The clanging sounds of metal against metal reverberated throughout the battlefield as the bloodshed progressed, Uchiha against Senju, shinobi against shinobi. The Senju and their allies had yet to make a dent in the forces defending the compound walls, and as for Sasuke and Itachi, they knew that they were in for a good fight if they ever wanted to complete the task set upon them by the Hokage.
"Sasuke! I'm going ahead!"
As Sasuke incapacitated his current opponent, he looked upwards to see his older brother darting further into the fray. The closer to the gate the battle went, the thicker the fighting got- soon enough, there was barely any space for anyone to move freely, resulting in a mass number of deaths occurring at once.
Without another glance at his fallen enemy, Sasuke adjusted his loose kabuki mask before dashing off after Itachi, effortlessly avoiding the several spats that obscured his way. As the gate came into view for Sasuke, he narrowed his eyes upon seeing Itachi engaged in battle once more; this time, with a foe he wouldn't have minded taking on himself.
"Why, what's this?"
Fugaku's voice boomed over the din as Itachi launched himself towards the clan leader, who was roaring with laughter at the sight of being taken on.
"Come on then!" bellowed Fugaku, activating his Sharingan as the masked figure approached. "Let's see how well you can go against me, Senju!"
Just as Sasuke was about to approach his battling father and brother, he leapt aside and narrowly avoided taking a kunai to the face, turning to look at whoever had been responsible for it.
"What's with the mask?"
Sasuke clenched his jaw as he came face to face with none other than Izumi, who looked like she had seen much better days. Her usually immaculately styled hair had been thrown into a messy braid, and the redness and puffiness in her eyes merely added to her disconsolate appearance as she sized up her masked foe.
"You want to get in? You'll have to get through me!"
Izumi's voice was a snarl as she charged at Sasuke full force, gripping her kunai tightly as she swung it at him with all her might. Sasuke easily blocked her hit with his own weapon, scowling at her as he jumped away from her.
"Come here and fight me!" shrieked Izumi, charging at Sasuke once more. However, at the last moment she dropped her kunai and shot a fire ball at him, catching him by surprise as he leaped into the air for safety. Izumi continued to barrage Sasuke with jutsu after jutsu, each attack growing more frenzied and erratic than the last. There was no strategy to her actions, nor was there any sort of thinking involved- this was an Izumi that Sasuke was completely unfamiliar with.
The more Sasuke eyed her out, the more he realised that her unpredictability was most likely due to a breakdown of some sorts- and when he remembered how Itachi had taken Yuta and run off, he understood.
This is a woman who's lost everything, thought Sasuke grimly, his own thoughts trailing back to Tera in Suna. Itachi said he loved her with all his heart, and they used to be so happy together- but it was so easy for him to leave.
I would never do that, would I?
"DIE, YOU SENJU SCUM!"
Sasuke was shaken from his thoughts as Izumi screamed in his face, weaving the hand signs for one final jutsu to take him out. In his haste to move out of the way, Sasuke found himself falling to the ground as Izumi summoned all of her strength to put an end to him.
Just as Sasuke made to throw himself back up into action, his eyes widened upon seeing Izumi being subdued from behind. So engrossed was she in her anger that she had lowered her defences, and now, she met her fate at the stranger's hand.
There was no doubting who it was.
Almost as if in horror, Sasuke let out a gasp as he watched Itachi cleanly run his kunai across Izumi's throat with no hesitation. She let out a guttural choke at the unexpected contact, remaining only on her feet because the masked figure wrapped his arms around her to make sure she didn't crumple to the ground before she met her end.
In the few seconds that Izumi was conscious, her body immediately recognised the embrace.
Sasuke desperately wanted to avert his gaze, not knowing how Itachi was going to handle the pain of being responsible for his love's death.
But he didn't.
He watched as tears spilled from Izumi's eyes in her final moments, as she struggled to reach up and touch Itachi's mask- but ultimately failed as the life escaped her body, and she became nothing more than an empty shell in her husband's arms.
