Chapter 97: A brothers' battle?

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A/n - this chapter might be lacking mainly because I've been going through a bad mental health phase for the past two months. Apologies.

"Misa, stop right there!" Sasuke's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding, his dark eyes blazing with intensity that betrayed the storm within. Anger surged to the surface, raw and untamed, as if his emotions had strayed away from his control.

"I said wait!"

His lover could feel the desperation in his voice, a fragile thread woven into the fury. He was begging them to stop, yet his tone carried a force that pushed them away. Sasuke was unraveling—his emotions a total mess. The weight of his brother's presence, so close yet impossibly distant, gnawed at him, tearing him apart from the inside.

He deserves to know what you went through, Itachi. He needs to understand your sacrifice—your bravery," Misa urged, her voice steady as she followed Itachi's path, shaken by the furious screams of anger and agony echoing behind her, "He deserves to know."

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" Sasuke's voice cracked, raw and seething with disbelief. "YOU SHOULD BE DEAD! WHY ARE YOU HERE WITH MISA?!"

Itachi sighed, his shoulders heavy with the weight of his brother's pain. Facing Sasuke was a battle he wasn't prepared for, not today. He didn't have the time, and if he were honest with himself, he didn't have the heart. How could he explain choices so steeped in sorrow, so bound by love, to someone who only saw betrayal and hated him for decades?

"This is Kabuto's technique... I'm here because of the Edo Tense. I cannot stop now," Itachi pointed out, "I have important things to do."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT!" Sasuke's voice cracked as he screamed, his emotions spilling out like a dam breaking, "NOW THAT YOU'RE IN FRONT OF ME, THERE'S A MOUNTAIN OF THINGS I NEED TO ASK YOU!"

His words were raw, desperate—a plea wrapped in fury. He hoped, prayed, that his older brother would stop and finally listen to the storm of questions and anguish tearing him apart whilst Misa hesitated, glancing back over her shoulder. She could see the turmoil written all over Sasuke's face; feel the weight of his struggles pressing down on him. She knew he was grappling with too much at once, his emotions boiling over, threatening to consume him.

"Misa, stop! Why are you on his side when you're supposed to be on mine?" Sasuke screeched, his voice cracking under the weight of his anguish.

Itachi's sharp eyes caught the flicker of doubt in the redhead's expression, her composure visibly shaken by Sasuke's words. Calm but firmly, he spoke, "Listen to me. Don't look at him, don't think about him right now. Focus on stopping the root of the evil. If you let his words affect you and slow you down, we'll lose more lives."

Misa nodded, her head bowing as she fell in step behind Itachi. His words rang true. This wasn't the time to be swayed by emotions. Right now, she wasn't just Misa—she was a ninja, the jinchuuriki of the village. Her duty was clear, a responsibility she held in the highest regard. Most days, she struggled to balance the weight of that duty with her own desires, often straying from the path. But this was different. This was war, and people were dying. She couldn't afford to falter now.

Misa was bound by duty.

"Do you remember what you said to me? When you have the same eyes as me, come to me! So why the fuck are you running away? Do you feel guilty because you lied to me? Or you don't have the courage to tell me the truth? I already know everything about you...!"

Misa could hear his voice more clearly now, the sharpness of his words cutting through the air. He was close - too close - and gaining on her fast. But it wasn't the sound of his footsteps or the urgency in his tone that made her freeze. It was the next words he shouted, words that struck her like a blade, rooting her to the spot.

𝘉𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 ( 𝖀𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖍𝖆 𝕾𝖆𝖘𝖚𝖐𝖊)Where stories live. Discover now