Chapter 34 - Roll Reversal

A wind howled across Konoha. The moonlight cast eerie shadows on everything, moving and still. The streets still had a red tint from the blood shed in the last big battle. But all was quiet.

Two figure’s shadows were elongated by the moonlight. Ekyt, holding a kunai to the back of another, Itachi.

It began to rain. Neither Ekyt nor Itachi moved; the rain was the least of either of their concerns. Ekyt realized that the rain was a detriment more to him than Itachi. Itachi could escape into it, and Ekyt’s dog would lose his scent. To make matters worse, a fog was rising. But something about it didn’t seem right. It rose too fast, and actually seemed to weight him down. Not genjutsu…ninjutsu. I can’t do anything about it. As long as I’ve got the upper hand, I don’t need to do anything about it.

“I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to fight my brother.”
Itachi had finally broken the silence. Besides the pitter-patter of the rain, that was the only sound you could hear. Until the wind picked up again, knocking tree branches around, going through spaces that caused howls. It was eerie by anyone’s definition. No one else was outside. Vaguely, Ekyt thought about that. If Itachi attacks, I’m alone. They might not even hear a yell for help over the wind…Itachi either picked the perfect moment, or created the perfect moment. I wouldn’t put ‘creation’ past his skills, either…

Ekyt’s eyes narrowed, until they were merely hazel slits. “You mean you were going to attack him from behind. I don’t care if you fight him or not, but I’m not letting you jump him from behind. And I know you won’t dare use your Mangekyo Sharingan on me, not before a fight. I’m also aware you’re causing this annoying mist. So, why don’t you just stop it, and we’ll go our separate ways.”

Itachi turned around. Ekyt still held the kunai in place.
“You don’t understand the Uchiha clan, you can’t hope to understand this rivalry between brothers. You have none of your own…”

“That’s true. But I also know when something bad is going to happen. Itachi…why do you REALLY want to fight Sasuke? You have nothing to prove. You’d only agree to this fight if there was personal gain in it for you. That’s what I can’t figure out. You’re a difficult one, and, for some reason, it’s always me that seems to fight you. It’s interesting that one of us hasn’t killed the others. Either I’ve gotten lucky…or you’re keeping me alive.”
Ekyt heard Itachi chuckle.

“I could kill you…but I’ll admit, it would take effort on my part. And the reason you’re alive, every time we fight…it’s because you’re an interesting adversary. You have studied the Sharingan, and you know exactly how to fight it. When I get you in the Tsukuyomi, you don’t immediately give up and let me have my way. You make me work for it. You’re an interesting opponent. You’re reluctant to kill, although you’ve had the opportunities…Let me ask YOU this: Why do you keep leaving me alive? You could have killed me.”


Ekyt, stunned by the admission, raised his head and looked Itachi in the eyes.
“I promised your brother I wouldn’t kill you. I don’t hate you for you, and neither does Sasuke. He hates what you’ve done, and what he hates more…is not knowing why. But even then, that’s not what drives him. Do you know what it is that drives him, Itachi? What makes him hate you so much?” Ekyt made sure he sounded bored, to try to annoy Itachi.

Itachi didn’t seem to care, although he did meet Ekyt’s gaze.

“It’s because he doesn’t know WHY you did what you did. And it’s because he looked up to you. You were the bar he always measured himself up to. The trouble was, he never DID measure up. And that…that’s what’s haunted him. And that’s what’s stopped me from killing him when we’ve fought. He has a dream, an ambition, and I’m not the one who should take it away.”

Behind him, Ekyt heard a cloak flutter. Another Itachi? As he turned back to the front, crows flew apart, ending their clone of Itachi. Now Itachi had the upper hand. Ekyt cursed.

“There’s really nothing stopping me from killing you…I have no reason to let you live, interesting adversary or not. You’re in the way, you should die. I’m going to use you to send a message to Sasuke.”

Ekyt turned around to face Itachi, both of them having their kunai towards each other’s necks. Ekyt backed up, so the tip of his was at Itachi’s throat.
“Really? You intend to make an example of me? After you compliment me? Not the usual business. And I really don’t want to fight you…But at the same time, I don’t want you thinking that I’m afraid of you.”

Itachi hadn’t activated his Sharingan. “I didn’t think you feared me. And even if you did, it wouldn’t stop you, would it? You don’t fear any one person. My Tsukuyomi is designed to play off your fears. But somehow, you break it, or survive it, when it’s hospitalized or killed greater ninja than you…That doesn’t make sense.”

