What do you call a group of lions?

A Pride

The house in which the Uchiha trio found itself was quiet. The kind in which even time seemed to have stilled.

Sora's sobs have quietened and she was staring blankly at her now cold tea cup. Tears dried and eyes red. The two boys on either side of her were looking at her, a myriad of emotions she hasn't seen them display before merged in a confusing fashion- very much reflecting how this whole situation felt.

Confusing.

Sora wanted to both bang her head against the table and just go to sleep. All the energy having drained from her in her previous outburst as she waited for what was inevitably a barrage of questions. She knew, for all that the boys weren't really moving or saying anything, their brains were anything but still.

Kami; Sora was tired of it all. Tired of secrets. Tired of being afraid. Tired of worrying, of trying to figure things out only to always realise she couldn't do anything alone.

Tired of pretending.

"How do you know that?" it was Shisui that asked, his voice strangely husky.

Sore raised her head to face him, for a second surprised at how old he looked. She also had to hand it to him. Despite all the ludicrous (to them) things she said, he didn't bother to question her sanity or object, (not out loud at least) instead of focusing on the reason why she said what she did.

"I've always known, even as a baby. Memories, visions, botched reincarnation, call it what you will I guess. I've always known these things. Didn't think they portended to me. This life. Not at the beginning at least…," she trailed off, growing uncomfortable with finally sharing the things she kept secret for so long.

But they waited. They didn't push. Kami she loved them for that.

"Even when I learnt my name and acknowledged where I was I—I didn't think it would have to be real, what I knew. Didn't want it to be. But then I heard Uchiha Obito was dead. To the clan and village at least. He's not actually dead you know?" she said, giving up on her tea and placing the cup on the table, cursing she done so almost immediately once she realised her hands were empty and she didn't have anything to toy with. She hesitated going forward, knowing she will have to talk about the two of them. In more detail than she had previously.

"Sora," Shisui said gently, a note of urgency still present nevertheless. She felt like the room was being emptied of oxygen and it was harder to breathe. A sudden, sharp pain in her hand made her hiss, turning wide surprised eyes towards Itachi, who leaned over to pinch her hand.

"Breathe," he directed slowly, returning to his previous position. She followed his instructions and took a moment to gather herself. Calming herself somewhat before proceeding onwards. 'There is no way to close Pandora's box once it has been open. What has been unleashed will not be undone.'

"Then I learned of Itachi," she ignored the way said boy straightened, "learned he existed. I started to believe then. Started to give those memories more weight—I was depressed for a long time. Didn't care much about anything. I decided to just wait for the inevitable if it was indeed going to happen. Then the night of the Kyūbi came to pass. Nobody was home that evening. Everyone was out and when the screams started I went outside to check and it was there. I realised that I don't want to die. Not like this. Not just waiting for it. I didn't want to carry on living in my little bubble. I wanted to look at the people around me. Actually look. I wanted to acknowledge they existed, that they were real—and," she hated how weak she sounded. How pitiful she must have looked. Shaking like a leaf as her tears started all over again. She was losing control and that couldn't be allowed.

Recalling everything everyone ever told her about how to control one's emotions, how to reign them in, she attempted to put them to use, failing miserably as her face might as well have labelled distress on it in bold strokes.

It was Shisui this time that helped her calm down, her right hand in his as he used his thumb to massage circles in her skin. The action allowing her to focus on the present. Preventing her from falling in the spiral which were her emotions.

"Since that night, the village suspected our clan had something to do with it. It's why we were moved here and they are keeping a watch on us. They aren't wrong."

"What do you mean?" Shisui asked, his voice hard and hand freezing. It was the first time any of them stopped her from talking to ask a question and Sora could see it in his eyes. Something, she couldn't name right now. Wasn't in the right mental state to analyse what it was. Though if she had to take a guess she would say it looked like anger. At her, the clan, the village? She didn't know.

"I told you Uchiha Obito is alive. He has the mangekyo and was the one who took advantage of Uzumaki-san's weakened seal in order to release the Kyūbi. I don't get why he did that. Or why his grudge against the village is strong enough for his to do that—he was the one that attacked the daimyō's entourage back then," she said, turning towards Itachi, seeing the way his eyes widened in realisation at what she was saying.

