The Lost Heir

15

Itachi woke up to see a crying Sasuke looking down at him.
"Big brother..." He sobbed. "You're alright." Itachi smiled and looked around him. He was in the hospital, and he was bandaged up. He felt stings of pain coming from his eyes. He'd overused his Mangekyo Sharingan in that fight, but it was for the protection of the Uzumaki and the future Hokage. The door opened and Shizune walked in.
"Are you alright?" Shizune asked with a tiny blush. She had to be the one to address Itachi's wounds. As if Itachi also wasn't the hottest Uchiha in the village anyway. Itachi nodded.
"We need your help. Danzo used the Kotoamatsukami on Gaara. Since you have Shisui's other eye, can you remove the genjutsu?" Shizune asked. Itachi blinked a few times as he processed the information.
"I think I can try." Itachi said. He sat up and then Shizune nodded. She unhooked the hospital equipment and apparatus then left the room.
"Make sure your brother takes his medicine twice a day!" She told Sasuke on the way out, stifling a grin at how obedient and completely normal he was when Itachi was present. Itachi took off his bandages and gestured for Sasuke to hand him his ANBU outfit, which was folded neatly on the chair next to him. Sasuke did as he was told and then moved the curtains around Itachi's bed so that he could have some privacy while he changed. Sasuke waited on the other side until Itachi moved the curtains back to their original places.
"Let's go." Itachi said, walking slowly but steadily. Sasuke led the way out of the hospital room.

Itachi and Sasuke arrived outside a door guarded by 2 ANBU. They nodded at Itachi when they saw him and opened the door for him. But they placed a hand on his shoulder.
"ANBU only past this point." They said, looking at Sasuke. Itachi turned around and gave Sasuke a poke on his forehead.
"Go run along home. I'll come when I'm finished." He said and went inside. Sasuke watched as the door was closed. Inside, Itachi came face to face with Gaara, the jinchuriki, except that he was struggling and attempting to free himself from the chains. He was glaring bloody murder at all the Leaf Ninja. Beside him was the current Hokage, Hiruzen, alongside the Hokage to be Tsunade Senju and Lady Mito.
"Itachi. Are you able to, or are aware of, a method to remove the Kotoamatsukami genjutsu from someone?" Hiruzen asked. Itachi shook his head.
"No. The genjutsu is so absolute that it cannot be countered by any genjutsu. This genjutsu is a technique that implants false experiences and memories into someone, allowing them to control someone without them ever realising. However, I am certain that by using the Kotoamatsukami on Gaara, I can perhaps negate it's effect." Itachi theorised.
"And is this a theory or a fact?" Hiruzen asked.
"Theory." Itachi replied. Hiruzen nodded.
"Do it. We have nothing to lose. Besides, we cannot risk Danzo coming back here. Gaara is still under his control." Hiruzen commanded and Itachi bowed. He made a half tiger hand seal and closed his eyes. Immediately, his body burst into crows, the crows then slowly reforming into a disembodied version of himself. A crow detached itself from his body, before Itachi then looked at Gaara. Gaara stared back, unwittingly.

"Demonic Illusion: Mirage Crow..." Itachi muttered before his sharingan pulsed and began to spin. Gaara's eyes widened fractionally. The world around him fell away, simply becoming an endless light red void, with Itachi floating in the middle. Itachi himself was not a whole being. His head was visible, as was his neck to Gaara, but then the rest of his body flowed seamlessly into many crows, who were constantly flying around Gaara, detaching and reattaching to Itachi. Gaara growled but then he noticed one of the crows was flying directly towards him. He struggled but couldn't do anything as the crow turned its head to the right, letting Gaara see the red Mangekyo Sharingan implanted into the crow's eye.
"Kotoamatsukami!" Gaara heard for the second time. Suddenly, all of the previous experiences with the murderous, traitorous Leaf Ninja faded away, and disappeared. Gaara was free. Itachi released the genjutsu, his crows flying back to form his body whole once again.  Gaara sat up straight, staring in wonder at the people around him.
"He is free. My theory proved correct. With the Kotoamatsukami, I was able to remove the false memories that Danzo had given him." Itachi said. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"How so? I thought that technique only gave memories and experiences?" Hiruzen questioned.
"Because these are not real, they can be removed at will. Also because his eye and the one I possess are linked. They are one and the same, both Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan, therefore they can influence each other." Itachi said.
"Tsunade, I would like you to get well versed with Itachi. I'll be stepping down soon, so you better start learning."