NARUTO: LIGHTNING AND ROSES CHAPTER 55 (Patreon)

Chapter 55

ITACHI UCHIHA

Life worked in funny ways. It sometimes gave a person what he wished, only to make him realize that he was not ready for it. And Itachi could feel that he was not ready for what was to happen.

He had been in the cell for a couple of days now. No one other than a single ANBU with a simple meal had shown up during this period. He had no fear of death or torture. Yet he dreaded something else.

He dreaded seeing Sasuke, his dear little brother. The truth was supposed to die with him. Buried as Sasuke would have his revenge, yet fate had different plans. Orochimaru and Danzo’s greed had made a colossal mess of it all.

Even when he had found files about Orochimaru’s experiments on stolen Sharingan for Danzo, he had held himself back. Horrified and disgusted by what he had found, he continued doing his duty for Sasuke was safe.

For what did pride matter for a dead clan?

Yet Orochimaru’s depravity knew no bounds. And when the attack was to happen, Itachi knew he had to intervene. Within the Akatsuki, he could feel his cover getting damaged by the fight against Tsunade. Perhaps using Tsukuyomi to deliver information at that moment had been a mistake.

CLACK. The door to the cell clicked open once more, and Itachi’s heart skipped a beat, for it was not the mealtime yet. He turned his head to the side and was surprised to see the fifth Hokage entering the cell.

She was still covered with bandages, and it seemed that she was still recovering from her injuries, but it was good that she was as awake. Recovering from injuries as she had was a testament to the abilities of the Senju and the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai.

“Hokage-sama,” he greeted her lightly as she walked up to the chair in front of him. The cell was a low-security cell. It had two simple chairs and a small futon on the side.

“It is good to see you once more, Itachi, and thanks for intervening back then. Shinso tells me we wouldn’t have made it without you,” she said with a small smile as she sat down.

Itachi did not know how to reply to that, so he just kept quiet.

“What is going to happen to me?” he questioned as he finally looked her straight in the eye. He saw her expression shift as she sighed and spoke up after a while.

“Truth is, I am not so sure myself,” and her expression was filled with disgust as she continued.

“What Danzo did is unforgivable. His actions could cause anarchy within the village. Announcing him as a traitor is one thing, but I don’t think the official version will have any mention of his bloodline theft,” she was frowning as she said that, and from how her fists were clenched, Itachi could feel her anger.

“It is fine. You should do what is best for the village,” Itachi replied. The truth was that he had never thought about this scenario. After that night, he had never thought about returning to the village like this.

Tsunade-sama looked up at him with very sad eyes, and Itachi could feel sincerity reflect in those irises.

“Thank you,” and Itachi just nodded. She then took out a file and handed it to him.

“Your brother already knows the truth about the massacre. I have explained what I could, yet he wants to meet you and is waiting outside for you. This file contains my proposal for your future,” Itachi looked down at the folder and opened it up, and saw recruitment papers along with documents for a special posting.

Request for recruitment of ANBU Weasel for Hokage guard.

And he turned the folder and recognized the effort she had made for him.

“Of course, this posting is more ceremonial, and you are free to do anything. But, you will have to wear a mask, perhaps an ANBU one or a regular one,” she elaborated, and Itachi asked once more.

“So you will tell the ANBU the truth?” and Tsunade nodded her head at that.

“Yes, the ANBU initially, and then I plan to dispense rumors about your mission to make perhaps a future complete return possible for you,” she replied.

“Thank you for this, Tsunade-sama,” he replied. And she just shook her head as she got up.

“You deserve more than this, much more. Sasuke is here, and after that, you will be officially released.”

And Itachi watched as she walked to the door once more and opened it. Standing there right at the opening was his little brother. Itachi felt a bit of pride seeing him all grown up. Yet Sasuke’s face did not have the anger and disgust he had seen last time. No, this time, it was a face filled with conflicting emotions and confusion.

A hint of anger, a touch of disbelief and pain.

0000

SASUKE UCHIHA

Questions? A whole plethora of questions had been plaguing his mind for some days now. Questions about the truth. Questions about his brother.

And all the answers could be given by a single person? He had thought that he would be angry, enraged, furious when he saw Itachi. A part of his had thought that he would be relieved.

Yet Sasuke was confused. Confused as he stared at his brother’s face, he found himself unable to speak. No rage bubbled inside him, and no relief came. What came were only more questions. Questions for which his brain could not find the words.

“Why?” was what he could only utter. And Itachi did not reply immediately as he simply stared at Sasuke. And Sasuke flinched as he saw the red shining in his eyes.

“You have grown up well, Sasuke,” Itachi said with a smile, and Sasuke simply frowned at that.

“A complete Sharingan at your age, is quite a testament,” and Sasuke suddenly realized that his vision had sharpened. His Sharingan had activated on reflex.

“WHY? Tell me, Itachi, Why did you do it? Why?” Sasuke asked with a bit of heat this time. Sasuke was never known for his patience.

“I don’t know what I need to sa….”

“Just tell me the truth. I AM NOT A KID ANYMORE! ITACHI!” Sasuke screamed as his patience finally gave out.

Yet Itachi seemed unmoved by his outrage as he simply sat there. Without flinching. Simply staring. And then he finally replied.

“It was all for you, little brother,” and Sasuke reeled back at this response as he remembered Danzo mentioning something similar.

“HOW WAS IT ALL FOR ME! ALL FOR ME, YOU SAY! YOU SAY YOU KILLED EVERYONE FOR ME!” Sasuke screamed at this incredulously, but Itachi just sighed.

“I don’t know how I can explain it to you….”

