Discimer: I don't own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release.

  Itachi was in shock. He couldn't believe what his father and his were asking him to do.

  "Now we have a pipeline eg our to the ter of the vilge. Itachi! The information and advantage y us are the key to our 's future. Don't fet that." Every member was looking at him. Their eyes red and the Sharingan bzing in the dark.

  The memories of that meeting vanished from the forefront of his mind and were repced with his meeting with Danzo shortly after joining Anbu.

  "So you're part of Team Ro huh. With team leader Kakashi Hatake." Danzo mused as he looked over the papers.

  "He is a powerful ninja… Do you know what the most important aspect of an Anbu is?" The root ander asked Itachi. Before even waiting for Itachi’s reply he answered.

  "It's darkness. The darkness of the heart. Without it you won't survive being Anbu… And when I look at you… I tell. You have plenty of darkness inside you." Itachi just remained silent as he listeo those words.

  Itachi's mihrough the several missions he uook as an Anbu. Some were assassination missions while others were simple like guarding the Hokage. But there was one mission he wasn't prepared for and it took him by shock. He remembered that day so clearly.

  In the basement of the Anbu building several monitors were fixed together. All the ss with pictures of the Uchiha pound.

  Kakashi stood besides him. "The ails atta our vilge. The officials suspe Uchiha involvement. They didn't just isote the pound to the edge of the vilge. They've decided to monitor the movements of the Uchiha at all times."

  Itachi stood still as he watched his Anbu rades trolling the ss with various buttons.

  'There's no way I tell the about this. If they found out that they were being monitored every sed of the day it would amplify their rage and it would be the tipping point.'

  "Now that you're Anbu, this will be one of your tasks." Kakashi's voice reached his ears.

  "You're me to spy on my ?"

  Hearing Itachi's question an Anbu member watg the monitor answered. "A mission is a mission. Your summohe ails. So they are now under iigation. Accept it, newbie."

  He could never fet that day. 'It was difficult but I did it. And that was also when I found out the existence of the masked man. Ever since he killed Tenma I've tried to find out who he is. I met with all the men in the d no one had his chakra aura or voice. I also became sure that there was no one in the who could trol space time Ninjutsu like that. So I cluded that this masked man was an outsider. An Uchiha who has left the … And I was right.'

  Itachi iigated the identity of the masked man through several means. He cluded that it was an Uchiha and not someone who stole a Sharingan. After going through several theories and discarding the least likely, he had a suspe mind. Itachi went through several dots in the archives to firm his suspi.

  'None of these records verify the death of Madara Uchiha. It only says he died in battle with the first Hokage but there is no other proof. Not the body or the Sharingan was brought back… there's nothing… That masked ninja. I've never entered a ninja with su overwhelming chakra and presence… Is it possible… Is he…?’

  He kept his suspi to himself. Weeks passed with his time in the Anbu. It was during this time that Danzo had called him and asked him to report on the meetings.

  "I need you to report to me the details of the meetings. If things progress as they have then there will be chaos for everyone."

  Itachi hated it but he agreed with the man. So from that day he started rep the on-goings of the meetings to Danzo.

  Soon after that the day came when Fugaku was discussing the various strategies to be used for the coup.

  "We o make a detailed list of all the people ready to participate in the pn. Our assassination and attack targets and the invasion routes must be precise. If any of you have any thoughts feel free to speak your mind." Fugaku stopped as he looked at everyone.

  Itachi protested against the radical methods at the meeting and this earned him the ire of several members. Mainly Yashiro, Inabi and Tekka.

  "Who's side are you on Itachi? Who's your Ally? The vilge or the ?"

  Itachi looked at everyone present and answered. "Isn't it obvious? I'm Itachi of the Uchiha ."

  Itachi recalled Yashiro's angry roar in the Naka shriing. 'They didn't believe me. It wasn't long before they made their move. And they used my friend to do their dirty work.'

  The three tasked Shisui to spy on Itachi.

  It was midnight. Shisui had asked him to e to the cliff. During his time in Anbu, Itachi had memorized the position and angles of the cameras watg them. He devised a path that allowed him to move without being caught on the cameras. Itachi reached the location in a short while.

  "Five me for making you wait."

  "Don't worry. I just got here too." Shisui said with a small smile.

