Chương 13: Phantasm?

"Sasuke!" The call turned heads. Students streaming out of the Academy gates glanced toward the entrance, where a young man—thirteen or forteen, maybe—stood with an easy smile and a raised hand. The little fan-crested kid who'd been scowling two seconds ago lit up like someone had flipped a switch.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke broke into a run and skidded to a stop.

"What are you doing here?"

"Finished a mission early. Figured you'd still be in class." Itachi smiled and reached over to ruffle his hair. When he smiled, two faint lines curved from the corners of his mouth, giving his whole face a strange warmth—like standing in sunlight.

"Let's go." Sasuke nodded quickly, and they fell into step toward home.

"Is that Sasuke's brother?"

"He's so—wow."

"Did Sasuke just smile?" Whispers chased their backs out of the gate.......

"No missions today?" Sasuke asked.

"Not today. Why?"

"Because—" His voice went flat.

"You promised to train with me."

"Ah." Itachi's tone softened.

"You're right. I've been busy. I forgot."

"It's fine." Sasuke shook his head.

"You're here now." A beat.

"What do you even do in ANBU all day? Is it always this hectic?" Silence.

"And why didn't you join the Military Police?" Longer silence. Sasuke glanced sideways at his brother, thrown by the stillness. They walked half a block without a word.

"... Do you want to join the Military Police?" Itachi asked at last.

"Huh? Oh." Sasuke blinked, then nodded, energy returning.

"Of course. If I'm in the Police, I can actually help Dad. He won't have to work himself into the ground." And then maybe Dad will actually look at me. Maybe things between him and Nii-san would get better, too...

"Isn't it our clan's honor?" Sasuke said.

"The Military Police?"

"... Is it," Itachi murmured. If only every Uchiha saw it that simply. Honor isn't a privilege.

"Nii-san?"

"Sorry—I spaced out." Itachi smiled again, warm as before.

"Ready to train?" Sasuke shook his head. His brother was always like this. Gentle even when he wasn't fully there.

"Taijutsu today, right?" Itachi asked.

"Anything specific?"

"Countering leg attacks." Sasuke's expression soured.

"There's someone who kicks and follows with a second kick before you can react. Same leg. That's how I lost last time."

"I'm not a taijutsu specialist, but I can offer a few ideas." Itachi smiled.

"This Shin Takami. He's supposed to be something, isn't he." Sasuke looked up.

"You know about him?"

"Word gets around. They're saying he's the top student this year." A brief pause.

"Every class, people pay attention to who's at the front. They'll be Konoha's future, after all."

"Shin Takami... top of the class..." Sasuke drifted.

"Sasuke." Itachi stopped walking and turned to face him. He'd read the silence.

"The title doesn't matter. Be grateful you have someone like Shin as a rival. He'll push you further than anyone else could."

"But—" Sasuke hesitated.

"I'm an Uchiha." Uchiha... Itachi exhaled quietly. Then smiled—just slightly.

"Does being Uchiha mean you have to be first?"

"Think about it—how many of Konoha's legends were Uchiha? Of all the genuinely great talents across the village's history? How many?" He tilted his head.

"The top student in the year above yours isn't even Uchiha. He's a Hyuga."

"But you—" Sasuke looked at him.

"You're my brother." You're my brother. And I'm your little brother. The words landed somewhere Itachi hadn't expected. He pressed his lips together. His expression shifted into something harder to read.

"Don't model yourself after me, Sasuke." His voice was quiet. Level.

"I shouldn't be your goal." Because Father only ever sees you anyway. Sasuke stared at his brother's face and said nothing. Western forest, just outside Konoha.

"Well, well. Top student. Still grinding away." Shin was mid-throw when a lazy drawl cut through the clearing behind him. He knew that voice. He turned. The young man from before was draped across a forked branch overhead, watching him with a half-lidded smile. Not the plain clothes from last time—today he wore a black shinobi bodysuit, a short blade strapped across his back. ANBU-issue gear, more or less. No mask, though.

"You—""Heard you got first in the shuriken test today." Shin stopped.

"How do you know that?"

"I have my sources." The young man dropped from the branch without hurry, landing a few feet away. He was tall—Shin barely came to his waist.

"Are you ANBU? Is this a mission?"

"ANBU?" The young man tilted his head.

"More or less." Shin filed that away without comment. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"I never thanked you," Shin said.

"For the lesson."

"Thank me?" Those fox-like eyes curved with amusement.

"How? Last I checked, you're an orphan. Not a lot to offer." He said it without cruelty. Just fact. Shin had no answer.

"Relax, I don't want your thanks." The young man waved a hand.

"What I want to know is—are you going to ask my name or not?" Shin looked at him.

"... Can I?"

"You want to?" The question was too direct. Shin hesitated. Then nodded.

