Naruto's twin sister

(41) Itachi Retrieval Mission

3rd Person's POV

A group of shinobis, made up of two teams, made their way thru the forest with one goal set inside their heads: to complete their mission. Not just any mission but this mission is considered as S-rank. Why S-rank you might ask? It's because they need to save an internationally wanted S-ranked criminal.

If you didn't know the whole story, I'm sure you would think that this group is out of their minds. I mean why would they even consider helping this criminal? He's a member of an internationally wanted organization named as Akatsuki, he took a lot of people's lives, aided the organization in taking the tailed beasts and bunch of other reasons why this guy is even considered as a criminal. And yet, they're still on this mission, risking their lives for this criminal.

Among the group, a certain raven-haired teen looked really determined to save this person, that same person who slaughtered his clan, the very reason why he's living alone and spent all those years being lonely without the warmness of his family to comfort him. But he's still determined to save this so-called criminal.

The raven-haired teenager despised this man before to the point that he vowed to avenge his clan and make this man feel the same pain he inflected upon his beloved clan members. He was blinded by his revenge. If it weren't for a certain redhead, he was more than willing to go to that snake-like sannin to achieve his goal. If he wasn't knocked out that night, he would've reached his goal by now. He may have already murdered that criminal and avenged his family in the process.

But the raven-haired teenager was more than thankful that he was stopped at the night of his supposed departure. If he made his past goal a reality, he would've succumbed to the darkness and he would've never seen the light that this criminal made just for the sake of his and the village's safety.

He found out the truth just a week ago because of his sensei. He wasn't actually sure that his sensei was the person he once thought was but nonetheless, she opened his mind that there is more than meets the eyes.

The truth about this so-called criminal is actually reverse than what it really seems. "He's not a criminal. In fact, he's a hero." The raven-haired thought as he sped up his pace unconsciously. The raven-haired is more than determined to save this criminal, the same criminal who happened to be his brother.

His brother sacrificed his reputation and dignity just to save both their village and his little brother from the supposed to be wrath of the civil war between his clan and his village. He tried resolving the issue without violence but it seems like fate was not on his side. He lost his bestfriend on the way, and that same incident made his eyes open to the other option that he wished he didn't have to do. He swallowed up his sorrow as he chose the option that favors the greater good for everyone. He slaughtered his own blood just for the sake of the village who now thought of him as a criminal.

He carried this burden at such a young age. Everytime he looks at his hands, he could still see the blood of his clan, even if there's actually nothing there. He could still hear the cries of those children as he pierced their hearts with his katana. He can still picture out perfectly how his parents laid down their heads as they willingly accepted death by the hands of their beloved son. It still gave him nightmares at night. He knew that he couldn't pay back for all those lives he took nor he can forgive himself.

He thought that the only way to somehow ease his conscience is to die by the hands of his little brother.

The criminal opened his onyx eyes as he sat on the seat at the hideout of his once tall and proud clan, waiting for his little brother to finally achieve his goal.