"The one with the mask is—"

"Yes, Obito, he uses Uchiha Madara's name now," she interrupted him. "He was in love with his teammate Rin. He was there the day she jumped in front of Kakashi's chidori, saw her die and that awakened his mangekyo. Hatake-san should possess it to I believe. Not sure if he is aware of this or that he would even know what it was. Though I guess the Hokage would tell him," she was getting distracted, 'Damn it.'

"It has a special ability. Kamui. It's a space-time jutsu which allows him access to his own dimension, makes it seem like he can phase through objects. It's why he is so hard to fight. Hatake-san has it too, if the mangekyo awakened in his sharingan as well."

"I've heard of Uchiha Obito, the one who left his sharingan to his teammate," Shisui said, brows furrowed in thought. On her other side, Itachi nodded his head in confirmation, having heard of him too when he was younger.

"He was crushed under a boulder during the war. How did he survive?" he questioned.

"He was found by Zetsu, taken to Madara—"

"Madara!" Sora was again interrupted by Shisui's alarmed exclamation.

She fixed him with an intense stare, attempting to convey everything and nothing all at once.

"Uchiha Madara, the real one. The legend. He did not die after fighting the first Hokage as our history books will have you believe. He survived—don't ask me how," she said when noting Shisui open his mouth, "I don't know. Or I don't remember, I don't—I don't know for sure. Maybe something to with the sharingan. It wouldn't surprise me," she was so tired.

"He lived up to the third war but died, leaving his legacy, if you can call it that, to Obito."

"Legacy?"

"That's a different story altogether and it would involve understanding who the sage of six paths was, his sons, and the true origin of the Uchiha," she said, a light snort escaping her at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. Her life was such a mess. When did it become like this?

"I guess that is a story for later. What do you mean Danzō ordered Itachi to kill the clan?" Shisui asked, expression hard.

So she told them everything she knew from the beginning, not skimming over the details. Fragments of memories that didn't make sense because they either lacked context or the details forgotten.

Sora told them how the Uchiha's increasing frustration led Danzō to take matters into his own hands. Told them how he attacked and stole one of Shisui's eyes, how he committed suicide in front of Itachi after handing over his other eye. How that caused the younger boy to awaken his own mangekyo and grow resentful towards the clan who didn't even take note of Shisui's sacrifice.

Told them how it was either Sasuke or the clan. And they all knew that was never a choice to begin with. It will always be Sasuke. Itachi would rip the world in half if it meant keeping the little boy who was the centre of his universe safe.

She told them about the sage and his brother then, about Kaguya and how she ate the chakra fruit. How the three ended up in conflict and how in the end the twins won, but not before Kaguya left a physical manifestation of her will behind. Zetsu. Told them how the sage had two sons, manipulated by Zetsu. How Indra, the inheritor of the sharingan, was the one from which their clan descend from while the Senju were the descendants of Asura. Told them about the rinnegan and how to obtain it. How Madara was able to obtain it. About their stone tablet kept under the Naka shrine. How it was used to carry on the conflict between the Uchiha and Senju.

She went on to tell them about Naruto and Sasuke. About post-massacre Itachi. Orochimaru. The Akatsuki. The real reason why it is collecting the bijū. About the bijū and how together they form the ten-tail. About how Madara planned to be brought back to life via the rinnegan, how he planned on using the powers of the ten-tails in order to perform the infinite tsukuyomi. How he believed it will save the world. How Zetsu manipulated Madara, and how the real purpose of the infinite tsukuyomi was to bring back Kaguya. How Itachi died and was brought back to life via the impure world reincarnation. How Sasuke's hate for the world and the conclusions he reached made him decide to kill the kage and make himself the ruler. The one to unify the nations by turning all their hate towards him.

When she finished her voice was slightly hoarse, her head was hurting and she just wanted the day to be over. A quick look outside proved that evening turned to night and if the lack of activity outside was indication Sora was willing to bet most people already called it a day.

Her cold tea was still on the table along with the mostly untouched food. She reached for her cup, drinking the green liquid in one go and waited.

She could see Itachi, straight as a board with a gaze able to penetrate steel and so tense she was afraid to touch him least he snap. Shisui was faring somewhat better, his expression pensive and posture deceptively lax with the exception of his fists which were clenched so hard Sora worried he might have broken the skin of his palms even with his blunted nails.