"Shisui." Shin blinked.

"Shisui Uchiha." The young man smiled.

"Shisui... Uchiha?" Shin repeated.

"What—never heard of me?"

"I've heard the name." A beat.

"Shisui of the Body Flicker."

"Is that right." Something brightened in Shisui's eyes.

"So why," Shin said carefully, "would someone like you pay attention to someone like me?"" Someone like you." Shisui clicked his tongue.

"That's not something you say at your age." Shin said nothing.

"Do you know what it means to be the top student at the Academy?" Shisui asked.

"Best grades?"

"Sure. But think—someone who shows across-the-board excellence that young. What happens after they graduate?" He leaned against a nearby trunk.

"You think I'm the only one who knows your name?" He let that sit.

"How many eyes do you think are already on you? Whether the Hokage's desk already has a file with your name on it." His tone was light. Conversational.

"Are you aware of that?" Shin felt something cold settle in his chest. He ran through it quickly. His background, his behavior, his daily life—all ordinary. All unremarkable. To any observer, he was just a talented kid. A talented kid. That's all. He let out a slow breath.

"Your composure really is something else. For an eight-year-old." Shin met Shisui's eyes.

"... You approached me on purpose."

"No." Shisui shook his head.

"I genuinely walked past. Your throwing form caught my eye. That's all."

"The technique you taught me is an Uchiha clan secret." Shin's voice stayed level.

"Does your clan know you handed it to an outsider?"

"A clan secret." Shisui smiled.

"You're really overthinking this." Shin frowned. He didn't believe a word. Shisui stepped closer—close enough to stoop slightly and bring his face level with Shin's ear.

"Being this paranoid." His voice was soft. Almost amused.

"Kid. You're eight years old." A pause.

"You'll get yourself exposed." The cold started at Shin's feet and shot straight up his spine.

"Kiba." Hana's voice came from the kitchen. Kiba, mid-session with Akamaru, looked over.

"Take this to Shin for me." She leaned through the doorway and held out a lunch box.

"I made saury."

"He's probably not back yet."

"I know. Just go." She smiled.

"And hurry—it'll go cold."

"Yeah, yeah." Kiba scooped up Akamaru and took the box from her hands, heading for the door.

"That kid," Hana murmured to herself, watching him go.

"When is he going to grow up a little..." Outside, the street was quiet. Evening dinner hour—most people already inside. Kiba popped the lid. The fish was arranged neatly, almost artfully. He pinched a piece and put it in his mouth.

"... Not bad." He took another.

"Here, Akamaru. Try some."

"Woof!"

"Well?"

"Woof!"

"Yeah—actually, this is Shin's. We'll eat when we get back."

"Woooo~""Fine. One more."

"Woof!" A rushing static filled Shin's ears. Then a hollow boom —and his consciousness went dark. He was dragged somewhere vast and wrong, full of blinding light. Hundreds of millions of luminous threads streaked past him in every direction, spinning in a whirlpool he couldn't escape no matter how he twisted. Images flashed by. Some felt like yesterday. Some felt like they hadn't happened yet. He saw fire. He saw blood spilling across stone. He heard people screaming in helpless grief, in furious despair.

"Shin Tachikawa—you butcher. You monster. You served him, and you'll burn for it!"

"How many innocents did you slaughter? You'll rot in hell for what you've done!"...

"You know exactly what kind of man General Fujino is. And you still did his work for him?" …

"Your swordsmanship commands my deepest respect."

"Your character does not. I want no part of what you are." …

"Shin, does this dress look good on me?"

"Shin, when are you coming back? I'm not waiting forever, you know."

"Shin—why aren't you running—take me with you—I don't—I don't want to die yet—cough—""Shin... I'm so scared..." …

"Know pain."

"Experience pain. Accept pain. Understand pain."

"A man who has never known suffering can never know peace." …

"My name is Madara Uchiha."

"To the Five Kage—there is something I must explain."

"My purpose. The Eye of the Moon Plan." …

"Shin. My child."

"I'm so sorry for all those years I wasn't with you..." … When Shin opened his eyes, Shisui's face was right in front of him. But his eyes had changed. Crimson. Three black tomoe circling each pupil, turning slowly. Then the color faded. His eyes returned to normal.

"Just now..." Shin murmured, disoriented.

"What did you see?"

"... The past." And—was that... the future?

"Oh?" Shisui's voice had a pull to it, soft and strange.

"What kind of past?"

"Fire. Blood. Killing..." Shisui's brow creased. The Nine-Tails attack? He was far too young to remember that. Unless the genjutsu dug deeper than expected. Or unless he...

"Who is your father?" Shisui asked.

"Tsukasa Takami."

"Who is your superior?"

"... Iruka-sensei?"

