Beneath the Red Clouds

POV: Izumi 

I could smell the faint aroma of roasted sweet potatoes from a nearby vendor as I waited outside Ayumi's apartment. It had been a few days since the funeral, and though I'd stayed with her for a while, I still had a job. Today, I'd take her outside. She needed a break, even if she didn't realize it yet.

Kakashi and Sasuke invited me so I wanted to take Ayumi with me as well. Ayumi and Sasuke were more alike than either would admit and Kakashi… well, it wouldn't hurt to have his help.

"She needs this," I muttered to myself, adjusting my normal Ninja clothing.

The sound of the door unlocking pulled me from my thoughts. Ayumi stepped out, her white hair slightly damp from what I assumed was a hurried shower. She looked tired more tired than I'd ever seen her but at least she'd agreed to come.

"You ready?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual.

Before she could answer, a voice called out from down the street, loud and obnoxious enough to turn heads.

"Yo! Ayumi!"

I turned to see Jiraiya striding toward us. His white hair gleamed in the sunlight, I felt odd that they shared more of a common look than I did with her. Trailing behind him, of course, was Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto and Ayumi have always been close friends as kids. I'd normally be happy to see Naruto, as he could help but I didn't trust this perverted old man.

"Great," I muttered under my breath. 

"Jiraiya," Ayumi said, her voice flat. "What do you need?"

"Relax, kid," Jiraiya said with a grin, completely ignoring her tone. "I'm here on important business." He paused, his expression turning surprisingly serious. "I'm going to fetch Tsunade. We need her back in the village. And you're coming with me."

Ayumi blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What?"

"Lady Tsunade," Jiraiya clarified as if that explained everything. "She's the best medic-nin in the world, and the village needs her now more than ever to become its new Hokage. You're family, so you're coming along to help convince her."

Family. The word hung in the air while Ayumi's jaw tightened, but she didn't immediately refuse.

Naruto, ever the bundle of energy, chimed in, "Yeah! Come on, Ayumi! This'll be fun!"

"Fun," Ayumi repeated dryly.

Jiraiya ignored the tension entirely, turning his attention to me with an almost apologetic smile. "Sorry, Izumi, but I'm stealing her for a few weeks. You'll have to reschedule your sibling bonding time."

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to snap at him but if she needed to go, I wouldn't stop her. This was most likely an order from the higher-ups of the village.

She looked at me, and for a moment, I saw the hesitation in her eyes. But then she squared her shoulders, that familiar stubbornness taking over. "I'll go," she said, her voice steady.

"Fine," I said, forcing a smile. "But you're coming back in one piece, got it?"

She gave a small nod, her expression unreadable.

Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Great! Let's get moving, then."

As they turned to leave, I called after Ayumi, "Be careful."

She didn't reply, but I saw the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips before she disappeared down the street with Jiraiya and Naruto.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. This wasn't how I'd planned the day, but there wasn't much I could do about it now.

"Guess it's just me," I muttered, turning toward the village.

By the time I reached the small restaurant Kakashi and Sasuke were already waiting. Kakashi, of course, had his nose buried in that ridiculous book of his, while Sasuke sat in silence.

"Where's Ayumi?" Kakashi asked without looking up.

"Jiraiya showed up," I said, sliding into the seat across from him. "Took her to find Lady Tsunade."

Kakashi nodded as if this were the most normal thing in the world. "Ah, well, I take it she was chosen to be the Hokage."

Sasuke frowned, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Why would he take her?"

"She is related to Lady Tsunade," I said.

I caught Kakashi's signal the moment he tapped his index finger twice against his thigh. Rogue ninja. The kind that didn't belong in our village, the kind that needed dealing with before things escalated.

Normally, I would have enjoyed a quiet moment out with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Ayumi, if she'd been here but nothing ever stayed simple for long. Before I had a chance to ask what exactly he'd discovered, Kakashi stood, placed a few coins on the table, and gave me a small nod. That was all the confirmation I needed.

I glanced at Sasuke, who had barely touched his plate. It seemed he hated sweets. He looked annoyed but mostly bored. As Kakashi and I slipped away, I saw Sasuke suddenly freeze and then bolt out of the shop in another direction altogether. That kid was sharp; he knew something was off. 

The rooftops were warm beneath my sandals as we leaped away from the cloying smell of sugar. The wind caught my hair, and for a second, I let my senses stretch out over the village. Kakashi moved leading me toward the disturbance. 

Not far ahead, I caught sight of two figures moving through the streets. Kurenai and Asuma were closing in, their postures tense. They must have run into whoever was causing the alarm. Kakashi made a quick hand signal: Hurry. We increased our pace, landing soundlessly on the next rooftop, then the next, until we were close enough to hear them.

