51: Of Crows and Blood-Red Eyes By: HokagenoNaruto(Naruto x Akame ga kill)

Fic type: Crossover

Was recently revived. Itachi in Akame ga kill. It's an alright read.

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Of Crows and Blood-Red Eyes

By: HokagenoNaruto

Uchiha Itachi never expected to live after his fight with Sasuke. In fact, he was one hundred percent sure that he hadn't; his revival by Edo Tensei assured that. So, even he couldn't help but be surprised when he opened his eyes once more to a world similar, but at the same time, completely different from his own. Given another chance at life, what will Itachi do?

Rated: Fiction M - English - Adventure - Itachi U. - Chapters: 8 - Words: 48,293 - Reviews: 302 - Favs: 790 - Follows: 943 - Updated: 9h ago - Published: Nov 14, 2014 - id: 10823378

Link:https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10823378/1/Of-Crows-and-Blood-Red-Eyes

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Chapter 1

I do not own Naruto or Akame ga Kill. This story is meant for entertainment purposes only, and in no way, shape or form does it express the opinions of the original authors, or myself.

Uchiha Itachi was not a man who aimed to discover ways to lengthen his life beyond his natural capacity. Nor was he one who wishes at a second chance at life. When he had essentially committed suicide during his battle with Sasuke, Itachi has wished that it would be the last time he would wake. That he would finally be met with some semblance of peace for the crimes he had committed during his time alive, despite the intent of greater good within them.

So when he awoke as an undead warrior opposing the Joint Shinobi Alliance, he was far from pleased. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the gift he had stored inside of Naruto, meant to be used on Sasuke, Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan, cast the Kotoamatsukami on himself. Itachi fought alongside his brother one final time, defeating the dark genius controlling the many legendary shinobi, Kabuto. They made their peace, and he hoped that his brother had finally understood what to do.

As stated before, he was not a man who wanted second chances. He was satisfied with his death; Itachi had no need or want to be alive again. After defeating Kabuto, he had closed his eyes and smiled kindly as he spoke to his brother for the final time and passed on.

So imagine his surprise, when he opened his eyes- his real eyes- right after "dying" again.

Itachi lay on the ground in an unknown clearing, surrounded by miles of forest. For a moment, he believed he was dreaming. After all, such landscapes did not exist in limbo. But as more time passed, Itachi began to notice that his "dream" was becoming closer and closer to reality. His right hand slowly came up, feeling his face. Tingling electrical pulses raced through his body as skin made contact with skin, causing his eyes to widen.

He got up, his body somewhat sore.

"What's going on...?" He wondered, curious about where he was. He was wearing the same clothing he had been wearing throughout the majority of his time in life. That is to say, the clothing he wore before fighting Sasuke. Itachi felt around his body, noticing that he still had his kunai and shuriken pouches equipped, as well as the other hidden weapons he once had on his person, each in the exact spot he remembered them to be. Covering him entirely was his Akatsuki cloak, the red cloud patterns bringing back memories of a time long past.

Pulling out a kunai, he gazed into it. His eyes lacked the black sclera that was a telltale sign of resurrection via Edo Tensei. Furthermore, his vision was similar to the time before he had gained his Mangekyou. He could see clearly, his eyes revealing details that he had long forsaken seeing. He glanced up, looking around once more. There were no recent signs of human life that would possibly give him hints.

'Am I...alive?' he thought with wonder. It just couldn't be possible, could it? How could he have been brought back to life, if that is what happened. His grip on his kunai tightened. Sighing slightly, he dragged it across his palm, applying light pressure, opening up a cut.

'Pain. I feel...pain.'

As his hand began to bleed lightly, Itachi was stuck with a new revelation. He was alive. Somehow, through some unknown means and for some unknown cause, he was alive. He didn't know what to make of it. He could be happy of course; he was being given a second chance, different from what Kabuto had done. An actual chance to live his life.

He gazed into his kunai once more, willing his Sharingan to life. It came normally, his chakra flow once again setting in that he was indeed alive. The pinwheel eyes that had caused so much suffering for so many people spun idly, before morphing further as he applied more chakra. Slowly, the three tomoes merged into a single, connected pattern. The shuriken of his Mangekyou.

"So what now?" He mused out loud. What was he to do? Simply live? To find something he enjoyed doing, and do so until he passed away once more?

"I'll leave such questions for a later date," he said, shaking his head, deciding on a rudimentary course of action. His first order of business would be to find civilization. From the trees surrounding him, he could only assume he was somewhere in Hi no Kuni. He began walking in the direction of where Konoha would be, having a mental map and instincts built for where it was from his time in ANBU.

As he walked more and more, Itachi could not help but notice that while there were trees, and many of them, none of them felt like the trees of his homeland. The trees there were much larger and grand, giving off the presence of hundreds of years of aged natural beauty. The trees here were comparatively young, having little chakra running through them.

'Perhaps I've landed in another country, or I'm near the outskirts of Hi no Kuni?'

It would certainly make sense why nothing felt right. As if he was in a different territory altogether; he didn't quite know why he felt this, but he had always trusted his instincts, for they had rarely been wrong.

Thirty minutes later, as he continued to travel idly, Itachi sensed a group of people near his location. It was far from a small group, but the chakra levels that he sensed were barely that of a civilian level, leading him to deduce it was likely a caravan. He took to the trees immediately, hopping from branch to branch to where he sensed they were. With his immense speed, built up from years of being a shinobi, he was there in a matter of seconds.

His curious eyes examined the people as they walked along the caravan from behind a tree. They were wearing clothing that was quite different from the traditional clothing designs that ran fairly similar throughout the Elemental Nations. He noted what appeared to be guards standing at random intervals, hired to protect the merchandise that was being carried. They too, were dressed oddly. The closest resemblance he would think of was the samurai of Tetsu no Kuni, who also wore armour.

Yet, despite that, this armour was clearly designed uniquely. It was much sleeker than samurai armour, allowing for more movement. However, the condensed appearance of the metal made it appear much heavier, but also better suited to withstand blows. A symbol with a circular shield with a bold cross within it was emblazoned on the shoulder of each soldier.

'Why would a caravan hire common soldiers for protection? Granted, they are less expensive, but shinobi have a much higher success rate.'