"..." Shisui exhaled and released his chakra. The fog lifted from Shin's eyes. He blinked. Looked at Shisui. Looked down at his own hands.

"... Genjutsu?" he said quietly.

"What was the point of that." He managed something that looked like a smile. Wasn't really. Shisui watched him in silence. Shin kept his eyes down, unwilling to meet that gaze. The air grew heavy.

"Nothing." Shisui laughed suddenly. Easy, light—like the past five minutes hadn't happened.

"I was joking." Shin didn't laugh.

"My theory was that you might be a spy from another village. Someone transformed to look like a kid named Shin Takami, infiltrating Konoha." Shisui's tone was perfectly conversational.

"Not funny?" Shin exhaled. Slowly. The gap between them was enormous. If Shisui wanted to do something, there was nothing Shin could do to stop it. All he could do was stand here. He let out a steadier breath. Fine. He was fine.

"You really do want to know why I taught you those throws," Shisui said. Shin looked at him.

"Tell me—give me one reason why I shouldn't have."

"Because it's a clan secret." Shin paused.

"Or—because you don't want me to surpass Sasuke?"

"Your overall ability isn't decided by one shuriken technique," Shisui said.

"Even if your accuracy beats Sasuke's, does that make you stronger than him? Overall?"

"..."

"And even if you did surpass him—so what? What does it actually change?"

"... What do you mean?" Shin said.

"Wouldn't that be bad for the Uchiha's reputation?"

"You want to know?" Shisui's expression shifted, taking on that same unreadable weight. Shin said nothing.

"It wouldn't change anything either way. You knowing doesn't matter."

"...?" Shisui went quiet. When he spoke again, it sounded less like a conversation and more like thinking out loud.

"The Uchiha have been in first place for too long..." Shin absorbed that. He thought he understood the shape of it, at least.

"Didn't you say you wanted to thank me?" Shin blinked at the pivot.

"Then keep your spot." Shisui reached down and ruffled his hair.

"Stay at the top. That's thanks enough." Shin knocked his hand away.

"Ha— there it is." Shisui laughed, genuinely this time.

"You were being way too polite. Kids should act their age." Still laughing, Shisui's outline began to blur at the edges. Like ink dissolving in water. His figure turned translucent, fading from the ground up, until there was nothing left but the faint impression of that smile.

"Your friend's almost here. See you around." Shin stared at the empty air where Shisui had been. What he'd seen just now... He thought those memories were buried....... Rustling in the undergrowth.

"Woof!" Akamaru. With Kiba right behind. Something in Shin's chest eased. He smiled.

"What, were you just sitting here?" Kiba looked unimpressed.

"I thought you'd be training. Slacking off?"

"Woof!" Akamaru launched himself into Shin's arms and immediately started licking his face.

"What are you guys doing here?" Shin asked, scratching him behind the ears.

"Here." Kiba held up the lunch box.

"From my sister. Saury."

"Thanks. Really." Shin took it with a genuine smile.

"Tch." Kiba turned his head—then stopped. His nose twitched. He leaned in slightly, sniffing.

"Hold on."

"What?" He sniffed again. More deliberately.

"Someone else was here."

"Woof!" Akamaru climbed up to Shin's shoulder and pointed one small paw at his neck. Shin went still. Kiba stepped closer and brought his face down to Shin's collar.

"What are you doing?" Shin leaned back.

"This is weird."

"—!" Kiba stumbled back a full step. His eyes went wide.

"IT'S A GIRL'S PERFUME!"

"... You sure you're not—""I AM NEVER WRONG ABOUT SCENTS! THAT IS CLEARLY A GIRL'S PERFUME!" Kiba's face went red.

"You—you had a DATE out here?! That is completely— that is absolutely— HOW COULD YOU—""..." Could it be... Shisui...? And even if there had been a girl here, why exactly would that make you this angry? Shin watched Kiba ricochet off the trees with the patience of a monk. After a very long time, Kiba ran out of words and dropped onto the grass in a sulk, facing away, arms crossed. Akamaru settled beside him like a perfect statue. Shin shook his head. He sat down and opened the lunch box.

"... Kiba."

"What." Flat.

"The saury..." Kiba went very still.

"... There's only half of it left." The silence that followed was the loudest silence in the entire village. Kiba's expression cycled through approximately eleven different emotions. Akamaru closed his eyes and did not move.

"I—on the way over—I tripped. Okay? I tripped and spilled some. That's all."

"Is that so." Deep, abiding skepticism.

"Y-yeah." Kiba's face was approximately the color of a Fire Release jutsu.

"Then," Shin said, "what are these."

"Bite marks."

"AKAMARU! I KNEW IT WAS YOU! HOW COULD YOU EAT SHIN'S FOOD?!" Akamaru lifted his head....???