Naruto Shippuden: Vengeance Unchained

[stealthpanther]

Mizuki met Itachi's eyes as he addressed her and Nee, prompting a simple nod of understanding. While she did not particularly enjoy the idea of a long journey that needed to be made with such haste, she knew it was necessary. Thus, she offered no complaints, following her companions out. Inwardly wincing at the need to keep pace with the others, the medic chose not to comment on her speed, knowing it was not impressive by shinobi standards. "I apologize in advance for any inconvenience." She said, adjusting her bag.

To her surprise, Nee took hold of her hand without hesitation- something she was not expecting in the slightest. Tensing momentarily at the unexpected gesture, she almost instantly relaxed upon hearing his voice address her quietly. His sentiment at first stirred a single twinge of agitation, feeling almost insulted at the insinuation that she needed extra protection offered her way. Thankfully, it only took about two seconds for the young woman to understand the real meanings behind the words, instantly prompting her to feel bad for the brief moment of irritation. Even unexpressed, any errant thought of annoyance made her feel some guilt. She truly needed to calm the crap down and cease overthinking.

"Hm. Thank you..." she began hesitantly, looking aside to avoid seeming akward and unfamiliar with such a gesture and declaration. She didn't move to pull her hand free, simply looking at it as Nee gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. Managing to meet Nee's eyes, she returned with her own encouragement "you as well, rely on me when you need to."

Try as she might, Mizuki could not help but feel her cheeks warm slightly as Nee continued to hold on to her hand.
-----------------

The journey was long, but somehow Mizuki forced herself to keep up and be no t an inch more than about ten to twelve feet behind the others, going until her legs were numb. She only stopped once when coming upon the land of wind, needing to remove a few of her outer layers from the copious amount of warm weather fittings.

As they approached the Hidden Sand village, the young woman kept her silence, watching everything with a careful gaze. While she could not boast of speed, advanced fighting techniques, or expert proficiency with weapons, she was exceptionally good at paying attention. So she watched her surroundings, careful to not be completely complacent at any point in time.

Despite the somewhat uneasy first introduction and escort inside, the meeting appeared to go smoothly, to Mizuki's pleasant surprise. She was cautiously optimistic for the time being, letting Itachi take the lead.

As the Kazekage left them, she released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Itachi's soft words of caution earned a nod, the medic keeping her voice low. "Indeed..." she agreed, looking at each of her friends to see if anyone appeared to have noticed something she did not.

[Polka]

Throughout the entire journey, Nee kept an eye on his comrades.
As the Sand Village veered into vision, instantly, Nee remembered the turmoil the land had faced in the past.
It is never easy for a village to rebuild itself after losing a Kage, which he remembered all too well from his childhood.

The entrance to the Sand did not feel welcoming. Harrowingly, the village itself was now mirroring the Barron wasteland that surrounded it.

As Nee and the others made their way inside, he noticed the misery that had befallen the civilians inside.

Itachi took the lead with the acting Kazekage; Nee kept close to Mizuki- sensing her initial trepidation over the whole situation.

As the conversation came to a close, Nee nodded in earnest at Itachi's advice. The whole ninja world had become unstable once more- with Nee and his sister at the centre once more.
____________

Though the journey had been long, Manami felt strange energy bubbling inside of her.
As Manami and the others waited outside of the gate, dust blew up around their feet.
Memories forced their way to the surface. Manami thought back to the part she played in the demise of the Sand siblings.
Revisiting this part of her past led her to feel immense guilt, which she was sure she would never be rid of.

Her guilt was intensified as she walked through the village to meet the acting Kazekage.
The devastation was on each corner; Manami knew that this would only worsen if another attack took place.

Muto( The Kazekage) was an older man, but Manami could tell that he still had fight within him. He would have to be a strong man to manage and conceal the level of devastation the village was currently suffering.
He spoke clearly with Itachi and seemed to be quick to act.
Despite this, Manami could hear the worry behind his resolute words of traveling to a Five Kage summit.