That's when I saw them. Two strangers, cloaked in black robes decorated with red clouds. Straw hats tipped forward over their faces, obscuring their features. You didn't see patterns like that in the Leaf. Kakashi must have recognized them the moment he caught sight of them. They stood calmly, as if strolling through our village was a casual afternoon affair. 

Kakashi vanished from my side, dropping down to street level just in time. I heard a sharp intake of breath and a muffled grunt, Kurenai, caught in some technique, her knees buckling. Kakashi intervened, flipping into the fray, breaking whatever illusion had snared her. I followed, dropping down a heartbeat later. That's when I finally got a good look at them, and my chest tightened.

One of them… I knew that face. I'd known it intimately once before he slaughtered nearly everyone I held dear. Itachi. My eyes narrowed, my pulse steady. Anger, regret, and something more twisted inside me, but I didn't lose focus.

Right at his side, was a towering man with shark-like features and a huge sword strapped across his back. They hadn't even bothered to remove the hats, only pushing them back enough to see the confrontation.

I moved in without hesitation. Let Kakashi worry about Kurenai and the other Jōnin. I wouldn't freeze up just because it was him. The past was the past, if I kept looking at him I'd ask questions. His partner stepped forward, that monstrous blade shifting under his grip. I darted left, then spun, driving my heel straight into the shark man's side. I felt him give just enough. He grunted, surprised I'd chosen him as my target.

The shark-man recovered quickly, swinging that oversized sword with a vicious whoosh of displaced air. I ducked, grit biting into my knee as I slid across the ground. My mind barely registered Asuma and Kurenai regrouping behind me, Kakashi's voice cutting through the tense air with calm instructions. They would handle one side, and I'd handle my own part. Focus. 

Kakashi's voice rang out again, ordering Asuma and Kurenai into positions. They responded instantly, fanning out, trying to flank these intruders. I stepped forward, The shark man's grin was unsettling. He had pushed me so easily towards the river of the village.

 Kakashi and the others were maneuvering into position beside me. My world had narrowed to the man standing a few paces away, his cloak rustling softly in the breeze. The black fabric, those red clouds… God, I hated seeing him in that thing.

I forced air through my lungs and let my Sharingan sharpen. I didn't move closer, but I didn't back away either.

His gaze settled on me, and I knew that he recognized the pattern in my eyes, knowing that I'd changed since the last time we stood face-to-face. 

"Itachi," I said quietly. "Why are you here?" It was a pointless question. He wouldn't tell me. He never told me anything. But I said it anyway.

He studied me. Or maybe he studied the reflection of the sky on the water. Hard to say. Eventually, he spoke. "You know better than to ask questions that have no answer."

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could choke it down. "Since when did I need your permission to be curious?" I tried to sound strong, and maybe I did. But he knew me too well. I tried not to remember the nights we'd spent talking about the future, as we laid naked in bed together.

He said nothing, just shifted his stance slightly. We didn't have time for a damn reunion. But I needed something, anything, from Itachi. Some sign he remembered what we once had. Some proof that he wasn't completely gone.

I wanted to say: Come back. I know why you did it, but come home anyway. Please. I'll find a way. But if those words left my mouth, I'd never be allowed back. The village wouldn't understand. Hell, I barely understood myself.

My hands tightened into fists at my sides. "We don't have to do this," I said quietly, hating how desperate I sounded even though I tried to keep my tone level. "Not here, not like this."

His eyes slid over to the commotion beside me, Kakashi and the rest readying themselves for the worst. Then back to me. "You know what has to happen," he said softly, and for a second, just a second, I thought I saw something in his gaze. Regret? Doubt? Gone too fast to name.

My jaw clenched. I took a half-step forward, water rippling beneath my feet. My heart hammered as I weighed what to say next, what I could say without damning myself. 

He inclined his head fractionally. If he remembered the nights we'd lain awake dreaming of a different world, he didn't show it. I wanted to scream at him for that.

Instead, I let my Sharingan focus on his every subtle shift. My chest burned. We were out of time. The others were closing in, and he had a partner waiting, a shark-faced monster. 

My knees bent slightly as I steadied my breathing, the world around us narrowing down to the gentle lapping of water beneath our feet. Kakashi and the others had formed a loose semi-circle behind me, keeping their distance but ready to strike if given the chance.

Itachi didn't move, barely even blinked. His partner, the shark-like giant hefting that absurd sword, hovered at his side radiating killing intent. I could sense Kisame's focus shift from me to the others, probably weighing his odds, considering which limb to lop off first. But Itachi… he just watched.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak past the lump in my throat. "Itachi," I said, quieter this time, each syllable trembling on the surface of the water. "Don't do this."