"This world—,"Shisui began only to break off in a series of chuckles, surprising both Sora and Itachi who looked at the older boy in surprise. "I'm not sure what to think. In the end, the world still kept on existing but—" she shook his head, unclenching his fists in order to tousle his already messy hair.

"Shisui," Itachi said lowly, seemingly posing a question that even he didn't know. It was also then that Sora noticed the older boy did indeed hurt himself, his palms wounded. Getting up for the first time in a while, Sora made her way to where Shisui kept his medical pack, taking out what she needed before returning. She didn't delude herself into thinking she only imagined them watching her.

Cleaning and bandaging the albeit minor wound gave Sora something to distract herself with and since Shisui wasn't complaining so she carried on.

"I kinda wish you said something sooner," the older boy whispered and the girl couldn't help it, honestly. She snorted. The sound obtrusive and inappropriate considering the situation.

"Are you trying to say you believe me?" she asked, her voice just a tad mocking and pained.

"I do, I never told you about my mangekyo, and while I guess you could have heard from the clan, Itachi is the only one I told about thinking to use my kotoamatsukami on Fugaku. And I know he wouldn't have told you." Were his words meant to cut so deep? Was it even normal to be affected so much by them? She knew the bond the two boys had was special in a way she would never be privy to.

"I never told you about being a double spy either," Itachi added, his own voice filled with pain as she turned around to face him. She opened her mouth to say something, not quite certain what but it didn't matter when she felt arms wrap around her, pulling her closer.

She looked up at Shisui in confusion. This wasn't the time to be playing around.

"I wanted you to not be involved in this," he said slowly, burrowing his face in her hair, "the clan asked me to watch Itachi. It was to be expected I guess. With Itachi in ANBU and starting to miss on more and more meetings," he said, exhaling loudly as he proved his chin on her shoulder. The position prevented her from getting a good look at his face to try and read his expression.

"The asked me to also keep an eye on you," he said and she froze at this. She wanted to turn around and look at him, try to tell if he was joking but his hold on her was secure. Instead, Sora turned to look at Itachi. 'He knew,' she thought in surprise, noting his grim expression and the minuscule nod he gave.

"Why would the clan want you to keep an eye on me?" she heard herself ask, feeling surprisingly detached from her body all of a sudden. Like she wasn't quite there and was acting as a third party observer to these events.

"You are one of Itachi's best friends, mine too, but there were concerns raised when because you spoke against the plan," she never did any such things. At every single meeting she was quiet, the only time she ever showed her displeasure was—oh. Her expression must have conveyed her understanding pretty well as she felt Shisui tighten his grip momentarily before loosening it.

"Kami I wished you never got dragged into this. I hoped things will be resolved and life could carry on like—it was bad enough when so much burden was placed on Itachi. We both wanted to keep you out of it you know? Our little corner of peace. We never had to be anything around you but ourselves. Do you know how much that means," 'is Shisui crying,' she thought in alarm, feeling the light tremors passing through his body.

"Hah, it's actually kinda funny," he said laughing, the kind you heard from someone losing control of themselves. She looked at Itachi for help and noted he looked as helpless as she felt.

'This isn't how things were supposed to be. I should have been able to look out for you. I'm the one who was meant to predict and prevent!' she wanted to scream at him.

"All this time we hoped you wouldn't get involved more than you already are and in the end you were more involved that we could even imagine. Even before we were! Fuck this world really sucks. I can see why our demented ancestor would want to change it."

Shisui didn't swear normally. 'This isn't right!'

"You really believe me?" she asked in a small, trembling voice, incredulous. This whole situation was weird and unbelievable and she still didn't quite feel in control of her body.

"Why not?" Shisui asked and she felt a smirk against the skin at the back of her neck.

"It's always better to be prepared than to ignore something because you don't understand or like it," Itachi said softly, grabbing her hands in his own and giving her a gentle smile. "I don't believe you would try to harm the clan, village or Sasuke. If you believe in what you have said then it is better to keep an eye on things."

Sora knew in that moment, that no matter what will happen, she would hopelessly love these two boys. And she knew, that it will end up breaking her heart.*

—.—.—.—.—

As much as Sora would have wanted to stay awake, (which was zero) sleep has fought valiantly and won.

She ended up falling asleep on the oldest Uchiha, who then carried her to the bedroom where he covered her with the futon covers, taking a second to look at her before returning to the main room. Itachi was giving him a look and Shisui understood, just as the younger boy did, that they wouldn't get much sleep tonight.