Manami faced the Kazekage as the conversation drew to a close.
She spoke with such passion 'I will assist in any way I can'.
She needed to state her purpose to the room, for her redemption. She wanted to protect what she had helped to destroy.

As Muto stood and Itachi spoke of how careful they needed to be, Manami took a deep breath. She nodded in agreement and turned to her brother and Mizuki.
'Here we are again...'

[True_Grave]

With the Raikage getting everything together, Chiharu turned to Rhea.
"Well, that went better than expected. Now if we can just get everybody safely back to the Land of Iron, we'll have it made."
He gently reached out and took Rhea's hand, holding it gently in his.
"Thanks for standing by my side. I felt even stronger than before because of you."

Their moment of romance didn't last long, as they had to move out soon. Once the Raikage had sent out the appropriate carrier pigeons, the preparations began in earnest. In addition to Chiharu and Rhea, two of the special forces would be traveling with them. Thirty minutes later, they had all met at the front gate.
"It's best that we get there as soon as possible. We will not rest unless it is absolutely necessary, so be prepared for a long run."

Chiharu nodded. With the kinds of enemies they had, they couldn't afford to waste any time. The five of them set off at high speed, running as fast as they could. While Chiharu was running, one of the Hidden Cloud special forces got up next to him.
"Don't think that the upper echelon of the Hidden Cloud has forgiven you just because you quit the Akatsuki, traitor. If you do anything even remotely suspicious, I'll kill you myself."
Chiharu chuckled at the threat, surprising the special forces ninja.

"Well, you would try, anyway."
The special forces ninja clenched his teeth and was about to lunge at Chiharu.
"Enough!" the Raikage barked.
The special forces ninja stopped with a surprised look on his face.
"Save your strength for the enemy. You two can settle your differences when this is all over."

---

In the Hidden Sand village, the Acting Kazekage received his carrier pigeon around the time Chiharu and the others were departing. With the meeting set, he prepared his entourage. Having already lost one Kazekage to assassination, they were not going to risk it a second time, and so they had four special forces traveling with them. With Itachi and his crew in tow, they had secured the Acting Kazekage against any attack that was likely to happen on the road. At the front gate, Muto turned to address them.
"We must make haste, so we will take as few breaks as possible on the way to the Land of Iron."

The group set out on their journey. Itachi was sprinting by Manami, and turned to her.
"If something happens to me, I don't want you to risk your life trying to save me. You must live on, my love."
He had not forgotten how nearly lifeless Manami had been in his arms after she had saved him from death at his brother's hands. He couldn't stand to ever see her like that again.

Itachi mourned that they were once again thrust into the thick of combat. He had hoped that their retirement from the Akatsuki would be the start of a peaceful life, but he could see now that he was fooling himself. Obito was never going to leave the world in peace, though his motivations eluded him. What was he so desperate to attain that he would sacrifice most of his organization for. Regardless of his motivations, Itachi would see them put to an end. With Chiharu, Manami, Rhea, Nee, and Mizuki at his side, he knew that they would not fail.

[Polka]

At the news of having to travel further, Manami sighed.
Even though she knew they had to continue if their efforts in helping the ninja world.

As they moved through the land, making as much haste as possible, Manami looked towards her partner.
How on earth had they managed to position themselves in danger again.
They needed to succeed in their task.

"If something happens to me, I don't want you to risk your life trying to save me. You must live on, my love."

Bursting from her thoughts, Manami addressed Itachi's concerns. She realised her actions in the past, where she lay- a cold corpse- in his arms, must have been an unwelcomed addition to his traumatic past.

'Nothing will happen. If I have learned anything from everything we have been through, then it is that we are survivors, my love. We concentrate on the now.'

This battle was going to be a ruthless one. You could sense the danger lurking in the air, captivating the senses of those that traveled within it.
At one point, Manami realised, that she had been a part of this newly created chaos. It pained her- that her own selfish needs had once outweighed the very balance of the ninja world.
All that was left to do was fight- harder than ever.