  Seeing his friend's face, Itachi became ed. "What's wrong, Shisui?"

  "There's something I have to tell you… The suspects you of being a traitor."

  "I know. I already figured."

  "That's not all… They've ordered me to monitor your as and movements."

  "What?" Itachi was shocked at the notion. 'I 't believe father would…'

  "It wasn't Lord Fugaku." Shisui answered as if reading Itachi's mind. "It was the three officials from the military police. Yashiro, Tekka and Inabi."

  "I see…"

  "Don't worry. I'll make something up a to them. You rex." Itachi trusted his friend's words. Both of them stood in silence for a few seds.

  "If tomorrow's meeting goes as phen we won't be able to stop the coup." Shisui said to him.

  "So what do we do?"

  "I have a pn. I'm going to use my Mangekyō Sharingan on Lord Fugaku and trap him in my Genjutsu."

  Itachi remembered the pn. He would be absent from the meeting and Shisui would use his powerful Genjutsu on his father and stop the pn. Shisui described the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan and Itachi believed it would work. So he trusted in his friend and waited for the day.

  'I had an argument with father the night before the meeting. I was adamant that I wouldn't attend and he was furious. It was then that Sasuke woke up and came he room… I used him as a shield so father would drop the argument. That look in Sasuke’s eyes that night… Was it jealousy?'

  'It doesn't matter now. By tomorrow the oions he would feel towards me are anger and hatred.'

  Memories of him waiting on the cliff for Shisui came. He had many thoughts in mind at that time. 'What would we do oher was brought down? How would we proceed?' As he thought about what the future would bring him, he sehe chakra of his friend appearing behind him. 'It's too early for him to be here!'

  Itachi turned around and looked at his friend.

  "Sorry Itachi. I failed." Blood ran down from Shisui's closed right eye. He slowly walked past Itachi and stood he cliff.

  "What happeo your eye?"

  "Danzo… Danzo happened." Shisui turo Itachi and looked with his single eye. "Itachi…” His friend looked weak. Like he had given up.

  'No, don't say it. Please don't say it.' Itachi desperately pleaded in his heart. He didn't want to hear the words he knew his friend was going to say.

  “It looks like there's no way to stop the coup. If the leaf starts fighting itself then… The other tries would take a and use the opportunity to attack us. It'll start another war."

  Itachi stood petrified as he heard those words. Unaware of his friend's iurmoil Shisui tinued.

  "Just when I was about to use Kotoamatsukami and stop the coup Danzo interfered. He stole my right eye. He doesn't trust me. Danzo intends to protect the vilge his way, no matter what he has to do."

  As he heard those words Itachi felt a chill run down his spine. 'A man embodied in darkness.'

  "He's after my left eye. Before he gets it, I'll leave it in your hands."

  His friend took out his eye and gave it to him.

  "You're my best friend. You're the only orust with this mission. Protect the vilge… and the Uchiha name. I'm ting on you… Itachi."

  Those were his st words before he jumped into the river.

  Itachi opened his eyes and looked at the slowly setting sun. His three tomoe sharingan spinning and f into a pinwheel. 'I failed you. I couldn't stop them…'

  Itachi thought about the rest of the events that took pce. Shisui's death temporarily halted the coup d'etat pns. The was banking on Shisui's strength to take out difficult targets including the hokage. And with his death they had to stall and recalcute their battle pn.

  Itachi then thought about Sasuke. He didn't speak with his brother often those days. Even now, his iions with his brother were far less than he’d like. But he did see him train. Train much harder and lohan before.

  'It came as a surprise to me that there was someone who was strong enough to beat Sasuke and take first pce. But it seems that motivated Sasuke to train harder aronger.'

  Itachi remembered the frontation that took pce with the three members during that time. When Yashiro, Inabi and Tekka accused him of being a traitor and killing his friend, Itachi lost his cool. He thhly destroyed them within seds with minimal effort. He only stopped because of his little brother's scream.

  'If it wasn't for Sasuke's sake I would have killed them then and there… I 't believe Shisui sacrificed his life for people like them. He worked tirelessly to find a way to save them till the end… A… Everyoill decided to go dowh of destru… This … it isn't worth saving.'