Itachi gazed on, trying to find anything of interest in the caravan. Other than the strange people and soldiers, the veteran shinobi could find none. He decided to follow the caravan, hoping it would lead him to civilization, which would the first method of discovering where exactly he was situated.

Two Days Later

For two days, Itachi had tailed the caravan in hopes it would lead him to civilization. As the caravan progressed on its journey, Itachi noted that the temperature slowly dropped. The dense forests thinned and slowly gave way into a snowy tundra. Itachi, despite being trained to endure in all forms of weather and the Akatsuki cloak being equipped with seals to regulate body temperature, was beginning to feel cold. After observing for some time, he had discovered that the caravan indeed had extra woolen cloaks. Itachi had easily snuck into the carriage in the dark of night and stolen one.

Furthermore, Itachi also noted that the soldiers were acting much more relaxed. While still weary, they appeared to have lost a certain paranoia that plagued their journey through the forests. They had begun laughing, as well as talking avidly with each other over drinks of ale. He had thought that perhaps the caravan had been afraid of the bandit camps that were known to dot the landscape of Hi no Kuni.

But he had bigger problems than his destination. He still had no idea as to why, or how he was even alive. The people appeared to speak the same language as him, though he had yet to make many attempts to read their lips to discern what they were saying. From the few times he had, they were speaking of mundane things that didn't help his cause at all.

He was currently walking some ways away from the caravan, not wanting to be found out. While it would certainly be easier to walk closer to the caravan in the snowy weather, he didn't want to be found out and possibly recognized. Rather than attempting to maintain a Henge and impersonate someone, Itachi had decided that observing from a distance was the much easier alternative, albeit slightly more taxing.

He continued trying to observe his surroundings. From the snow, he would have to say he was in Yuki no Kuni, during the winter months. He had not been to the country very often, but it would explain the snowy weather, as well as the different customs and clothing. He had heard that the people of Yuki no Kuni were a bit different from the rest of the Elemental Nations.

Itachi also couldn't but wonder how the remainder of the war had gone. He had faith that his younger brother and Naruto had managed to emerge victorious. However, war was war, and it was not without sacrifice. The very basis of war itself was sacrifice. It caused the sacrifice of ammunition, food, other forms of weaponry, money and most of all, lives. People died in war, and it was the very thing Itachi had strived to stop in his lifetime.

He would remain a pacifist forever; he knew this to be fact. The horrors he had been forced to view forever scarred him, even to this day. His entire personality had been developed around the thought and dream of keeping the peace. Each and every thing he did was for that purpose- the purpose of having peace; from the massacre of his clan, to willingly becoming a missing-ninja to spy on Akatsuki.

As he had been walking, lost in his thoughts, Itachi had subconsciously noticed that the previously calm winds had begun to pick up. Snow began falling slowly at first, but began to rapidly increase the speed of it's descent, along with the amount. In but a few minutes, a blizzard was raging around him, the winds howling ominously.

Itachi gripped his stolen cloak tighter, pulling it closer to his body. He narrowed his eyes, his survival instincts going haywire. He had a feeling something was amiss.

And he was far from wrong; moments later, he heard a feminine scream come from the caravan, followed by various shouts of the men. He couldn't make out exactly what they said, but Itachi had been in situations such as these far too much and immediately knew what was wrong- they were under attack. But the question of what still remained.

Itachi strained his newly healed eyes, attempting to see through the thick sheets of snow that fell around him. At most, he was able to make out blurry outlines of the caravan and people running around. As he ran closer, he was able to see another shape, one that was far from human. It appeared to stand about ten feet tall, with a lean body and long neck. A long shape ran out from its backside, and Itachi could only assume that it was a tail. It's red eyes glinted even through the snow, shiny white teeth glittering as they ripped into the body of a man. It appeared to have proportionate sized arms.

He was closer to it now, and as it raised his head and roared it's superiority, Itachi felt the pure bloodlust that flowed from the creature. Similar roars erupted from other parts of the caravan, followed by screams of fright and pain.

'There's an entire pack of them,' Itachi thought with slightly wide eyes. He was not normally impressed or taken by surprise by anything. But the fact he had never once before seen this creature was what surprised him. With each moment, he was beginning to believe that he wasn't in Yuki. The country may be filled with snow and constant blizzards, but even it didn't have any reports of monstrous beasts such as these.

Suddenly, Itachi felt something moving towards him. He quickly glanced behind himself, seeing another one of the beasts charging straight at him. He calmly waited for it to near him, jumping over it with graceful ease obtained through years of training, tossing a quick kunai at its head.

The beast moved, diverting the blow the kunai only ended up in its side. It gave a roar of pain, giving Itachi time to burst through a series of handseals, his hands mere blurs to the naked human eye.

'Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!'

Several balls of fire rushed towards the beast from Itachi's mouth. They burst against its skin in miniature explosions, knocking the beast over. Itachi didn't waste any time as it's body rushed forward, kunai already in hand, and stabbed it through the monsters eyes. It gave him a final look of defiance as the light in its eyes faded, passing on to the next world.

He stood up from his crouched position, lightly shaking the snow from his cloak. He wiped the kunai against the monsters skin, and retrieved the one he had thrown earlier.

Itachi ran forward, noticing the other monsters still harassing the people in the caravan. He kept a kunai in each hand, ready to defend himself at any given time.

"They appear to have a decently tough hide. However, while there is some intelligence, they are not very strong by themselves," he muttered absently to himself. As he neared another beast, he noticed it being held off shakily by a soldier, it's maw being prevented from biting into the soldier by the sword that was in its mouth. It growled, lashing its tail out at the soldier's head, aiming for the killing blow so that it could eat the woman and child behind the soldier.

The woman shouted out a warning, but it came too late. The soldier was smashed off to the side, his body colliding with the caravan. The soldier hastily stood up on shaking legs, but the beast was already upon him once more.

However, before it could close its jaws on his head, Itachi interfered. He leaped into the air, his kunai flying straight into the top of the head of the beast. It didn't go very deep, but Itachi quickly remedied that by sinking the kunai into its brain with a drop kick on his descent.

Its heavy body held its ground for a few moments, before falling on its side. The soldier in front of him, who was about to get eaten, dropped to his knees in shock. He seemed to realize he had been saved, and turning to profusely thank his mysterious saviour, but Itachi was already gone, moving onto the next beast.