[True_Grave]

Chiharu continued along with Rhea and the others. They were making quite a bit of progress and would likely make it to the Land of Iron by morning. During normal times, a Kage's party would camp at nightfall, sleep, and then continue the next morning. However, during war times such as this, they could not afford to lose time or make themselves vulnerable. The enemy could be waiting for just such an opportunity. For his part, Chiharu wasn't going to underestimate an enemy that had killed so many powerful members of the Akatsuki.

Once night fell, they did their best to move silently. Passing through forests and small towns, they made not even the slightest noise. Chiharu couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, however. This was too easy. He couldn't imagine that the Akatsuki would let the Raikage get so close to safety without a fight. His suspicions were confirmed when they reached a clearing and the two Special Forces were gone.

The Raikage frowned with worry.
"This isn't good."
The reason behind their disappearances soon became clear. Several white figures began popping up from the ground.
"Zetsu!" Chiharu cried before drawing his sword.
It seemed that his one-time comrade had come kill them.

"We have to get out of here, now!"
The Raikage shot forward with a slide powered by a hand glowing with lightning. He cleared a path as he knocked several Zetsu clones aside. Drawing his katana, Chiharu slashed at the faces of the clones as he followed after with Rhea. They tried to grab onto them, but he shook them off. Once they broke free, they began running as quickly as they could.

With great haste, they put distance between themselves and the Zetsu clones. Reaching the safety of the Land of Iron, they were soon in a fortress. Mifune had tightened security and the Kage who had arrived were safe. Tsunade, Ohnoki, Mei, and Ai had arrived, with only the Kazekage missing. Chiharu sat down in a neighboring room with Rhea, hoping for the safety of their friends. As long as Itachi kept everyone together, he was confident that they would be okay.

---

Itachi and Manami were continuing the feverish pace of guiding Muto to the Land of Iron. They had reached a desert when he sensed danger. As they stopped, a flood of water began to wash over the desert.
"Only one man could do this," Itachi said.
Riding a wave toward them was Kisame, holding Shark Skin and smiling a shark-toothed grin.
"Long time no see, partner," he said in a mocking tone.

Itachi turned to Manami.
"Get Muto out of here. I'll keep him busy."
Rushing at him, Itachi let his Sharingan blaze. His kunai knife collided with Shark Skin, pushing against him. With him occupied, Manami needed to go as quickly as possible.

[Polka]

The journey had been far too peaceful so far.
Rhea knew how to stay calm in a given situation but, she could feel the tension rippling through her body as she followed the party across the Land of Iron.

As night fell, the party made its way into a clearing. It became abundantly clear that they had wandered into a trap. The soothing forest night provided an eerie backdrop to the oncoming war.
Instantly, they were surrounded by odd white figures that appeared from the ground.

Rhea knew that they needed distance, and a fight was not in their best interests. Protecting the Raikage was necessary, something she could not do when the enemy was an unknown white figure.
Her initial strategy was confirmed by the Raikage, who cleared a pathway with his lightning style. Chiharu then began carving out a path to freedom.

Rhea followed, throwing a few kunai knives that landed deeply into the enemies' vital spots- though she didn’t look back to see if they had been effective.
Once they had arrived safely, Rhea sat with Chiharu as the Kage began to arrive.
She could see the anguish and worry in his eyes.
She placed a hand on his and gripped it tightly.
“They will get here- your brother and sister… your family is strong.”

Then she softly brought her hand to his cheek and turned his face towards hers. In this very moment, they were alone- something which may become a rarity in the future.
Rhea knew that he might not feel this was the time to share his own emotions- but she could not help herself and kissed him passionately, gripping tightly to his hand with the one she had spare.

She then pulled away.
“Whatever the future brings, we will be safe. I spent a long time fighting to find you and I will be damned if we lose each other now".

