Black Bird [Itachi Uchiha]

1: Gone

The setting sun slipped down the sky, and the soft wind carried grains of sand with the breeze, sliding along the cement, tickling my toes through the holes of my sandals. I was clutching the strap of my backpack now, pulling it tighter so I could feel its contents against my back, urging myself to keep walking, but I was frozen in place, staring at the Northern Entrance. The height of the sand walls made the passageway seem exaggeratedly narrow, causing the palms of my hands to produce a small amount of moisture.

The posts were temporarily abandoned: A perfect opportunity to slip through, unnoticed. I shuffled my weight onto my other foot, finally taking the first step outside of the village.

"Kyoto, please don't go."

I exhaled a breath as if I had held it in for far too long. Hesitating, I turned to look back at the owner of the voice, keeping my eye level low to avoid looking into her eyes – those heartbroken eyes.

"Miyu, out of everyone I know, you especially should support my decision."

Miyu took a step forward. Her hand pushed my chin up so I would meet her blurry blue eyes.Her small nose had turned pink, and it was clear her lips were dry as if she had been crying for a while. She pulled me into a tight embrace, her tear-soaked cheek resting on my right collarbone. "You're my best friend, Kyoto," Her voice waivered, her breaths coming out in short bursts as the sobs wracked her small body. "What am I supposed to tell sensei?"

I looked off at the direction of the village before looking back at her, my lips pursed in a tight line. "Sensei will understand."

"I don't think—"

"Miyu," I peeled her off of my shoulder, hands gently gripping her narrow shoulders. I could feel the ball forming in my throat, the churning of my stomach, the anxiety that crept up my spine. "I will not change my mind, no matter what you tell me. I have to get away while I still can."

Miyu's palms rested on the top of my hands, which were holding her shoulders still. "Why don't you stay and talk with me about it?"

I looked around, hesitating before I turned back to look her in the eye. "One condition."

"Anything."

"Walk with me outside of the village. We'll talk. I will walk back into the village if you make a good case for me."

Miyu's eyes narrowed, her arms folding across her chest. "And you promise you'll hear me out?"

I pulled my sandals off of my feet, holding them loosely in my right hand, sinking my toes into the sand. I felt the heat radiating through my foot, slowly recharging my energy. "Yes. Come on. Before they come back." I didn't meet her eyes, I just took her hand and walked her through the elongated exit, my pointer and middle finger sliding along the sandy divider, grains of sand unlodging, sticking to my fingers. I rubbed it in between my two fingers and thumb, fixated on the sensation rather than my actions, and it wasn't until we reached the outside of the Sand Village that I changed my focus back to the situation.

"How are you so calm? She questioned. I drew a line in the sand behind us with my left hand, doing hand signs with my right hand. I lifted my finger out of the sand abruptly, whispering the jutsu under my breath as the sand rose, solidifying into a plexi-glass like texture. We were now invisible to those looking outward from the village.

My lilac eyes met hers, the sharpness of my gaze causing her eyes to widen, emphasizing her question. "Because I made up my mind a long time ago."

She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. I decided to continue, turning back to glance at the village, rubbing my arm uncomfortably. "There is no easy way to say this, but my clan has no future."

Her jaw dropped, but before she could shout a response, I quickly motioned my pointer finger over my mouth, hushing her. She collected herself, clearing her throat, running her hand through her hair before her soft response fell from her lips. "How could you say that?"

I sucked in my cheeks, firmly holding the flesh between my teeth. I sighed, shaking my head. "Perhaps I shouldn't even be telling you this. I honestly don't know what to do with this information," I glared back in the direction of the village now, exhaling. "The Kure clan is planning an uprising. With the extra supervision on our compound, the clan has decided they've outgrown the confinements of the Kazekage. I want to leave, because there is no stopping the clan, and I am not fighting that fight." My arms wrapped around my stomach as I hugged myself, keeping my eyes fixated on the sand enveloping my feet. "You have no idea how harsh and violent my clan is."

My last sentence was a mere whisper, tears forming in my eyes as my vision became blurry. I sucked in a sharp breath of air, hand desperately wiping the tears before they fell.

"Oh, Kyoto. . . " Miyu breathed, her hand falling onto her chest, open palmed. "I didn't—. . . I didn't know."

"They force us to fight like caged dogs. It's why our clan is so strong. It's. . . . Ruthless." My eyes were glued on the village now, as if my clan would start filing out one by one with activated kekkei genkai, and burn me at the stake. I took a step backwards into the opposite direction of the village, my heartbeat quickening at the thought. "It's more like a cult."

Miyu turned back to look at the village before turning back to look at me. "W-What should I do? How do I stop it?"

"You don't."

"But people will die! There has to be a way."

"That's war for you," I turned back to the village. "War never changes. My clan will die. Casualties will happen, even if you inform the authorities about their plan. People will die. People always die." Looking back to Miyu, I could see the conflict rising in her head. "Tell them if you must. It won't change anything," I said bitterly. I clutched my backpack tighter. "I have to go before they realize I'm gone." I took another step backwards, towards the opposite direction.

I had melted Miyu's resolve. She looked at me with sorrow-filled eyes, a defeated sigh following her gentle response. "Where will you go? When will I see you next?"

I turned my back to her, taking my first confident step away. It was time. This was it. "I don't know. Take care of yourself, Miyu. I'll see you again."

I could hear her sobs. She didn't reply. Silently, she watched me walk into the distance, and once enough time had passed, I turned to see if she was still there watching me, but she was gone, back inside the village.

A euphoria grew inside of me, filling my body with energy as I turned back to the village, and I couldn't help the smile that had extended on my face. I was gone, and there was no turning back. This was it. The true beginning to the start of my life. I began to run, aimlessly away, until the village was just a fleck of dust in the background.