Capítulo 8: Hidden Truth
"Still keen on revenge I see," Itachi said in emotionless disappointment as he hesitantly reached in his robe for a weapon to match Sasuke's already withdrawn sword.
But there was something in that response that triggered something in not Sasuke, but Naruto. Perhaps it was the hurt gaze that the Uchiha massacrer cast on his younger brother, but he recognized that look.
His instinct was usually pretty dependable. Under any other circumstance, he would have stood down, but this was a different story.
It was something only a brother could really understand. Uchiha Itachi is a terrible older brother, but a brother who cares nonetheless. That was Naruto's reluctant conclusion.
"Itachi," Naruto gritted his teeth. "I can't ever imagine a brother betraying his own brother. So I can never understand why you did all that to Sasuke and I won't ever forgive you for that. But something, as much as I hate it, is telling me otherwise."
"Don't waste words with someone like him," Sasuke bit out.
Itachi tried to hide his dismay. Sasuke. Is. No. Longer. That. Cute. Perhaps it was wrong to leave him alone in Konoha?
Naruto held Sasuke back with one hand.
"Give me an answer, Itachi."
Naruto prayed that what he recognized was correct. That Itachi still loved Sasuke.
Before anyone had time to act, it was as if time froze. Sasuke couldn't believe it himself. He was caught in a genjutsu already.
[Send Deidara into a coma. Bring your jinchuriki friend to get some help. Afterwards, we will head back to the Leaf together. Everything will solve itself from there.]
And then the jutsu was released.
"Don't fuck with me!" Sasuke screamed as he charged for his older brother.
Itachi swayed to the side and effectively dodged the swing before landing back on his two feet. It was a clumsy recovery for a skilled shinobi like him, even Sasuke knew.
It wasn't long until the Leaf criminal began coughing up some blood. Naruto and Sasuke watched in shock. They didn't even fight yet.
[I don't have much time left Sasuke.]
"If you want to save that woman…you need my help," Itachi explained as he wiped the red liquid against his robe.
It came as a surprise that Sasuke didn't retaliate nor reject the help. If it was for mother, he was ready to put aside personal grudges for the time being. Mother taught him patience and as unwilling as he was, he learnt it.
"If you try anything funny, I swear Itachi. I won't bother to hear your explanation."
This couldn't make the older brother any more proud. Here he was afraid leaving Sasuke alone would turn him into a coldhearted blood-stained revenge-hungry ninja of the Leaf.
[That woman…must be very special.. If it was the very last thing he was going to do, it'll be making sure he properly thanked whoever watched over his beloved brother all these years he was gone.]
"You'll understand when we meet with 'him,'" Itachi said sorrowfully. To think things have to unravel this way.
"We still need a pair of Sharingan," Naruto said. And that pair definitely wouldn't belong to Sasuke.
Itachi gave a smile. "I know someone who is more than qualified to offer a pair."
The journey from the Sand Village back to the Leaf was extremely eerie to say the least. Surrounded by the last two remaining Uchihas, even Naruto found himself out of place. There was silence and breaking it would seem awfully rude.
Naruto shot occasional glances at Sasuke and then sneaky peeks at Itachi, only to find both brothers disinterested. It only seemed fitting to wait it out before one of them said something first. After all, it had been quite some time since the actual siblings met.
The last time he remembered encountering the older Uchiha was when Sasuke was plotting to kill him. That was long ago.
Itachi didn't change much from back then. Not saying much and leaving others to make assumptions and jump to conclusions was still his style. This irritated Naruto, but if Sasuke wasn't going to complain, he wasn't going to either.
And so the silence lasted, all the way until the ex-Konoha ninja led the two straight to the headquarters of the notorious elder of the Leaf—Danzo Shimura.
Danzo didn't look pleased to receive the three unexpected visitors. They were more intruders than anything else in his opinion. Intruders to his headquarters, his village, but most importantly, his plan.
The Elder never liked the nine-tailed jinchuriki nor did he particularly like the sole survivor of the Uchiha massacre. Bluntly put, they were a nuisance to his peace. However, he didn't anticipate the arrival of the "other" guest, probably the biggest thorn to his side.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that much.
"Not only have you two abandoned your village to run about, you even brought home a criminal," Danzo grunted in disapproval.
The addressed shinobi all stood alert as they noticed the presence of Danzo's elite team lurking about in the dark corners of his room. It didn't make sense that he had to suspect anything yet—considering that Naruto and Sasuke both petitioned their leave to search for mother.
No. In fact, the Elder's reaction was too suspicious. Sure, he didn't like the Uchiha-Uzumaki family, but it wasn't as if they did anything really wrong to call for him to be on such high guard.
"Where is our mother?" Sasuke growled, hand on his katana.
Naruto looked wide-eyed at his brother then at the elder. He didn't expect Sasuke to jump to this deduction.
"Did you take our mother?!" the blonde shouted in shocked anger.
"How would I know? Are you telling me that you both left the village for so many weeks and still haven't found one woman?" His aged eyes looked at the brothers with unmasked scrutiny.
Itachi knew this old man was much too sly and selfish to ever reveal anything. The Akatsuki member took a step forward. Danzo responded with a step back and his bodyguards coming out of the shadows.
Unexpectedly, one bodyguard charged for Itachi. The intended target effortlessly sent the man into instant paralysis, locking him in a merciless genjutsu.
Not hesitating for a second, Itachi aimed for Danzo, who in turn, deflected the attack and launched one of his own.
And it was during that counterattack that both Sasuke and Naruto realized something devastatingly cynical.
On Danzo's entire arm, plentiful Sharingans were implanted into his flesh. It was truly horrific to have such a sight reveal itself after being hidden all these years.
"Those eyes..."
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