____________________________
____________________________

Water began to flood the desert. Manami instinctively shadowed over Muto to ensure his safety.
The water brought a former teammate to the fight. Kisame glared at Itachi and Manami, ready to cause havoc and kill where he could.

Manami knew this was dangerous and was saddened that this was how things were playing out.
She and Itachi had already spoken about a plan should things head south. Manami knew her role was to protect the Kazekage at all costs, even if that meant leaving Itachi to deal with the enemy.

Manami turned to Muto at the instruction of her partner.

“Look, I am sorry about this,” She said with haste before picking the old man up and hoisting him onto her back.”
She knew he would feel embarrassed, but his age meant that he was likely to get tired in a real escape.
Surprisingly, though somewhat disgruntled, Muto accepted this and tapped Manami’s shoulder.

“Itachi, kick his ass!” she yelled as she set off with Muto.

Water dragons lunged towards Manami as she made her escape with Muto. Kisame was a skilled warrior, it was likely he would do everything he could to stop her from leaving, despite his battle with Itachi.
Luckily, since water was her natural affinity, she danced her way through each one, furthering herself into the desert, heading towards the meeting point.

“Are you okay Lord Kazekage?” she asked as they continued to power on. He was a remarkably light man but Manami could still feel the extra pressure as she kept making haste.

[True_Grave]

Chiharu felt a hand on his and looked over to see Rhea. He felt somewhat reassured but still worried.
"I know, it's just...I want them to be safe."
He looked into Rhea's eyes and thought how beautiful they looked. His eyes widened as she was suddenly kissing him passionately. Chiharu closed his eyes and moved his head with hers, pouring his emotion into the kiss.

When the kiss ended, he listened to her words. They lit a fire of determination in him and he agreed.
"We were apart for a long time, but we'll never be apart again. I promise to bring peace to this world."
His hand gently squeezed hers.
"I won't let any of my family die again."

---

Itachi nodded at her and continued the fight against Kisame. Once she had escaped, he could fight without worry. He knew that his Fire Style would be ineffective against Kisame, so he focused on physical attacks for now. He could gain an advantage if he could get him with his Sharingan, but his old partner wouldn't make that easy. Having been his partner for years, he knew how crucial it was to avoid it. However, knowledge of partners cut both ways.

He knew all of Kisame's techniques and how to avoid them. A Water Dragon Jutsu was launched, which he destroyed with a barrage of fireballs. Wave techniques and water shots were easy for him to jump over or deflect. The Water Clones were more challenging but not beyond his abilities. All the while, his Kunai knife clashed with Shark Skin. The raging battle between two former partners continued.

Muto couldn't help but feel slightly humiliated as they made their escape. He remembered a time when he was young and spry, when he could have fought that Akatsuki assassin. He wished that he was ferrying Manami to safety and not the other way around. But, such was life.
"Yes, I'm fine. I may not be able to fight like I once could, but I will do all I can to make the Akatsuki pay for this."

[Polka]

Rhea smiled as Chiharu responded to her affections.
The pair had been through a tremendous amount of pain and heartache, but now they were in it together.

" I wonder what our first move will be.." Rhea whispered.

Having all the Kage in one place was a rare occurrence, Rhea knew this meant war.
Though her village had suffered hardships and Rhea herself had suffered personally, nothing was going to compare to this.



____________________________
____________________________

"I am sorry about this Kazekage, but your safety is the most important part of the mission"

Manami could sense the shame in this old man's heart. Being pulled away from his retirement days and thrust into a position of power in a struggling village. His people had suffered immensely in the recent attacks. Manami knew he would worry about the level of protection he could provide if a war were to start.

Manami and Muto diligently carried on till they finally arrived at their destination. The Land of Iron was home to a fortress of protection ready to hold the summit.

Upon their arrival, the pair were greeted. Manami marveled at the tightened security.
Muto was then escorted to the other Kage.
Manami refused to enter until Itachi arrived safely. She knew his battle against Kisame would be difficult for many reasons.
However, she asked a young kunoichi to let her brother know she had arrived.

