Truth: Itachi Uchiha Love Story

C H A P T E R 3 0

"Who?...."

The air felt thin and insufferable. Everything around me smeared into insignificance. Any words that I'd hope to say lodged in my throat, as I looked on in horror. It felt like I was having an out-of-body encounter. Like everything I was witnessing was not through my own eyes.

The village was in an abysmal condition.

Carnage.

"Captain!" I quickly spun around to find the 3 ANBU standing behind me. Although their faces were covered, their body language spoke to everything their expressions couldn't.

"What happened?" The words worming past my dry lips.

"We just made it back. How did you make it here so fast?"

"Nevermind that! The village is under attack! Follow level five security protocol, make sure all civilians are evacuated, from there protect the hokage I'll handle everything else from here on out."

"Yes!"

My eyes drifted shut.

'Bodyflicker'

When my eyes opened again I was on the roof of the hokage's residence. Tsunade stood at the center with ANBU guarding her on every side.

"What happened?"

Her head quickly snapped in my direction. The look on her face twisted in dismay. "Shiori!"Her voice rushed with relief.

"It's the Akatsuki, they've finally launched their attack."

My teeth sunk into my dried lip. The sheer force of the bite breaking the skin, the subtle taste of iron leaking onto my tastebuds.

'I should have taken care of him back in the Hidden Rain.'

I quickly moved towards the railing on the opposite side of the building. My fingers folded tightly around the ice-cold metal, nerves prickling with numbness. "I'll handle what I can."

"Be careful." Her voice, tight.

"Count on it."

Vaulting onto the rail, I propelled into the air.

I didn't get very far before I noticed a flash of bright orange hair in a film of smoke. A familiar girl stood atop the head of a large rhino-like anime. She was one of the pain puppets I had come into contact with, in the Hidden Rain. To the left of her and the rhino, stood another monstrous summoning creature, a dog with a multitude of heads. As the dust began to settle I could make out the silhouettes of six figures.

My body quickly moved into overdrive, sprinting towards the orange-haired girl. In a flash step, I catapulted forward, springing high above her and the large beast. I brought my leg came down on her shoulder, sending her and the beast deep into the ground below. The sheer force of the hit caused a massive creator and surrounding buildings to crumble. The ground splintered and shattered from the aftershocks. The summoning evaporated into a cloud of smoke. The girl laid beneath my feet. Face staring blankly up at me with spirling eyes.

"Dead already?" I mused, nudging her body with the heel of my shoe.

I turned to the large dog. The animal bared its teeth at me, growling as if to warn of an attack.

"Down boy!" I yelled.

"Shiori!!?"

I ignored the call, my eyes returning to the girl. "Since that dog of yours didn't disappear, I'd say you're still alive."

Her head tilted slightly, but she made no sound.

"Alright then, time to die."

My fingers twitched and cracked. "Dance of a thousand petals." Sparks of electricity danced in the palm of my hand. I reached out with palm facing down, microscopic bolts of lightning blitzing down, electrocuting her on a vestigial level. Her body convulsed, mouth falling open in a silent O. After a moment, her body stiffened, the last chakra finally seeping away.