I go a bit stiff at the mention of visitors, but I keep returning the hug my mother gave me.
Who could it possibly be?
The side of my head was still aching from the psychogenic fever I had last night, but other than that I'll be fine. I hugged mother even tighter and breathed a little heavily.
"It's alright darling, you'll be fine", she trailed her hand over my hair, "it'll all be alright", she soothed.
We unlocked from the embrace and mother looked into my eyes with a small smile.
She's hiding something...
"Don't cry darling", she swipes off the tear at the corner of my eye and rubbed my cheek lightly.
"Shisui is here", she smiled, making me go stiff.
"Sh-Shisui?", I blurted abruptly.
"He's in the living room", she informed.
Could he possibly know?
"He's out of the Hospital already?", I ask in disbelief as I search her face for a reply.
"Yes, he said he recovered pretty quickly from his wounds, although some scars are left on his body", she elaborates.
She motions for me to turn around and I comply. I sat there as my mother untied my long ponytail and began recollecting the locks of my hair into a tightly packed low ponytail.
"Don't you think you need a trim, Itachi?", she asks with her smooth tone of voice.
"Haven't really considered the idea really", I scoff in response.
"Well, I think that long hair suits you better", she remarked, making me blush in return. I scoff momentarily, then inquire the question that's pounding in my head.
"Mother, where is Sasuke?", I carefully ask, searching her face as a pit formed in my stomach.
"Oh he's off to training early with his team", she assures.
"O-oh...", I dropped my head low and clenched the duvet underneath my hands, "does he hate me?", I suddenly ask, taking her by surprise.
"W-what?"
"We got into an argument last night", I confess and release a heavy breath.
"...darling it's alright S-Sasuke was pretty worried about you when he woke up this morning", she informs, making my heart sink.
"H-he was?", I inquire in disbelief.
"Mhmm", she assured, flashing me a genuine smile.
"Mother I have to ask...", I swallow the lump in my throat.
"What is it Itachi?", she inquired, finishing the last touch ups on my hair.
"Will the Uchiha ever forgive me?", a pit forms in my stomach as I forced these words out of my mouth.
Mother breathed heavily then sighed as she played with my hair, "Itachi, most of them don't even hate you as you think", she begins, "they're just shocked that you had a hand in preventing the coup on our clan, if anything, they're proud of you and Hanabi. But I'd also be lying if I didn't say that some of them didn't take the news well..."
"But don't worry yourself with them", she advised, "because even they don't want this peace, which has been maintained for four years now to vanish".
"I see...", I muttered back in response.
"Itachi darling, listen", she starts again in a more serious tone.
"Your father and I...we owe you an apology", she breaths out heavily, "We're sorry for putting you through all of that. You were just a kid and life happened almost too soon for you. You had the weight of the entire village and the clan on your shoulders. You and Hanabi were too young to bear such burden. And I am deeply sorry that you had to internalize all of your feelings for everybody's sake".
"M-mother...", I trail off as I begin to hear her sniffles.
"Mother!", I turn around to see her tear-stained eyes.
"Itachi darling I'm alright", she assures, wiping away her tears, "it's actually you who should be pouring his heart out right now, but...you're still internalizing it all..."
I go to hug her really rapidly and let her scent encroach my nostrils, "I'll be fine...please don't cry", I tighten my arms around her and she simply smiles.
When we're both satisfied, we unlock from the embrace and she tells me to go wash my face, since we've kept Shisui waiting for too long
Mother exits my room in a moment's notice, leaving me to sulk in despair as I begin to brood about Hanabi again.
Everything seems almost too convenient...
I get up and do my daily routine on this brooding thought, which nags at my brain. Father isn't home during this time of the day which isn't something out of the ordinary, but the conversation I overheard last night was...
My head ached the more I gave the topic more thought and I decided to leave it for now. I freshened up and wore clean clothes before taking a deep breath and heading out.
My steps feel weighty and uneven beneath the floor as I walk up to the living room. There, in the living room, sat Shisui and mother. They were having a casual conversation as I mentally debated whether I want to even go inside.
I swallowed all my doubts and inhaled in a deep breath. I step into the living room, catching both of their attention at once. Shisui's eyes connect with mine and his gaze lingers before he gets up and lunges towards me.
