Angels and Demons [REWRITE]

Chapter 14

Tsukiyo arrived back in the village the following morning. Dodging the new police force that was patrolling the perimeter, she quietly sneaked back into the Yozora compound.

In totally, travel took her about 5 days, and training in each sage region took a little more than two weeks. This meant that she came back in the middle of the month between part two of the Chunin Exams and part three.

The first person she met was, to her disappointment, not Shisui.

"There are a few incidents that you should know of," Koberi mentioned briskly. "But Shisui-san is training in campground 4."

"Thank you." Tsukiyo nodded.

When she arrived, Shisui was training with his tanto. It was a basic exercise, merely slicing thorough the air, but as a fellow swordsman, Tsukiyo knew the strain that long periods of sword fight can put on the muscles.

"You can relax for a bit, you know." She called from the edge of the clearing, leaning against a tree.

"Tsukiyo!" Shisui whirled around, shoving his tanto back into its sheath on his back. Contrary to her expectation, he didn't look too happy to see her.

"What?" She asked cautiously.

Shisui took a deep breath. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

Tsukiyo's heart sank a little.

"That's fine," She tried nonchalantly. "Do you discuss it over lunch or-"

"I need to talk to you right now." Shisui cut her off. He didn't sound angry, but the polite Shisui that Tsukiyo has know all her life has never cut someone off before.

"Okay," she said, voice trembling a little. "We'll talk."

She walked toward him so that both stood in the clearing, a few feet apart.

Shisui opened his mouth, then closed it again. Struggling with words, he finally spoke.

"Did you really take Danzo as shishou?"

Tsukiyo's heart sank deeper.

"Of course," she forced a feeble smile. "I thought that was implied when I told you I became taicho of Root."

Shisui's fists tightened, looking as if he wanted to smash something.

"It wasn't, okay? I thought you wrestled that power out of his hands using schemes and force. I," he paused, looking away from her. "I didn't think you would take the shortest and easiest path." A quiver came into his voice, which is now low and almost inaudible. "Does my death mean nothing to you?"

"Of course it does!" Tsukiyo replied hurriedly. "I wanted to kill him, I truly did."

"So what happened?" He asked, finally looking at her. "Don't tell me you failed."

Tsukiyo took a shaky breath. "The circumstances were dire." She spoke slowly. "I needed power to make sure...to make sure..." She looked down at her feet.

"To make sure of what?" Shisui prompted.

"To make sure that," Tsukiyo looked up into his eyes, "that the remaining Uchihas would be safe."

"The remaining Uchiha?" Shisui scoffed. "The only person Sasuke would be in danger of is Danzo. Don't tell me keeping him alive is keeping Sasuke alive."

"It's not that!" Tsukiyo added hurriedly. "There are more-" As if realizing what she's said, her words cut off.

"More Uchihas?" Shisui finished. "Now you're just messing with me."