An Itachi Fanfiction [EDITING]

Assemble

I was helping Itachi and Kisame track down the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.

Not because I was needed.

Not because I particularly cared about the mission.

Mostly because I had nothing better to do.

I had given up trying to drag Sasuke back to the village.

I had given up chasing revenge.

For the first time in years, I felt... directionless.

Kisame, being Kisame, insisted he could capture the Jinchūriki himself.

So Itachi and I stood on a cliff overlooking the valley while he went to fight.

Hours later, Kisame finally returned carrying an unconscious man over his shoulder.

"Took you long enough," I called.

Kisame snorted.

"Bringing him back alive was the difficult part."

I rolled my eyes.

Some things never changed.

We were preparing to leave when dark clouds rolled across the sky.

Rain began pouring down in sheets.

I pulled my cloak tighter around myself and turned to follow the others.

Then I froze.

A strange pain shot through my curse mark.

My hand immediately flew to my neck.

Something felt wrong.

Terribly wrong.

"(Y/N)?"

I looked up.

Itachi was watching me.

Concern etched across his usually unreadable face.

"What is it?"

I slowly shook my head.

"I don't know."

That was the truth.

I didn't know.

Only that something felt... wrong.

Like a thread had suddenly snapped somewhere far away.

I took another step.

The world tilted.

Then everything went black.

⸻

White.

Nothing but endless white.

I blinked.

Slowly.

Confused.

"Dad?"

Standing before me was Orochimaru.

Not the legendary Sannin.

Not the criminal.

Not the monster.

Just...

My father.

He looked exactly as I remembered.

For once, there was no sinister smile.

No mocking amusement.

No hidden agenda.

Just sadness.

"Dad?"

My voice sounded small.

Distant.