Chasing Vermilion

Chapter One- Moon God Boy

Hi! I hope you enjoy reading my story. I'm a canon purist, so I try to follow the characters' personalities and the plot to a T :D Be aware that I am introducing an OC who is present and equally important to Itachi and his legacy in the story :) Enjoy, vote and comment!

Chapter 1- Moon God Boy

The Mountain country slept underneath the falling sun, the shadows making gradually changing shapes on the rocky ground, which was glistening slightly after the sudden downpour earlier that day. Most of the animals had retreated to their hiding places for the night, leaving only the nocturnal creatures to create the intermittent noises which made one young man's ears twitch in acknowledgment and awareness every so often.

Itachi Uchiha was sat on a rock, his head bent, giving the idea that he was rather intrigued at his fingernails. On one finger was the ring that was given to him by a detestable man just a few hours ago. The symbol, 'shu' glinted when facing directly with the sinking sun, causing Itachi to glance at it intermittently with his dark, hollow eyes. Itachi noticed after a time that the sun had now lost its battle, and the moon had taken over to govern the night time. At this time, he finally got to his feet, not taking his eyes off the moon. It reminded him of the jutsu he developed not too long ago- the Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi was deadly. He would only use it as a last resort. He didn't want to have to endure what he had done some hours ago again unless he had to. Last night was... the worst night of his existence.

Oh, last night.

Itachi closed his eyes. The focal point of his entire life, the Hidden leaf village, was currently in disarray after he committed an unforgivable felony: the murder of his fellow clansmen. His mother, his father, his friends, his lover, all gone in a few horrifying flashes of his kunai, a few shots of the Tsukuyomi. He tried telling himself it was for the good of the village, and, essentially, it was, but Itachi couldn't help but bitterly wish it could have been done another way, a way that didn't involve leaving his little brother, Sasuke, alone in the Uchiha compound, crying with fright, a way that didn't involve forcing his brother to believe that he was the criminal. This way was brutal, radical, but now it was out of his control. He had calculated everything to happen on his terms that night- he had engineered his brother's personality, and got his hands dirty for everyone's sake. He had to acknowledge that he felt like a monster.

Still, it was done now. But what had he gotten himself into? He had joined the Akatsuki, to keep an eye on it, but what now? What if he couldn't hinder, if not halt their plans to achieve their warped idea of peace? This was a titanic task.

He brushed one hand faintly over the cut he had received on his arm from a kunai. The slit had finally ceased to bleed, but the emotional cuts would run far deeper. That kunai was the one thrown by his father, in a last ditch attempt to defend against his son, to bring him back to 'reason'. The desolate abyss in Itachi's eyes was the last thing anyone in the clan witnessed.

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head quickly. Stop it, he stated to himself, Just stop it.

"I should not dwell on the past... right now, I must simply carry out my duty," he breathed to himself, and he opened his eyes. Moments later, he blanched in shock.

"Itachi... good work. The leaf Shinobi would not bother to pursue you all the way to the Mountain country, would they?" A man wearing an orange mask which covered up his entire face, apart from one eye, stood before Itachi, his arms folded. His tone of voice held a natural authority. It was a voice that sounded ominous, sinister, but frank and truthful all the same. It made Itachi's skin crawl.

Madara Uchiha... he sighed internally.

"So you caught up to me, even though I fled this far out... your jutsu is impressive, Madara..." Itachi said tonelessly, trying to avoid Madara's deadly scrutiny, lest it drag even him into a genjutsu. This would have to be Itachi's persona from now on: emotionless, bored and, as much as he hated to think it, someone who would be proud of his crime. He'd have to say goodbye to his old ways. This would work- Itachi was a brilliant actor. This façade would fool even Madara's lethal gaze.