Red Butterfly

Chapter 8, Shisui of The Body Flicker

Itachi's P.O.V

Running with such persistence was doing nothing good for me. I was just perplexed and paranoid at what Danzo could possibly do to Shisui. Despite my heart that was skipping beats abnormally, I managed to halt in my tracks and forced myself to think straight.

Calm down Itachi.

Think straight and develop a plan.

Your best friend is none other than Shisui of The Body Flicker. He won't go down without a fight.

Maintaining this positive mindset has successfully resulted in me calming down my untamable nerves. I took a moment to catch my breath, making sure to think of a plan to retrieve Shisui. Even though Shisui is a fine ninja and one that appears once in every generation (As stated by Danzo before)if he's outnumbered the chances of his survival are uncertain. The crow landed on my right shoulder as I asked it about the ratio of Danzo's Anbus to Shisui. The chill from earlier scattered once again throughout my body when it answered that there are ten-to-fifteen Anbu members from Danzo's Foundation targeting Shisui. The intel the crow supplied me with also stated that Danzo is present there.

I start to think over and over again, the worst possible scenario cases popping in my head. My pacifist thinking wasn't helping with the situation at all. I can't just barge into the battle to aid Shisui. What made me drop to my knees and tremble in fear was the realization that if the Uchiha knew about Danzo targeting Shisui then the uprising would finally make its long-waited outbreak. As a result, a civil war in the Hidden Leaf would take place, making the other great nations intervene. The worst possible case being a Fourth Great Ninja War.

I still haven't completely healed from the trauma caused by the Third Great Ninja War. I don't think that my heart can take in the sights of dead shinobi scattered everywhere on the battlefield one more time. There's no telling if the trauma would ever go away. One thing I managed to decide in this unstable mental state was that I'll have to get Shisui out of the battlefield and immediately head to the Uchiha district where Danzo would be completely immobile if we were located within the barracks of our own clan.

And so I run. I run to save Shisui's life. I run to save my life. I run to prevent a disastrous outcome from tonight's indiscretions. I run to my next location, in order to seek help from the only person that popped into my head in this state of mind. I run with all my might, pursuing the whereabouts of Hanabi Namikaze.

My next stop would certainly be the Leaf's hospital. I don't stop running with all my might, not even when my body begged for a small rest. Not even when I almost felt my lungs out of breath. I didn't stop running. I ran and ran ensuing my body the need to catch a proper breath before I begin maniacally running again.

My eyes lit up when I finally spotted the Leaf's hospital in my view and a sparse spark of hope was resurrected again within me. I rushed towards the hospital building, the crow following me, circling around in circles as it kept on pursuing me. I arrive at the hospital at last, and from there I rush to Hanabi's room. I still recalled the directions the nurse gave me the other day.

My eyes sparkled with all the hope that my anxiety had killed along time ago, involuntarily tears filled my dead, murk eyes as I breathlessly lunged towards the closed door to her hospital room. I felt the tears being carried away by the wind as I pounced in the door's direction, in a single blow, the door burst open, leaving me to take in the sight of a fear-driven Hanabi who jolted at the bursting of the door.

"Hanabi!", I yelled, the jug of water slithered out of her grasp as she attempted to take in a breath. Her hand on her chest as she witnessed me.

"Itachi..?", her voice was a scarce whisper, her eyes still trying to digest the sudden sight of me. Like a maniac, I jostled towards her, clasping her shoulders in two tightly clenched fists, bringing her closer to me. Her eyes were taking in the sight of my bloodshot ones. Then, suddenly my voice disappeared as I tried to form words to address her. I was left sniffing away tears and struggling to utter a single. My lower lip began quivering, my brows creasing and my eyes tried to speak on my behalf.