Truth: Itachi Uchiha Love Story

C H A P T E R 3 3

"Shizune?" 

All I could hear were her soft hiccuped sobs as she leaned over Tsunade's body. My hand reached out a sad attempt on my part to grasp her. For a moment, for a fraction of a second I thought the worst, 'she was dead...'

"What is wrong Shizune?! Is she?!"

The two men who stood beside me choked, worried, and panicked they rushed to her side peering over her shoulders as if to make certain what they thought had happened was true. 

Tears welled in my eyes. A sense of overwhelming relief washing over me, "She's going to be okay". The words felt harsh as they grazed past the dry muscles of my throat. A deep sigh deflated my chest, I didn't know I was holding a breath till I heard the sign and the tension released itself. "She's going to be okay". I replied smiling at the pair before me. The two men grasped with happiness. Shizune's soft hiccups broke into a loud sob. 

"I am going to go and get her some food, she's going to need it". I whispered turning and walking back out the door. 

'It's going to take a lot for her to regain her strength, she's not out of the woods just yet'. 

∞

"Hey! Slow down!"

"Need.... *chewing sounds* more!" 

"Calm down or you're going to choke Tsunade". 

But to no avail, she continued snarfing down every morsel of food in sight. 

Suddenly she stopped eating, "Umm Tsunade? Are you okay? You---" Looking up at her face was contorted with seriousness, her eyes trained on TonTon... "That's not food Tsunade" I sighed pushing another plate of food into her empty hands. She quickly yanked the plate from my hands and began scarfing down the food. 'She's recovering pretty fast even after all the chakra she's exerted, and she's managed to regain her appearance too'. A smile cracked on my lips as I watched her. 

"Huh? What are you looking at you little twerp". She growled over the rim of her plate. 

"Oh nothing," I laughed grabbing onto her arm, "It's just good to have you back". 

Her mean expression quickly shifted, a cheeky grin replacing it.

"Awwwe you missed me didn't you?!" She roared dropping the plate down on the makeshift table in front of her as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders yanking me into her. I was immediately suffocated by her chest and the weight of her arms holding me against her. 'Even after being in a coma and losing almost all of her reserves she still has this much strength?' 

All at once, my body began to shake, laughter pulsated through me. I could feel myself bury deeper into her warmth, arms winding around her waist. "I did". I whispered. I could feel her arm move from my shoulder over my head. A hand cradled the back of my head, fingers softly threading into the long strands. 

"Don't worry too much about me. Your will is strong and you need to carry it on for the next generation, understand?" 

I shook my head in acknowledgment, as I smiled up at her. 

"Oh, K- kakashi!" Shizune stuttered, the tall silver-haired man lazily sauntered into the room, a look of pure monotony scrawled in his one eye.  I reluctantly pulled myself from Tsunade's grasp situating back into my spot next to her. 

"I am quite relieved, I was close to becoming hokage". 

"Is that so? The daimyo was quick to choose a new hokage". 

"Quick is one way of putting it. He was desperate and foolish enough to make Danzo hokage..." I interjected. 

"They did what!?!" Her voice echoed in the small room. 

"Oh don't worry, he's dead now". I snickered lightly. 

"Shiori!" Shizune scolded.

"What! I am not going to mourn a man like that, he's lucky Sasuke got to him before I did". I shot back. 

"...So Sasuke killed him". Tsunade repeated, her voice echoed with the hollowness of each word, no doubt thinking about Naruto.

"Now now". Kakashi spoke trying to calm things down. 

Her face quickly snapped towards me, her eyes slanted, "Did the council make you do anything?"

I smirked, "They know better than to mess with me, but you might get a few complaints of insubordination". 

She chuckled, "They might very well blame me for your behavior, in any case, I could care less about their idea of insubordination is". The room fell silent, "I was shocked to hear about the allied shinobi, the tsuchikage, and the raikage coming together." She continued, her gaze moving to Kakashi. 

"It appears our situation is just that dier". 

"Madara Uchiha, I can't believe he's still alive". 

The sound of his name ran shivers up my spine, 'Should I tell them what I know without Itachi's verification?' 

 "It's another war isn't it". 

"It looks that way". 

"Shiori". 

"Yes". 

"I need you at full battle capacity, understand". 

"You mean I can...."

"You know how to release the seal right?"

I nodded.

"Can you handle it now?" 

"Of course, I haven't been training all this time for nothing". 

"Are you sure Lady Tsunade?" Shizune questioned.

"She's more than capable of handling it now, and I need her capable of handling anything that comes our way". 

Kakashi was dumbfounded at the conversation going on around him, a hand propped under his chin as his eye focused in on me, "Uhhh what are you guys talking about?" 

"You'll see soon enough". Tsunade grinned. 

Kakashi shrugged and began making his way out the door. 

"Kakashi!" I wasn't intending on asking the question, but I knew keeping it a secret wasn't going to do any of us any good. They needed to know what I saw. 

His head cocked over his shoulder, "Yes?"

"The person who gave you your Sharingan... Who was it?" 

The question now fully catching his attention, his body moving to face me fully, a vague appearance of sadness on his face. A pang of guilt rang through me. I had never seen him sad before, and it pained me to bring up what I could only imagine was a painful memory of a person he cared for. 

"He was a friend, a teammate who died during the 3rd war, why?" 

"I know who he was, but what was his name?" 

"Shiori, is there something you found?" Tsunade questioned 

"There's more to this conflict than I think we are aware of. I didn't want to ask before Itachi confirmed it, but before Pain attacked the village the man in the mask appeared to me. But, when he left he utilized a technique only those who have attained the mangekyo sharingan, can..... He used Kamui". 

I could see the color in his face drain, "That's impossible, he died more than 15 years ago". 

"Could you be mistaken?" Tsunade remarked. 

"No, at least I don't think so. Mangekyo sharingans are unique to the users who obtain them, other than him being alive there is no other reason for two people to share the same sharingan". I answered. 

Kakashi was stoic, astray in information.

"I am not really sure if it is him or not, but Kakashi..." His head lulled in the direction of my voice our eyes meeting in an intense gaze. "...You better prepare yourself".