"My home?" Aki asked, absent-minded. She was too busy looking over the place.
"That's right. This is the place where your grandmother grew up in—and where you were born." Con informed.
"What?" Aki finally looked at Con.
"This is a space available only to the direct descendants with the active bloodline. No one else can come here except you or someone close to you in status. We have never been able to find this place—until now, that is." Con proceeded to explain.
Aki took another long look at the place. This was meant for her?
"But, why take me here?" Aki asked.
"Well, I had to take something here. Something your mother locked away." Con's voice was an octave deeper as he looked around the place in melancholy. "Anyway, take you time while I search for it. Let's go Haizel."
Without missing a beat, Haizel and Con headed towards the mansion.
It can't be anything good if my mother locked it away, right? Aki thought nervously. So, she followed them in pursuit. However, as soon as she saw the gates, she couldn't help but feel like she'd seen the place before.
Perhaps, it was because she was born here as Con stated, but the place felt awfully familiar. Just as Con and Haizel attempted to open the gates, they were suddenly repelled by an invisible force.
Both of them hit a wall.
"Impossible." Con growled. "The successor is here—why won't it open?!" He hissed. Haizel looked at her 'father' in worry before she turned to Aki.
"You—open the gate for us." Haizel haughtily commanded. But, Aki had other thoughts.
"Why should I?" Aki smirked.
Con's lips twitched in effort as he smiled amicably. "Dear prince, aren't you going to help your grandfather?"
"Like I said, do you think I'll believe your words?" Aki took a step towards the man. She studied Con's face, prodding for a reaction.
"... I didn't want to tell you this, but... you leave me no choice, Aki." His voice suddenly changed, deeper and... younger—almost. It was a voice that Aki was familiar with.
"What the—" Aki exclaimed in surprise as Con morphed in front of her.
The tips of Con's blonde hair grew darker with every second, until the roots of his hair turned black. And when Con opened his eyes, two pools of obsidian stared into Aki's own.
Cain.
The lad let out a breath of relief, his features contorting in repose as if he was taking his first breath of air in decades. He looked at Haizel at his side, shied away from her, then looked at Aki.
"Y-you!" He stuttered then ran to Aki's side. "Run away." He whispered, shielding her from Haizel's view.
Haizel scoffed. "Don't worry, Cain. I'm not going to do anything." She stated, shrugging her shoulders. Aki was too stupefied to react.
Con is Cain...?
Con's words rang in Aki's head.
I don't have the 'bloodline' running in my veins—at least, not in this form.
"Not in this form..." Aki muttered to herself. "So this is what Con meant." She scoffed. What is up with these people? Con's transformation into Cain was different from the jutsu's that Aki was familiar with. In the first place, was it even a jutsu, or was it a Nen technique? Or was it simply an 'alter-ego'—a dissociative identity disorder of sorts?
But, something bugged Aki. Con's words repeated in her head. Without a doubt, Cain was Shinikage. He had the bloodline. Hell, he could even use chakra! So, why did Con say that? If it was a simple case of switching personalities, there wouldn't have been such a drastic change in physiological aspects. Looking at the circumstances again, it seemed more plausible that Cain was simply a house for Con's spirit at the moment.
If that's the case, what he was searching for... is it his real body? Aki guessed.
"That's right... Con-sama's real body was buried somewhere inside the mansion." Cain answered. Aki looked at the lad in surprise.
"You..." That's right, he can read minds. Almost. But, there's one thing that Aki haven't been able to understand thus far.
"Why are you helping me?" She asked.
Cain looked baffled by the question. "I—I'm just doing what was asked of me."
Aki glanced at Haizel who simply watched the exchange of words. She seemed disinterested.
"And who asked you to help me?" Aki pried. Although, she wasn't expecting much of an answer. After all, from her last conversation with Cain, it seems he can't mention anything about his employ—
"... Itachi."
The name made Aki jolt in surprise.
"Itachi...?" Aki trailed off. Is it the man I know...? Or someone else?
With a rueful look, Cain replied to the unspoken question. "Itachi Uchiha."
Aki took step back, dumbfounded with the realization.
¤¤♡¤¤♡¤¤
Aki
"Itachi." The name felt foreign now.
"What is it?" His deep voice answered. I studied him from beside, gauging his cold gaze at the moon.
"The Sharingan. Why am I not allowed to use it?"
"... Did I not tell you a thousand times? Don't question what I teach you. Just focus on getting better at hand combat."
But, why? Why do I have to train everyday, as if my life depends on it? Why can't I use my Sharingan, the Uchiha dojutsu?
"... Understood."
"Get ready in five. We'll continue then."
¤¤♡¤¤♡¤¤
"How...? How do you know that name?" Cain flinched under my pointed gaze. But, I honestly couldn't think as clearly. I clenched my fists, too agitated to take notice of Haizel's reactions.
"He's—ARGHH!!" Cain started to convulse, dropping to one knee.
"Hey—!! What's going on with you?!" I called out to him.
Cain held his neck, almost as if he was struggling to breathe. "H-he's trying to surface back."
What the hell. I watched in complete horror as Cain's dark orbs flickered red, his locks turning back to blonde. This time, I wasn't as dumbfounded. However, this sickening feeling of disgust hasn't parted from me.
"Whoops. That's as far as I'll let you talk to him." It was Con's voice.
"You bastard." I grit my teeth in fury. "What did Cain mean? How does he know Itachi?!" I demanded an answer.
"I honestly don't know who you're talking about. But, I'm sure Cain has all the answers you are looking for." Con smiled eerily, chilling me to the bone. This bastard... Is he trying to bargain?
"Well? Don't you want to know the answers?" He asked, pointing a finger to his temple.
I bit my lip, undecided with what to do.
Itachi Uchiha, the man who murdered our family; the man who taught me. What the hell does Itachi have to do with this? What does he know that he even tried to hide my ability to use the Sharingan? What does the Uchiha clan have to do with the Shinikage? My thoughts raced.
His cold demeanor never changed. And, I could still remember our last encounter as if it was yesterday. The way he disregarded Sasuke and I... the way he acted... Wait. The way he acted?
There's something. There must've been a reason; a special circumstance that required Itachi to annihilate the Uchiha clan; something that connected back to the Shinikage clan's massacre. Whatever it was, Itachi must still be in pursuit of it. Wait... But, that means... Sasuke—
I let out a ragged sigh. As if my problems here with the Shinikage wasn't enough. Now, I have to worry the reason why I died. Itachi was right—Sasuke is foolish.
I have to go back.
I have to go back to Konoha.
¤¤♡¤¤♡¤¤
"Kreinos household?" Hisoka gripped his phone.
"That's right. Don't leave the base for now. The boss was also kidnapped by the chain-user so we have to—" The red head dropped the call.
"What the—this bastard hung up on me!!" Nobunaga ragged, throwing his phone. Machi caught it and looked at the phone in thought.
"... Don't mind it. I can't imagine what torture it is for Hisoka right now." Machi muttered to herself.
"What? I didn't know Hisoka cared about the boss that much." Nogunaga scratched his head in wonder.
"Idiot." Machi insulted, giving the man a dry look. How could one be so oblivious? Anyone could tell that Hisoka was worried about Aki. But, since he lost the bet with Chrollo, he was told to never attach himself to the kid ever again.
And now, the chain-user was driving them to their wits end. Machi looked at their hostages, both of them wearing grim expressions. She could almost feel their desperation. After all, she did feel desperate too.
How could they let their savior's kid be taken by that devil?
"... Hey." Machi called out to Killua and Gon. The two looked at her with curious eyes.
"Why don't we form a truce for now?"