[True_Grave]

Chiharu didn't know what the first move would be, either.
"I don't know. This is my first time taking part in a war."
He put his arm around Rhea.
"I do know that I won't let my family get hurt. I will stop Tobi, no matter what."

It was at this moment that a young kunoichi appeared.
"Chiharu-san, Manami-san has arrived with the Kazekage."
Chiharu bolted to his feet.
"Is she okay? Why is Itachi not with her?"
"She's fine, but Itachi stayed behind to cover her escape."

Chiharu rushed past her to the front of samurai HQ. Manami was standing there alone, watching in the distance.
"Manami!"
He hugged her fiercely, relieved that she was okay.
"Where's Itachi? What happened?"

---

Itachi continued to clash with Kisame. Neither was giving an inch, but neither were they gaining ground. To break the stalemate, Kisame unleashed the Hidden Mist Jutsu. As he vanished from sight, his idea was to attack Itachi with Water Clones. Keeping his Chakra hidden, it should have been the ultimate stealth attack. However, he had underestimated Itachi's fighting talent.

Closing his eyes, Itachi could feel Kisame's hostile intent. Using this, he could see them coming with his 'third eye'. Deflecting and destroying them, he waited for Kisame himself to get within range. When he did, Itachi opened his eyes, which blazed with the Mangekyo Sharingan. Caught in his vision, Kisame had no chance to dodge it. The physical battle had now become a mental one.

Within the alternate Sharingan plane, Kisame was trying to fight him. However, Itachi had the upper hand here. With absolute control, Itachi drove one sword after another into his body. By the fifth sword, Kisame could fight no longer. His mental body collapsed, and in a return to reality, his real body had collapsed into unconsciousness, as well.
"I'm sorry it had come down to this...partner."

Turning away, he began running for the Land of Iron. He could only hope that Manami and Muto had made it. Crossing the desert, he kept moving as the evening sun started to set. He knew that his family was waiting for him and didn't want them to worry.

[Polka]

Rhea took a deep breath in and turned her attention back to Chiharu
"I trust you, so I know we will be okay".

Then she stood up and stretched out her arms and legs at the exact moment a young Kunoichi came to deliver a message.
Manami and the Kazekage had returned, though Itachi had not.

Rhea stayed behind whilst Chiharu went to assess the situation.
____________________________
____________________________

Manami stood waiting for Itachi.
She was sure that he would make it back.
Looking out into the distance, she tracked the surrounding land waiting for Itachi to arrive.

Her concentration was broken abruptly by Chiharu.
"Manami!"

He embraced her; she reciprocated. She was relieved to see that he had arrived safely.

"Where's Itachi? What happened?"

Manami took a breath as she knew the truth of the situation would hit close to home for Chiharu.

"We were stopped by Kisame. He made it clear that he intended to kill the Kazekage".
Manami ran her hands through her scalp and looked into the distance- as a sign of stress.

"Itachi stayed behind so we could coordinate the Kazekage's escape."
Manami paused and looked back at Chiharu, "Itachi will be here soon, I am confident that Kisame is no match for him".

[stealthpanther]

Green eyes met those of her companions, resolve in her gaze as the medic inwardly decided she would aid those dearest to her in any capacity she could. Mizuki was not exactly the most informed on the Akatsuki's movements, both in the past or their current status, but she knew there had been some significantly drastic changes involving the organization as of late. If what they were hearing was true, things were escalating far more rapidly than she would have liked. The young woman had always preferred to keep to herself when it came to political or worldly affairs, but she did not have such luxury now.

Despite this, she did not feel any regret in the path her life had taken in the past year, ready to face the world alongside Itachi, Manami, Nee, and any others who sought to see the shinobi world reach some measure of peace. The redhead was not deluded enough to believe such an existence would come easily or be stable forever, but that didn't make the ideal any less worthwile to pursue. Attacks on the Kage would be but a stepping stone for Obito in his quest for control. She wondered at his motivations, but decided it was of little importance.

