Nevermore

She screamed louder than she ever had right before a hand clapped over her face painfully and she felt herself being pressed into the rough bark behind her. “Hush little girl, we wouldn’t want you getting hurt now would we?” He hissed in her ear, letting his smile widen as the fear overwhelmed her face. Her blood drained immediately and she went sheet white.

Who knew ghosts could feel so warm…
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Shisui broke the night air with a loud laugh, holding his hand to his stomach and bending forward in hysterics. “You hear that? She’s gone and spooked herself!” Itachi raised his eyes to the forest, curiously glancing from left to right. He had heard Hinamei scream like that only once before, that wasn’t just a startled scream…that was genuine fear. Shisui slowed his laughing once he caught sight of Itachi’s face, furrowing his brow he stood back up.

“What’s wrong?” Itachi suddenly crouched down, pulling a kunai from his back pouch and narrowing his eyes at the looming forest. There was a coil in the air, pushing at their heads and screaming that something wasn’t right. Shisui must have felt it too as he bent down and mirrored Itachi’s pose, all sign of humor gone from his young face. “What the hell was that?” Shisui whispered, letting his eyes dart back and forth between the trees, looking for anything.

“I don’t know. But you feel it too?” Itachi asked quietly, Shisui responded with a quick nod. “Come on, we need to get Hinamei out, now!” Both boys sprinted off towards the trees with that being said, determination marking both their faces as they sped across the graveyard. Naturally, Shisui was faster than Itachi, he flickered in between shadows until he reached the edge of the trees. Pushing his back firmly against the tree he held still and listened for anything out of place. There was definite movement in there, not from any animal he had ever seen out here. This was something big with a chakra flare to match. Much larger than Hinamei or themselves for that matter. His eyes widened and he stared into the blackness with a heartbeat that sounded more like a drum. This was far out of his reach, being only a genin he knew he was far too outclassed to take whatever it was lurking in those trees. Hell, Itachi hadn’t even graduated yet, from where he stood this looked like suicide. His eyes flickered back to Itachi who had finally reached the trees, before awaiting any instruction he was already out of sights. That idiot, Shisui cursed to himself, Itachi had ran in without even thinking. He bit back his lip and decided he had no other choice, he had to go in too.

The foliage was dense, running through the forest would have been a death trap to anyone not familiar with the place. Itachi moved a branch with his hand and peered out from under, he wasn’t sure just how far Hinamei had went it to begin with. “Dammit!” Itachi snapped as the ground became more and more choppy. He wanted to scream out her name but every instinct in his body was telling him to stay quiet. Stay alert. He looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with Shisui. He knew he shouldn’t have blamed him for what was happening, but it couldn’t be helped. After all, it was Shisui’s idea to make Hinamei come out here alone. But there wasn’t time for that, they had to keep moving. Hinamei could be seriously injured, there wasn’t a moment worth wasting now. As reckless as it was, Itachi broke into a run. Leaving Shisui on his own…

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“Do children often play in graveyards in the middle of the night?” The ghost asked Hinamei. They were perched on a high branch, his back to the tree and her back to him. His hand was still firmly planted over her face, just in case she wasn‘t keen on obeying orders. “Your little friends are looking for you, how sweet.” Like a snake he dipped in closer to her neck, breathing down her shirt like a monster from nightmares. “They’ll ruin everything if they keep this up.” His free hand moved slowly towards his back, pulling a spare kunai out from his pouch and holding it up in front of Hinamei’s face. She squirmed helplessly and muffled screams into his hand. “Now, now sweetheart. Don’t be scared, this isn’t for you. It’s for him.” He moved the kunai down and pointed at a small shadowy figure moving through the trees in front of him. Her eyes widened with fear when she realized who was centered beneath the target.

Shisui moved slowly through the brush, it was thick and thorny, persistent and stubborn as he tried to cross it quietly. His mood had finally filtered out, now not only was he looking for Hinamei but Itachi too. He mumbled to himself and narrowed his eyes through the trees, stiffening suddenly. There it was again, that large chakra that beat like a heart. Whoever their enemy was, he was getting closer. The grip around his kunai tightened and helplessly, he pointed it to his left, right, and center. “Come on, face me already you coward!” He yelled, throwing everything he had learned out the window. It was a foolish mistake, one he would soon learn to regret. A single kunai slipped through the air, pressing its blade into the tender part of Shisui’s thigh seamlessly. The boy’s eyes widened as the sudden realization of pain swept over his body and sound of shock flew from his mouth. Then another one came. The second kunai lodged into his upper arm, swinging him back towards the ground like a doll. A strangled choke left his lips and he hit the ground with a sharp thud. He could feel the heat of his blood streaming through his shirt and pants. “Ita-” The pain swelled inside of him and he shut his eyes tight to fight the unwilling tears that surfaced. “Ita-” It was no use trying to call for help, he slowly moved his free hand to his leg and gripped the edge of the kunai that stuck from his flesh. He would pull on the count of three. One, two… “Itachi!”

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Black hair snapped against the wind, probing the darkness with wide eyes, Itachi stumbled to a halt. His name, he had clearly heard it come from behind him. Was it Shisui? This all seemed so surreal, like a nightmare that refused to end and instead reeled faster behind your eyes. He turned on his foot and surveyed the area, no linger able to put up his brave façade. This was beyond him, indefinitely. “Shisui…” Another muffled scream reached him and he realized he was wasting time standing around. He might not be able to save everyone but he sure as hell could help them stay alive. Turning around, he darted back through the trees, willing himself to move faster and faster still. Shisui wasn’t far from where Itachi was, struggling to sit up he spotted the younger Uchiha running towards him and extended a hand in warning.

“Watch out!” But it was too late, a kunai grazed past Itachi’s head, splintering the tree inches away from his face. Frozen on the spot like a deer, he caught his breath in his throat and closed his eyes. It all seemed so unfair. It couldn’t possible end like this.

“My, is this what their teaching you kids nowadays? Where’s the passion? The determination? One wound and you’re all flopping on the floor like a dying fish. It’s pathetic really.” A deep voice snidely said from above them. Shisui tore his eyes upwards, trying to focus on the source in the black night while wincing at his movements. Itachi slowly turned around, cautious and half paralyzed with fear. It wasn’t until he saw Hinamei squirming in the man’s grips did he entirely regain himself.

“Let her go.” Itachi said quietly, glaring up murderously at the smirking man above him. “Now.” Itachi gripped tighter onto his kunai until he felt his hand bruising underneath the pressure. He locked eyes with Hinamei and felt a pang in his chest. This was far worse than when she hit her head. At least then he knew she would be okay, here however, any second everything could collapse. Shisui whispered something from in back of him but Itachi paid no mind.

“First off, drop the kunai kid.” Itachi deepened his glare and ignored him, clutching tighter. The dark haired man grinned wider, pulling a fresh kunai from his pocket and forcing the top against Hinamei’s temple. A pearl of blood bloomed from the prick and rolled down her cheek. Tears prickled at the corner’s of her eyes as he increased the pressure. Itachi had never felt so helpless. Shisui was useless, Hinamei was taken hostage and nobody was around to hear it, to help. Everything was going wrong. He did the only thing he could do, the kunai clattered down to the floor. “Good, now I want you to run home. Now.” Itachi stared up with his mouth agape. He couldn’t honestly expect him to just leave could he?

“You’re a complete idiot if you think I’m just going to leave my friends here.” Itachi replied, snatching his kunai up from the ground and brandishing it out in front of him. “Now, let her go. You’ll gain nothing from hurting her.” Fear crossed Itachi’s eyes and he hope it would go unnoticed.

“Brave little shit aren’t you? I’ll give you that. But just because you’re brave doesn’t mean you aren’t stupid.” His hands quickly unraveled around Hinamei, earning a quick intake of breath on her part at her sudden release. Itachi moved quickly, running under the tree before she had a chance to hit the ground, he barely caught her. Both children toppled to the ground, her unconscious body knocked the air out of Itachi and he struggle beneath her. Haru watched happily before jumping down and landing inches away from the couple. “I could kill you all, right now. Get what I came for and leave with the village being none the wiser. What do you think.”

Itachi’s hand flew to his chest as he willed himself to breathe. Praying the air would enter his lungs properly. His other hand was wrapped around Hinamei’s limp wrist. “Don’t touch them!” Shisui yelled from behind. He was crumpled on the floor, trying harder and harder to stand up. His leg gave way and he crumpled again with a loud cry of pain. Itachi pulled himself out from under Hinamei and watched from his hands and knees as Haru advanced, step by step. Finally, the air rushed into Itachi’s lungs and he locked eyes with the tall stranger. It was now or never. Itachi wrapped his small fingers around the kunai he had dropped and jumped up just in time to block Haru’s weapon with his own. Metal scraped against metal and the man froze, backing away a single step before growling.

“So, you’re one of them are you?” He asked, eyeing Itachi’s newly formed sharingan with disgust. Itachi took deep breaths and took another step forward, looking around at his surroundings in a new light. Everything seemed so…clear now. Haru let out a deafening yell and sprang forward, wielding his weapon as fast as he could. But it was useless. Itachi sprang left from right, blocking each hit with his own hand, a new found motivation backing him. Haru had gotten clumsy with fear, he was questioning himself and Itachi used it to his advantage. “Bastard!” Haru screamed, lunging at Itachi once more. Itachi swung the blade upwards as he stumbled back, he never meant to actually strike Haru.

A spray of blood hit Itachi in the face and he blinked at the image in front of him. Haru stood motionless, a kunai lodged into his chest. The man staggered backwards and looked up at Itachi with a forced smile coming underway. Shisui watched in fear as Haru crumpled to the ground and Itachi fell to his knees. His scarlet eyes grazed down to his hand and he frowned, he was still holding his kunai. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a fleeting shadow, a man in a mask.

“You did well.” The masked man said, a shock of gray hair fell over one side of his head. Itachi looked over, feeling the breeze brush the blood spatter cold on his cheeks, locking eyes with the slowly dissolving figure. The masked man looked up over him and motioned, “Their all over here, hurry, get them to the hospital.”

Itachi felt his eyes get heavier by the second, the shadows around him blurred into one flat smear and the world began to spin.

Everything…was disappearing.

The last thing he heard before he shut his eyes was Shisui yelling his name.