Chapter Text
Itachi sat alone in a quiet cafe in a small village nestled within the forest. He was not far from where he stopped the Mizukage with his inescapable black flames. The Amaterasu. He hadn't used it since that night. And seeing it again threatened to expose the harrowing sorrow he had worked so hard to suppress.
It had been hours since it happened, but the strain of using his Mangekyo Sharingan still lingered. Hours since he lost his first Akatsuki partner, Juzo. And for reasons he did not understand, Juzo's death left a familiar heaviness in his heart.
Like Itachi, Juzo was all alone. But being alone never bothered Itachi. It was a familiar solace. So what was it about Juzo’s death that weighed so heavily on him?
He wasn’t sure.
Perhaps it wasn’t his death that weighed on him at all. But rather his realisation that Itachi did in fact have someone he would send last words to.
Sasuke. The thought of his innocent little brother hardened his resolve. The path he chose, this lone darkness, was all for the sake of his little brother. And for the village. He would honor his promise to Shisui to protect both the clan and the village. And he would do as his father requested before he ran his Anbu katana through him. He would protect Sasuke. He had a plan. And he would not allow it to fail by dying a premature death. He would die only by Sasuke's hand, when he was finally strong enough to face him. That way, the village would remain safe, the clan's name would not be tarnished and Sasuke would be the hero that avenged his clan.
It was a solid plan. And Itachi was certain that if Sasuke hated him even half as much as he hated himself, he would very soon be strong enough.
Until then, darkness was all that he had left. And he deserved nothing less.
“Would you like another?” The waitress held out a fresh plate of sanshoku dango to her guest. He looked at the plate, but didn't reply, still half lost in his thoughts about Sasuke. “They're freshly made and still warm,” she added, noting his hesitation.
“Thank you,” he said, accepting the plate. It was almost his birthday after all. Not that he cared much for birthdays. But it was a good excuse to indulge a little before he set out on his journey back to the Hidden Rain Village, alone.
“Message from HQ,” a familiar voice called to him as he stepped out of the cafe.
Itachi turned his attention to the trees not far from where he stood as Zetsu’s form emerged. It must be important for them to have sent Zetsu rather than simply transmit the message.
“While you're here in the Land of Water,” Black Zetsu said, ”You're to attempt to infiltrate the Kensho Shrine and steal the scroll containing the secret jutsu of the Shizenaki clan.”
“The Shizenaki clan?” Itachi replied. “That is not one I am familiar with.”
“Well, they're a secret clan, are they not?” White Zetsu asked his other half. “So I'm not surprised that even you have never heard of them.”
“That's right,” Black Zetsu replied. “They are a secret ancient clan who live on the island of Heiwa, not far from here.” He handed Itachi a map. “The shrine is on the mountain somewhere.”
Itachi looked at the mountain circled on the map, Yasuragi Mountain. It was a famous tourist destination for cherry blossom viewing in the spring. “Yasuragi is simple to infiltrate,” Itachi noted. “Especially for someone with your abilities.”
“Normally, that would be true,” Black Zetsu replied. “But the island is completely impenetrable for us.”
“Isn't there some sort of merge blocking jutsu being used there?” White Zetsu said.
“Yes. The Shizenaki clan are masters of nature transformation and have found a way to block our ability to merge with anything on or around the island.”
“Oh and we've attempted to steal this scroll a few times before, have we not?”
“Yes,” Black Zetsu replied. “Three times in fact. And all three times we've failed. You see, the shrine is protected at all times by Hokage level shinobi, all possessing unique kekkei genkai.”
“And what kekkei genkai is that?” Itachi wondered. Every jutsu had a weakness and the more he knew about their abilities in advance, the faster he could figure out how to nullify it.
“In the first attempt,” Black Zetsu explained, “Konan reported that tree resin was used to instantly bind her paper together, a highly unusual deviation from standard Wood Style. When Kakuzu attempted infiltration, he said lightning style was used, taking out three of his hearts in an instant. And Sasori’s puppets were frozen solid and shattered.”
“I see. They’ve recruited various kekkei genkai users to protect the shrine,” Itachi said, mostly to himself. “A formidable defense. However, this is not a task I cannot handle.”
“Yes,” Black Zetsu replied, his voice dropping to a low, grim rasp. “At least, that is what it seems. What is concerning though is how they accurately predicted the nature of each infiltrator to counter them so well.”
