Title: All The World's A Stage

Summery: It was just a role, just a role. She faked it, faked everything. It was just a role, until... It wasn't.

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts." - Jaques, As You Like It, William Shakespeare

When Uchiha Mikoto welcomed a set of twins into the world, instead of the one child everyone expected, there was a slight shock. The Uchiha bloodline was not known for twins after all, that was a Hyuuga thing.

However, there were twins, all the same. A little boy who Fugaku named Itachi, and a little girl Mikoto named Emiko. The new parents where quite happy with the two, and were sure that they would do great things one day, amazing things.

They weren't aware that their little girl had already done the amazing; she'd been reborn into a new world.

Act One, Scene One

It was wrong, what had happened. This couldn't be happening to her, it was... it was just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

She was Julia Brown, a twenty-five-year old woman who had landed the role of Elphaba in Wicked. Yes, it was a small town play, but still, she'd been thrilled.

She wasn't suppose to be dead. She wasn't suppose to have died that night. And she wasn't suppose to be reborn! Certainly not into a manga! Not into this hell! This was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Itachi didn't have a twin, and even if he did, that twin certainly was not her. She had loved this manga. She'd memorized every single line from the first-

Line...

Line.

Line.

Script.

Play.

Theater.

Actor.

... Yeah, she could use that. Definitely. She could use that.

Act One, Scene Two

Method acting was one of the best ways to act. To submerge yourself into your character, to lock your true self away, and to become the person you were acting as. Julia wasn't as good as Johnny Depp, but she was good at it. Very good, and soon she was going to have a large amount of practice.

She knew she had to be cautious. There were tales of some actors who were so good at method acting, that they had become their characters, completely, or both the original and the character had blended together, to make a whole new personality.

Julia and Emiko would have to remain separate this she knew. She would not become Emiko, nor would she let the personality bleed through.

She was an actor, and this was the part she would play.

Act One, Scene Three

It took a month to create the foundation of Emiko. She had to observe the people around her, to try to create it. She had known Japanese before this life, so it took very little time to listen and learn.

Emiko was the younger twin of Itachi. She was smaller, and weaker than him. She was almost as smart, almost as strong, almost as good, but she would never surpass him nor would she ever be just as good.

Julia knew exactly where this part would end for her: Death at the hands of Itachi. She wasn't afraid though. This was just a part for her, an acting piece. Besides, she'd already died once, doing it again wouldn't hurt. Or at least, it shouldn't.

She retreated into her mind, letting Emiko rise and take her place. It was time to wait, and see.

Act One, Scene Four

She used Itachi as her timeline. When he could talk, she waited a week before speaking. When he could crawl, she waited a week. Every time, she waited and watched. She acted like a shy child, hiding behind Itachi.

She grew more and more, becoming better and better at acting like a child. Itachi let her play with his hair often, much to her childish delight.

When they began to show their real skills, the skills of a prodigy, she was sly with them. She was nearly as good as Itachi, just a bare second off his running skills, two off his throwing skills, a couple of feet of his jumping skills.

One thing she couldn't match like that was chakra. She had too much, being older in the mind then Itachi. But she made sure she activated the eyes after Itachi. It was rather simple, once she bugged him into learning how. You had to shove as much chakra as you could at your eyes, and pray like hell that they wouldn't explode.

The clan was so proud of their prodigies. 'Better then Hatake Kakashi' they would crow.

She's happy her facade holds up.

Act One, Scene Five

The birth of Sasuke is an interesting experience. All of the Uchiha are excited, and hopeful for the child. He's born a little premature, but he's instantly the center of the world for the twins. They smile and play with him.

As they sit, watching the chaos unfold in the village, they promise, to always protect their little brother. As the Kyubbi rampages, Julia feels regret in her heart, knowing she can never keep that promise.

Emiko is her part to play, and her end draws near, each passing year.

Act Two, Scene One

The Acadmey years pass in a blur, as she and Itachi grow strong. The two of them are mocked and teased by others, for being so young, but they ignore it, and move on. They are called the 'Creepy Twins' for their blank faces and stares when people mock.

They are placed on the same team, their teacher a woman named Akane, with a boy who had failed twice. The two of them don't even care about the glares, as they learn and learn and grow.

Act Two, Scene Two

"I no want you ta go!" sobs Sasuke, clutching at his onee-san's pant leg. Emiko looks down with sad eyes, as Itachi waits for his sister at the door. "What if you no come back?" Emiko hesitates, before she removes the ribbon that holds her hair back.

"Sasuke-chan." she says, kneeling down, and pressing the ribbon into her brother's hand. "As long as you have this, we will always come back, okay?"

"Pwomise?"

"I swear on my ninja honor." a voice hissed in her ear, as she removed her hands.

Liar.

Act Two, Scene Three

Double teaming is easy for them. They move quick, fighting as one when needed, but separate when not.

Killing is something that she doesn't do, she firmly tells herself. She may kill, bu it's just a role, just a role, just a role.

It doesn't stop the nightmares, or the screams.

Itachi seems to have it worse, as he shows a mask to everyone else, but screams into her shoulder in private. He was just a child, only six, for hell's sake. He shouldn't be a warrior. He should be playing ninja, not being one.

This was wrong, wrong, wrong.

She cries with Emiko, as she realizes, that despite the fact it was one of the nicer villages, Konoha still has at its core, the morals of a ninja.

None.

Act Two, Scene Four

Sasuke keeps begging for them to play with him, something Emiko agrees to more often than Itachi. Sasuke is so... cheerful and happy as a child, with his big eyes and happy smile.

She smiles as they play a game of ninja that has his dinosaur be the Kage, and his monkey be the enemy. Itachi joins them, and uses Sasuke's panda as the Kage's subordinate.