"Itachi!", he beams happily, "I've missed you".
For a split second, I thought he was going to attack me, when in reality he engulfed me in a hug, which was so unlike him.
"How have you been kid brother?"
"Sh-Shisui...", I mutter in astonishment at his sudden gesture.
Before I could even continue my sentence I was cut off when Shisui leaned near my ear and whispered something, making me go stiff on the spot.
"The gazebo, and quick".
My mouth falls agape momentarily as I quickly concealed my shocked expression on a moment's notice.
He leaned out of our embrace quickly and changed his tone of voice, "Itachi I've missed you...I hope you're doing okay".
His sudden change of voice made me swallow the lump in my throat, but I had to keep calm as my mother was witnessing our current exchange.
"I'm happy to see you, Shisui...", I smiled wholeheartedly and gestured for him to sit so we could pretend to have a friendly conversation.
I knew something was up, I just knew that nothing can go right in this world.
But the question starts to beg: What on earth happened now?
"You're out of the hospital already?", I smile while asking the question.
"Well my recovery could've taken longer if it weren't for Hana's constant nagging and shoving healthy food down my throat", he scoffs off as I take in the sight of some of the scars caused by Hanabi.
"Oh please", my mother remarked, "she just cares about you".
Shisui simply gave her a small laugh and rubbed the back of neck nervously. He seemed to be in a better condition than before and his scars are looking better and they're healing fast.
I guess this is what happens when someone deeply has rooted feelings for you...
You can over come the impossible...
"Well, you boys have your fun while I get you something to eat", mother announces as she gets up from her place and heads to the kitchen.
"Thanks auntie Mikoto", Shisui gives her one of his goofy smiles and I could see his visible dimples.
I narrow my eyes as I see my mother cross the threshold and she disappears into the kitchen.
My lips part abruptly as I turn to Shisui quickly, before he gives me a stern look, which suggests that I should save it for later.
I deciphered the stern look in his murk eyes as the following:
We have to talk in private...
I gulped my nervousness down as I stared longer into his eyes. Something is seriously wrong...
"So Itachi", Shisui starts, "are you feeling alright?"
"O-alright...I'm feeling alright...", I purse my lips together as I stare at his face. Lying like this to each other simply makes us look dumb.
From his expression it was clear that he had many questions that he wanted answered, but he held it all back.
"So how's Hana?", I awkwardly ask.
"Oh you know, she's just preoccupied with her vet duties", he casually answered.
I gave him a small smile before I saw mother appearing from the corner of my eye.
"I brought you boys a quick bite", she announced.
"Y-you really didn't have to", Shisui said.
"It's nothing really", mother assured.
I don't remember the last time I ate anything. So I gently took my plate of food and Shisui followed lead.
"I hope you like it", she smiles genuinely, to which Shisui takes a bite before saying, "I love it auntie Mikoto, thanks".
Mother also brought us some tea to wash down her tasty food. I make sure to eat as fast and unmannerly as possible so Shisui and I could just get out of here.
"Itachi, eat slowly..."
"Oh", I smiled, "I just missed your food, when I was detained, there wasn't much to munch on", I talked with a mouthful.
"Uh-oh, well then I can't blame you", mother said, earning a smile from me. I swallowed the clump of food, almost choking on it before Shisui realized this and started patting my back with his large hand.
"Goodness Itachi", mother complained before handing me the cup of tea, which I chucked down so unmannerly.
Father would be disappointed...
I let out a long breath before turning to Shisui who had finished already.
"Mother thank you, it was delicious", I inform, earning a small smile from her.
"Auntie Mikoto", Shisui began, putting me through brooding mode again, "would you mind if I borrowed Itachi for today?".
The question took my mother by surprise and she's suddenly on alert.
"What for exactly?", mother questions with skepticism.
Oh goodness, Shisui is not a good liar at all...but neither am I...
Shisui begins to rub the back of his neck nervously and cracks out an awkward laugh.
"Well auntie I was hoping you wouldn't ask that", he scoffs nervously.
"Why exactly?"