Itachi agreed. To be able to thwart each attempt so perfectly, he thought to himself, it was no mere coincidence. They were being watched long before they reached the mountain.
“But we've never had someone try with the Sharingan before,” Zetsu continued, curious whether Itachi could accomplish what the others couldn't.
Itachi nodded. “At the very least,” he replied, “I will uncover the true nature of their jutsu.”
Days later, Itachi stood at the foothills of the Yasuragi Mountains, surrounded by pines. He looked up at the steep cliffs covered in cherry blossoms and imagined for a moment what the mountain would have looked like only a few months earlier, covered in pink.
Beautiful, he decided.
But that beauty was fleeting. And like all things, the flowers came and went, dying in a matter of weeks.
Although he couldn’t deny that the mountain was beautiful as it was now as well. In fact, he much preferred the green of the leaves instead. It reminded him of the woods around the Uchiha compound, where he had spent so much of his childhood training alone. Or with Shisui. The thought of his friend almost made him smile. But the image of Shisui with his back to Itachi standing on that cliff quickly replaced the serene delusion of such a distant beautiful memory. Memories that were now nowhere within his reach.
He couldn't let such fantasies distract him from reality. He had to stay focused, focused on the task at hand.
From what he gathered on his way to Heiwa, the Yasuragi Mountain was home to a secret clan that lived at the top of the mountain. Their homes were carved into the highest cliff, shrouded in clouds. But few who sought the clan ever found them. Most returned before even catching a glimpse of the cliffs. While some claimed they saw their homes way up above, but couldn't find a way to reach them.
And apparently they guarded some sort of shrine.
It was a sacred place between life and death, some claimed. Others believed it was a place where you could go to gain knowledge, knowledge of all that was and ever would be. And still others said it was a place where one could go to discover his true nature, whatever that meant. It all sounded like speculation to Itachi. Speculation without any evidence to support it.
But that was not uncommon. People often speculated and exaggerated the significance of things they did not understand.
However, more than a few people said that the shrine protected a secret so great that it threatened to end all of life itself. And that was consistent enough with what Zetsu had told him that he believed it. Whatever this secret jutsu was, it was certainly powerful. Powerful enough for an entire clan to protect it at the top of an insurmountable mountain, shrouded in clouds. It must be something. Something nefarious.
He slowed his ascent as the clouds thickened. He was getting close.
Jumping up into the trees, he continued to climb until he could see windows carved into the cliffs above. It seemed, at least some of what people said was actually true. He moved sideways now, keeping his eyes fixed on the cliffside. The climb was strenuous. But for Itachi, it was a good light workout. The windows stretched on for some time, trees and clouds occasionally concealing them.
Now if he were a secret clan that lived in the cliffs near the top of a mountain, where would he hide a shrine? Either at the actual top of the mountain or deep within it, he concluded. Both would provide extra protection by making it even harder to reach. Although, hiding it within the mountain would be the smarter choice. And considering this clan were masters of nature transformations, inside the mountain certainly made more sense. That meant, finding a way to get to the deeply hidden shrine without being caught.
He circled the cliff side again, looking for a way in. The trees. He could hide within the trees to get much closer.
Positioning himself just under a patch of trees, he climbed up into the cover of their leaves and easily moved in close enough to peer in through the windows.
Homes. Bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens. Some even had nice courtyards with carefully placed bonsai and raised garden beds for vegetables. These were people's homes. But there was little to no one around.
He turned and looked out over his shoulder at the view these homes would have had. The lush tree covered mountain reached down before his eyes, slipping into a sea of hilly islands as far as his eyes could see. It was magnificent. And it was no wonder that the chakra of the few people he could see inside the mountain was so light and so peaceful. So free from darkness.
A stark contrast to the deep sea of crimson midnight within.
And he wondered whether he too could feel so light if he lived there. But there was no point dwelling on that daydream. He had a mission to accomplish. And that mission required him to be in and out of there without anyone noticing.
He focused his Sharingan and scanned the mountain. It seemed, almost all of the people were inside the mountain, in areas he could not see from the cliff side. He scanned upwards and noted that there were at least two people far above him. And those two’s chakra burned brighter than most. Perhaps the shrine was on top of the mountain.