He noticed that some of the soldiers had formed a tight ring, fighting off a small group of monsters. Within the ring, an elegantly dressed man sat on the ground, clutching a woman who was beside him tightly. He appeared to be middle aged, wearing a royal purple coloured hat, along with a long flowing cloak. Compared to his own, the man's was much more intricately designed. The woman beside him was dressed similarly, though her face contained a lot more make up. Of course, what beauty she might have had was ruined by the utterly petrified look on her face. She was much younger than the man, leaving the question of what sort of relationship they shared hanging.

'That must be their employer, and possibly his daughter.' Itachi thought as he ran to help them.

He jumped on one of the beasts that had been about to break the ring of soldiers, the kunai in his hands flashing forward in two killing blows. One went straight for the beast's throat, slitting it, the other going into the side of its head. As it fell, Itachi pushed off the now dead body with his legs, pulling his kunai with him and landing in a crouch beside it.

The soldiers noticed the new arrival who had clearly just saved them. They gave the hooded newcomer grateful nods, before focusing their efforts back on the fight at hand. He was clearly strong, and his help would be beneficial in saving the lives of their employers.

A second beast that had just picked up a soldier by the waist bit into him, ripping the man in half. Itachi gave a small wince at the gruesome sight as the man screamed at his now separated body. However, he didn't let it hinder him as he jumped forward, slashing at the beast.

It backed away immediately, narrowly dodging Itachi's kunai. It gave him a guttural growl, before its tail whipped forward to smash him to pieces.

The beast appeared to smile victoriously as his opponent was 'hit'. However, it gained a confused look as the once man before him went up in smoke, a shattered rock left in his place. It was put out of its confusion quickly, however, as Itachi sunk both kunai into its head.

There was one more beast remaining, Itachi noted. It was much larger than the others, with a murderous look on its face. It was the first one he had seen, though he noticed one thing he hadn't before. A glittering red gem emerged from its chest, shining dangerously every now and then.

He ran at it, jumped over the bodies of his previous foes.

'The size of this one...it must be the leader. I cannot assume that it will be exactly the same.'

One of the soldiers noticed his charge, and yelled out after him. "Careful, stranger! Its hide is capable of deflecting our blades!"

Itachi glanced at him momentarily, before turning his attention back on the much larger beast in front of him. He threw an experimental shuriken at it, and was not surprised was it bounced off the skin as if it was mere rock.

'It appears the soldier was right.'

He paid it no mind however, continuing his run fearlessly. The beasts tail shot forward at it, and Itachi noted the sharp edge as he narrowly dodged it, his Sharingan blazing to life.

'An evolved tool for stabbing that the others did not have.'

He leaped to the side to avoid its mouth, bringing his hands up to his mouth.

'Katon: Gokakyu!'

The grand ball of fire that was famous in Konoha as the signature technique of the Uchiha clan rushed towards the giant beast. It's size prevented it from dodging, and it took a direct hit. The ball of fire and heat exploded outward as it collided with the skin, eliciting a deep roar from the beast.

It quickly fell over onto its side, breathing deeply. Itachi calmly walked toward it, the kunai slicing across the throat of the beast, where he had discovered the skin was softer and easier to pierce. Needless to say, it was still very tough, but with some force applied, it was cut.

He stood up, wiping the kunai against the skin of the monster and putting it back into his pouch.

Itachi stood up, the rush of battle leaving him slowly. The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him of the soldiers approaching him, and he turned to meet them

Their faces were weary from the battle, and while they appeared to mean no harm, their hands remained close to their swords, in the case that their saviour turned out to be an enemy. One of the soldiers walked up to him, his sword sheathed.

The soldier smiled amiably, offering Itachi his hand. He stared at it for a moment, before hesitantly taking it with his own.

The soldier spoke, shaking Itachi's hand. "I am Commodore Segusa, and on behalf of my men, and myself, I thank you for killing those Ice Dragoons. Without your assistance, we certainly would've died. I will ensure you are rewarded generously, as long as you return with us to our home. But I must ask, what is the name of your Teigu? I have never seen one capable of creating such strong flames."

Itachi blinked, the new terms flowing through his head. It appeared those monsters were called Ice Dragoons, giving him name for the previously unnamed hostile species. But he had only one question that truly remained...

What on earth was a Teigu?!

-The End-

Well, I'm back with another story. I would update my other ones, but after three months of not logging into fanfiction, all the progress I had made for the next chapters got deleted, leaving me very, VERY sad. I'm currently busy gathering the courage to rewrite them T_T

Anyway, I've recently been watching Akame ga Kill, and with Naruto ending, I figured why not. I was originally going to put Sasuke into this, but I personally like Itachi's character much more, and I thought it would be interesting to see him in the world of Akame ga Kill, fighting against the evil Empire. This was a fairly action packed chapter, considering it was the first chapter of a story, which frankly surprised me. I usually don't do that, but oh well, better for you guys. I'm gonna try and keep Itachi's character how he would normally act and HOPEFULLY, I won't ruin him. He's like my most favourite character ever :D

Also, I still have to go back and re-write the first six-ish chapters of Wind Shadow of Fairy Tail. At the time, they seemed good. However, my writing style and just the quality of my writing has certainly progressed, so I'm gonna go back and set those chapters with the format and style of writing I usually have. Oh, and fix bunch of grammar mistakes in some of them because they were the unbeta'd chapters. So yeah, I'll do that first before attempting to go back to writing the next chapter for it. And I was almost done it too T_T

Review and tell me what you think.

HokagenoNaruto, out.

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Chapter 2

I do not own Naruto or Akame ga Kill. This story is meant for entertainment purposes only, and in no way, shape or form does it express the opinions of the original authors, or myself.

Itachi frowned as he lay down in the bed of his newly acquired inn room. Much had happened in the past week since he had found out he was alive and arrived in what was dubbed the Northern Territory.

Itachi gained a confused look at the mention of the world Teigu. He truly didn't understand what the man, Commodore Segusa, had meant by that. As far as he knew, a thing such as a Teigu simply didn't exist. The term implied it was a weapon or ability of sorts, yet any tool that was mildly significant was known to Itachi. Whether it was a blade wielded by a missing ninja to a bloodline in the hands of a clan, Itachi knew of them.

