The Darkness Before Dawn

Reunion

Itachi skimmed his fingers over the book's spines as he walked down the aisles. He was after a particular book, one written decades ago by his predecessors, the book that launched his profession. Lost in thought he rounded the corner and bumped into someone. Yukiko fell onto her butt and let out a quick "ouch!" before looking into concerned onyx eyes. Itachi was bent down with his hand out to her, "Are you ok, Miss? I am so sorry, please forgive me" he asked as he pulled her upright and into his arms by using a little too much force.

Yukiko blushed as she felt his strong arms around her and quickly pushed herself out of them, "I'm fine, thank you. You're forgiven." Itachi smiled at the flustered woman and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Thank you" he whispered before walking away. Yukiko stood there a moment before realizing that a business card was between two of her fingers. It contained his name and cell phone number should she wish to contact him. Itachi Uchiha.

"...and get this! They call themselves "Ancient Astronaut Theorists"!" Kay exclaimed, tears of laughter running down her face. Kisame struggled to keep a straight face, saying "it's a legitimate science! I've seen the show; some of their arguments are compelling." She stopped laughing, looking at him to see if he was joking. His resolve broke when he saw her confused expression and he laughed, taking her hand in his as he continued their walk. She punched his shoulder, "not funny! I don't think I could date an idiot!" she retorted. "Then I don't have to worry about you around my friends" he said, leaning down to peck her forehead. "Jeeze. I'm not 5. Kiss me like you mean it" she muttered as she wiped his kiss off her forehead.

Kisame stopped and turned to face her. "Like I mean it hmmmm?" he said huskily. "Ummm" was all she could stutter out before his lips pressed to hers, firmly. She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. He smirked as she moaned when his tongue slid into her mouth and she pressed herself against him. Kisame broke the kiss, grabbed her hand and began walking quickly to his car, "my place. NOW!" he growled.

Soft footfalls rang out into the empty night as Tenno dashed towards his destination. With none of the women answering his calls or texts, he had no choice but to take on this mission.

He crouched down behind a garden wall and paused to catch his breath. He checked that his weapon was loaded and his knife was sheathed to his thigh. With one leap he was up and over the wall, dropping down silently onto the grass on the other side. Moving quickly but surely, he moved past the bodyguards, only having to silence two, before he reached his target.

"I was wondering when she would send someone" Obito said as Tenno stepped into the room. "If you knew then you should have been better prepared" Tenno replied, the blood dripping from his knife blade. Obito chuckled as he moved around to sit in the chair in front of him. "I am better protected than you think" he said as his eyes glowed red in the light. Tenno tensed and stood back on his foot, his grey eyes darting around the room.

From the shadows came a tall figure with silver spiked hair and wearing a mask. "Hello, little brother" he spoke in a low voice. "Oh don't tell me this isn't going to be the happy reunion I dreamed of?!" Obito exclaimed sarcastically as the Hatake brothers stood staring at each other, neither daring to make a move. "You're not my brother" Tenno growled as he gripped his weapon. "Same father, different mother. That technically makes us half-brothers. Regardless, what are you doing in my City?" Kakashi asked, his tone growing dangerously dark. Tenno said nothing so Kakashi asked "still working for that whore? Pity, we could've used your skills. I'd tell you to leave but knowing your bitch, you won't, so I suppose I'll just have to kill you" he finished nonchalantly.

Tenno flipped the coffee table with his foot and kicked it at the two men before ducking out of the room and taking cover around a corner. Kakashi easily blocked the attack and calmly walked towards the doorway, casually chambering rounds into his handgun. "That wasn't very nice of you, little brother" he remarked as he closed his right eye and opened his left. A cybernetic eye glowed red from the socket and quickly scanned the wall separating the two men. It found Tenno and Kakashi fired several rounds into the wall.

When the smoke cleared and he rounded the corner, Tenno was gone and there was no blood. Kakashi snarled and turned around, scanning for his target but finding no one. Tenno dropped from the rafters and landed solidly on Kakashi, sending his gun flying from his hand and the breath from his body. "ANBU 101: Never be in the same place twice" Tenno said as he pulled his knife from its sheath and stabbed Kakashi's cybernetic eye.

Kakashi screamed as his eye popped and blood and fluids began running from the socket. Obito ran from the room when he heard Kakashi scream and drew his gun, pointing it point blank at Tenno's head. "Any last words?" the Uchiha asked. "No" Tenno replied simply as he hung his head in defeat.

When he heard the faint click of a round being struck by the firing pin, he dodged to one side and watched as Obito's bullet obliterated Kakashi's head. A scream of raw, primal pain wrenched itself from Obito's throat as his second-in-command and best friend lay dead in a gory mess, by his hand. He turned on Tenno, his onyx eyes blazing with madness, screaming "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" with spittle flying into Tenno's face.

Tenno calmly raised his gun and fired a round between Obito's eyes, watching as the Uchiha's body slumped onto his half-brother's, the two joined in some sick embrace. He sighed as he stretched out his tensed muscles and holstered his weapon. After raiding Obito's home for documents and intel, Tenno finally left after setting the home on fire and leaving the bodies inside to burn.