Soulmates (NaruSasu)

Chapter 21 (Itachi)

So, how many people guessed who she was before the last chapter? I've been planning this for a while now, since before Mei was even introduced.

The woman standing before me can't possibly be alive right now. I have to be dreaming. I watched her die after the genjutsu I put her under. I killed her.

"Izumi," I gasp after she removes her Anbu mask.

I hadn't wanted to believe she was really alive when Naruto had mentioned her. I didn't want to face her after what I had done. I killed her first to remove any further reservations I had about killing the clan.

Mei, the name I had suggested to her when she had expressed a wish to join the Anbu like me. She had told me that she wanted to follow in my footsteps so that she would be worthy of me, and knowing what was going to happen, knowing that I was going to have to destroy the entire clan, had jokingly suggested the codename Mei for when she joined the Anbu.

"Aren't you wondering how I'm alive?" she asks me as she starts walking closer.

Looking at her completely white left eye, I can guess at what she did. Someone taught her about Izanagi and how to time activate certain jutsus with the Sharingan. I wonder if Danzo knows that she's alive. Hopefully he doesn't.

"You used a time activated Izanagi." She's standing directly in front of me now as I respond to her. Her death has always been my main regret about the massacre.

"We'll let you two have some time alone," Naruto tells us as he carries my nephew toward the door. I still can't fully wrap my head around the fact that Sasuke has a son, but just looking at that kid is enough proof. There is no way that he could belong to anyone other than Sasuke and Naruto.

I look down at Izumi. When exactly did our height separate so much? She was a lot closer in height to me when we were younger.

"I'm sorry," I breathe out. It's the only thing that isn't completely held back by every emotion her presence has forced past my barriers. Just looking at her brings every ounce of regret and fear and sorrow and love to the surface.

She gives me the same smile I remember from before that dreadful night. "I never blamed you, Itachi. The moment you put me in that genjutsu, I could tell that you didn't want to do it. I could feel everything that was in your heart. When I first came to the meetings and found out about the Coup, I set my Izanagi to bring me back exactly one week after my death. I knew that the higher ups would never stand for it, and I knew that you would side with them. You only ever wanted peace, and the way our clan was acting wouldn't have allowed it."

She doesn't give me time to say anything back before reaching up to me. She pulls my face down to hers and kisses me. I should push her away. I am the one who caused her to have to use the Izanagi, the one who caused her to only have one usable eye. I'm the one who killed her mother and everyone she cared about. I'm not worthy of her love or forgiveness. I'm not worthy of anyone's forgiveness.

Although I know that I shouldn't give in, the part of me that wants to be happy prevails, and I end up kissing her back. I never wanted to kill her or any of them. I wanted that life that I showed her in the Tsukuyomi to be real.

When she pulls away, I can see the love and forgiveness in her eye. "I could tell how much you wanted that genjutsu to be real," she says, smiling up at me.

"It can't be," I tell her trying to keep my face emotionless. "I'm an S-ranked criminal and a part of a terrorist organization."

"Not for long," a new voice says from the doorway. I don't recognize the voice, but when I look at the women standing in the doorway, I recognize one of them as Naruto's pink haired teammate and the other as Senju Tsunade, the most well known medical ninja in Konoha history. Based off of the authority in the voice that spoke, I assume that the voice belongs to Tsunade.

Izumi smiles at me again before turning towards Tsunade and the pink haired girl. "Hokage-sama, Sakura-san, perfect timing."

So, Tsunade is the one who replaced the Third Hokage after his death at Orochimaru's hands.

"Naruto has already shared the memories you gave him with me, and your name has been removed from the bingo book." I don't like the sound of where this is going. Sasuke has to know the truth before I can even think about returning to the village. "We would like you to remain with the Akatsuki to continue to spy on them for now, but should your cover ever get blown, you will be able to return to the village."

I breathe a sigh of relief that I had been holding since she mentioned removing my name from the bingo book. She doesn't want me to return just yet. "I assume you want information on the Akatsuki members."

"That goes without saying." The older woman gives me a tight lipped smile. She almost seems hesitant to be near me. Is it the old Senju/Uchiha rivalry? "I would also like to meet with you once a month to discuss a course of action on stopping the Akatsuki's plans. But, before all that, I assume that the Akatsuki doesn't have access to any medical ninja."

The Hokage doesn't even give me time to answer, she just sends Izumi out of the room and removes all sorts of medical equipment from the sealing scrolls that she brought with her. Sakura assists without even having to ask a single question as to the placement of the items. She must be a medical ninja as well. It would seem that I'm being subjected to a physical weather I want one or not. I guess, if I'm being considered a Shinobi of Konoha again, I have no choice except to accept her decision as the leader of my village.

The two medical nin are nearly done with the physical when Tsunade's face darkens.

"You've been using Susano'o haven't you?" she asks. Although it's phrased like a question, I can tell that she doesn't expect an answer.

"You know about the Mangekyou Sharingan abilities?" I ask without even thinking about it. Of course she would know. Her grandfather was friends with Uchiha Madara.

"You're not the first Uchiha to have adverse effects from the Susano'o, Itachi." She glares at me, but in the way a worried mother would look at their child rather than how a member of a rival clan would. "Awakening the Mangekyou was a lot more common during my grandfather's time, but I've treated a couple Uchiha with severe internal damage from the Susano'o. The only way to prevent further damage is the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. Avoid using Susano'o until Sasuke awakens his Mangekyou, if he awakens it." She digs through her bad of scrolls until she finds the one she was looking for. After unsealing what's inside, I'm handed a bottle of pills. "Take one every day. These are special chakra pills that will gradually heal the damage done by your visual jutsu."

Tsunade and Sakura finish up then call Naruto and Izumi back into the room to discuss everything necessary to defeat the Akatsuki.

So, are we looking forward to when Sasuke and Itachi have their fight? It's coming up soon. Now that Itachi has a way to heal what's wrong with him, do you think that he'll survive? I know Izumi hopes that he does.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm not looking forward to writing their fight. I won't tell you why, but I'm really not looking forward to it. Everything after it, I'm excited for, but the fight chapter, not so much.