So what was this Teigu exactly? The Commodore had mentioned he had never seen one capable of creating such strong flames. 'That implies that it is a weapon I am dealing with, one that creates fire. However, do all of them do such? Or do these Teigu have different ability. And what form do they take? Are they swords?'

Various questions ran through Itachi's mind, and the more he attempted to think about them, the greater his confusion grew.

The man was growing impatient, Itachi noted. It would be prudent to simply give the man a name, as he had so requested.

"The name of my...Teigu," Itachi began, his tongue adjusting to the new word. He paused momentarily, trying to think of a name. He decided to go with the first name that came to mind. After all, if these people had never heard the name he thought of, then he doubted they would question it.

"It is called Sharingan."

Segusa nodded, showing no visible recognition of the name, though he continued to stare at Itachi, as if searching for some form of odd weaponry on him. "Ah, would it be possible for me to see it? I have never seen a Teigu in my life," he asked, mild curiosity and excitement dancing on his face.

Itachi blinked, not knowing what to say now. A Teigu was clearly a solid, physical weapon, according to the Commodore's question. He currently had no significant looking weapon with him, and he doubted he could pass his actual Sharingan off as his Teigu.

Finally, he decided to simply go with an easier alternative. Until he found out more, it would be unwise to speak of things he simply didn't know about.

He subtly made hand seals, opening his mouth as if about to speak, diverting the attention of the gathered soldiers.

'False Illusion: Altered Memory.'

The illusion spread over the group, his will conveyed via his chakra. The soldiers would now believe he was merely a slightly above average warrior who had saved them. He had shown no significant skills, and merely was lucky to survive against the beasts. The soldiers had also done a lot more, and assisted the strange man in taking down the alpha, which had been about to kill him.

Segusa nodded, gesturing for Itachi to follow.

"Once more, I must thank you. Please, come with us to our home so that our lord may reward you."

Following that, Itachi had traveled with the caravan for another week. Over the course of the week, despite the bad weather and constant snow, they managed to avoid another monster attack from Danger Beasts, as Itachi had learned the animals to be called. During his stay, Itachi had made it a point to learn as much as he could through asking seemingly innocent questions to the civilians, who would suspect much less.

Itachi graciously took the tea offered to him by a male servant as he respectfully sat in front of the owner of the caravan, a man who he discovered went by the name of Ushogu Tamara, and his wife, Ushogu Hama. While Itachi had often seen daimyos and other nobles with wives much younger than themselves, it was something he never truly understood. Their joining was often simply on of mutual understanding; the daimyo desired a trophy wife, while the lady desired the riches and luxurious lifestyle of the daimyo.

The servant left after a short bow, and Itachi was left staring at the two in front of him. He gave them a grateful nod.

"Thank you for the tea."

The man in front of him waved his hand dismissively. "It is us who should thank you..."

Tamara trailed off, leaving the hidden invitation open. Itachi took a sip of tea.

"Itachi...U-"

He paused. While the people here would have likely never heard of him due to their lack of recognition of the Sharingan, he doubted they would know the name of 'Uchiha'. Yet, despite this, Itachi was still paranoid. Names had power. And that was one thing Itachi did not want at this moment. He had no desire to fight any longer. He simply wanted to stop. Uchiha Itachi was the name of the missing ninja, feared throughout the entire Elemental Nations. But right now...he was not in the Elemental Nations.

"Uchiha Itachi," he continued. While it was true that his name was one feared as that of a brutal killer, he would not make it so in this world. The name Uchiha would not be feared here by innocents, he vowed to himself.

'Only loved, as it once was in Konoha.'

The two in front of him nodded, satisfied. "Well, Itachi-san, if there is anything you need, then please, do ask."

Itachi set down his cup, mulling over the options. There was truly only one thing he needed right now; and that was answers to his many questions. But asking mere civilians might not prove as effective. Yet, it would also be the safer alternative. Civilians that had no formal military training often did not question why they were being asked certain things. They merely answered.

"I would be very grateful if you could answer a few of my questions," he began. At Tamara's nod to continue, he spoke again.

"I have unfortunately never been this far into the country," he said, his words flowing smoothly. "May I know where I am exactly?"

"Ah, you're currently in the Northern Territory. I can understand why you may not have been here; not many who are not native to this land willingly venture this far. It's a very harsh place to live indeed. In fact, my wife barely adjusted when she first moved here, away from the Western Territory."

Itachi paused, taking in the information. The land he was in appeared to be divided into nations based upon the four cardinal directions; North, South, East and West. Atleast, that was what he assumed. So far, he had only heard of the Northern and Western Territories. He assumed that there were Southern and Eastern Territories to compliment this.

The division was reminiscent of the Elemental Nations, though much simpler; countries of the Elemental Nations were divided by a defining character trait featured throughout the land. Tsuchi no Kuni had it's relatively flat landscape, with outcroppings of rocks scattered across the nation; Kaminari no Kuni was similarly named after the many thunderstorms that ran rampant around the land. However, the land here was simply divided based upon the cardinal directions, resulting in only four distinct territories instead of the many the dotted the Elemental Nations.

Itachi cleared his throat to catch the attention of the man once more. "May I know where this caravan is heading exactly?"

This time, it was Tamara's wife, Hama, who answered him, her soft voice a distinct contrast to Tamara's more boisterous tone.

"We are headed to the capital of the Northern Territory, Itachi-san."

'So I am headed straight towards where the leader of this country will most likely be.'

And he had been right; upon arrival to the capital of the Northern Territory two days after officially joining the caravan, Itachi had been directed by the soldiers to come with them as they reported in to their leader, who he learned to be called Numa Seika. Before that however, they had visited a large wooden storehouse, where Itachi witnessed the other contents of the caravan being unloaded. There were swords, spears, pieces of armour, as well as long, dark objects. They were generally thin with ends that widened downward, though some had varying sizes. Itachi could not tell what they were, but he assumed that the objects were some form of weaponry.

Itachi stood before the man that the soldiers referred to as Numa Seika, the Hero of the North. He was a young man with long black hair and blue eyes. He wore a grey suit of armor on top of a purple high-collared shirt. He also wore a metal headpiece with the symbol of the North, which matched the ones on his chest plate and shoulder guards, as well as a purple cape.

They were currently in a large court room, with Numa sitting upon a throne-like chair at the very end. Their were attendants, soldiers and nobles rushing around, discussing with each other in rapid paced tones.

'They're urgent to do something...but what?'

The soldiers beside him immediately dropped to the ground, kneeling with their heads bowed. The Commodore spared Itachi a glance, which he understood immediately. Following the soldier's lead, he also dropped to a knee.

"My liege," Segusa began. "We have fulfilled the task of returning Ushogu Tamara and his wife, along with their caravan of arms and other supplies to the capital. They are safe inside their home, and the weapons and armour have been unloaded and stored within the Storehouse B, deep within the city."

Itachi glanced upwards, looking on as Numa stood up, a smile on his face. "Well done, Segusa. Your squadron has once again proven their ability, though I must ask; who is this man with you?"

The curiosity in his voice was obvious, and despite the kind look he kept on his face, Itachi could see the gears turning inside the man's brain. He noticed how his fingers subtly twitched, and soldiers and other people in his court began to casually reposition themselves, blocking off all exits.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. 'He might be a prince, but he is far from naive. He has the mind of a true soldier, one who has learned to be cautious at all times.'

If Segusa had noticed this too, he didn't comment on it or show any outward reaction. "This is Uchiha Itachi, a soldier who assisted us when the caravan was attacked by a group of Danger Beasts. With his help, we were able to keep losses to a minimal, except for the death of Corporal Hayabuto Takashi, who died an honourable death fighting to protect the caravan."

Numa nodded, his interest in Itachi put on hold. "Was the body recovered?"

Segusa shook his head, his eyes sombre and downcast at the loss of his friend and fellow soldier. "Not all of it, my prince. His lower half was ripped away and eaten before we could stop the beast. However, we have preserved the upper body as best we could for his family to give him a proper burial."

Numa gestured for something, one of his attendants rushing to his side with a pen and paper in hand. Giving them to Numa, he bowed and promptly left.

Numa looked over the paper for a minute, before picking up the pen and writing something on it. Folding it, he gestured for Segusa to take it. "See to it that this is given to Takashi's family- a small comfort in their mourning. Also, you and your platoon get this week off, Captain Segusa."

Segusa bowed his head gratefully at his obvious promotion, an action that was accompanied by the soldiers who were beside them. Standing, they all turned to leave, except for Itachi, who merely stayed in his current position, aware that Numa would more than likely want to have some words with him.

He was correct, as the second Segusa and the others left, Numa spoke, uncaring of the disguised soldiers surrounding them.

'He must trust them a lot, to the point where he is allowing them to stay and listen in on a potentially secretive conversation. That, or he'd rather risk them hearing than be alone with a strange man without backup.'

"So, Uchiha Itachi, was it?"

Itachi graced him with a nod, though his head remained bowed in a show of respect. He had no doubt that he was stronger than every person in the room; he simply had no wish for needless violence that could possibly ensue had he been a more prideful personality.

Numa leaned forward, waving his hand somewhat dismissively, though his other hand slowly inched closer to the sword hanging from his side. "Be at ease."

In response to his clear command, Itachi straightened and stood up, his hands flat at his sides. His face remained as expressionless as always, a quirk that would certainly always stick with the Uchiha.

"Why were you with the caravan?" Numa asked after a brief pause. Itachi did not show anything, though inside the confines of his own mind, he allowed himself to mentally frown. It appeared the interrogation had begun.

Seeing no need to lie, Itachi merely told the truth, albeit withholding and altering some parts.

"I was looking for shelter. I managed to spot the caravan, and decided to follow them for the time being in hopes they could lead me to some form of civilization, which, it seems to have done so."

Numa didn't bat an eyelash, nor did he relax in any way. "And why were you looking for shelter? Segusa says you are a soldier."

Itachi paused somewhat slightly at the question before continuing, though to the average person, it simple looked as if he hadn't stopped at all. Itachi had already planned out what to say at the possibility of further questioning.

"I am a mercenary for hire, and I was wandering the lands. However, after a few days, I, admittedly, got lost. So, I wandered for a few days before coming across the caravan. The rest is as you heard it from the Commodore."

Numa's face became marred with a light frown, his eyebrows creasing as he thought over Itachi's short recount. There was something about the man's story that didn't quite match up; his instincts told him that the man in front of him was hiding something. Yet, despite this, Numa could also sense no evil intentions from the man, a skill he had picked up with dealing with the many nobles and political figures of the Empire.

Especially now, when the tensions between the Empire and the tribes of the Northern Territory were greater than ever, Numa could not simply afford to trust the man in front of him. However, Numa knew he could use every man he could get. If the man in front of him wished to fight, then so be it. If not, he would offer the man the common courtesy of shelter, far away from the barracks of the military.

He idly drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne-like chair. "Very well. As you may or may not have heard, the tensions between the vile Empire of the East and the Northern Tribes are greater than ever. War is nigh, and I have need of every fighter I can get."

The unspoken question remained hanging. Itachi looked down, his expression far from pleased. It seemed that no matter where he was, war and bloodshed would always be an issue. And from what it seemed, this war would cost many lives; a war between two large countries often did.

He was aware of what Numa wanted. Yet, Itachi didn't want to fight. He didn't wish to be the cause of more lives ended. He had seen enough of that in one lifetime. What duty did he have to these people, that he should cut down the lives of men for them?

'None.'

He voiced the answer mentally. At the same time, he looked up to Numa, and spoke, having made his decision.

"I am sorry, but I cannot fight. I do not wish to be involved in a war that is not mine to fight."

Numa had been disappointed, that much Itachi could tell. However, it was also clear that the man didn't quite let the loss get to him. After all, from the reports giving to him by his soldiers, Itachi was just another warrior. He didn't display anything special that would sway Numa to make stronger attempts to have him fight.

There was a war brewing; that much was certain. From what Itachi had gathered past four days since his meeting with Numa, the Empire wished for the Northerners to join them in complete servitude. But the Northerners also knew of the true nature of the empire; it was an evil place with the most corrupted of moral values. They would sooner die than join such a place.

Instead, they had joined together in open rebellion. While there had been no official fighting as of yet, Numa had sent clear word to the Empire that they would not be joining them. Tensions were surely brewing, and it would only be a matter of time until the army of the North would be waging war.

This was only one of the many things Itachi had researched the past few days. He had questioned many of the civilians of what they knew about the rest of the world, attempting to gain as much knowledge as possible about his new situation, as well research of what these Teigu were.

He had luckily discovered a fair amount about the land itself; it was, as he suspected, divided up by the four cardinal directions. The lands each held their unique characteristics which directly complimented the cardinal direction they were assigned. The Empire, the kingdom to the East, was something that the civilians and soldiers alike feared. As Itachi learned more about the Empire, he could not help but feel disgusted.

He was not a man who was unaware of the way the world truly was; however, the Empire took the extremities of human cruelty, and took them even further. It was a place with corrupted and unreal moral values. Never before had Itachi heard of a place where the seven cardinal sins gathered so frequently: Lust, Greedy, Envy, Wrath, Pride, Sloth and Gluttony- all seven, condensed to form one vile kingdom.

As he delved away from the geography of the land to Teigu, Itachi had discovered that they were directly connected to the Empire. Created one thousand years ago by the original emperor in hopes to protect his kingdom from evil, they were weapons that granted the wielders awe-inspiring powers.

There were rarely any solid accounts of Teigu. Atleast, none that Itachi had heard as of yet from discreetly questioning civilians.

Except for one.

"Teigu, ya' say?"

Itachi nodded his confirmation at the scowling blacksmith who stood before him. He wore simple black pants, along with a dirtied undershirt. He had a hammer in his hand, which, after giving another solid strike to the sword laying beside him, placed it on the workbench beside said sword.

"Well, what can I say? Any weapons smith and metalworker worth his salt has heard of Teigu. Legendary weapons, they are, made from the remains of ferocious Danger Beasts that possessed unique abilities," the man informed him, his gaze scrutinizing as he glanced over the sword. They had not exchanged names, and personally, that was fine with Itachi. The less people that knew of his name, the better for diverting questions.

"Is there anything else you know of them?" Itachi asked with a low voice, his vast curiosity carefully kept out of his tone.

The man in front of him narrowed his beady eyes, another scowl forming on his face. "Any reason you want to know, boy?"

Itachi felt his own eyes narrow at how the blacksmith had stressed the word 'boy', along with his question. He was becoming suspicious, and while Itachi could place him in a Genjutsu, it would be pointless if everywhere he went, he resorted to Genjutsu to avoid situations that were not even close to mildly troubling.

Instead, Itachi merely closed his eyes, opening them again moments later, plastering a light smile on his face.

"I am merely interested in Teigu due to their uniqueness. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find out much about that."

His simple trick worked like a charm. The smile was meant to portray his good intentions, showing that he didn't mean any harm to the man in front of him. He was merely a curious individual.

Against any experienced shinobi, this would have never worked. But the man in front of him was far from a shinobi, and it was clear that his trick had worked as the man immediately relaxed his own posture, though the scowl still remained on his face.

"The Teigu were super weapons made by the original Emperor thousands of years ago. He designated them to protect the Empire, but over the years, they've scattered across the world. Not to mention, they Empire isn't exactly a place with the greatest of morals. They appear in many shapes and sizes, such as in the form of weapons or armours. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the specifics."

Itachi frowned. There had to be more about the unknown weapons than just their history and vague descriptions.

"Do you know of people who wield Teigu?"

The man's face almost immediately darkened. His scowl deepened, and Itachi immediately realized that they question had hit closer to home than expected.

The smith sat down, looking away from Itachi with his fists clenching tightly. "There's only one person I know of that I am completely sure has a Tiegu. All I truly know is that it allows the wielder to control ice, and the owner of it killed my son."

Itachi lowered his head slightly for the man's loss. After all, he was no stranger to loss- it was something Itachi had grown up alongside. That, and death.

He spoke again cautiously, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "Do you know the name of this person?"

The man stayed silent. It was minutes later that he spoke one name.

"Esdeath."

That had been last night. When he left, it was already dark, and many of the shops were closing down. He decided that returning to the inn would be the best option, seeing how there were not many around for him to ask about the mysterious Esdeath.

Itachi didn't quite know why, but he felt that he would not be satisfied with the answers.

As he toured the city, Itachi noted the increase in the amount of defensive procedures as compared to last week. There were more soldiers lining the wall, as well as whole companies marching around the city to do assigned tasks, such as constructing some of the large platforms that he now saw. There was not much progress on them, and Itachi could not honestly make out what they were trying to build.

'Perhaps a position to look over the walls of the city at a safer distance?' he thought to himself as he walked, no clear destination in mind. He eyed the growing structure once more.

'No, it is too small to do that, and they are already closing it in. Archer posts? That would only be possible if they are expecting to...be invaded.'

Itachi stopped walking at that thought. He knew of the growing tensions between the North and the Empire. Yet, there had been no official declaration of war.

'Numa Seika...he expects, no, he knows a war is coming, and is already preparing by setting the city up against a siege. Commendable.'

He continued walking, moving out of the way of a pair of frantically running soldiers. With his trained ears, he managed to pick up parts of their conversation as they hurried past him.

"Quick! We must...Numa-sama...destroyed outpost...General Esdeath."

The last name immediately stuck with Itachi as the name of the person he had been trying to learn more about.

'This may be the most assured way.'

He discreetly ducked behind a shop, and, making sure that no one was watching, made a hand seal.

"Meisaigakure no Jutsu."

Itachi's body immediately became invisible, the light particles reflecting off his body. He quickly leaped to the roof of the building, taking off in the direction of the soldiers moments later.

After all, what better way to learn about someone than to simply eavesdrop on a report that involved said person?

Esdeath smirked viciously as she wiped the blood off her blade using dead body of a soldier from a Northern outpost that neared the border of the North and the East.

She stood up, walking victoriously to the front of her army, her rapier sheathed at her side, passing by the ranks of cheering men.

The battle had gone easily. The soldiers of the North hadn't been expecting an attack without any declaration of war from the Empire and grew lax. As Esdeath personally marched into the outpost, they had scrambled to pick up their swords.

"It's her! The demon bitch, Esdeath!"

The voice of one of the soldiers cried out as they rallied into a sloppy formation. None of them was in their full armour, though they were still equipped with bits and pieces. One man sported his shin and forearm guards, but missed his chest-plate as he hastily threw on a protective helmet.

'Not that it will do any good,' Esdeath thought darkly, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across her face. She had gone far too long without glorious battle; an entire month in fact! It was a drug that enticed her, a pleasure like no other.

"Normally, I would give you a chance to lay down your weapons and join me...however, I do have my orders to send a message," she began, her rapier slowly drawn from its sheath. She settled into a loose stance, her blade resting in a seemingly non-threatening position at her side.

"Come. Show me your strength and be hopeless as I crush it underfoot."

The men didn't need further encouragement. They charged at her, various weapons drawn. Their formation was commendable, and against a lesser opponent, perhaps a rookie in her army, they would have succeeded. But before her, all struggles were for naught.

She sidestepped barely as the first man swung his sword down in an attempt to cleave her in two, vertically. She flicked her rapier absently, purposely scratching just his cheek.

Esdeath followed this routine for the remaining four men. Ducking under one blow, lashing out with a barely glancing blow; jumping over a greatsword aimed to cleaving her legs off below the knee and nicking his arm; disarming a third and slashing across his chest, tearing through the chestplate; nimbly bending to the side as she stepped and slashed at the final man, before utilizing a back kick to send him toward his comrades.

Now, standing between them and their former post, Esdeath brought the rip of her rapier to her mouth, tasting the blood. She blushed like a maiden losing her womanhood, though it was a demented mockery of the concept.

"Is this all the men of the North have to offer? I beg of you..."

"Satisfy me."

In the end, they had not even come close to accomplishing that. She had dismantled them easily, one by one, as they charged at her recklessly. She hadn't outright killed them; no, they would manage to pleasure her in the torture chamber, one way or another.

However, she had let one of them go. Partially out of her own sick amusement, partially out of the need to send a message. After all, a war was not truly amusing if there was no fighting.

"M-monster," the soldier beneath her coughed out as he struggled to breath, his vulnerable chest aching in pain from her last blow. He grunted as he forced himself up, stabbing at her heart with a small dagger that he had concealed in his sleeve.

Esdeath only smiled as the tiny weapon neared her. Her rapier flashed out, and a spray of blood followed, accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream.

The man, commander of the outpost, stared horrified at his right hand. Or rather, the stump that had taken the place of it.

"I commend your struggling. After all, one is never truly defeated until they have died," Esdeath said, looking at the man, no, warrior, beneath her with a twinkle of respect in her eye. Sadistic as she was, let it never be said that Esdeath didn't respect proud warriors.

He stared hatefully at her, his other hand tightly clutching at the stump in an attempt to stem the flow of blood. He opened his mouth, shaking and stuttering from the pain as he spoke.

"K-kill me, if you h-have any soul l-left," he managed to gasp out.

Esdeath appeared pleased with his attitude. It gnawed at her sadistic tendencies. They urged her to torture him. To break him more than he already was.

"Unfortunately," she began, disappointed slightly. "You still have yet to serve your purpose."

She moved from above him towards his sword that was on the ground a few feet away. She picked it up, admiring the work done it. It was about three feet in length, with a decent sized handle and straight edge that curved from both edges into a sharp point at the top. The guard was a simply, circular design, shaped into the emblem of the North.

Esdeath gave it a few experimental swings, testing the weight. It was very balanced, and with the double edge, it was meant to be able to reap death from whichever direction it was swung from.

"A shame that this sword has another purpose than in the hands of one of my soldiers."

She calmly walked back to the struggling and bleeding commander, twirling the sword idly in her left hand. As she neared, he scrambled backwards in a semi-crab walk, his progress halting as he hit the wall behind him.

Using her free hand, she grabbed him by the neck, easily picking up the clearly heavier man in a show of strength that did not seem possible due to her frame, ignoring his feeble yells.

"Run, little soldier of the North. Run, and tell your leader Numa Seika that General Esdeath and her army are coming for his head."

She leveled the sword against his shoulder. Esdeath raised it.

"I personally think an arm is useless without a hand, no?"

It was swung down, the man's screaming echoing through the empty room. The sword clattered uselessly to the ground, blood dripping onto it as it gushed from his body. Esdeath watched, somewhat amused. Letting the pain settle for a few minutes, she finally froze the top of the wound and most of his shoulder up to the neck with cold, hard ice with a wave of her hand.

Picking up the sword once more, she stabbed it through his left shoulder, leaving it there, essentially leaving the man unable to properly move his arm. The man's only reaction was a light groan of pain, as the earlier pain of losing an arm and the sheer coldness of the ice having numbed his mind.

She helped him stand. Well, rather, she grabbed him by the scruff of his hair, forcing him into a standing position. She pushed him forward, and he managed to walk, barely keeping himself from falling over.

Leading him to the entrance of the small building, she shoved him forward harshly, watching as he unceremoniously collapsed against the snow-covered ground.

"Show me if you're truly a warrior. Go, attempt to warn your comrades. Struggle, and survive."

She promptly turned and walked back towards her army, ignoring the commander's cries of frustration and anger. She had faith that he would make it to inform his comrades. After all, she had frozen his major wound, and the area where she stabbed him was meant to hinder movement of his arm and cause him pain, not kill him. After all, one such as herself knew exactly where to hurt people to ensure they lasted as long as possible to satisfy her tendencies.

Standing beside her brown furred horse, she frowned as she hoisted herself up. The encounter in the outpost had satisfied her somewhat, yes, but it left her with one question.

'Will there be any worthy opponent for me in the North?'

"My lord, General Esdeath obliterated our fourteenth outpost near the border of the Empire!" The first soldier reported ferociously to Numa, though the undercurrent of anxiety could be heard in his voice. "Her and her army are marching towards us at this very moment!"

Numa frowned as he heard the news. It seemed the Empire had fallen to the low of losing their honour, attacking an outpost as their declaration of war.

"Prepare the city immediately!" he order, rising out of his grandiose seat. "I want our defenses bolstered and any civilian man between the ages of sixteen and sixty trained for battle. Get scouts to watch Esdeath's army, and send out regiments of soldiers sent out to harass her army from the back-lines and set up traps in her path. Use guerrilla tactics, and make it certain that no man is to engage directly!"

"At once!" the second soldier said, bowing immediately after. He turned, dashing out of the grand room to relay the orders.

From his hiding spot, Itachi couldn't help but nod appreciatively at the man's strategy. Esdeath, now identified as a woman, was clearly an extremely strong foe for Numa to deal with. It appeared he was attempting to keep as many men alive as possible and slow down her progress so that he could better defend the city.

Turning his attention back on Numa, he listened in once more.