Ekyt and Itachi circled, their kunai touching, evaluating each other. If one made a move, the other could read the move and counter it instantly.

“My emotions are strong, Itachi. Stronger than your Tsukuyomi, perhaps. That, or I have a purpose that you think I haven’t fulfilled…like Sasuke, you’re leaving me alive for something…”

Itachi and Ekyt stared at each other, silence again prevailing as they stopped circling. They stood about three feet apart, kunai at the ready. Itachi looked older, for some reason. Ekyt guessed it was the lines under his eyes. Of course, Ekyt couldn’t really talk, the bags under his eyes speaking for themselves.

“Someday, you’ll be a true threat. The Akatsuki have already marked you for death, capture, or addition. And each time, you’ve escaped all three. If what I’ve heard is true, your fate is tied with that of the Jinchuuriki’s, Naruto. So it’s not ME keeping you alive…it’s fate.” Itachi said all this as though it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Fate? Fate is a poor scapegoat, Itachi. There might, however, be something to what you say. But that doesn’t matter to me. Fate, destiny, whatever…if it exists, I am cursed. You, who had everything, gave it all up. While I strive to get something, anything. Recognition, friends…everything you gave up, I went. Everything I am…you are. A loner. A ninja. A free-thinker. In another day, we would have fought side by side, Itachi. Maybe some of you sees a little of me in you. Maybe, if you plunge that kunai in my heart, you’ll be killing a little of yourself. That- or you feel you have to prove yourself.”

The time for talk had ended. Itachi, still not using his Sharingan, ran forward faster than Ekyt could have fathomed. Ekyt’s kunai swept up to block Itachi’s, forcing the two into another deadlock. Ekyt seized Itachi’s ponytail and smashed his head into his up-thrust knee. Itachi used a genjutsu. Ekyt used the ‘release’ technique, then returned a genjutsu of his own. This genjutsu had a special purpose, however. The results surprised Ekyt, while confirming his suspicion.
This isn’t Itachi…he had to fight my genjutsu to get rid of it. This early in our fight, he should have just batted it away…This also explains why he hasn’t used his Sharingan…this is a host body for that jutsu of theirs…Itachi is controlling him…but he didn’t put a lot of chakra into it…which means that he’s low, or there’s more than one around…I’d better end this fight quick, and get moving…if Itachi is watching, or there’s more than one of these ‘fake Itachis’ around, then I’d better spread the word. Not least of all to Sasuke…




Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke- reunited! The three had met at the village gates, ready for a mission. Kakashi showed up briefly to tell them they had the day off. Most of the Village was locked up, stores were taking inventory, it was just a day to rest. After the war, everyone could use a break. This was welcome news to Team Kakashi. What was less welcome was what they saw near one of the walls in the village, in the shade of a tree.

“That’s…Itachi!” Sasuke snarled suddenly.

“No. It’s a fake. But what it’s doing here…” Kakashi wondered. He had lifted his headband. Where there’s a fake…the real one has to be involved somehow…But where, and why?

“What are we standing around for? Shouldn’t we help?!” Naruto was itching to go. To his shock, Kakashi shook his head.

“No. We observe. Ekyt’s fine. He can handle this. This is a rare chance to see Itachi’s fighting style...” Kakashi lifted his headband to watch. Sasuke curbed his urge to attack, admitting that knowing how his brother fought in-depth would be a good advantage.




Ekyt needed to end this fight quick. This thing wasn’t a clone, and it didn’t have a ton of chakra, but it was still a threat. A living puppet, with Itachi controlling it, was not a good thing. It had to go. Ekyt wanted to conserve chakra, but this threat had to be removed first. So he decided to cut to the chase. He didn’t need to use the handsigns for this jutsu anymore.

“Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!”

This time, the fake Itachi staggered for a second, before using the release technique. But by that time, Ekyt had peppered the ‘puppet’ with throwing needles. The needles were dipped in poison. Nothing lethal, but standard-issue for ANBU to capture.

Itachi collapsed, the jutsu that had been controlling him wearing off. Slowly, ‘Itachi’ faded, revealing an Iwagakure ninja who was in considerable pain. Ekyt got down near him, to interrogate him.




Sakura suddenly saw them- five of them. Itachis. All of them were swooping in toward Ekyt. They had all been birds, hiding in the trees. In mid-flight, they all became Itachi, kunai at the ready. Not knowing what else to do, Sakura bolted in front of Ekyt. She took up a sturdy stance, and prepared herself for pain. A loud yell escaped her throat as the kunai were thrust into her body.