Climbing further up, his eyes became practically useless in the dense cloud cover near the peak. Thankfully, his Sharingan allowed him to still see the chakra signatures up above.
Following them, he continued the climb, near blind, as he thought of strategies to fight in this dense fog. He could still see a few feet in front of him. So if he were to encounter the protectors of the shrine, he'd just have to get close enough to use his Sharingan on them. Then it would all be over. That is, if they didn't get him with their kekkei genkai first. Whatever it was.
The climb flattened as he neared the top and he could now very clearly see that one of the two chakra signatures was much stronger than the other.
He made a crow clone and sent it ahead of him to investigate as he hung back and watched. By the strength of their chakra, he could tell that they were formidable. And although he was pretty sure he could easily take the weaker one, the stronger one would certainly be a problem.
So it was best if he didn't have to face them at all.
He suppressed both his and his crows' chakra as he got closer to the two, hoping he hadn't been detected already. And, to his surprise, as soon as he did, they instantaneously separated. The weaker one appeared almost directly in front of him while the other one disappeared, taking his crows with her.
Before him stood a young girl, about his age, in a plain white shirt and tan pants.
It was too late. They had spotted him. And he wondered just how long they had known he was there.
“Itachi Uchiha,” the girl said as she looked directly into his crimson, three tomoe, eyes. “I thought they said you’re only 13.”
“I'm 14 now actually, today,” he replied. Although he had no idea why he even told her that. Despite her sudden appearance, which suggested she was more skilled than he anticipated, she didn't seem to pose him any threat. Her chakra signature was pleasant and she was friendly and welcoming. Kind even, which was a welcome change to the usual greetings he received.
Clan Killer, his nickname reverberated in his head, stabbing at his broken heart. Considering she obviously knew who he was, her kindness made no sense. And who stares directly into Sharingan like that? Was she simply foolish enough to be so careless or strong enough to not even care? He wasn't sure. Either way, he took the opportunity to slip into her mind for later.
For now, he'd play along with whatever game it was that she was playing.
“Wow, the Sharingan.” She continued staring directly into it as she leaned in a little closer than he would have liked.
Her proximity was unsettling. But, ignoring it, he looked back into her pale gray eyes and studied her. Was she really simply that intrigued by his Sharingan?
Suddenly realising just how close she had gotten to him, she quickly pulled herself away from him and took a few steps back. The fog cleared a little when she did, allowing them to easily see one another.
“I'm sorry,” she apologized. “It's just… it's my first time seeing the Sharingan up this close and it’s…” She paused for a moment to consider how to describe it.
Terrifying? Itachi thought to himself. It was what most people felt when they saw it. Although she didn't appear to be afraid at all. Did she not know what the Sharingan was capable of?
“It's beautiful,” she decided, her eyes soft and sincere.
Her words pierced something deep within him although he did not let it show. Did she really just call his Sharingan beautiful? To him, it was nothing but the harbinger of death. The death of his parents, the death of his clan, the death of all that he had known and hoped for. There was nothing beautiful about it.
He watched as she studied him with wonder. It seemed she really had no intention of hurting him.
Regardless, he did not let his guard down.
“What is this place?” he asked, suppressing the flicker of pain that had momentarily threatened to leak out.
She smiled. And he suddenly noticed how pretty she was. Her light indigo hair was long and wavy, with shorter loops curling up perfectly around her eyes. And her eyes, light grey, were like the full moon on a clear night. What was this? Had she somehow put him into a genjutsu of hers?
“This is Mount Yasuragi, the most beautiful place on earth. Home to the famous cherry blossom festival and the most delicious matcha you'll ever have. In fact, our matcha is famed across all five nations, one of the only things they can all agree on.”
He huffed, a laugh almost slipping out. It caught him off guard and he quickly suppressed it. This girl was suspicious. Was she serious or just playing with him? He wasn't sure. Her chakra was as pure as light and yet it also indicated that she was stronger than most Anbu he knew. Such strength and purity seldom coexisted. Perhaps she never left this idyllic world of hers among the clouds.
“In fact,” she continued, unperturbed by his silence, “We've recently turned it into a spread. My idea, actually. And it is divine!” She swept her arms open in a small arch, emphasising just how delicious it was.
This was definitely a ruse to distract him.
