The Curse Of Hatred ~Book 2~

Chapter 5: Rogue

Yuzuki appeared in an old safe house of Minato's two hundred miles, south-east of the village. It was abandoned. Years of dust had layered the surfaces. The walls and floorboards seemed as though a small fire burned through here. It was rot with black.

Yuzuki stepped over the creeping floorboards to the single thunder kunai hanging on the wall. She took the kunai in her other hand blowing the dust from the metal. Taking her weapons, she stepped outside into the morning sun knowing the Hidden Leaf would be on her tail soon. She knows the routine- they'd search any safe house in the Land of Fire or known hideouts.

She had no where to go and they knew it. Then a thought hit her like a rock- the Land of Waves. The origin place of her mother. She would head there. They wouldn't suspect it. Why would they?

Yuzuki took to the trees relishing with the wind flying threw her hair. Her kimono flew around her bare legs as her bare feet jumped from tree to tree. All morning she didn't stop until the sun was high above her head.

A crow cawed loudly flying past her ear. The flaps of its wing hit her face leaving behind a feather. She went to swat it away before seeing it's eye; a sharingan. Yuzuki stopped to stare at the crow before smiling. She turned to see Itachi wearing a black robe with red clouds and a look of shock and confusion.

"Itachi." greeted Yuzuki. Relief filled her chest.

He looked her up and down in disbelief. "You're alive?" he questioned if this was an illusion to lure him out. He kept a cautious distance.

"I am."

"Tell me something only you and I would know." he demanded.

Yuzuki huffed. "Remember that time when you and Sasuke were little kids, and Sasuke came running out of the bathroom naked because he refused to get dressed. And you chased after him also naked."

"How do you know that?" his sharingan activated threateningly.

"I was baby sitting you both that day."

Itachi studied her. She looked like she was on the run. But the questioned remained, how is she running if he killed her himself. "How do you explain this?" he motioned to her standing body.

"I resurrected." she explained holding her wound. "The last thing you said to me was 'forgive me' and I do forgive you, Itachi."

He averted his eyes closed feeling a great sadness wash over him. "Yuzuki... I never intended you to survive."

Yuzuki chuckled. "I didn't." she said.

Itachi averted his eyes "... and Sasuke?" he asked.

"He's okay."

"Forgive me, Yuzuki. I had no other choice."

Yuzuki stepped towards Itachi and he raised his head. His eyes were filled with sadness and regret. "I forgive you." she told him. "You were simply doing your duty as a ninja to protect your village." she pressed a hand to his shoulder. "It was either I live and destroy everything, or die, and everyone lived, including your brother. It would have ended in bloodshed either way."

"Now the village thinks of me as a monster." he replied bitterly. Itachi loved his home and now he was never able to return.

"A small sacrifice. They'll never understand the truth."

"The truth." he repeated with resentment. "What even is the truth anymore? Everything we have been told was a lie from the beginning."

Yuzuki's hand fell from his shoulder. "It was." she agreed. "The Uchiha didn't deserve to live unless our way of thinking changed. Unfortunately, it never did. We're consumed by hate, and so am I."