They had too much to discuss.

Too many things to change.

—.—.—.—.—

When Sora woke up the next morning it was to two bodies wrapped around her. Not an unusual sight when the three of them had a "sleepover."

Itachi and Shisui liked to cuddle.

Scratch that, they all liked to cuddle.

And after the previous night, Sora was only mildly annoyed that Shisui was lightly drooling on her hair…well maybe it annoyed her a bit more but she wasn't going to comment on it. She also wasn't going to comment on the fact that she couldn't move much, though she really wanted to go pee.

—.—.—.—.—

Sora felt lighter. She felt as though she could breathe properly for the first time in a long time. Her good mood was so strong her teammates asked if she was fine and she laughed. The girl was pretty certain they thought her crazy in that moment but so what.

She was even extra nice during practice and didn't incorporate her kunai or shuriken in her katon jutsu and limited herself to mainly taijutsu against Taro so as to not char his insects en masse.

Truly, she was on her best behaviour ever and was pleasant to everyone so Sora couldn't understand why she was receiving so manny odd stares.

Even Izumi stared when the two met up for a quick catch-up the older girl invited her too.

Why was everyone being so weird today?

When she got home kissed everyone Riku was rude enough to check if she were under genjutsu. 'How dare he. Like I would allow myself to be ensnared by a mere genjutsu.'

—.—.—.—.—

Her good mood ended once she realised nothing was actually solved. Everything was still the same although she now was no longer the only one with the knowledge of what might be.

Two days since the night she shared everything with Itachi and Shisui, the older of the two came by her house to picked her up for their "training session."

Kotori asked if the boy wanted to come by later for dinner and he sadly declined, "Though if the offer still stands I'll join you next time," he said, waiting for Kotori's laughing agreement before shunshining out of there with Sora.

Only she and him didn't have any training session planned for today.

They eventually arrived at a wooded area she was certain was outside the compound's grounds. Actually, she was pretty certain they were outside Konoha.

Itachi was already there, a crow perched on his shoulder. The bird obviously demanding attention from its summoner with the way it pushed its head in Itachi's cheek of pecked at his ear and nose.

Upon seeing them he shooed the corviade away, got up and made his way over to them. Once he was in Shisui's reach the older boy mercilessly attacked his hair despite the younger's protests.

Snorting at their antics Sora couldn't help but wish they had more time for moments like these. The ones where they could act their age. Where people didn't constantly demand and put more pressure on them.

'Yet that was what I did too. I shared everything with them and now I'm hoping they have miraculously figured out what to do with the information.' However, before the guilt could take a good hold on her thoughts she was quite literally dragged out of them and closer to the tree line.

Sora was shocked when Shisui and Itachi came out and laid out their all their plans and everything that had to do with the clan's coup, including their own involvement with the Hokage and elders. Itachi poked her forehead when he noticed her surprise.

"You shared everything with us," he said and she was so very touched by their trust.

Maybe she should feel ashamed for not trusting them, though that is not completely true. After all, had she not trusted them, she would not have shared what she did with them so plainly. But she admittedly did not believe they reciprocated her feelings.

Itachi and Shisui were close. As close as brothers if not more and Sora didn't see a place for herself in that dynamic.

She did get her ass handed to her later because of that, though Shisui insisted it was because she had to look like she was training while she glared at him through her fringe. He was immune to it by now unfortunately so all she did was pinch her cheeks before saying that he needed to leave meet with his "cute underlings," and off he was.

Itachi and Sora decided it would be wiser if they also left and, embarrassingly for her, she needed his help to get back home.

"I'm going to kick his ass next time," she promised to herself, sounding even to her ears as a sulking child. Idea Itachi must have shared as he chuckled at her grumbles.

"Oh shut up you," she said, not meaning it as he continued to carry her back home

—.—.—.—.—

Sora hated this. Hated it. Hated this whole situation and then hated it some more. Well, wasn't she a ray of sunshine?

Back to the situation at hand, unfortunately, the girl was currently sitting around the dinner table with her family and their group was blanketed in tense—angry, silence.

She and Takeo had gotten into another fight and finally Kotori had enough of it and added her own opinions to the pot. Which mainly resulted in Sora having to argue with both of her parents till Riku also chipped in.

