Between Duty and Desire- Itachi x Izumi oneshots

Fragment of Us part 3

The rumors had been swirling around the Uchiha district for weeks. Everyone seemed to notice that Itachi and Izumi weren't together anymore, and the quiet whispers had turned into open speculation. Even the vendor at the dango stand, who was used to seeing them there after every date, seemed concerned.

Itachi had been doing his best to ignore it, but it wasn't easy. Every time he walked through the village, every time he saw a place they used to go together, it was like a stab to the heart. And now, it seemed that even his best friend Shisui and little brother Sasuke had had enough of his brooding.

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**The Confrontation**

It was late evening when Itachi returned to the Uchiha compound after another mission, his body exhausted, but his mind still plagued by the familiar storm of emotions. As soon as he stepped through the gate, he noticed Shisui and Sasuke standing nearby, both of them giving him looks that could only mean trouble.

"Hey, Itachi!" Shisui called out, way too cheerful for this time of night. "You got a second?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, already sensing what this was about. "I'm tired, Shisui. I need to—"

"Nope, not this time," Shisui said, cutting him off with a grin. Before Itachi could react, Shisui grabbed him by the arm and practically dragged him over to where Sasuke was standing. "You're not getting out of this one. We need to talk."

Sasuke crossed his arms, his usual serious expression plastered across his face. "You've been avoiding everyone, Nii-san. It's about time you told us what's going on."

Itachi sighed, realizing there was no escape. "It's none of your concern."

"Are you kidding?" Shisui threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "The whole *clan* is concerned! Hell, even the lady who sells us dango is worried. She asked me last week why you haven't been by with Izumi lately, and you know what I had to tell her? That you've turned into a brooding ghost who only comes back to life for missions. How do you think *that* went over?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Shisui—"

"And it's not just the dango lady," Sasuke chimed in, his expression softening just slightly. "You've been... different. More than usual. You don't talk, you barely come home, and when you do, you're just... here, but not *here*."

"It's like you're missing half of yourself," Shisui said, and for once, the joking tone in his voice disappeared. "And we both know who that half is."

Itachi clenched his jaw, the weight of their words settling heavily in his chest. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to admit how much he had messed things up, how much he missed Izumi. But Shisui and Sasuke were relentless, and he could see the concern in their eyes. They weren't going to let this go.

"It's over," Itachi finally said, his voice cold and flat. "She broke up with me. It's done."

Shisui blinked, then let out a low whistle. "Okay, wow. You really did it, huh? You actually broke up."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Izumi loves you. Why would you—"

"I thought it was the right thing to do," Itachi interrupted, his voice a little sharper than he intended. "I thought... by pushing her away, I was protecting her."

Shisui stared at him for a long moment before bursting out laughing. "Wait, wait, wait—*that's* why you broke up with her? Because you thought you were *protecting* her? Man, you've got to be kidding me."

Itachi's expression darkened. "I'm not kidding, Shisui."

"Let me get this straight," Shisui continued, barely containing his laughter. "You broke up with the one person who makes you happy, who's been by your side for years, because you thought you were protecting her from... what? "Yourself?"