“THEN SHOW ME!” Sasuke replied, and Itachi finally looked up at him as he stared at those special patterned mangekyo sharingan, understanding the implication behind those words. Yet Sasuke simply continued.

“Show me everything. Show me why you did that. Show me what made you kill our family and destroy our whole clan,” and Sasuke was now staring straight into Itachi’s blazing Sharingan.

“Sasu…” but Sasuke cut Itachi off as he pushed chakra into his eyes once more, and he could feel the world shift. His vision sharpened up more, and he felt a huge boost to his power.

“I have the same eyes as you now, Itachi. Don’t back out. You said to come and seek you when I had the same eyes. Now show me!”

And Sasuke spotted a hint of pity in Itachi’s eyes before he closed them, opening them after a moment to reveal the Mangekyo Sharingan. Sasuke flinched once more as he saw those eyes. For how many years had he dreaded those eyes?  For how long he had woken up with nightmares of those very eyes.

Yet now he stared into them once more, but this time to get answers.

“Alright, little brother, see for yourself. This is the truth about the whole incident.”

And Sasuke felt his vision shift as the world around him morphed and changed into the familiar district of his clan. He looked around as he recognized the compound.

It was their home. He spotted a child holding a toddler in his lap. The little toddler was continuously crying and causing a ruckus. Sasuke recognized the porch, as well as the person holding the toddler.

“You were quite loud when you were young. But this is the day it all began,” Itachi said from his side, and suddenly Sasuke felt the ground shake as a huge roar shook everything.

Sasuke’s head snapped to the source, and his eyes widened as he saw the smoke rising from the village buildings. There was destruction everywhere as a huge red fox with its nine tails thrashing around shook the whole world.

“This is the day the nine tails attacked. The day everything began!”

And Sasuke watched as the beast gathered a massive amount of chakra before chugging a chakra-condensed ball straight at the village. Even if it was an illusion, he could feel the thrum of the chakra.

But before the ball could impact, it was stopped as a small yellowish blur appeared on the Hokage mountain. A huge chakra array appeared and began to suck the tailed beast bomb. Sasuke could make out the face of the shinobi with his Sharingan, and he recognized him quite quickly.

“This is also the day the Village lost the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.”

Sasuke felt an eery feeling as he gazed at those blonde locks and blue eyes. They seemed quite familiar to him. And a slight whisper escaped his lips.

Naruto

0000

TSUNADE SENJU

Tsunade could feel her headache growing worse by the second as Jiraiya continued to argue with her. She had finally had enough.

“NO! Jiraiya, you are not going to Ame to investigate!” she ordered, but Jiraiya was relentless.

“But Tsunade, if Danzo was right, then this Pain could be a former student of mine. I can not just abandon them like this. I have to know!" Jiraiya argued, and Tsunade cursed herself for asking Jiraya about that name.

“It matters little now whether he is your student or not. The fact is that the Akatsuki is based in Amegakure, and it is filled with S-rank shinobi, and I will not have you risk your life for this. This village needs you.” and she held herself from saying the next sentence.

‘I need you.’

Jiraiya was not deterred as he turned to the other person in the room. Her apprentice.

“Tell her she is wrong. It is better to know an enemy. My investigation, supplemented by the information obtained from Itachi, could be extremely successful. Plus, I am not going there to fight. I will be undercover the whole time.”

Shinso just shook his head, and Tsunade felt relieved that he had the sense not to go along with this.

“I am afraid I will have to side with Tsunade-sama in this. Going into the lair of the Akatsuki is dangerous. Moreover, the Akatsuki promised Itachi retribution, and having you out of the village could prove disastrous.”

Jiraiya just raised his hands at that, and then as he was about to walk out. Tsunade added from behind.

“Jiraiya! If you try to leave the village, I will have the forces drag you back and then chain you in a cell myself.”

But Jiraiya did not respond as he simply huffed and left the office. Closing the door with a bang on his way out.

Tsunade simply sighed as she leaned back into the chair. Perhaps she should have stayed in the hospital. Shinso walked over and took one of the seats.

“Keep an eye on him. Make sure that he doesn’t leave the village,” she commanded him, and the boy nodded at that.

“Of course, Tsunade-sama.”

Tsunade gave her apprentice an appraising look. The boy had grown up nicely and had quite surprised her with his progress. Tsunade could confidently say that he was stronger than she had been at that age. Perhaps the only comparison could be made to Minato or her own sensei in recent times.

True monsters. Legends.

And the boy was growing up to join their ranks. She had taught him much and had thought of teaching him iryo-ninjutsu, yet the more she thought about it, the more it seemed a waste. He knew the basics already. Plus, he was also learning her strength of a hundred seals.

He could always work on iryo-ninjutsu in his spare time. And she began to think about what to teach him.

“Is everything alright, Tsunade-sama? Should I call for Shizune-san?” he asked with concern, and she shook his head as a plausible answer appeared in her head.

“No, I am fine. I was just thinking. You should take the rest of the day off.” She said as a plan began to formulate in her head.

Shinso nodded and got up from his seat and was about to walk off when she gave her parting order.

“Though, I want you to report to me at six on the special training ground.”

“Ok. Tsuande-sama,” and he left her office.

Tsunade stared at the pile of work in front of her and shook her head. She would deal with all this later. Perhaps she should talk to Katsuyu first. So, she chipped her thumb and began making handseals.

“REVERSE SUMMONING JUTSU!”

And Tsunade vanished in a puff of smoke.

0000

Itachi is back in the village. Sasuke is seeing everything. Perhaps a bit too much, I would say.

Will Jiraiya listen to Tsunade, or will the stubborn sage continue to behave like a fool?

What will be next step for Shinso in his journey?