It took her many years to understand that sometimes people had to cross over their moral lines for the greater good.
The Greater Good.
"Tt."
The phrase made her angry.
A line drawn in the sand fades with every step that crosses over it until finally there is no line, only the footprints and chaos left behind by too many broken morals and despicable acts.
Acts done for the Greater Good.
...
Shinobi should be practical.
Pragmatic.
Izuna was.
And she wasn't.
The Original was the pragmatic one. She was the idealist—the dreamer. She knew that. But was she what this world needed? She didn't know. She could be ruthless. She could be pragmatic. She just... never wanted to be.
She was kind.
But she was also Uchiha Izuna and Uchiha Izuna would always do what needed to be done.
::
"Haruki-kun," she called. "I—-"
He smiled.
"It's okay." Haruki told her. "I understand."
She clenched her fists.
"Just promise me this," Haruki said, "promise that you'll take care of them. A-and make their pain go away."
"I will." She promised.
"Then I'll trust you."
"Thank you."
"Goodnight, Izuna-san." Haruki smiled. "See you in... perhaps a century?"
"Goodnight."
She sealed him—and all memory of him—away.
::
"You know what to do."
"Yes, Izanami-sama."
::
"They failed the mission, Tajima-sama."
Izuna did not wince.
"A simple escort mission. Now, I know for a fact that Madara-sama would never let something like merciful sentiment get in the way. That must mean the fault lies with...."
He glanced at Izuna meaningfully.
"Saito-san, that's enough." Tajima said sharply.
"You spoil her." Saito sniffed. "Look at the results. See reason, Tajima-dono. Our reputation. Tarnished."
Madara gritted his teeth.
"She's unfit to be a shinobi." Kanata declared. "It's plain, isn't it? She's more suitable as a housewife."
"Like her failure of a mother."
Madara froze.
And Izuna?
Sweet Izuna.
Merciful Izuna.
Kind, pacifist, and soft-hearted Izuna?
She was no more.
"You cross a dangerous line." She said softly.
"Maybe it needs to be crossed, Uchiha-hime. You and your line are unfit to lead us!" He sneered. "You have my challenge."
Hi no shiren.
Trial by Fire.
"I accept." Izuna said in a whisper. "I've tolerated your insults. I was willing to tolerate them. But to insult my family?"
She sighed.
"You've given me a lovely excuse to rip you apart."
She stared at him with a calm smile.
White flames enveloped the wayward elder.
He yelped, frantically trying to put out the flames but to no avail. Nothing could extinguish them. Not even a water jutsu.
"Amaterasu." Some whispered in awe.
Izuna knew better.
(How did she know better?)
They were the flames of Izanami.
Izanami's Judgment.
Sōzō no Handan.
(Creation's Judgment.)
Izanami was a Goddess of Creation and Destruction.
Amaterasu could burn and destroy everything of the flesh.
But Izanami could burn and destroy even things of the spirit.
Izanami laughed as the screams became silence.
The elder hadn't died.
He had been unmade.
Eradicated—-both in flesh and spirit.
"My, my~ is that all it took?" Izanami giggled. "After all that talk? How utterly disappointing."
She brushed a strand of silver hair out of her eyes.
"Anyone else?" Izuna asked softly.
No one answered.
"Anyone?" She called again. "Speak now or resign yourself to silence. But know this... if you speak out against my family ever again I'll kill you. I'll kill anyone who stands in my way."
Madara casted a worried look towards her.
"W—-we were wrong, Izuna-hime." Saito bowed. "You a—are strong. We were foolish to think otherwise."
"Hmph."
She glanced at the repenting man and smiled.
"I am kind because I choose to be." She told him. "But never, ever, mistake my kindness for weakness or you'll find yourself joining Kanata-dono."
As one who no longer exists.
::
Death didn't bother her.
Killing didn't bother her.
Izuna tried to feel unnerved by her sudden apathy but she couldn't feel it.
She couldn't feel guilt.
Death just was.
Neither good or bad.
It just was.
"Izuna. Are you—-"
"It's time."
It was time for her counter-attack.
Izanami was gone.
(She wasn't. Not really.)
Zetsu was still out there.
"I can feel her power but I can't feel her."
She was gone.
(Izuna and Izanami had become one and the same.)
"Maybe she's just gone quiet?" Madara tried.
Izuna shook her head.
"No. That isn't... that can't be the case. She just isn't there anymore. I don't know how to explain it."
"We'll figure this out." Madara told her. "Together."
Together?
She wanted to agree.
"No need." Izuna said instead. "Her power is mine. That's all I need to know."
"What are you thinking?" Madara asked worriedly. "Izuna, please. I can't help you if you don't tell me—-"
"I'm done waiting."
She could no longer rely on her memories of this world. It had changed. Her memories were obsolete.
"What can I do to help you?"
"Just stand by my side."
She had to adapt.
Madara didn't need to do much.
He just needed to stay.
(—-Don't leave. Don't leave me. Don't leave us. Don't abandon your dream. Don't abandon Konoha—-)
That's all he needed to do.
"We are making peace with the Senju." She declared. "Now."
Her clan would resist.
But they would obey. Or they would perish.
She had no time to waste on convincing idiots to lose their idiocy.
"Gather the Elders and bring me father."
Madara hesitated.
"Nii-sama?"
"Why are you doing this?" He asked. "What happened to waiting until—"
"Like I said: I'm done waiting." Izuna told him. "I'm done. I'm done being weak and weak-willed. To protect my loved ones I will do whatever it takes."
Even if it means embracing the darkness of death.
"Izanami is dead." She told Madara. "I am Izanami."
Once, she said she would destroy the world for him.
(A hero would sacrifice their loved ones to save the world. A villain would sacrifice the world to save their loved ones.)
She wasn't lying.