"Where the fuck is your pride!" the boy shouted while their mother also exploded in an angry "Language!"

"Pride and stupidity are two different things!" Sora hissed at her brother and the boy actually made a move on her. This caused Umi to finally throw her chopsticks on the table and get in between her quarrelling siblings.

"You are an Uchiha and your duty is to the clan first and foremost!" Takeo continued with his tirade.

"Why the hell do you think I am even arguing about this to begin with!" Sora screamed, frustrated tears gathering in her eyes whilst her sharingan activated from her uncontrollable emotions.

"You turn off that sharingan this second!" their mother exclaimed and Umi was in the process of elbowing Riku in his gut.

"Oh, now you want me to turn it off? When I got it people couldn't stop using over the fact that I was so traumatised I awakened it when I was three! Three! Not one of you ever asked me how I felt! All everyone ever does is guess and congratulate while pretending they don't know what activating it means!" the girl screamed till her voice was hoarse. Voicing for the first time her displeasure about that episode. And she might have carried on. No, she would have certainly carried on had her father not slapped her.

It must have been at least partially involuntary because the man took a moment to stare at his hand in surprise, but that expression was quickly replaced by a mask of indifference.

Thus the silence descended upon their family and Sora refused to stand there any longer. She needed to move. Now.

"Thank you for the food," she said demurely, a far cry from how she was moments before.

"Where are you going?" her father asked but she was determined to be a brat if it meant not speaking with him, with any of them right now.

Hence why even though she was barefoot she left the house, intent on putting some distance between themselves. Which resulted in her ending up at Shisui's house even though it was currently empty.

'Things are only going to get worse before they get better,' she thought sadly as she made her way through the house to the bathroom to wash her feet before making her way to the room and collapsing on the laid out futon.

'But will things even get better?'

—.—.—.—.—

The girl wondered if it was normal. For such a seemingly normal day to turn into such a nightmare. Did it really matter what she did? Was everything doomed to occur regardless of the actions they took?

Was the Uchiha pride worth all the blood?

No.

She couldn't allow herself to fall into the pit of despair. Not now, not again. But the current situation left room for little else.

And honestly, it was such an ordinary day.

Sora meet with her team in the morning, trained will them till noon, grabbed something to eat with them because better way to deepen their beds than through sharing several meals together?

Then she walked back to the compound when to train with Fumio-sensei some more before finally retreating back home where she took a bath and got ready for the evening clan meeting.

They were getting more frequent and Sora particularly hated the atmosphere they tended to generate in her household.

She knew nobody hated her and she didn't hate them either. However, they were all incapable, or maybe unwilling, to understand each other.

They were Uchiha first and foremost.

But she was Sora.

Not Uchiha Sora, not Konoha no Sora, just Sora.

And while she was not completely immune to the feeling of pride and belonging whenever she associated herself with her clan, that did not mean she was blind.

Was it because she knew what was to be? Knew just how far the village was willing to go?

The girl guessed it didn't really matter because she could see just how much hatred their pride was generating. Could see how steadily more and more clansmen were blinded by it. Feared that it will not be long before even their unassuming children will be afflicted by the emotions blanketing their compound but which they all pretended was not there.

So as she ascended towards the Naka shrine, as she looked around the people she has grown up around…Sora felt like weeping.

It didn't take long for her to notice Itachi was not present amongst those assembled when they all found themselves inside the building.

Shisui was missing too, though he had been gone on a mission the past few weeks to discourage Kirigakure's forces from making way inland. Thinking of Shisui, the male was due to return today wasn't he? Or was it tomorrow?

The youngest Uchiha present wasn't certain, but as she began tuning out the angry chatter around her she allowed her eyes to roam the room they were in.

It was all the same.

Fugaku-sama was sitting on a raised platform, the rest of them sitting in seiza on the lower level. The walls were bare with the exception of the Uchiha fans decorating each one, the floors lacked any obstructions, making more room for them to sit and the torch flames flickered without a care in the world, casting shadows that blended into one another of the stone walls.

Nothing was out of the ordinary. It would have probably remained that way too had she not noticed a distinctive caw coming from outside.

Once. Twice. Trice.

She felt her body tense immediately as her brain processed the significance of that cry. That was one of the boy's crows, which they trained to be able to deliver messages, like morse, in case they couldn't do so themselves.

And this one said something happened. Something bad.