She wants to brand this image into her heart, and never let go, never ever, ever.

Act Two, Scene Five

She nearly looses an eye when she's eight. A Kumo nin tried to dig it out.

Itachi slaughtered him, as she ripped away her restraints. She carries the scar for the rest of her life, slashed over her eye.

Itachi nearly looses his arm, a month later. Their sensei dies when they are nine.

It keeps going and going. Death, injury, death, injury...

Sasuke wants to train with them, and they refuse, over and over and over.

They don't want him to have this life.

Act Three, Scene One

They are ten, and are becoming ANBU. Neither want it, but have to. Sasuke is entering the Academy.

He wants father there, and they will make sure he is.

Act Three, Scene Two

Emiko and Itachi are introduced to two other Uchiha. Uchiha Aoi, a pretty civlian who is very, very quiet, and her brother, Shisui.

It is then, that they learn that these two are who they are betrothed to. Aoi blushes, looking at Itachi, as Shisui pales. He's dating someone already, and he's fifteen, not ten.

Emiko and Itachi don't show any emotion, other than blank stares. They don't care.

The end is coming anyway, it doesn't matter to Emiko.

Act three, Scene Three

They become friends with Shisui, but not Aoi, who is to shy, to weak, to civilian to get along with the siblings. Emiko thinks Shisui could have been a good husband, though she knows his fate to well, to get to know him.

It is around this time, that they are let into the secret clan meetings.

The coup is coming together.

Act Three, Scene Four

Shisui is the one who brings up betraying their clan. Emiko doesn't even flinch, as Itachi agrees, she just follows.

Itachi is the elder brother, and the clan heir, it's expected of her to defer to him, in public. In private, she asks, though she knows he will never change his mind, if he's sure.

He is.

Act Three, Scene Five

They are spies for both the Hokage and their clan. Part of her feels guilty, but she reminds herself, it's just a role.

Just a role, just a role.

Emiko is just a character in this play, one with little effect in the long run. She's just a role, just a role.

And her finale scene is coming up.

Act Four, Scene One

Sasuke is happy, and laughing. She savors it, playing with him and giggling.

Her time is drawing to a close. Soon the curtain will close. And she wants to savor each and every moment with her little brother. Every single one. Itachi is there as well, playing, and she cries later that night, into her pillow.

She's slowly starting to think she may have blurred the lines between Emiko and Julia.

Act Four, Scene Two

Itachi finds out about it first, and tells them as they hide away in a tree.

"Mangekyo?" Shisui says, frowning. "But... you have to..."

"Kill the person your closest to." he affirms. His eyes dart to her, and she looks back.

"But... both of you are my closest friends!" Shisui says, frowning. They look at each other again, both thinking,

But you aren't ours.

Act Four, Scene Three

Shisui and Itachi fight late one night, without Emiko there to help either. She only learns about it later though, as she hears about Shisui's suicide from the boy's father.

"You should have asked me to help." she says, as she corners her twin. Itachi doesn't answer for a minute.

"Danzo stole his eye." Emiko can't help the wince. It's an instinct now, to be afraid of someone stealing her eyes. Her eyes are everything. "He gave it to me, so it couldn't be stolen by him again."

It's later, he whispers to her, as they get ready for a long-term mission, "I don't have it."

"I know."

Act Four, Scene Four

Time's running past her, the curtains are nearly closed, and yet...

She's terrified, she's confused. How could she be so scared of the end? She's died before, it shouldn't matter again. Why doesn't she want it to end? It's just a role after all.

It's just a role, just a role.

It's her crowning achievement in acting, something that should have been, would have been in another life, her being Elphaba in wicked. But it's just a role. It's not like this matters, the world will go on without her.

She's nothing in this world, but a fluke.

Act Four, Scene Five

They put it off, the finale battle. They put it off, until they can't anymore. The Uchiha are on the move.

They take a mission out of the village, an easy one that they are given a week for. Emiko spends a day with Sasuke, letting him play with her hair, which he loves.

"Bye Sasuke." she tells him, kissing his forehead.

"I'll see you when you get back!" he still has the ribbon around his wrist, the one she pressed into his hand, so long ago. She sobs a bit, as she leaves.

She's a liar, a lair, she's hurting him, she's hurting him, she's hurting him.

She'll break his heart.

Act Five, Scene One

The mission is done in a day, and the two set up camp. Both of them don't say anything, they simply sit together. They move as one, as they set up for the night.

It's a full moon, as they cuddle together, like they had done when they were smaller. Emiko closes her eyes, and cries a bit, as she faces the dawn.

Act Five, Scene Two

The sound of two blades being drawn sound in the clearing. They stalk each other, both unable to risk it, unable to think it...

They can't hurt their twin.

Act Five, Scene Three

It's not just a role. It's not an act.

It's real. It's real, it's real, it's real.

She's facing down her brother, she's facing down her twin.

They are fighting to the death, to 'win' the honor of the Mangekyo.

They fight to know who will kill their family.

Emiko cries, as the line blurs, and Julie becomes her, and she becomes Julie. This is real, real, real, real...

It's all real.

Act Five, Scene Four

Red meets red, as the two look up. Tears blurs her vision, even with her sharigan, as the run, blades drawn.

A thought strikes her, as she runs.

"All the World's a Stage."

"Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."-Jaques, As You Like It, William Shakespeare

Well, that was fun! I hope you enjoyed it!

Run down of my style for this: Shakespeare wrote in his plays in five acts, except for his shortest The Comedy of Errors. The third act is when the climax would happen. As such, I wrote it like a Shakespearian play!

Review please!