~~

Cursing under her breath, Mizuki quickened her pace so as to sooner rendezvous with her companions. She hadn't anticipated that scouting for any useful information and gathering more essential medical supplies would take as long as it had. While some of this may have been due to her unfamiliarity with this part of the world, she was still frustrated with the fact that she had not been able to set off at the same exact time as the others. Dammit all! How could she both manage to recall minute details and patiently study things of importance (maps included), and yet still suck at directional navigation? It was embarrassing.

Face flushed in agitation as well as personal shame, Mizuki hastened onward towards the Land of Iron and the fortress where the summit was to be held. She did not dare slow down until she finally spotted the entrance. Wiping sweat from her brow, the medic then hurried to secure her mask over half of her face ( try as she might, she couldn't yet stand to bare herself in public around strangers). Taking a deep breath, she approached, hoping to see a familiar face.

[True_Grave]

Chiharu's face didn't change with the news of Kisame, but the blow hit him in the heart nonetheless. This was the final confirmation that he was indeed on the side of the enemy. It didn't matter now that Kisame had been like a father to him and a brother to Itachi. Just like Obito, he would have to be stopped.
"Yeah, he'll be here soon."
Just like Manami, he had absolute confidence that Itachi would not lose to Kisame.

A shape appeared in the distance and for a moment, they both thought it would be Itachi. It would be just like him to show up right when they were talking about him. As the shape got bigger and more defined, they both realized it was Mizuki. Calling out to her, they met her with warm smiles and hugs.They were both glad to see that she was safe, though she was also missing her traveling companion.
"Where's Nee?" Chiharu asked.

---

Itachi ran all out as the sun went down. If Manami and Muto had made it, she would be worried sick about him by now. When his feet started crunching through thick snow, he knew he was getting close. The headquarters for the Five Kage Summit was just ahead and he could see three figures in the distance. Itachi thought they were samurai guards at first, but as he got closer, he realized that it was his family. Breaking into a huge grin, he called out to them.

Running the remaining distance to them, he was greeted by a group hug. His relief at seeing them all, especially Manami, was palpable. After the long hug ended, he turned to Manami.
"I'm very happy you made it with Muto."
He turned to Mizuki.
"Is Nee inside?"

[Polka]

Manami, alongside the others, greeted Mizuki upon her arrival.
Though unexpected, she was happy.
Their family unit was growing again.
However, she was concerned about her brother.
He may have well arrived earlier.

After the arrival of Mizuki, a familiar silhouette appeared in the distance.
Itachi was calling to them.
Manami ran to meet him.
She held tightly to her partner, taking in the moment.
She then held his face in her hands to assess any damage.
Though he was smiling at her, she imagined he was rather pained about having to battle his former comrade in arms.

"We would not have made it here without you- Muto is safe and resting."
Manami said as she smiled at Itachi.
She then directed her attention towards Mizuki.
"Did Nee arrive before you? It seems unlike him to leave you to travel alone?"

[/quote]

[True_Grave]

Chiharu, Manami, and Itachi headed back toward the Five Kage Summit HQ. As they did, they reunited with Rhea. Chiharu put his arm around her waist and walked with her into the building itself. Once they were inside, they were shown where their rooms would be. As they were settling in, a representative of the Raikage appeared before them.

“There will be a major meeting of the Five Kage tomorrow morning.”

“Do you know what the main topic will be?” Itachi asked.

“The start of the meeting is merely a formality to issue an official declaration of war against the Akatsuki and their allies. The rest of the meeting will be about strategy.”

“The Kage plan to take the initiative?” Itachi queried in surprise.

“If the Raikage and Hokage have their way, yes. I seriously doubt that will happen, though, as the other three Kage are advocating for letting the Akatsuki make the first move.”

Itachi mulled over this information.