She wouldn't be able to leave without drawing attention to herself. Especially not when her father noticed her change in posture.

But being subtle was the least of Sora's worries.

"What is it Sora?" she heard Fugaku call out when he noticed she got up, could feel several pairs of eyes all turning towards her.

She was distantly aware that she murmured her need to leave and didn't wait for a response as she bolted out of the meeting. Ignoring the cries of outrage her departure produced.

Sora spotted the crow and followed as it flew towards a familiar destination, increasing her speed and outrunning it in her effort to get there.

She barrelled into the clearing and the suddenness of it all didn't give her enough time to process her surrounding for all that her activated sharingan allowed her to see everything in sharp detail.

"Ah, I told Itachi not to call, the clan meeting was still ongoing, wasn't it? Man, they are going to be pissed off you know?" Shisui's weak attempt at humour did nothing to get the girl to react as she stared at the boy in horror.

"Oy, staring isn't—"

"W-what happened?" she asked in a trembling voice, body shaking like a leaf as she took slow steps towards the duo.

Itachi was more preoccupied dealing with Shisui's wound —'the gaping hole were his eye should be'— and so that only left the latter boy available to answer her questions.

"Haha, funny story—" he attempted to say only to be sharply cut off by Sora.

"Don't mess around!"

"Man," he sighed, a more gentle look in his —one— eye. He raised his right arm and gestured for her to get closer, which she did. Falling to her knees beside them as her hands to cup his face. Or try to at least. Sora didn't want to get in Itachi's way.

"Was it?" she feared finishing the sentence. Somehow feeling like voicing it outlaid would be akin to signing their fate.

"I even had your warnings on my side and I was careless. It seems Danzo-sama is determined to do things his way," the boy explained.

"The Hokage," she tried to voice out only to be interrupted herself.

"No," the oldest of them said.

"What do you mean no?! We can't let him get away with this!" she hissed furiously, Itachi silent by her side but pinning the older boy with a no less intense stare.

"No you two I have thought about this a lot and I think it's for the best if I go," he said, raising in a more decent position.

"Go—What are you," "Shisui!" the two of them exploded in unison.

"We don't really have the time to be arguing—look you two, things aren't going to get any easier and frankly we still don't know what to do about, well you know," the older boy said, frustration lacing his voice. "Even if we tell Hokage-sama things are likely not going to change. If this gets back to the clan things are going to become irreversible and it might even cause friction within the higher ranks of the village. It won't help anyone you two," he tried to explain, leaning forward and bringing the two in a hug.

"I'll make it look like I committed suicide—I won't do it Sora," Shisui interrupted himself when the girl tried to protest. "I'll keep an eye on things from the shadows, it will be much easier when everyone thinks you are dead," and he tightened his grip around them.

"I'll have to leave the clan and village to you two…I'm sorry for being so selfish," he uttered as he buried his face in between their shoulders.

"I already left a note for the clan to find—I better go now, I'll only be able to lose Danzo's ANBU for so long and the clan will likely be looking for you," the boy nudged Sora playfully, a sad smile in place.

"Shisui—"Itachi's voice broke and that made Sora feel all the worse. Why did this happen? Wasn't the whole point of warning someone about it so it doesn't happen? So why? Why? Why? Why?

"You two are my closest friends, so please accept my decision. I'll continue to look over you, the village and clan from the shadows. I'll try to find as much as I can about that cousin of ours, this isn't goodbye alright? We'll still see each other."

But they all knew it will never be the same.

—.—.—.—.—

Things were a mess the next day. Understandably so. And when Sora woke up it wasn't because her body decided it was enough, but because her father barged in the room and demanded to speak with her.

So she got up, shoulders slumped and looking as though she was one of the walking-dead.

Her father took a seat across from her, feet in the lotus and arms crossed across his chest. His stare was hard, face cold and all around looking like anyone but her father who liked cracking awful jokes.

"This morning a note, presumably from Uchiha Shisui was found claiming he committed suicide. From what it said it pointed towards the Nara river, however, the search—" not that the man ever got to finish as Sora broke down in hysteric cries for the first time before the man. Taking him utterly by surprise and causing his chakra to flare in alarm.

It was enough to draw the attention of the others who came to see what was going on. They have all heard about Shisui and were torn between letting Takeo do his job and comforting the youngest of their family.

Kotori showed signs of wanting to just to do the latter but it was Umi that acted first, crossing the short distance from the entrance to her sister in long purposeful steps. She crouched by the sobbing child, hands going out to encircle her.

The elder sister bent her head to utter reassurances, hand moving up and down her pack before beginning to lightly rock the two of them.

Coughing awkwardly to relieve some of the tension Takeo tried approaching the subject with his daughter again. Though it was clear from the way his shoulders were slumber and his expression that of open exhaustion that he no longer wished to do this.

"Is that why you left the meeting last night?" he asked softer, noting how her breath hitched and body began trembling even more violently than before.

'He really committed suicide?' he wondered earnestly for the first time. 'It just doesn't make sense. Shisui was as loyal to the clan as one could be, he—'

"The hell do you know about him," Sora muffled voice resounded in the room. The words dripping with venom. And when the red of the sharingan blazed from her sockets as the girl raised her head from her sister's embrace… It was enough to startle all those present.

Fury was not a good enough adjective to describe the state Sora was in. It was not one any of the people in the room had seen her display before.

"I asked," the youngest girl began, "what the hell, do you know about Shisui," though the way she erased it sounded more like an accusation than a question.

"Do not speak to me in that tone," Takeo attempted to reassert his authority over his youngest child.

"None of you get it. You are all so fucking blind,"

"We are not discussing that! This has nothing to do with—'

"It has everything to do with it! He preferred to die. He chose to put—" but her voice trembled and she had to stop on numerous occasions. This was all partially an act of course. Shisui wasn't dead. But to ensure the world believed it she would have to put on a performance that would fool anyone. Even herself.

For all the tears and anger were real. All the pent up frustration. All the fear. Everything she had felt up to that point and continued to feel as they all continued to deny the truth.

All of that was added to the words she hurled into her family's face.

'See,' she wanted to scream at them. 'Open your damn eyes!' because death awaited them all at this pace.

"He was Shisui. Shisui. Not Uchiha Shisui. He was Shisui and none of you understood that! You all continue to look for something else to blame rather than face the damn truth. Your pride will get us all killed or worse! He was Shisui who grew up surrounded by the clan and village and he loved them both! And you ordered him to choose. You order him to watch his best friend. The boy who might as well be his brother! You ordered him to watch me!" and she could see that was news to her siblings and judging from the horrified look on Kotori's face the woman already knew.

A gurgle of hysteric laughter made its way past her throat to the outside world and tears stung her eyes as she tried to wipe them away.

"You want to know where I went last night?" she asked them in a deceptively calm tone. "I left to watch my best friend die. I went to listen to his farewell and beg and scream for him to stop. I went only to be unable to do anything..because that asshole made it his mission to die," her mind naturally flashed to the events of last night. Where she was indeed unable to do anything to prevent Shisui from doing what he thought he had to do.

"He loved the clan. But he loved Konoha as well. And the only thing he thought about that would keep both safe was rid the world of himself…he didn't want to be forced to use his mangekyo on those he loved," and the latter was barely whispered. All the words true.

Part of her mind was still paying attention to her surrounding even if all the energy left her and she now laid slumped in her sister's arms. She could tell Umi was going through her breathing exercises to keep calm, felt the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. Knew Kotori was crying and looking at her with the most anguished expression. Saw Riku's horrified look and how his mouth lay slightly open. Sora also watched her father try to process the information, his face the most shocked before he forced himself to retreat to a more neutral one.

At this time the girl couldn't care less if one of them decided to step dance.

She was just so mentally exhausted. Sora wanted it all to end. She wanted that so badly…but that was not something she was allowed to it for. Because she made a promise.

The brunette promised Shisui that she will look after the clan and the village. After Itachi who they both knew was a self-scarifying idiot. She promised Itachi, after Shisui departed without so much as sparing a glance behind (such a good shinobi) that she wouldn't let him face this alone.

And things will only get harder from this point onwards.

A/N: *Before anyone asks, Sora said she 'loves' them, not that she is 'in love' with them.

Right...so here is chapter 7...ah I'm not sure how I feel about this one but I also wanted to get it out. You have all been so, kind and wonderful in your reviews *hugs* I never expected this story to get this sort of response! It was literally written on a whim. Thank you, all of you. You are all so wonderful and kind and I don't deserve you but your words make my day :3

Alas, a lollipop for your thoughts on this chapter?