Just as he turned around, Ekyt saw Sakura, five kunai stuck in her. His eyes widened.

“Dear God…” Ekyt scrambled in front of her, absently using a “Dragon’s Encampment Wall” to keep the Itachi’s at bay for a few moments.. I-I couldn’t do it…I couldn’t protect anyone! Damnit! Please, don’t die on! Sakura, if you die…I’ll never forgive myself! Just hold on, please!

“This isn’t good…We’d better get her to the hospital…” Kakashi didn’t like the look of the stab wounds. NO stab wound was good, but five at once…When Sakura moaned in pain, Kakashi, Naruto, and even Sasuke turned to Ekyt.

“Go. THIS has just become personal…” Ekyt muttered dangerously. Just the sound of his voice sent chills down the spines of his comrades.

“They’re clones, all of them,” Kakashi said. I’ve never seen him so angry…to stop him now would be a mistake…And if there’s more, they’re most likely targeting Sasuke. That means he’ll need help. And Sakura…I hope Ekyt got the ‘message within the message here-kill them, Ekyt. They’re not people. And they’re hurting others. What was it the samurai say? ‘It’s better to take the life of one who takes lives of others, than to let that one person live and claim 100 lives? I know you’ve read it, now use it, Ekyt!

“I’m helping him!” Naruto declared.

“Naruto, we’re likely to be attacked by the real thing on the way. Let Ekyt handle these, there’ll be more.” Kakashi and Sasuke had already discussed it, agreeing that this was the way to go.




Inside of Ekyt, something snapped. He was, for the first time, going to soil his blade by taking the life of another. Clones or not, they were flesh and blood. And Ekyt was going to kill them.

If Sakura dies…I’ll never forgive myself. NEVER. Please, hold on, Sakura. I’d do anything…to make sure you were alright…

With that, Ekyt began dismantling the Itachi’s. Each one died in a gruesome manner. The first Itachi was pinned to a tree throught the stomach by Ekyt’s samurai katana, then pierced through the eyes with kunai. His sword lodged in the tree for now, Ekyt threw five needles next, hitting an Itachi in the groin, stomach, jugular, spine, and heart. The third Itachi tried to make handsigns, but Ekyt cut him off-literally. Using his short ANBU sword, Ekyt diced his hands off. As Itachi staggered backward, Ekyt thrust the sword into both shoulders, and then stabbed upward, cutting Itachi through the stomach and out the other side. Ekyt’s other sword was now lodged in the ground, so he pulled out his last remaining weapon: the iron war fan he had placed on his desk when he was the ‘pretend Fifth Hokage’. Flicking it open, he sliced at Itachi in a plus-sign pattern, then followed up with a neck-height cut that severed the clone’s head. The last Itachi was sliced in half quickly. Ekyt’s anger hadn’t faded yet. Before the last Itachi disappeared, like the others, Ekyt used his Dragon’s Ember Jutsu to roast it.
As if in a trance, Ekyt picked up all his weapons. He looked back at where he had just fought, seeing the carnage replayed in his head.

Even though they were only clones…I attacked as though I meant to kill…I never once stopped to feel regret. And yet…I fought honorably. I had no undue advantages, and I won cleanly. It’s unnerving…I caused five deaths…even if they weren’t real…it still feels as though I accomplished something. There’s no basis for that feeling at all.

Ekyt looked up at the moon. It was in a sickle-shape, and it cast pale yellow light down onto him.
I should go see Sakura…Itachi, I swear you’ll pay, if anything’s happened to her. Somehow, I know I talked to the real Itachi tonight. He IS keeping me alive for a reason. Sasuke, I might have to break my promise to you…if Itachi comes at me, meaning to kill, I’ll have to kill him to stop him. You won’t understand it, but that’s how it is, I guess. I hope it doesn’t happen that way. I hope I don’t have any reason to get revenge on Itachi…

That horse’s @$$…



Kakashi pushed through the doors of the hospital, Naruto and Sasuke holding Sakura on a makeshift stretcher.

“This is an emergency! Where the hell is everyone?!” Naruto demanded.

“It’s midnight…they’re asleep. There should be a nurse on duty. If not, we’ll wake Lady Tsunade. At first glance, Sakura’s cuts aren’t deep, but they DID come close to her tenketsu. Her chakra might be slow, or weaker for a while, as the tenketsu heal themselves.”

“Something doesn’t seem right…but I can’t tell what…” Sasuke was studying Sakura. If it was a genjutsu, my Sharingan would see through it…This whole night has been weird, that must be it…

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