Itachi reached for his kunai and, faster than anyone she'd ever seen, sent four flying directly at her. Although he had already burrowed into her mind, he held off on using genjutsu on her so that he could see just how strong she was.
Without weaving a single sign, roots reached out from underneath them and blocked his kunai, along with the additional four he sent her way almost immediately afterwards.
Wood style, Itachi thought to himself. But his eyes indicated that it wasn't. Either way, she quickly deflected them all. Meaning long distance attacks were unlikely to land.
Getting in closer, he decided to test her taijutsu next.
They sparred, at equal ability, for some time. Then, as soon as she was beginning to tire, he landed a kick and she went flying backwards into a tree. Did that tree just catch her? He wondered, half doubting what he saw despite knowing his Sharingan allowed him to see everything. It certainly did.
Bouncing right back unharmed, she lunged toward him as he let out a blazing ball of fire.
“Fireball jutsu.” His flames engulfed the whole area. But, for some reason, not a single tree was burned. And, when his flames subsided, he noted that she was surrounded by a dome of ice.
Ice style too? That was highly unlikely.
Checking in again, he noted that he was most certainly not caught in a genjutsu of hers. And he still had a foothold in her mind. Keeping genjutsu for last, he threw flaming shuriken after flaming shuriken at her ice until it cracked. Then, as soon as she was defenseless, he appeared behind her, his kunai to her neck. She smelled of flowers.
And before he could ask for the scroll, she turned into thousands of cherry blossoms, disappearing into the wind.
“Nice moves,” she said, appearing again behind him.
Even her clones die beautifully. He turned around to look at her. Despite his attacks, she still did not seem to want to fight. Instead, she just stood there, staring at him curiously, her head slightly tilted to one side.
“I'd say you look about 16, maybe 17, if I were to guess,” she said.
“How old someone is is insignificant,” he replied, a little impressed that she didn't seem to be the least bit fazed by his attacks. Plus, he noted that her chakra remained completely unused. Did she somehow use both wood style and ice style without spending a single ounce of her chakra? Impossible.
“I guess you're just an old soul,” she said, seemingly over it. “So are we just going to keep sparring like this or are you going to ask for what you came for?”
He did not reply.
“You're wearing an Akatsuki robe,” she continued, her hand pointing to his black robe decorated with red clouds. “I know what your organisation wants.”
Silently, he wondered if it were possible that this girl, whose chakra was no match for his, actually managed to stop three Akatsuki members from getting the scroll. Before fighting her, his answer would have been, no. But now… maybe.
“Come on, I'll show you the scroll,” she said as she turned to leave. “Then you can decide whether you'll take it or not.”
“You'd really do that?” That made no sense. “People don't just simply hand over their secret jutsu to an outsider, let alone the Akatsuki.”
“Yep,” she replied as if they were talking about her matcha spread rather than her clan's secret jutsu. “Now let's go.”
Suspicious, he followed her higher and higher up into the mountain. The clouds thickened and he considered for a moment the very real possibility that she was leading him directly into a trap. But he could see no other chakra there.
After a little while, the land flattened again and the clouds suddenly cleared. They were above the clouds now and before him was a humble shrine, a simple torii gate welcoming them.
“Kensho Shrine,” he said, mostly to himself. So it was on top of the mountain.
“Yep,” she replied.
Casually, she walked right up to the shrine.
If this truly was their secret shrine, they weren't doing a very good job at keeping it secret. And considering so many people actually knew their clan existed and lived up there in those cliffs, they didn't do a great job at keeping their clan secret either. So what was this place really? Itachi wondered. And what kind of secret jutsu could this possibly be if they were so willing to show it to just anyone?
He followed her into the nondescript wooden building. No guardians, no locks. The shrine doors were wide open and the more powerful chakra Itachi had seen earlier was nowhere to be found. That or she’d hidden her chakra so well he couldn't see her, not even with his Sharingan.
If this girl was leading him into a trap, he'd have no idea. Thankfully, he still had a foothold in her mind and could easily put her under a genjutsu and force her to tell him the truth.
But he refrained. There was no malice in her demeanour. And considering all three Akatsuki members who had previously attempted to infiltrate the shrine returned safely, it didn't seem like these protectors killed trespassers. Worse case, they’d defeat him and send him back with nothing. Best case, she actually shows him the scroll.
