Susurrus [Itachi x OC]

16: Into The Fire

"NO!" Kakashi's voice echoes loudly through the clearing. "ENOUGH!" He grabs Itachi and shoves him. "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!"

Itachi pushes Kakashi away—albeit not very far—barely paying him any mind.

Shisui teleports to Kakashi, using his body to put distance between the two shinobi.

"Focus!" Shisui's mild manner all but vanishes without a trace as he snarls at them. "Stop fighting among yourselves! Itachi, do what you need to! You can hash this shit out when we get back to the Leaf, alright?!"

Itachi sighs irritably. His face softens as his pinwheel-shaped eyes lock onto mine. His lips move but no words come out.

"I won't hurt you, my sweet. I promise."

"I trust you," I mouth back. "I trust you, Itachi."

I watch him take a deep breath, filling his lungs with air that will soon become fire.

"Amaterasu!"

Itachi's powerful red eyes shift up towards the rope around my ankle. Fear courses through my body, but despite it, I force myself somewhat upright to observe. Angry black flames swirl and dance around the rope, burning around it with such extreme desperation it's as though Itachi's will is trying to set me free.

Yet, strangely enough, the rope refuses to break.

Silently, I begin to cry. I'm trapped—yet again—and I start to wonder if I'll ever be able to get free.

If Itachi can't even burn away the rope with his Amaterasu, then what will get me out of this?!

As movement captures my eye, my Sharingan activates. I watch in terror as Samehada slowly snakes up the tree. An invisible blade slashes at my clothes, exposing long, thin strips of my flesh to the cool night air. Flocks of ravenous vultures congest around my head, screeching loudly as a deep and familiar voice murmurs threats in my ear.

"Akatani... It's so lovely to see you like this again, all tied up and helpless." Pain lets out a low, devious laugh. "You will die slowly, and die crying. You will lose your mind and watch your comrades die before your eyes while you're pinned to this tree. I will force you to watch the village you love burn to ash until you ultimately burn right along with it. You will know more pain than you've ever undergone."

Searing tides of fear surge throughout my body, and I start screaming and crying. My eyes squeeze shut, forcing tears to flow down my cheeks like a torrential downpour.

"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY FROM ME! STAY AWAY FROM ME! DON'T HURT ME! DON'T HURT ME AGAIN!"

I'm shaking and fighting to get free from the rope like a wild animal caught in a trap. Every muscle and fiber of my being strains against the unwavering rope.

"TANI!" I hear Itachi's thudding footsteps bolting towards me, until, unexpectedly, they cease.

"You will all know pain." The voice of my living hell seems to no longer be in my head. "And I will teach it to you."

I don't dare open my eyes. I can't bring myself to watch him harm my friends.

I swear if I make it out of here alive, my combat days are over. I'm done. I don't wanna fight anymore. Maybe I'll finally pursue the serenity I've wanted my whole life, and maybe this time I'll finally reach it.

Blows and growls of frustration sound from my comrades. They're fighting with everything they have, and all to free me.

Warmth surges by my face. Fireballs? Itachi's not even fighting at full strength, but even through the flashes of heat, I feel his anguish, his distress.

Out of nowhere, the rope tethering me to the tree vanishes, and I fall to the ground with a sickening thud. I cough and wheeze as my back slams onto the ground. I lie motionless for a moment, pushing oxygen back into my lungs as quickly as I can. Once my breathing stabilizes, I curl up in a fetal position, huddling my aching back against the tree as my body shudders and trembles like a lone leaf in the wind.

Tears continue to stream down my face as the sounds of a fierce battle ring out around me. Blows landing, kunai clanging, and fiery jutsu firing all around me.

Eventually, the sounds of combat cease, and I open my eyes. I blink for a few moments and begin taking in the scene around me.

Itachi, Shisui, and Kakashi are all lying motionless on the ground. Through my Sharingan, I can see chakra is still flowing through their bodies.

They're still alive! They're most likely knocked out, but they're still alive! Itachi......

Pain's approaching me, his murderous purple-ringed eyes scanning my terrified form. His eyes are oddly vibrant through the lens of my Sharingan, as if they're a striking splash of color in a black-and-white photo.

Just as fearful tears roll down my cheeks, a large shadow emerges overhead, cloaking the forest in an even darker darkness. A large paw-shaped shadow slams Pain against the ground, pinning him to the forest floor like a rat caught in the claws of a—

"Tabi?!"