He watched as Itachi lowered his head, hugging his wife's body once more, before gently laying her down on the ground with utmost care, all of his emotions hidden by his mask.
Itachi... Sasuke watched on incredulously as Itachi nodded at him, before jumping back off to apprehend their father once more.
Sasuke could only stare at Izumi's lifeless body, still in disbelief.
Had Itachi really just... killed the woman he loved? So easily?
A wave of sorrow washed over Sasuke as he brought himself back to reality, shaking his head so that he could go and join Itachi in taking down their father. He had no time to worry about Itachi or his feelings; he needed to help him complete their task, so that they could make new lives for themselves with the Senju.
While Sasuke had been entranced and staring thoughtlessly at Izumi's body, a new throng of shinobi had joined the fight, meaning that it was harder than before for him to reach his father and Itachi. The more he fought his way through the crowd, the more he realised how meaningless it all was. All the death and blood. It meant nothing to Sasuke anymore.
All around him, the cries of fallen shinobi filled his ears, with the smell of burnt flesh increasing every second he spent fighting.
What are we fighting about?
He didn't know how long it took him, but by the time he had managed to reach his father and Itachi, Sasuke was over it all.
Raising a hand to his face, Sasuke pried off his mask and pulled out his katana, glaring at his father as he turned his attention towards him.
With an arrogant smirk, Fugaku discontinued his assault on Itachi and laughed at his younger son.
"Why, I'm not surprised to see a traitor like you fighting for the Senju," sneered Fugaku, giving Itachi enough time to kneel down catch his breath.
"I know you're not," said Sasuke coldly, poised with his katana and ready for action. "Itachi, let's do this."
Getting to his feet, Itachi nodded at Sasuke and removed his own mask. Although Tsunade's instructions had been clear, everyone else around them was so busy with their own battles that they had little care about what was going on around them.
"I'm going to go in."
Sasuke nodded curtly as Itachi jerked his head towards the compound.
"I'll hold him down for you," said Sasuke, eyes narrowed at his father. Fugaku burst into laughter at the pair's exchange, hands over his belly as he ridiculed their plan.
"Where are you running off to, Itachi? Going to try and find your mummy?" mocked Fugaku, earning a cold glare from his first born.
"I'm trusting you, Sasuke."
Without another word, Itachi entrusted Sasuke the duty of keeping their father occupied while he broke his way through the gate, ignoring those within the compound as he activated his Sharingan and sped off to find his mother.
"It's- it's Itachi-sama!"
"Stop him!"
"But-"
As some of the shinobi made to rush forward and stop the Uchiha, he saw a familiar, pink haired kunoichi leap in front of them and prevent them from doing so. There was chaos as those wanting to stop Itachi were held back by those who wanted to let him continue, giving Itachi the perfect cover he needed to find his mother unbridled.
It came as no surprise to him when he arrived at the family home and found it unguarded, sensing his mother's chakra signature emanating from within. However, unlike how he had so easily dealt with Izumi, Itachi hesitated at the front door.
His mother was a wonderful woman, truly. Everything she had done in life, she did it for her family's sake. He was certain she never had any evil intentions in her heart, but being married to his father, she too had been caught up in the mess that was his conquest for domination.
It is a difficult duty to ask of you, but you must understand that if you want to be accepted, you must show us that you have completely cut ties with your family.
With Tsunade's words lingering in his mind, Itachi found himself entering his former home and trudging down the hallway. In seconds, he was at his parents' bedroom, from which he could sense his mother.
Silently, Itachi slid the door open.
His mother was sitting with her back turned to the door, wearing the same black kimono she had always donned since the news about Sasuke's so called "death."
"Itachi." Mikoto's voice was soft as she addressed her son, making him wince with guilt. "So you came back?"
"Mother." Itachi's voice cracked as he spoke to his mother, finding uncertainty in every step he took towards her.