  Itachi fronted Danzo a few days after Shisui's death.

  "Why did you kill Shisui?"

  "So you did know… He told you, didn't he." Danzo was calm as he answered the question.

  "We had a pn. He was going to stop the coup. It would have brought peace within the vilge."

  "Do you really believe that would have stopped the coup. You and I both know that Fugaku is just a figurehead. Repce him and another will take his pce. Shisui wasn't willing to listen to my pn."

  "That's why you killed him?"

  "Yes."

  Hearing that blunt ung answer, killing i burst forth from him. Itachi held a kunai and lunged for Danzo's throat. A root Anbu got in his way and shielded his master. The kunai lodged in the agent's forearm.

  Unfazed by the as of Itachi, Danzo tio speak. "You already realized it, haven't you?"

  "Shut the hell up." Itachi roared at the man.

  "How we protect the vilge if we're not willing to do what o be done?"

  "I said shut up." Itachi struggled against the root Anbu and slowly pushed the kunai forward.

  "This is what's going to happen if you kill me. When I'm gohe only thing holding the Uchiha back will be gone and they will arestrained. And not to mention, the moment you kill me, a vilge official, you will be branded a criminal and traitor. Even if you somehow make it out of this house alive, my men will pursue you till your death. You won't be able to stay in the vilge. So when the ches the coup you only watch from the outside as the vilge sughters the Uchiha without mercy… This is what's going to happen if you take my life here. So go ahead if you wish to go down this foolish path… Kill me and avenge Shisui."

  Danzo had no iion of dying. It was a clear provocation. Itachi khat. He also khat killing Danzo won't solve anything. In fact, if he went through with it the situation would only beuch worse.

  Itachi gritted his teeth and put his kunai ba his pouch. His ambition was bigger than his desire for vengeanbsp;

  Itachi sighed thinking about the days after that i.

  'More than a year has passed sihat i. But nothing ged. The Hokage didn't find a solution during that time and the kept their heads down and simply waited for another opportunity. The time Shisui bought with his death was for nothing. And now after revising their pns the has set a date. In Ten days they would unch the coup. That was nine days ago.'

  Itachi then thought about the choice Danzo presented him.

  "When push es to shove Hiruzen will take a. That's the kind of man he is. As the Hokage, his priority will be the vilge." Danzo said to Itachi as they stood in front of the foundation building.

  Itachi recalled Danzo's veiled threat against Sasuke and the oute of the coup if it was unched. He recalled the choice he was given by the man.

  "I want you to choose. Will you side with the Uchiha, unch the coup and be destroyed with your ? Or will you stand with the leaf and help us elimihe Uchiha before the coup and save your brother's life… Whatever we do we must do it quickly, for the sake of the vilge. This mission only be given to a double agent for both the Uchiha d the leaf vilge. Only you do it… Itachi…"

  Itachi closed his eyes a out a small breath. He turned around and walked away without saying a word. He soon reached the cliff where he promised Shisui. Tears started falling from his eyes. He cried for a long time. His tears opping.

  "This is the only way." Itachi told himself.

  He tracked down the masked man and fronted him.

  "Well then, this is simpler. You know who I am. Then you should know that I harbor hatred for both the leaf and the Uchiha ." The masked ninja said.

  "Let's make a deal. I'll help you kill the but in exge you'll leave the vilge alone and Sasuke Uchiha. Those are my ditions."

  Itachi thought about why the man would agree to him. 'He must have seen my talents and skills. It's why he's agreed to side with me and made that deal. The end of the for Sasuke’s life and the vilge. And then my talents and skills, put to use in his anization.'

  Itachi stared ahead and noticed that it was evening.

  'The csses must have ended by now. But Danzo has made sure that Sasuke will be stalled in the Academy… It's time… This is the only path avaible to me.'

  More than six hours had passed as he sat there immersed in his thoughts. Several alternative ideas came to his mind but he quickly discarded them. He knew none of them would work.

  Itachi got up and took a deep breath. "Haah…"

  'All the preparations have been made. Time to move.'

  "Alright! I'm going." Those came out of Itachi's mouth as he turned around. Seemingly annouo ay space. But it wasy.

  Itachi made his decision. A decision he knew was born of failure.

  Author’s Note:

  If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps.