uminosclassroom:

Iruka leaps into action the moment he feels the first tremors. Classes have already ended for the day, so the Academy is quick to evacuate even as things fall and people panic over the disturbance. As soon as the building is clear and the situation is reported he heads out, on his way to provide help wherever he can. 

Scanning the area, there’s a uniformed shinobi on the ground, right in the path exploding debris. Iruka jumps down to scoop him up and sets him down as soon as he finds a safe spot to administer first aid, but someone else steps in front of him first. The crest of the Akatsuki is burned into his mind and immediately recognizable. Suddenly, there’s a weapon headed right for his face. He braces, but it never makes impact. Kakashi Hatake stops it inches from his face. 

“Please, take the wounded one and get away,” Kakashi says, grip still firm on the terrorist’s weapon. “Leave this scene to me.” 

Iruka stammers, reeling from how fast everything was moving. 

“Roger!” He hoists the injured man’s body back over his shoulder and flees. Even Kakashi may not be able to stand up to someone that powerful, but he had a much better shot than Iruka ever would. Iruka takes the injured man to the hospital. It’s overflowing with patients, like it always is during scenes like this

but Sakura has done a good job taking command. A medic takes the man off his hands. 

From there, he goes around the village, collecting the injured and sifting through the rubble in search of survivors. He can hear the sounds of battle all around him even as he searches through the flaming ruins and collapsing buildings left behind after initial attacks. 

 Itachi is out here somewhere too, but he can’t think about that right now. Worrying won’t do him any good here, and the rest of the village needs him more. If Itachi isn’t among the bodies then Iruka has to trust that he’s okay.

It was a sight like no other, that Susano’o.

Bones, sinew, skin and armor made of nothing but pure chakra. A bright, shining gold, glinting in the bright sun. Villagers and shinobi alike cowered, scrambling to their feet to run, or their weapons to fight. 

But the sword that that was pulled from the beast’s gourd was instead directed at one of the villager’s attackers, and finally, some looked close enough to see a a familiar silhouette tucked safely under one of the left arms. 

The clang of an attack hitting the shield echoes for a quarter mile, disturbing villagers and rubble alike. The enemy is fast, but black and red stands out against all the  brown and green, and the Totsuka sword is fluid, and flexible.

But that’s in the past, now. Itachi no longer has the strength to leap, glancing between the slug on his shoulder and the ruins of the village before him.

This one had the wrong hair. This one, the wrong skin tone. This one, free of scars. There’s so many faces he doesn’t recognize, and can’t put names to, all of them dressed in the standard shinobi uniform. 

With every passing second, his worry only grows, the ache in his chest more painful than his illness could ever provide.

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Seeing the village of Konohagakure nearly completely leveled into an unrecognizable crater, Itachi can’t help but feel partially guilty. 

He’s failed so many times in his life to prevent tragedy, and now– not even the info he willingly gave up on Akatsuki was enough to prevent this. 

The district, bare and empty as it was, lays flattened, the last reminder of the Uchiha gone. But not all is lost. Sasuke is safe, and alive, even if it took the use of Susano’o, even if he couldn’t prevent a wound outright. His blood runs hot, chest heaving painfully as he runs Sasuke and anyone else he can collect along the way into the evacuation tunnels. 

“Let me fight, Nii-san.” Sasuke begs, hands held onto Itachi’s arms. Foolish little brother– even with a broken leg he wishes to push.

But he won’t allow him. Nor himself. This is too much for them.

Personal grudges are often forgotten in these times. Children and adults  alike stick close to the Uchiha brothers, trusting in their strength should the Akatsuki corner them there. 

Eventually, he has to let Sasuke go.  

His stamina isn’t perfect. He knows there’s a chance he will die. But he’s spent too long simply hiding and running away, of being afraid of the bloodshed. He refuses to contribute to it willingly. 

In the end, his chest is burning, and Itachi tastes blood in the back of his throat. Vision blurred, and red, Itachi is victorious, managing to seal one away one single Pein body inside of his Susano’o. 

The slug attached to his shoulder is the only thing keeping him from passing out right away. There is a fight away somewhere else, Itachi barely keeping tabs on the flicker of chakra signatures.

When they sweep over the village, like a fire finding the oxygen it sorely needed, Itachi takes in a deep breath. 

The strength he has left is used to pull himself to his feet.

He didn’t see Iruka in the tunnels.