"W-Well you see...I-um...there's this...Uhh...A-auntie it's just that Hana's mother invited me over for dinner for the first time and I was hoping to have Itachi help me get ready...", Shisui says, making my eye twitch.
Well that was a good lie...
"Do boys really care about such thing?", my mother inquired to herself.
"Only if I know that she's the one", Shisui replies, taking her by surprise.
"Oh...", mother looks between us dumbfounded, then says, "well I guess if that's the reason then sure, after all, you'll be trying to make an impression on Tsume Inuzuka so good luck".
"T-Thanks, I guess I'll need it", Shisui awkwardly laughs.
"Take care", mother says, when Shisui and I get up to our feet and head out.
We put our shoes on and then, just before we head out Shisui gives me a look of grave concern.
"Let's go", he said, and I witnessed his face scrunch up in concern.
And even though we were out of mother's sight, we were still in the Uchiha district.
"That was a good lie", I remarked as we walked side by side.
"Don't mention it", he said in a cold tone of voice, making me uneasy.
***
At The Gazebo...
"I want to be mad at you, I really do", the wind blows away Shisui's slightly over grown hair as he leans against one of the pillars of the gazebo.
I am sat on the banister that connects the pillars together as I gaze out at the lake.
"So you've heard", I say, narrowing my eyes as the wind blurred my vision.
"And I am disappointed", Shisui sternly says.
"I know"
"I can't comprehend why you couldn't tell me. You've kept this secret to yourself even when you knew you had me?", Shisui inquires in a disappointed tone.
"I'm sorry-"
"That won't cut it this time, Itachi", he cuts me off, making me uneasy, "but at the same time, I feel like if I walked in your shoes, then I'd understand".
"Thank you"
"That still doesn't make me any less disappointed", he remarks.
"You're not the only one, Shisui...", I lowered my head and propped a knee in front of me, "Sasuke lost it when he heard about the supposed massacre four years ago..."
"Itachi", Shisui suddenly says, stern enough to make me connect eyes with him.
"What is it?", I ask as my eyes wonder his bodily language.
Shisui takes in a deep breath before letting his hand disappear to his pouch. When his hand comes back into view, I feel my pursed lips part as my eyes widen momentarily.
His index finger was slipped into the ring of Hanabi's kunai, which I totally forgot about.
"Hana recovered it for you from your belongings at the hospital..."
There was no amount of gratitude that I could express with simply my emotions or words, so instead I simply muttered a quick 'thanks' before taking the kunai from him.
I held the kunai dearly to my chest and refrained from self-harming by remembering.
Once I was done appreciating my token, I breath a little hard.
I look back up at Shisui with uneasiness as I croak out, "...Shisui...what happened now?", I held my breath as I took in his current expression, which had no hint of reassurance at all.
"Clamity...Itachi..."
Shisui suddenly inches closer, his jaw was clenched and his face had an aghast expression on as he stared hard at me.
"Listen carefully and don't panic..."
"What calamity are you talking about?", I swallowed the lump in my throat as my eyes widened. I suddenly recalled father's conversation from last night.
"They're keeping this a top secret from everyone, but you need to know..."
"Know what?", I held my breath in anticipation as I searched his face for any clue.
"Kabuto Yakushi..."
"What about him?", I eagerly ask, when I recalled an encounter with him earlier on.
"He's a suspect of a heinous crime..."
"What crime?", I breathlessly ask from the suspense that's putting me on edge.
Then, my world almost fell apart and my weak heart sank in my chest. My lips parted as I stared back in horror when Shisui's face went pale as he informed me in an unsteady voice.
"Come again...", I rasped as I stared blankly at nothingness.
Shisui's face scrunched up in concern as he forced himself to divulge it out again.
"...the crime of abducting the Land of Fire's Jinchuriki and Lord Fugaku's youngest son..."
__________________________________
A/N:- Aight so this is the final arc. Hopefully no one is disappointed✨✨ I also decided that I'd write the epilogue of this story, but don't expect anything cheesy✨✨
Tell me who is your favorite underrated character in Naruto. Mine is Kimmimaro Kaguya. I really wanted to incorporate him in this story, but I couldn't find any potential way to do so😔
Next chapter might be from Hanabi's P.O.V, but I'm not a hundred percent sure.
~A