Sage's Resurrection

Chapter IX

-7 months later-

"Itachi." Shisui called. A masked figure appeared. "Come with me." The two started jumping through the trees. Shisui's right eye was closed and a significant amount of dried blood lay on his cheek, trailing from his eye socket. The two soon stopped at a cliff face. Below, lay a raging stream. Forests surrounded their backs and the moon had begun to shine in the sky, throwing the world into a pitch of blacks and blues.

Shisui turned his back to the cliff face. The masked figure unclipped the mask from his face, revealing Itachi's face.

"Why did you go here?" Itachi asked. His eyebrows furrowed. What happened? Even if Shisui used his Mangekyo, that doesn't mean his eye should still be closed.

The Mangekyo sharingan, a rare evolution of the sharingan which granted extraordinary powers that others couldn't replicate, even with their own set of mangekyo.

"I needed somewhere private. Somewhere where it's just the two of us." Itachi heard a very faint rustling, but upon further inspection, he found nobody. "It's too late to stop the coup by the Uchiha. If the coup goes through, the other nations are sure to attack." Shisui paused, seemingly short of breath. "Of course, that means war."

"As you know, I planned on trying to stop the coup d'etat with my sharingan, but," he gave a curt nod. "That failed."

"What? Why?" Itachi's eyes widened in surprise.

"Lord Danzo took my right eye. He doesn't trust me. He's going to protect the village his own way, no matter what. He's going for my left eye as well, even though I was able to escape." Shisui moved to pluck out his left eye. "So, I want to give it to you, before he has the chance."

Shisui, what do you plan on doing? "You're the only person I can count on, my oldest friend." His hand was stained with blood, clenched into a fist. His left eye socket now also had a trail of blood. He extended his arm to Itachi. "Please protect the village . . . and the Uchiha clan's honor." A crow swooped in and landed on Shisui's hand, bursting into feathers, along with Shisui's eye.

"I accept it," Itachi stated. "What will you do now?" Shisui began to back towards the edge of the ravine.

"If I die, then things will change drastically. I've already left a note." He wore that same foxy grin that he always did, even at his end.

Itachi's face burst into emotion. Sorrow. Fear. Denial. "Wait, Shisui!"

"Don't stop me, Itachi!" He smirked, and began to fall backwards. At that moment, Naruto burst into the clearing. He watched as Naruto's face began to morph into horror, despairing at what he was forced to bear witness to. Itachi tried to grab his arm, but to no avail.

"Shisui!" Itachi cried out. Naruto could only look on, too stunned to do anything. Itachi shut his eyes in sorrow. Shisui, was his only thought as blood pooled in his eyes much like tears would. Opening them, the eyes had changed from their crimson, 3 tomoe pattern into three black curves spiralling around the pupil, albeit still with the crimson iris distinguishing the sharingan.

Itachi whirled around. "What are you doing here?" He asked, slightly surprised.

Naruto stuttered, tears streaming from his face. Itachi moved towards Naruto, extending a hand and hugging him, patting his back until he gained enough composure to speak clearly. "I was going to visit Shisui," He began, a small hiccup escaping him. "And I saw you, so I trailed behind."

"I see. I want you to promise me something, Naruto." Naruto looked on in saddened interest.

"What is it?"