“Both sides are right. The Akatsuki are too dangerous to let them make the first move, but no moves should be made in haste. A strategic strike on them should be made immediately.”

“I find no fault in your logic and pray that the Summit will come to that decision.”

“What will the Samurai be doing?” Chiharu asked.

“They’ll be acting as security for the meeting. You should find Mifune and ask him what he wants you to do.”

The representative gave him a concerned look.

“The Samurai will be on the front lines of this war. I hope you are prepared for that.”

Chiharu nodded with determination blazing in his eyes.

“I put my life on the line once. I’m willing to do it again.”

The representative nodded.

“Get some rest, all of you. This is the last night of peace that any of us will have for a while.”

He turned and walked away.

Itachi turned to Chiharu.

“Are you sure that you’re ready to fight Kisame? The next time you see each other…one of you may die.”

Chiharu was silent for a while. With mixed emotions, he turned and went into his room with Rhea, shutting the door behind him. Itachi sighed.

“I’m sorry that it turned out like this, Chiharu. He should be with us, not against us.”

He turned to Manami.

“I’m sure Rhea will look after him, but if he needs extra care, be there for him. My own pain on this may be bad for him.”

Although Itachi had endured pain countless times before, it was different when he also felt pain on someone else’s behalf.

[Polka]

Rhea followed Chiharu to the room.
She tentatively placed a hand on one of his shoulders, unsure of how he was processing this news. Not the news on the war but that of his old comrade- Kisame- working alongside the Akatsuki and turning against those who considered him a friend.

"How are you...really?" she softly spoke as she wrapped both of her arms around him from behind.

_____

Manami nodded along in agreement with Itachi. He spoke to the Raikage's assistant with ease; he knew the Akatsuki well.

War was very much at hand which made Manami realise the gravity of the situation. War could very much lead to loss- which wasn't something she wanted to face.

Manami spoke after Itachi has spoken his own thoughts on a possible plan.
"This is a very delicate situation- where we need to act with no room for fault- the Kage's have a tough decision on their hands".

As the Raikage's assistant left, the conversation turned to Chiharu. He was stoic and silent. Unable to answer Itachi's questions.
Manami wanted to hold her young brother and make sure he was alright- but she knew that Rhea would be able to take care of him and that she could be there when Manami could not.

Chiharu left with Rhea in tow and Manami turned to face her partner.
"He will be okay..... he can share his pain with Rhea. Just as you can share yours with me. This is difficult for us all".

[True_Grave]

Chiharu felt numb. So many emotions were bubbling up at once that he was having trouble processing them all. Shock that Kisame had turned against them. Anger and sadness that he had sided with the enemy. Pain at the prospect of having to cross swords with an old friend. With so many emotions churning around in his mind, Chiharu could only sit on the bed and stare blankly at the wall.

When Rhea put a hand on his shoulder, Chiharu barely noticed it. Only her voice brought him back to the present moment. He didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. When she wrapped her arms around him, the floodgates opened for him. Tears began rolling down his cheeks and he shut his eyes as the pain overwhelmed him.

Within moments he was sobbing. All of the emotions had turned to grief. Grief that a man who had been like a father to him had chosen to betray him. Grief that a fight with him was unavoidable. Memories from the past flooded his mind and he couldn't stop crying. The pain was raw and he could only let it out, the warmth of Rhea his only comfort in the black grief that was washing over him.

---

Itachi nodded at Manami's words.

"Yes, it is very difficult. It breaks my heart that my best friend has sided with the enemy."

He began heading for his room with Manami in tow. Sitting on the bed, he sighed.

"When I joined the Akatsuki, I believed that we could end war and make sure no one ever experienced loss again."

He clasped his hands together.

"In hindsight, I realize now that I was being misled. What we created was not a utopia, only a new social order. I believe that Kisame is still being misled. Perhaps if we can open his eyes to the lies the Akatsuki are feeding him, he will return to us. I choose to hope that he is not too far gone for that."