Inside, the shrine looked like any ordinary shrine. No scrolls there to be found. But as they approached the center, the floor opened up on its own, revealing a spiral staircase below. She led him down the staircase, the entrance above them quickly closing back up as soon as they passed.
Earth Style? He thought to himself. It was clever. But, still, not a very strong defense.
Down and down they went for what felt like forever, until they finally reached the end.
And when they did, Itachi's eyes widened ever so slightly as he stared at the largest library he had ever seen.
“What is this place?” he wondered.
“The actual Kensho Shrine,” she replied in a matter of fact way. Then, remembering that outsiders who have not learned their secrets yet had no idea what their shrine really was, she explained, “We are collectors and keepers of stories and knowledge from all across the lands.”
“And you store them all here?” It was obvious that they did, so Itachi wasn't sure why he even asked such a question.
"Yes, isn't it wonderful?" She replied, smiling brightly. "In each story, and in every piece of knowledge we collect, there is a truth that can allow us to see ourselves, and then eventually each other, as we truly are. Broken. Incomplete. Imperfect. But beautiful nonetheless. Undisturbed or perhaps enlightened by the subjectivity of it all, we can see with eyes unclouded by hate. For universal truths lie within each of our hearts, as different as we may appear to be from the outside."
Itachi shook his head. “For you, up here in this mountain, maybe,” he replied. “But in the real world, where prejudice and hate exist, each of us lives dependent and bound by our individual knowledge and our awareness. And there is no changing that.”
It seemed he was closer to the truth than most. “That is true,” she replied. “And if we limit ourselves only to what we see and believe, then we will never be able to understand one another. But that limitation is a choice.”
“Can one actually choose to see what he does not know exists or understand that which he has not experienced?” Itachi wasn’t sure it was possible. But this girl seemed to think so. So, perhaps…
No, he stopped himself before he got lost in that thought. She was trying to distract him, keep him from completing his mission.
Turning his attention back to the task at hand, Itachi scanned the room. There were plenty of people there among the books. People from all across the lands. Some read alone while others were engaged in conversations with one another. Examining their chakra with his Sharingan, he noted that some had well developed chakra networks. Although very few had ones as strong as the woman he saw at the top of the mountain earlier, or the girl that he was following.
The girl who was now reaching for his arm. What is she doing? He thought to pull his arm away from her reach. But he didn't. Instead he just stood there, watching her intently.
Gently, she grabbed his arm. Then, noticing that he had stopped walking, she turned around and saw him staring down at her hand on his arm.
“I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable,” she said. But she did not let go. “It’s just that, as long as you're with me, no one will question what you're doing here. But if you get separated from me somehow, I won't be able to guarantee your safety.”
“Hm.” His safety. He was only a trace concerned for his safety. Most of the people he could see in the library could easily be overpowered if needed. But he knew it was the hidden ones he'd have to worry about. And they were hiding so well he could only sometimes see the faintest bit of their chakra. Eight hidden signatures, not including the girl whose hand rested on his arm.
They continued on through a labyrinth of books and spiral staircases until they reached a large landing, a natural looking cave with rows and rows of seats. A gathering place. And it seemed a lot of people lived there. Was this secret clan really that large? It seemed improbable.
“Where are we going?” Itachi asked, still thinking about the library. Was the scroll not in the library?
“We're almost there,” she replied as she finally let go of his arm.
Her warmth lingered. “I'm safe down here,” he noted as soon as she let go of his arm. He scanned the room. The vast open space made it easy for him to see that the others were not down there watching them. Unlike in the library.
She smiled. “Don't worry Itachi,” she said in a tone so familiar you'd think she'd known him forever. “I'm not going to hurt you.”
“The thought hadn't crossed my mind.”
She continued on, through the gathering place to a hallway lined with doors. She opened a door and stepped into a room. It was a living room, with a large window perfectly framing the tranquil view he had enjoyed on his way there.
“Is this your home?” he wondered. It had been so long since he felt so at peace anywhere it was unsettling.
She nodded. Then, leading him into a study, she pressed a code into a keypad hidden behind a sheet of rock that looked almost exactly like the stone that covered the walls.
He waited silently as she retrieved the scroll.
“Here.” She handed it to him as if it were just another ordinary scroll.