"How is Yuta?" asked the matriarch quietly, facing the wall opposite the door. "Have you been taking care of him well?"
"Yes, mother," replied Itachi as he knelt behind the forlorn woman, withdrawing a kunai and holding onto it in both hands.
"Why are you nervous, Itachi?"
"Mother, I-"
Mikoto glanced over her shoulder at Itachi, shooting him a small, sad smile.
"The end is near, isn't it?" she asked, turning her attention towards the balcony to her side. "The Senju are very smart. Very powerful. I see why you did what you did."
Itachi frowned as he toyed with his kunai, cursing himself for pausing to catch up with his mother. It had only been a week or so since he had deserted his family, yet talking to her now, it felt like it had been an eternity since they had last met.
"Ah. I'm guessing you're here for me, aren't you?" When she was answered with silence, Mikoto raised a hand and beckoned for Itachi to go to her. Without a word, he did so, and kneeled before his mother.
"Look at you," said Mikoto mournfully, reaching out and stroking her son's cheek. "You've grown into such a beautiful young man. I'm so proud of you."
Itachi sat with his gaze locked on the ground.
"You and Sasuke were the best things that ever happened to me," continued Mikoto, staring wistfully into the distance as she recalled her children's days of youth. "I'm so proud to be your mother. And although your father doesn't show it, he is also unquestionably proud of you. Well, I know he was, once upon a time. Times change, and sadly, so did he."
"Mother, Sasuke isn't dead!" blurted out Itachi, deciding that if he was going to kill her, he would at least tell her the truth.
"At this point, it doesn't really matter anymore," she said sadly, holding out her arms. "Come here, Itachi."
Automatically, Itachi found himself in his mother's embrace, finding it to be as warm and inviting as it had been when he was a little boy.
"Look after Yuta," murmured Mikoto, wrapping her hand around Itachi's. "The children are our future. Protect the children, and raise them well. All of them."
"Mother?"
As Mikoto pulled away from her son, she smiled brightly at him. It was a smile full of pain and exhaustion, sorrow and bitterness.
"Itachi, I love you and Sasuke. Take care of your children. Alright?"
Itachi found himself frozen as his mother wrapped her hands around his wrist, before pulling it towards her and plunging his kunai into her stomach.
She winced at the impact, but that didn't stop her from completing her task. She shook as she clutched onto Itachi's hand, but found the strength to reassure him once more.
"Itachi... protect... the children..."
With a final burst of strength, Mikoto pulled Itachi's hand so that the kunai ripped across her abdomen, tearing her kimono and obi in the process. Choking on her own blood, Mikoto smiled tenderly at Itachi as his eyes welled up with unshed tears.
"I love... you... Itachi..."
Having lost all strength to maintain her posture, Mikoto let out a sigh and fell to the ground, living out her last few moments as she stared blankly at the door.
Itachi couldn't even move.
He stared at his mother's limp figure on the ground, unable to process what was happening. He had lost Shisui, his best friend and most trusted comrade. He had killed Izumi, the love of his life, and mother of his child.
And now, he had killed the very woman who had brought him into this cold, unforgiving world.
As much as Itachi wanted to mourn his loss, he had no time.
"Itachi-sama!"
He looked up to see the same pink haired kunoichi from before burst into the room, an alarmed look on her face as she slammed the door wide open.
"You have to leave, immediately!" she exclaimed. And as Itachi scanned the premises, he realised that her panic was justified. "Word has gotten out that you are here- you're in danger if you don't return to the Senju!"
Itachi looked at his mother's body once more before rising to his feet, eyeing the pinkette out warily.
"And who are you?" he asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at the jittery kunoichi.
"It doesn't matter! Just- leave!"
Before she could even introduce herself, the woman shot off and let Itachi choose his own path.
Two out of three targets, done.
He had saved the best for last; he only hoped that Sasuke hadn't dealt with him first.