An Itachi Fanfiction [EDITING]

Five Kage Summit's Eve

It had been a couple of weeks since Pain's assault.

The Hidden Leaf no longer looked like itself.

The streets I had grown up walking through were buried beneath rubble. Buildings that had stood for generations were gone. The hospital was overcrowded. Families lived in tents. Shinobi who had once fought on battlefields now carried timber, cleared stone, and rebuilt homes one broken wall at a time.

Aunty Tsunade still hadn't woken up.

She had used nearly all of her chakra to keep the village alive, and now she lay unconscious while the rest of us tried to piece together what Pain had left behind.

I helped where I could.

During the day, I worked with Sakura and Shizune to check on Tsunade. When I wasn't helping them, I healed injured villagers, carried supplies, or trained until my body begged me to stop.

Anything to stay busy.

Anything to avoid thinking.

Because the moment I stopped moving, I saw Itachi.

Or Jiraiya.

Or Sasuke walking away from me with hatred in his eyes.

So I kept moving.

One morning, I left my tent to check on Tsunade when four masked shinobi appeared in front of me.

I stopped.

Immediately, I knew.

Not ANBU.

Foundation.

I sighed.

"Seriously?"

None of them spoke.

I rubbed my forehead.

"He really doesn't know when to quit, does he?"

One of them drew a blade.

"Lord Danzo has deemed you a threat to the village."

I laughed.

I couldn't help it.

"A threat to the village?" I repeated. "That's rich coming from him."

They attacked.

I didn't draw my sword.

I didn't need to.

They were skilled.

Disciplined.

Emotionless.

But they underestimated me.

Most people did.

Within minutes, all four were on the ground.

Alive.

Barely conscious.

But alive.

I crouched beside the one who had spoken.

"Don't worry," I said lightly. "I'm not going to kill you."

His breathing was strained.

"Why not?"

"Because unlike your master, I actually care about this village."

His visible eye narrowed.

I leaned closer.

"But I do need you to deliver a message."

"What message?"

I smiled.