Wildfire (A Naruto Fanfic Book 5)

Chapter 45

I stood beside Itachi, looking over the Uchiha compound, his waist wrapped in my arms.  "After we finish... I'll be out of it for a while."

He looked at me concerned.  "You sure you'll be okay?"

I smiled.  "Positive, but you know where to go?"

He nodded.  "Yes."

We watched as one by one, lights vanished from view until only the street lights remained. We waited still, ensuring that everyone was at rest.  He pulled my chin up so I would face him. "Ready?" 

I kissed his lips and began my descent. He was close behind me, blade drawn.  We stalked into the unsuspecting houses and began our slaughter.  I was happy that some of the ones I found were some of my targets.

Soon, lights began to appear, and Uchiha ran into the streets confused and panicked, we cut them down relentlessly, unmoved by some of their cries for mercy. What little opposition stood in our way was easily defeated, almost too easily. 

Then we were surrounded, red eyes looking at us from all directions.  We stood back to back assessing the situation, and I relaxed, putting away my blade.  Itachi didn't question it. We were now in my territory of slaughter, the kind I savored most.  They attacked hard, and we reacted, now fighting for our lives as we were assaulted with weapon and jutsu alike.

I couldn't help but admire his deadly precision.  Nothing in his movements or the glances he threw my way said he doubted or even regretted this decision.  He told me... at Makoto's grave, that he understood.  Maybe... I underestimated him in this respect.

I had to abandon the thought as we got separated, an attempt to weaken us, but what they realized too late, that only added fuel to our fire.  Yet, when he wasn't in my sights, I felt no panic, no need to ensure he was safe. 

It only allowed me to widen my range of attacks and him more mobility without the threat of my threads looming just a few steps away.  I acknowledged him as an equal before I was even weakened.  He could hold his own.  When I finished where I was, I went to stop those who thought to attempt to escape.

I admired their fighting spirit. It made the kill more enjoyable.  Then, the last wave of resistance was quelled, and runners caught. Now, only one remained.   I scanned the area, and we entered the head household on high alert only to find his father on his knees in his office, back facing the door.

I frowned.  "Not even willing to put up a fight, Uchiha-sama?"

He was relaxed and did not turn to face us.  "This is the path you have chosen."

I looked at Itachi and saw his tears.  This was the one kill I couldn't allow him to complete. It would haunt him.  Yes, his father tried to mold him, attempted to take away one of the things he loved more than his own life, and he hurt him in more ways than one. 

However, Fugaku raised him to be strong, loved him in his own way, and even cared for me as his own child for a time.  No, I wouldn't let him live with this. Where his death would mean little to me, it would weigh on Itachi's spirit more than he could know in this moment.

I placed my hand on his and lowered his blade.  "This burden... I will carry."  I saw the surprise in his eyes when I sent a thread through his father's heart, and he fell to the ground lifeless.

He lowered his forehead to mine.  "Thank you."

I smiled softly.  "Wanna know his last thoughts?"  He slowly nodded.  "Despite your differences... he still loved you and was proud of the man you became."

Itachi closed his eyes, pained, before opening them again.  "One last stop..."

I nodded, and he teleported us to the interrogation building.  We swiftly made our way down to the prison and approached his cell.  He didn't look up as we neared, clearly beaten within an inch of his life, multiple times.  I formed a barrier and pulled out the key.

"Shisui..."  He jumped at the sound of my voice and looked up in disbelief.  I unlocked his cell, and Itachi entered. He frowned, eyes full of hate.

He spat on the ground.  "Come to kill me, Itachi?"

I knelt before the cell, placing my fingertips together and closing my eyes to prepare my mind, while Itachi reactivated his Sharingan.  "Wish I could, but... there are other plans for you."

I heard Shisui scream and knew Itachi had used the Mangekyo Sharigan to torture him.  Itachi touched my shoulder, and I opened my eyes.  "Are you satisfied?"

He looked at him, almost unconscious in the fetal position. "Partially. "  I smiled up at him and nodded.

I pulled off my gloves and touched Shisui's temples.  I invaded his mind and began to erase his memories, replacing them with terrible, horrifying ones.   He began to cry out, and I smirked.  I destroyed everything he cared for; everything he ever loved in his mind was ruined. 

I was reaching my limit, but I had to finish.  I began to burn through the parts of his mind that controlled his body until I rendered him useless.   Finally, with the last of my chakra, I severed his optic nerve, taking away what I had saved for him all those years ago.

I fell back but was caught before I hit the ground.  I felt us move and as I was being taken away from the village.  We did it, Itachi...