His eyelashes lowered fractionally, a subtle acknowledgment that he'd heard me. But his expression remained carved from stone. Long ago, I knew that face when it softened, when his guard slipped, when we'd wake entangled in each other's arms and he'd whisper dreams of a future far from all this madness. Now he looked at me like I was a distant memory, some old photograph he'd turned over in his mind too many times and no longer cared to keep.

But then Itachi's hands moved, a subtle shift of his fingers, and I knew too late what he intended. His Mangekyō Sharingan flared into life. The world warped. Kurenai's sharp cry twisted into silence, Asuma's chakra flared and then snuffed out into a stunned lull, and Kakashi, Kakashi of all people, stumbled, In less time than it took my heart to beat, they were all caught, their eyes glazed and distant. They weren't physically hurt, but I could see it in their stances.

Now it was just me.

A bead of sweat slid down my temple. If I could break the genjutsu, maybe we still had a chance. But Itachi was a master of illusions, and I was splitting my focus between him, his partner, and my allies. It wouldn't work. Not quickly. Not before they decided to carve us to ribbons.

My eyes flickered back to Itachi, the Sharingan in my own gaze burning with anger and regret. 

"Itachi," I said again, voice cracking as I hovered over Kurenai, trying to dispel even a sliver of that genjutsu without turning my back on him completely. "Let them go."

He tilted his head. I caught the faintest hint of something in his eyes. Recognition, maybe. Pity. "You know I cannot," he said softly. His voice drifted across the water, calm and unruffled. Just like him. "We have our mission."

Mission what mission would cause him to come back to the village, he was a rouge. I balled my hands into fists. "What mission?" I demanded. My voice sounded shrill to my own ears. "Why come here, to this village, after all this time?"

He didn't answer. Of course he didn't.

The shark-man chuckled low in his throat, amused. "She's got some bite to her," he said, shifting that huge blade with predatory ease. "But we really should be on our way, Itachi. It's not here in this village we have to go after it."

 My mind whirled. Itachi wouldn't say it, but I could read it in the subtle shift of his gaze. Naruto. They were here for Naruto. That idiot Jiraiya had just taken Ayumi and Naruto away. If we were lucky, they didn't know that yet, about Ayumi and that beast inside of her. 

I grit my teeth, forcing my jaw not to tremble. "This doesn't have to end in blood," I said softly, knowing full well how foolish I sounded. "You can still walk away. You don't need to hurt them."

A strange quiet descended. Kisame rolled his shoulders, clearly itching for a fight, but Itachi raised a hand, stalling him. "You're still too kind, Izumi," he said. He didn't advance; he didn't threaten. He just… stood there, acknowledging something from the past. The part of me that had wanted nothing more than for him to come home, even after all he'd done.

 "And you're still too distant," I managed, my tone sharper than I intended. "But go. Just go."

A flicker of something passed over his features, regret, sorrow, loss, I couldn't tell and then he nodded, ever so slightly. He didn't gloat. He didn't smirk. I needed to make sure these three beyond me didn't die. Instead, he and Kisame stepped back, Within moments, they blurred into the mist that had begun to roll in off the river, their silhouettes dissolving until I could no longer see them.

I was left with the quiet drip of my own sweat and the ragged sound of my breathing. Carefully, I knelt beside Kakashi, placing a hand on his forehead. I closed my eyes and focused, letting my chakra flow into him, searching for the threads of Itachi's illusion and gently pulling them free. He groaned softly, body going slack, and then stirred as if waking from a bad dream. I moved to Kurenai next, then Asuma, breaking them out of that artificial darkness, one by one.

By the time I'd finished, my hands were shaking, my vision hazy around the edges. Kakashi blinked, trying to regain his bearings, while Kurenai and Asuma did the same. I said nothing. They didn't know what had happened. 

A sudden presence behind me, and I turned to see Might Guy landing on the surface of the water in a whirl of motion. He looked around, puzzled and alert, his eyes searching for enemies that were no longer there. "Where are they?" he demanded, fists clenched, posture radiating readiness for a fight.

"Gone," I said, my voice hollow.

Guy's shoulders slumped. Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, Asuma swore under his breath, and Kurenai just looked at me, brow furrowed as if trying to piece together a puzzle. None of them asked the question I feared. None of them asked why I hadn't stopped Itachi.

"Let's get out of here," I said finally, turning away from the spot where Itachi's silhouette had faded. I didn't want them to see my face right now. My voice was calm, almost detached, as though talking about the weather. "We should report this."

I stepped off first, moving toward the riverbank, my sandals tapping lightly on the water's surface. The others followed, still dazed and uncertain, but alive. They were alive. That was all that mattered, right?