INTERLUDE (5)

LAND OF EARTH​

The mountains loomed tall and imposing, their jagged peaks clawing into the grey clouds that hung low in the sky above. Itachi sighed as slid past the forested terrain with uncanny ease; his stoic mask broken in his solitude.

Near solitude. Tobi trailed behind a few meters away, babbling away, obnoxious as ever. It always unnerved him how easily the fellow kinslayer wore this mask named Tobi.

The younger Uchiha came to a stop at the edge of a cliff. His gaze panned down to regard the crude shack hidden in the crevice of the valley below. He could sense their target's chakra from within; the fellow wrongly assuming he was safe this far out from civilization, unaware of just how desperately his enemies desired his demise.

Distracted, Itachi made his way down the steep incline eager to quickly finish his task. He hadn't heard any word of his troublesome sibling for many weeks now. Scouring the mountainous expanse that was the Land of Earth for a single shinobi in hiding was a rather distracting endeavour you see. The absence of news regarding the little one did more harm to his health than the silly child's pervasive hatred or his insidious jutsu.

In the turbulent depths of his heart, Itachi found himself torn asunder by the maelstrom of emotions that accompanied his little brother's relentless disobedience. Sasuke, a name that once held the promise of a bright future, now carried the weight of recklessness and defiance.

Ah, young Sasuke, how far will you stray from the path I sought to set you upon?

It was not merely disobedience, Itachi realised, but a reckless defiance that coursed through the child's veins. The boy yearned for power, for vengeance, for an ill-conceived notion of justice, and in his pursuit, he cast aside all wisdom, all caution. He plunged headlong into danger, heedless of the perils that lurked in the shadows as if he were invincible.

Itachi sighed. Oh, how his heart bled when he faced the child, compelled to hurt him, to cripple him, to thwart his reckless ambition. The agony of that moment, the weight of the decision, bore down upon his soul to this very day. Itachi swore to himself had no desire to harm the boy, his dear boy, but the wicked child left him with no other recourse. He unleashed his firey curse on the boy, to limit him.

To protect him from the abyss he was hurtling toward.

Itachi grunted in annoyance as he skewered his target through the heart. His eyes glazed over as he gazed into his victim's eyes, the reflection of his own sorrow mirrored back at him. At that moment, he remembered the cost of his choice. he had become the instrument of his pain, a tormentor clad in the guise of a brother, and his beloved child, the recipient of his judgment.

Sasuke, my dear brother, Itachi whispered in the sanctity of his mind as if the child might hear him, I did what I did out of love, out of duty, out of desperation. Please… forgive me.

As Itachi severed the target's head to deliver to their employer for payment, he was reminded of the necessity of his actions. The path he trod upon, a path paved with shadows, cruelty and deception, is but a reflection of the path his child now walked.

Their paths have diverged, and as much as it pained him, it might have been the right choice. Still, his heart ached as he contemplated the irony of it all. He, who has taken countless lives in service to the greater good, is forced to weigh the safety of his own brother against his potential. The wicked child. Silly little thing.

Perhaps I should just leave him to his devices? The traitorous thought arose in Itachi's heart

He is just a boy! Another growled in defence of his child, He knows not what he does, or what power he wields. Who will watch over him if not for you? Who will keep him out of the trouble he so desperately—

Itachi turned around, his expression hardening suddenly. The air was still, pregnant with tension, as his crimson gaze caught a woman's lithe form standing alone on a rocky precipice.

"Konan-san!" Tobi exclaimed stopping halfway through a rant Itachi failed to register in his absentmindedness. The older Uchiha waved at the woman in a rather exaggerated manner as he ran up to her.

"We weren't expecting you," Itachi stated simply.

The woman said nothing, cobalt eyes staring blankly at him as her azure hair fluttered in the wind. Itachi's thoughts raced like a well-oiled machine. Something was wrong.

It was then he caught sight of the orange-haired, purple-eyed fellow standing in the woman's shadow.

"Pain," Itachi intoned calmly.

"You betrayed our trust," the man replied blandly as he walked past Madara who had tripped over his own feet before nearly hugging the blue-haired woman. Had Itachi not been aware of his true nature, he might have failed to notice the staged act for what it was.

His Sharingan followed Pain's movement as he approached before coming to a halt a few dozen meters away. "I don't understand?" Itachi replied, his expression unchanging.

"Konoha ordered the extermination of the Uchiha, am I correct?" said Pain.

Itachi's swirling pupils grew still at that revelation.

"Would I also be correct in assuming you are still operating according to Konoha's directive?"

Silence.

Pain nodded, his gaze unrelenting. "The Akatsuki is not an organization that tolerates deception, Itachi Uchiha. First Orochimaru, now you? It would be rather unbecoming of me to allow another traitor to go scot-free."

"...How did you find out?" Itachi asked.

"Everyone knows these days," Konan drawled from the rear. "Afraid your brother would find out? Don't worry he already has. The leaf has already declared him a traitor; surprisingly, the bounty on his head is just a bit higher than the one they issued when you exterminated your clan."

For the third time that day, Itachi's mask slipped.

No…

"Scary," Tobi whimpered from his position face down in the dirt.

Konan looked down to stare blandly at the man sprawled before her feet. "Will you intervene?" she asked.

The Uchiha shook his head vigorously, his clay mask scrapping noisily against the gravelly floor. "Nope!" he replied, popping the "P" in the word. "Not my business."

"No matter," Pain said, speaking directly to Itachi.

"You are not leaving this place alive either way."