Yuki shuddered as she passed by yet another corner littered with corpses. Ignoring the crimson liquid staining the walls she kept her focus on finding Itachi. Her eyes constantly scanned her surroundings for Itachi and also for the mysterious man from moments earlier. She was a mere child and she could only assume that man had the capabilities of a jonin. She only escaped because he let her. Why she could never understand but she had a feeling she would not be so lucky the next encounter around.

Where is he?

Yuki was sure she had checked most of the compound already. All except for one place.

The Naka River.

"Shisui... Have I done the right thing?" Itachi muttered to the howling wind. He stood stiffly at the very edge where he had helplessly watched his best friend fall from. The moon light shined down on him illuminating the night. Blood dripped from the tip of his murder weapon. A small bitter smile formed on his lips.

Murderer.

That's what he was now. He would now be known as the person who took the lives of his entire clan. However, many other labels could be slapped on his back.

Thief.

Would Yuki call me a thief for my actions?

His fingers went weak and dropped his sword. He robbed a village of one of its clans. He robbed himself of his family. He robbed Sasuke of a childhood filled with family. He stared down at the river with dull bloodshot eyes.

"Compared to you, our pain will be over in an instant."

Fugaku's words rung in his head. He was right. This was his price to pay for his crime, and his burden to carry.

"Itachi-nii!" a voice shouted.

Itachi snapped out of his trance,"Wha-" as he spun around to see the owner every fiber in his body froze with chills.

There running toward him was that familiar messy hair and teary onyx eyes. Yuki. His little sister. His dead little sister. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him. This couldn't be true. It was impossible. Yuki is dead. This was just a figment of his imagination torturing him.

"Itachi-nii!" she wailed again, her arms reaching out for him. She was only a few feet away from him.

"Yuki," he whispered, reaching his blood stained hand toward her. Surprise took over his mind when the mirage of Yuki wrapped her arms around him. Suddenly Itachi became fearful of himself. How was he able to conjure a genjutsu so real? Her warmth felt too realistic to be true. Itachi didn't understand what was going on.

"Itachi-nii I'm scared. What is going on? I don't know what to do," she sobbed into his stomach.

Just as he was about to trap her in his own arms to see how advanced this genjutsu was; her body went slack and Itachi's heart sank.

"Sorry to intrude on a touching reunion but it seems we have something to talk about," Madara mused as he pulled Yuki's unconscious body away from him and swung her over his shoulder.

As the two figures walked away Itachi could only stand there in shock because of two reasons.

One was because Yuki wasn't simply a genjutsu and was in fact alive.

Secondly was because he heard his own voice in the back of his head say, "I'm scared too."

Half lidded eyes glanced around the dimly lit room. A small groan escaped Yuki's lips. Her neck still sore from some sort of abrupt impact. Small fingers curled around the thin blanket draped over her body. In a blurry haze she could identify Itachi sitting with his back next to her, concealing her face from whoever he was speaking to.

"What are you planning on doing to her?" Itachi's voice questioned, a passive aggressive tone Yuki had never heard before coating his words.

"Nothing at all. I wouldn't want to do anything to precious Yuki-chan," another voice replied calmly, "It's more of what I'm going to do with her. She can be of use to our organization."

"She's a mere child."

"Exactly. Not many people would suspect a child much less harm one."

Yuki cringed.

That was not entirely true.

"She doesn't fight."

"Then we train her and shape her into a fighter. I can see the potential in her. She seems a lot like you. Speaking of which... What is such a small young girl like her doing with the Sharingan?" the voice chuckled, "It's quite fascinating. I didn't expect her to even have the Sharingan. If it wasn't for that I would have killed her right on the spot."

Yuki's small hand would have gone to dust over her eyes, but the fear had turned her body to still stone. Her Sharingan saved her. She had saved herself by using it and by having it activated it allowed her that chance to escape. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if she hadn't activated her Sharingan.

Itachi's eyes hardened, "That is none of the concern."

"I'm not going to hurt her if that's what you're worried about. She wasn't a part of the deal but I'd assume you want to keep her safe like Sasuke."

What deal? Yuki questioned in her mind. At least now she knew Sasuke was safe. Her muscles tightened when she remembered however, there were other people who weren't safe.

People who weren't okay.

People who were gone.

Forever.

"Could you give me a moment with her? Alone?" Itachi asked as he took note of the slight trembling of the sleeping child. Yuki heard footsteps grow faint and felt a familiar warmth on her shoulder,"Yuki?"

Slowly she allowed her eyes to open,"Itachi-nii," she greeted meekly.

"How... How are you here?"

Have you come to haunt me? To remind me of all my sins? He wondered mentally but kept those words to himself. "What do you mean?"

"How are you alive? What about that letter?"

Yuki paused and pressed her lips,"It was otousan."

If Itachi was surprised, then he did a good job of hiding it. He didn't want to pry at the situation. It was reasonable that his father had something to do with it. It made sense,"I see."

"Otousan... And okaachan were in on it. I don't think anyone else was."

"I see," Itachi stood up and began to walk away,"I have to go somewhere. I'll be back in a bit," just as he reached the exit he turned back slightly, his face hidden by the darkness, "And Yuki? Don't get too close to that man. He's dangerous."

"Was he helping you?" Itachi said nothing to her question,"Why did you do it?" Yuki blurted out.

Itachi stiffened, realizing he would need both of his siblings to resent him, "To test my capabilities."

That's a lie.

"I see."

There was a silence that blanketed the room and then there was only one person in the room. Yuki curled up into a ball with her blanket. She knew that was a lie. None of it added up. She was there. She heard him. She was there when he- Her hands flew to her ears as though to muffle her train of though. She didn't want to think about it.

"Yuki-chan," the voice from earlier said suddenly sounding very close. Yuki jumped and scurried to sit up and practically threw herself at the nearest wall,"Ah I'm sorry did I scare you? I'm also sorry about earlier. I wasn't really going to kill you."

Cautiously Yuki eyed the masked man,"Why should I believe you?"

"Because you and I are very alike. Tell me Yuki, who is your most precious person in this universe?" His name came to her head instantly but she couldn't let it escape her lips,"Ah so that person is gone? I know how you feel. I lost my most precious person too," he sat himself next to her as though they were old friends,"What if I told you that you could be with that person again along with everyone else important to you?"

Madara smirked under his mask upon seeing her eyes brighten with hope,"Really? I can be... I can be with my most important people?"

"Yes, and there won't be any war or hatred. You can be with them in a world of peace."

"How?"

"In time you'll know, but you'll need to do some things in return for me. Do you understand?"

A child is much more easily manipulated and there is time to groom her into the role.

Yuki stared at the man, bewildered by this seemingly impossible wish,"That's all I need to do?"

"Yes."

A happiness seemed to flow into her, giving her enough energy to sit up eagerly,"I'll do it then."