The Path of a Shinobi (Reader x various)

Itachi

"(Y/n)!!" Naruto's voice reached my ears and as I lifted my head up, Naruto appeared along with my friends.

"What the hell happened to you?! He shouted as he went down on both knees to undo the chains. "We tracked your scent as well as Sasuke's and heard your scream, but I didn't expect to find you like this!"

"He was here, but he escaped." I glumly muttered as I got up from the ground and stretched my stiff body.

"You shouldn't have gone off on your own." Kakashi Sensei smacked the back of my head and I replied back, "I know. I'm sorry."

Everyone could clearly see the disappointment written across my face and decided to not ask what went down not too long ago. But they would eventually.

"Hey, I'm picking up a scent!" Announced Kiba and we all looked at him waiting for him to continue. "It's faint but it's not too far from here."

"Lead the way," ordered Kakashi Sensei. Kiba and Akamaru took the lead and led us to where his scent was.

~timeskip~

"There's no sign of him," said Naruto as he scanned the area. I had gone with Naruto while his clones and everyone else had either stayed together to track Sasuke's scent or ended up splitting up.

Kakashi Sensei had been adamant on me staying behind to watch over me, but I talked him into letting me go. Well sort of.

"Wait I see someone!" Loudly said Naruto.

Naruto and I had jumped off a branch and he motioned for me to come over and hide behind a tree with him.

We remained silent as we heard soft footsteps. Naruto peered over before quickly hiding himself again.

"I know you two are there. Show yourselves." My eyes widened as I recognized that man's voice.

'So it was him huh."

Naruto and I stepped out from the shadows and showed ourselves, standing in the light with Itachi standing in front of us.

"Are you going to try to capture us?" Asked Naruto as he took a step forward.

"No, I would like to speak with you two separately."

"Yeah like I'd believe that." Naruto charged at Itachi with a kunai in hand all while summoning two shadow clones. But Itachi swiftly threw two kunais at his shadow clones making them disappear. As Naruto got closer to Itachi, he abruptly stopped and fell to his knees.

"Naruto!" But as I was about to go check on him, his body completely vanished into thin air.

"What?" I quietly said, confused as I stared at where he once was then at Itachi.

"You're both in a genjutsu at the moment."

"Of course," I sighed out. "Well, what do you want?"

"Like I said before, I just want to talk to each one of you individually."

I straightened up my posture and placed a hand on my hip. "Alright, spill it then."

We stood in silence for a moment before he let out a small chuckle and smiled at you, but I harshly remarked, "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just...glad that you didn't take the same path as Sasuke. You've grown from that cold and broken-hearted little girl into someone strong and beautiful."

"I wasn't going to stand around being a weak little girl who couldn't do anything. I did it for myself and my family."

I didn't want to wallow in sorrow forever. I wanted to become strong to take my enemies down.

"Sasuke and I are going to battle soon. When it's over, try to help him stray from descending into an abyss of darkness that's filled with loneliness and hatred. Even if it means punching him across the face again."

"You..saw that?" 'I didn't expect him to see that.'

"Of course. I didn't think you would but I guess he deserved it after not listening to your pleas."

"He needed some sense knocked into him, but I guess it wasn't enough. I should've punched him harder." I placed my hand under my chin as I thought of the idea of punching Sasuke again. Maybe even fighting him for real this time. I shook my head getting sidetracked from the main point.

"You said you're both fighting soon. And based on what you just said, you're not intending to kill him, right?" I hesitantly asked him but he shook his head.

"No. If I wanted him dead, I would've done it long ago. I want him to live. But you already know that he wants me dead and he'll do whatever it takes."

"Isn't there another way to handle this, without you dying?"

Itachi shook his head and firmly said, "This is something that I have already decided. It's the only way to atone for what I have done. My life will end at the hands of my dear younger brother."

"But-" Itachi placed his hand in front of me to cut me off.

"For someone who's suppose to be wary of the Akatsuki, you sure do seem against the idea of me, a member of the Akatsuki, dying. But my decision is final."

The corner of my lips turned into a scowl and I casted my eyes to the floor. I heard his footsteps approaching me and he stopped not too far nor too close, but the distance was just right.

He slightly opened his mouth about to say something, but closed it a second after.

"What is it?" I asked. He looked like he was contemplating something in his mind and whether to say it or not. Whatever it was, did seem to pain and trouble him.

"Nothing," he said in a fake tone, but underneath the sleeve of his cloak, he was tightly clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white.

'I can't bring myself to say it.' He thought while his Sharingan locked with my (e/c) eyes. But he knew that sooner or later, I would find out.

"If only things could have turned out differently. Maybe next time...in the next life," he softly spoke as he poked my forehead and lightly kissed my forehead before he stepped away from me.

"Huh?" My eyes widened in surprised and I instinctively placed my hand on my forehead. I felt a small blush creep up onto my cheeks as my brain was processing what he just said.

"Take care (Y/n) and...continue watching over Sasuke for me."

"Wait!" I yelled out with my hand reaching out to him.

He gave me one last warm smile before his body turned into a flock of crows. His crows circled above my head before flying off, leaving me standing in the middle of the forest stunned.

A/n: I swear the rewrite is going to be better. But enjoy for now!