"I want you to begin preparing all the women and children for evacuation! Supply them with rations and proper traveling equipment, as well as setting aside the Fifth Northern Battalion, consisting of five hundred men strong, from the First Division to guard them!" he barked to the first soldier, the one who had reported to him, who immediately bowed, acknowledging his orders.

As he turned to leave, Numa stopped him.

"Wait! Tell me, how did we come across this information?" he asked curiously, and, befitting of a leader, suspiciously.

The soldier looked down, his fists clenching. His eyes were clearly downtrodden, and his greying hair showed his age. With a shakily controlled voice, he reported.

"Esdeath sent us a message," he said bitterly. "First Lieutenant Yamada Inusen stumbled onto the fifteenth outpost. He was missing his right arm, the wound covered by ice, which was no doubt a result of Esdeath's Teigu. He had another sword stabbed through left shoulder, along with multiple bruises across his body."

He paused, letting the information settle. Hidden in the shadows, Itachi frowned as he heard the news of Esdeath.

'She does not appear to be the most savoury of individuals.'

"Inusen...my son..he survived the trip to report the coming war," the man said fiercely, as if to cement the noble deed his son had carried out. "He died shortly after, due to hypothermia and severe frostbite."

Numa nodded frostily, his own anger barely contained. To kill and maim soldiers from an opposing side was one thing, but to partake in what was blatant torture and cruelty was another that he would not stand for.

"I understand. He shall be given the proper honours, as well as the Purple Cross for his service in relaying the news of war."

The man bowed deeply, humbled. "My lord," he said, taking his leave to carry out his orders. Itachi noted the light tears that welled up in the man's eyes, but refused to fall.

Numa frowned, watching the man leave. In a sombre tone, he vowed.

"Esdeath, your days are numbered."

Itachi sat at his bed in the inn that night, pondering over the news that he had learned. War was here. There was an army from the Empire, lead by a woman named Esdeath, who's apparently fearsome reputation struck fear into the hearts of men at the mere mention of her name. She was sadistic and cruel to her enemies, as he had discerned from her treatment of the old soldier's son.

He hadn't learned much about her Teigu, or any others for that matter. The only thing that he could say that he now knew was that it allowed to manipulate ice. But how much ice? Was there a limit to the amount? What conditions needed to be met? Could be only control existing ice, or could she materialize her own?

All these questions ran through Itachi's head, but without any concrete sources, none were closer to being solved.

'But Esdeath is not the only one with a Teigu. I do not know how many there are, but they could number in the hundreds for all I know.'

They were weapons of mass destruction. They enabled their wielders to kill and cause the destruction of many things. The Teigu disturbed the peace, no matter what intentions the users had.

But the Teigu couldn't be blamed for what they did. Nor could the people that wielded them.

No, the true blame fell on the thing that made them in the first place. The Empire.

Itachi had no doubt that the original Emperor had nothing but good intentions when he created the Teigu. After all, as any great leader would, he wished to see the ensured survival of his people. However, those people had grown corrupt.

Oh, Itachi had heard all the stories as he attempted to know more about the Empire. Of how the corrupt politicians and higher figures of the Empire were men and women who had been corrupted beyond belief. How they raped, murdered, pillaged; and their sick laughter of amusement that followed these vile deeds.

Itachi himself was not a good man. He knew that. No matter what world he was in, his hands would forever be stained with blood. Whether it was the blood of the very family that raised him, or the blood of the many comrades he had harmed over the years to keep up the image of a traitor. But all the blood he spilled was for the greater good of protecting the peace in Konoha.

Now, he was no longer in Konoha. He was no longer even within the Elemental Nations. He was in an unknown world, given a second chance to live the life he never had. But even this world was burning due to the dark flames of war and evil deeds.

He removed a kunai from his back pouch, staring deeply into the reflection. His Sharingan came to life, morphing into the Mangekyou.

Itachi watched as the shuriken design spun idly. It was a reminder for him; a reminder of his own dark past and the sacrifices he had made for his village.

But his eye would serve as a reminder of another thing. Of a new ambition. Of a new goal.

"The corrupt officials of the Empire are no longer salvageable as humans. They are consumed by darkness," he intoned, pocketing the kunai. He stared straight ahead, eyes boring into the wall, imagining the Empire before him.

"I am Uchiha Itachi, and I will do what I must to rid the world of evil."

Yes, he would do as he had always done. He would kill his heart for the sake of something far greater. Something that he wanted more than anything, despite the many sacrifices required along the path.

Peace.

For he was Uchiha Itachi, the blade in the night. A warrior of the highest caliber, and the harbinger of justice from darkness, bloody defender of the light.

To Be Continued

Phew! This one definitely took a while! I had to write this chapter over a long period of time in extremely short intervals, simply because I had trouble deciding exactly what I wanted to do with this, and how I wanted to write it. But finally, it's done! The Esdeath scene was fun to write, simply because she's one of my favourite characters from Akame ga Kill. Also, to clear up any confusion, when I add italics for entire scenes, it's me indicating a flashback. It was a nice little tip that my beta gave me way back when, and I'm certainly liking it better than saying 'Flashback Start' and 'Flashback End'.

Anyway, as you just saw, Esdeath is marching on the North! She destroyed an outpost, leaving one man to send a message. Itachi has arrived in the capital of the North, and met with several people. He is intrigued by the Teigu, but by the end, focuses his attention on the Empire that created them, which he finds dark and evil. As for Itachi's little scene at the end...well, it's not really hard to see what he said, so I won't bother expanding on that.

I got an amazing response for this story, and I'm so glad that all of you like it! I'm hoping that I won't let you guys down and continue to meet your expectations, whatever they may be.

I got several questions, such as pairings. I won't be working on pairings much, though I do have ideas on a few people to pair Itachi with. I'll let you figure out who they might be. Also, as an extra note, this chapter was not properly edited by a professional beta reader; it was edited by me, and that means there will most likely be a bunch of errors that I still missed, despite the thrice over that I gave it.

Moving on, I do plan on continuing my other stories, though future updates for WSoFT will be held back until I can edit and add more content to earlier chapters of it. God knows how often I've stopped reading a story simply because the starting wasn't good, and with how it was my first story, the starting for it was especially bad. I intend to fix that.

Anyway, that's all for now!

HokagenoNaruto, out.