A Chance Encounter

Chapter 9

Hiroto let out a throaty laugh, "So you think you're going to kill me?"

"I know I'm going to" Sasuke said with no hesitation, his voice low. There was no doubt in his mind, Hiroto would die at his hands. This man took everything from him as a child, then tried to again as an adult, there was no room for mercy.

"You're wasting your time here with me when you should-"

"Be after Itachi?" Sasuke finished for him. "Don't worry, he's been dealt with."

Hiroto hid his surprise well, but not completely. So Sasuke decided to continue, to antagonize him more.

"You see Hiroto, I've lived this night before. I know how you and Danzo manipulated Itachi into massacring the clan so you can harvest the Sharingan eyes. I knew exactly where Itachi would be tonight and exactly how to take care of him."

Hiroto scoffed, "You expect me to believe that you killed your own brother?"

Sasuke then activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, "Do these eyes look familiar to you?"

Hiroto couldn't hide his surprise this time, and to Sasuke's pleasure, there was fear mixed in as well.

He smirked. "Now all there is to do is deal with you."

"Even if you kill me, the Uchiha will be blamed anyways and will still suffer the same fate."

Sasuke stood upright again, and without saying a word, knocked him unconscious.

• • • • •

Itachi moved quickly through the shadows after he parted ways with Sasuke. He had sensed that his wife had engaged with Hiroto and needed to get to her so he told Itachi to go to their home.

He quietly slipped inside the house through the back door into the kitchen, "Mother? Father?" There was no answer. From what he could see the house looked to be in order, there was no sign or a fight or struggle.

He made his way down towards the bedrooms. He peered into Sasuke's room and everything was normal, the same could be said for his. He reached the door of the guest room, where Sasuke and Sakura had been staying, and the back wall of the room was destroyed.

Panic began to creep into his chest, "Mother? Father?" he called out to them again, louder this time. He was hoping they were here.

He saw the door to his parents room open and Mikoto ran to him and immediately hugged him close.

"Itachi we were so worried. Are you alright?"

He rested his head on her shoulder, tightening his grip on her, "I am now." It made him sick knowing what he was about to do to his family, his whole clan. It made the anger inside him come to a boil.

"Where's Sasuke?" he asked, referring to his brother from this current time. "He's safe. He's here with us." His mother answered, much to Itachi's relief.

He hugged her again tightly before holding her back at arms length. "There's one more thing I need to do, I'll be back."

• • • • •

"What do you mean he left?" Sasuke asked his parents as he dropped an unconscious Hiroto to the ground with a thump.

"He said there was one thing had had to do and that he would be back. We thought he was looking for you" Mikoto answered her son. She now realized that she shouldn't have let him leave but knew she couldn't stop him.

Sasuke cursed under his breath. "Sakura, do not let Hiroto out of your sight." And he was gone in an instant.

He moved along the rooftops to have a better vantage point over the compound but deep in his gut he knew where Itachi was going. In the distance he could see the large building of The Foundation.

He moved silently through its halls and stairwells, avoiding prying eyes of the guards on patrol. He didn't need their attention, he needed to get in and get out. As he climbed closer and closer to the top he sensed Itachi's chakra.

He opened the door to Danzo's office. The two men who were guarding him laid on the floor; unconscious or dead, he didn't know. Itachi had ahold of Danzo by his throat.

"Itachi stop!" He called out to his brother but he was a moment too late. He dropped Danzo to the floor and turned to face his brother, his blood covered hand holding Shisui's right eye.

"It had to be done" he said calmly, so matter-of-fact.

Sasuke looked from his brother's hand to Danzo. He was on his knees, holding his hand over his now bleeding eye socket. He looked panicked, terrified; deep down Sasuke was relishing this but knew this wasn't the time.

When Itachi noticed Sasuke's anger brewing he tried to speak, "You said so your-"

"I know what I said!" He said through clenched teeth, trying to keep his voice low, "This was not the time or way Itachi."

Sasuke walked to where Danzo was huddled on the ground. He grabbed his shirt at his tight shoulder and yanked it down to reveal his arm. It did not contain any Sharingan eyes, not like when he faced him at 17.

"Itachi, give me the eye." He did as he was told and laid the eye in Sasuke's outstretched hand. Without saying a word he incinerated it with his Amaterasu; no one could abuse its power again.

"Who are you?" Danzo whispered, looking up at Sasuke.

He couldn't help but laugh at the irony, if only he knew. He grabbed Danzo by his shirt again and lifted him to his feet, "Don't worry, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Before he could respond Sasuke activated his Sharingan and placed him under Genjutsu. Once he was finished he dropped his unconscious body back to the floor.

"What did you do?" Itachi asked.

"I made him believe Hiroto did this. That he attacked him here and removed Shisui's eye for himself and then left. This way we aren't to blame."

Itachi nodded in agreement, it was the best shot they had at protecting the clan from blame because of his rash decision.

"Come on, we need to get out of here."