🌸 The Flower He Saw 🌸 A Kakashi and Sakura Story

Pink Winter Camellia

─────────────────────────

Itachi stood before the Sandaime-Hokage, gazed fixed downwards and teeth clenched in utter disgust. The information that the Hokage relayed him, revolted the Uchiha to its fullest aegree, the inquious acts that'd been committed were sickening. 

"My apologies, Lord Hokage." was all Itachi could let out in shame. 

Hiruzen took a blow from his pipe before be began to speak.

"According to Kakashi, he is almost 100% sure that the man possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan. From our reports, we don't know of any person with this kind of visual jutsu that lives in the village. The chances of there being an Uchiha outside Konohagakure is low, however there still might be a chance that there is one, and is behind this scheme." Hiruzen informed, standing up from his Hokage seat and turning his back to Itachi, eyeing the Hokage's monument stressingly.

Itachi gulped, knowing that what he was going to say next would stir things up even more─ but was well aware that personal feelings had no space in pushing itself into the already stress-compacted atmosphere. 

"In the village, from what I know there are two people who possess the Mangekyou. My father and myself are the..... only ones." he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening back. 

"That's right, you possess it as well....now." his voice felt distant. He turned himself back around and peered downwards to the kneeling bow of the Uchiha. "Once again, I'm sorry for your loss."

Itachi remained silent for a bit before swallowing hard. "He did what he did for the sake of the Uchiha and the village, that simple fact has restored some of the peace we'd lost. And so there should be no reason to feel sorry." 

Easier said than done, evidently.

"I doubt my relatives will stop suspecting me as Shisui's murderer. My father continues to defend me from the others, but I've perceived that he has his own suspicions as well." 

"What are you saying?" Hiruzen's eyebrows tied in worry, just hoping that Itachi wasn't implying his worst nightmare for the village. 

"I'm going to continue to stop the coup, with Shisui's will on my shoulders and end the catastrophic devastation they'd caused." Itachi brought his head up, locked eyes with the Hokage and portrayed none other the feelings of determination and promise. 

Hiruzen's top and bottom lip separated, yet nothing escaped. 

"I doubt I'll be able to find out which Uchiha was the exact perpetrator for Haruno's past, however I can end the troublesome coup that they are planning. And with this plan, if the person that we are looking for is among them, they will neither pose a threat to Sakura nor anyone else."

Itachi paused for a moment, feeling his limbs tense and his spine feel cold. His resolve was ought to be hard, especially since this was against his family and loved ones. However for the sake of the village, the Will of Fire, Sakura who'd been a victim to crimes that had yet to be discovered, it was necessary. 

"I will end the coup, the sorrow of the young Haruno and end this troublesome mission by exterminating them all."

Danzou threatened him with this. If he did not comply, Sasuke would be the first victim of Root from his family.

"Itachi, no." Hiruzen finally voiced. 

His proposal was just horrible, and to think that Itachi thought he'd be okay with it just made it worse. To allow a young boy, a 10 year old boy to exterminate his own clan was just cruel in so many ways. Even if it would save the village and stop the mysterious man who was behind Sakura's sorrow, it wasn't worth sacrificing the merriment of this willful Uchiha. It would never be worth sacrifcing the happiness of a pure boy like Itachi, never.