This is from Misa!"
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Author's Note
So far, this counts as one of my fave chapters in the story 💖 Uchiha brothers are taking over hehe 😎 I had a lot of fun with this update that made me smile like a weirdo throughout the writing 😆😊 As always please stay tuned for a brand new update and I love you all 💗 peace!