An Itachi Fanfiction [EDITING]

Team 7, Assemble!

The world snapped back into focus.

My sandals hit the earth.

Jūgo appeared beside me.

And Sasuke landed on my other side.

For approximately half a second, the battlefield was silent.

Hundreds—possibly thousands—of shinobi stared at us.

I looked around at all the shocked faces.

Then smiled awkwardly.

"Sorry we're late."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say.

The moment everyone registered exactly who was standing beside me, weapons were drawn.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

"He's with the Akatsuki!"

"What's he doing here?!"

Chakra flared around us.

Sasuke remained completely unfazed.

Of course he did.

I, meanwhile, immediately stepped in front of him.

"No! Guys—wait!"

I threw my arms out.

"He's on our side!"

That did absolutely nothing to help.

Honestly, I couldn't blame them.

Ino took a step forward.

"Sasuke—"

Shikamaru and Chōji immediately blocked her.

"Don't," Shikamaru warned.

His eyes never left Sasuke.

"He's still an enemy."

"No, he's not."

Everyone looked at me.

I swallowed.

"Not anymore."

Before I could explain, another voice rose from somewhere among the Allied Forces.

"Now you show up?"

I froze.

"Where were you when headquarters was destroyed?"

My stomach dropped.

"Where were you when Neji Hyūga died?"

All the confidence drained out of me.

My arms slowly fell to my sides.

Neji.

Inoichi.

Shikaku.

Everyone at headquarters.

I'd felt their chakra disappear.

And I'd done nothing.

My gaze dropped toward the dirt.

"I'm sorry."

The battlefield went quiet again.

"I..."

My throat tightened.

"I let one of my closest friends die, and I wasn't even here."

I stared at my hands.

"Some leader I turned out to be."

"No."

I looked up.