He took the scroll, half expecting it to be a fake. Looking up at her before he opened it, he noted that she was now standing on the other side of the room, silently staring out the window. Despite having just simply handed over her clan’s secret jutsu to a member of the Akatsuki, she seemed totally at ease. It must be fake.
“Read it,” she said, noting his hesitation. This was more of a test than a trick. “Read it and then decide for yourself whether you'd bring this back to the Akatsuki.”
He opened the scroll and read what was inside. It was in fact her clan's secret jutsu. But, after reading it, there was no way he could ever take it or hand it over to anyone. Not the Akatsuki, not the Hidden Leaf, not anyone. A jutsu this terrible should be destroyed.
“So?” she said, “Itachi Uchiha of the Akatsuki, what will you do?”
He looked up at her again and rolled the scroll back up. His eyes were black now, his Sharingan finally deactivated. Sharingan or not, with a jutsu like that, he would not be able to counter it. Not now, not ever. His only hope was that she would remain kind enough never to use it on him.
He held the scroll back out to her. “How did you know?” he wondered.
“How did I know what?” she replied, taking the scroll. She had no idea what he was talking about.
“How did you know I wouldn't take it?”
She smiled. Then, she admitted, “I didn't. I just took a gamble on you. And it looks like it paid off.”
That was quite a gamble. And he half thought to remind her that a massive gamble like that shouldn't be made so lightly. But then he figured she probably could have just used her secret jutsu on him if it hadn't worked out.
“So, what will you tell them?” the girl asked. “The Akatsuki.”
Itachi looked at her and wondered for a second whether she had done the same thing to the other members of the Akatsuki who had come for the scroll. But he had a feeling she wasn't going to tell him if he asked.
“I'll tell them you were impervious to my genjutsu,” he replied.
She laughed.
And to his surprise, her laugh loosened a weight he didn't even realise was possible to loosen. He ignored it.
“A genjutsu you didn't even use,” she playfully reminded him.
She was right. Despite it being his strongest weapon and her looking directly into his Sharingan the second they met, he hadn't used genjutsu on her at all. “There was no need.”
She shrugged. She supposed that was a good thing for her. Because, if he had used it, she would have been done for. “I'll walk you out,” she said before putting the scroll away again. “And we'll change the hiding place now that you know where it is.”
“Trust me that much, huh?”
“It's not you I don't trust,” she said. But she did not elaborate. There was no need to. She'd read his file. He was a ninja among ninjas, Anbu for the Hidden Leaf at age 11. And an Uchiha, one of only two left by his doing. Itachi knew full well all the ways someone could get that information from him if they really wanted to. That is, if they could take him down first.
She led him out a different route this time. A route that was equally as confusing, but had no way of actually getting back in through.
Following the girl closely, Itachi noted that all the doors on this route had no handles or visible markings on the outside. Once the door was closed, you wouldn't have even known it was there. An escape route. But what happens to all those books and scrolls if someone breaches the library?
He thought to ask, but then decided it didn't matter. This was probably the first and the last time he'd ever see that library.
“Here, take this,” the girl said when they reached the cherry blossom groves beneath the clouds. She handed him a necklace, three magatama style beads connected by a black cord.
A necklace? He had no need for such things.
“As a reminder,” she added, noting his hesitation. “Of the choice you made today.”
He did not reply. The choice was an easy one.
“And for protection and good fortune.”
“Protection and good fortune are not things I expect from this world,” he replied. But he took it anyway. It would be rude not to.
That was sad, she thought to herself. And for a second she considered giving him a hug. He looked like he really needed a hug. But she didn't.
“You don't need or have anyone to stand by you anymore…” she said instead. “But know this, if you ever feel the need to rest somewhere for a while, you are always welcome here.” Now that he had passed the test, she was certain there would be no objections to him seeking refuge there.
“Thank you.” It was a nice gesture. But coming back there would be nothing short of a dream. His life wasn't one of cherry blossoms and clouds. He didn't have that luxury. He was a ninja after all.
His life was a dark and lonely one in the shadows, to be endured until his brother was strong enough to end it.
“And…” she added before he could turn to go, “I don't know why you did what you did. But you don't have to shoulder everything alone.”
He looked into her hopeful gray eyes and huffed. How naive, he thought to himself. Perhaps if she wasn't so isolated in this idyllic mountain community, she’d understand.