Tortured Uchiha [CURRENTLY EDITING]

二一

F R O M    T H E  S H A D O W S 

[Time Skip]

     I watched from the window at Lord Third. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was almost dawn, but I couldn't rest. My journey to Itachi had begun. 

     I could tell from his expression that Hiruzen didn't take kindly to being woken. He flipped on the oil lamp and tossed the covers off him. He wore a thick cotton nightgown with the embossed Fire glyph on the back. Did all Hokage have their own pyjamas? 

      Kuragari pecked at the glass, chipping it. I'd tried to summon Karasu from the nest, but instead was left with a singular black tail feather. Danzo's words were gaining merit. 

     With half-closed eyes, Hiruzen shuffled into his slippers and hobbled to the door. He slid it open, expecting to see an ANBU but there was nobody. Kuragari's beak threatened to break the glass when Hiruzen didn't turn around. 

     Grunting, I attempted to by the window open but my fingers couldn't break the latch. It was locked from the inside. 

       Hiruzen's grey eyes squinted at me for a moment before the beady charcoal orbs widened. The Hokage moved from his closed bedroom door and flicked the lock on the window and slid it open without question. I pitched forward onto my hands and knees, panting. 

       "I probably shouldn't ask what has happened, but I will," Hiruzen sighed deeply and shuffled into the unsuit bathroom. He came back with a bowl of warm water and three flannelette towels.

         "The Uchiha?" Hiruzen questioned, I nodded my head and winced once he began to dab at my cheeks. "The Root Ops?" yet again I replied with a silent nod as he scrubbed my face. "Itachi?" another nod.

        Hiruzen sighed and lowered the bowl. He folded his hands for a moment and raised a  brow when I avoided eye contact. It seemed to surprise Hiruzen that I was so quiet and actually seemed submissive to his title as Kage.

       "Itachi sent me a crow which relayed the information of Shisui's suicide, I'm deeply sorry, I knew how much you cared about him," Hiruzen dabbed at the tears which streaked my cheeks. "Itachi also said that you've taken it upon yourself to destroy not only the Root Ops, but the mandatory ANBU themselves before you reached Danzo―from the lack of guard around the village, I can see that you were successful."

      Hiruzen exhaled when I yet again, gave a nod of silence. I could tell from his tense posture that he no longer trusted me, or that something concerned him. His grey eyes narrowed when he noticed my lack of Mangekyou, the white of my eye could've been easily mistaken as the Byakugan since my blindness shares the opaque colour of the Hyuga. 

        "Your eye. . .I suppose that's the reason why you're here. . .alive, you did what no Shinobi can. . .cheated death," Hiruzen observed impasively. "The Izanami is a forbidden technique; it has been since the Great Wars. You're an inquisitive girl Etsuko, why would you give up your sight? I know many people that would give their limbs for a simple glimpse at the famed Mangekyou Sharingan."

        "Is Danzo one of those included?" I hissed. 

         Hiruzen chuckled. 

       "It was Itachi wasn't it? You knew that he couldn't kill Sasuke even if the child hadn't been given my pardon. After Shisui's death, you were the last person Itachi remotely cared about―yes, Itachi also had his parents, but even I could see that Fugaku only saw his son as an instrument for power, the same goes for Sasuke," Hiruzen's eyes then widened after he figured out my situation. "He doesn't know does he? He has no idea that you used the Izanami. . ."