[Izumi]
Izumi's hands can't stop shaking as she holds the day's newspaper. The front-page headline, "Uchiha Clan Massacre," leaves the young woman in no doubt that her nightmare has come true, with Itachi officially responsible for one of the greatest crimes in Konoha's history.
"Izumi… This must be a mistake," Yuina says quietly next to Izumi, trying to calm her down.
But Izumi pays no attention to Yuina, her companion and only remaining relative from the clan, because the shock of what she has just read prevents her from processing anything that is happening around her.
Both are dressed in civilian clothes and with different hair colors, Izumi now black and Yuina brown, in addition, their faces are under the effects of the transformation jutsu and are completely different from their original appearances.
Life for both of them, after being freed by the man in the demon mask, has been an agonizing wait for news of what happened in Konoha, but now that they know the truth, everything has transformed into something almost surreal.
Izumi, sitting on a bench in the capital's main square, simply watches the people pass by, lost in multiple thoughts that take her back to happier moments in the past. The diary now lies crumpled in her lap. Yuina, for her part, doesn't know what to do and simply covers her face with her hands, sobbing softly.
Izumi's thoughts turn to the good times she had with her mother, and particularly with Itachi, with whom she's been in love for a long time. To her, he was always the perfect person and ninja, an example of what every Uchiha aspires to become, a pillar for a better society. She never saw a single malicious intention in him, perhaps a slightly overprotective attitude toward his little brother, but never to the point of annihilating his entire clan to protect the village. Nothing makes sense.
The young woman's eyes slowly begin to turn red, but she manages to stop the change before the Sharingan is revealed. Her mind is in chaos, and her hands are trembling nonstop, along with a pale face and labored breathing—clear signs of a panic attack.
Izumi gets up from the bench and begins to run towards the small pool in the center of the square and throws herself into the water without hesitation, becoming completely wet. The young woman can't help but laugh at her situation, but her laughter quickly turns to tears, causing Yuina to rush to her aid, to the astonished gaze of passersby.
Back in their hotel room, both young women collapse into the living room chairs. Izumi, still in her wet clothes, removes the necklace she's wearing around her neck and stares at it for a long moment.
"I need to know the real reason why he did it," Izumi says loudly, catching Yuina's eye. "None of this makes sense. I can't watch him murdering every member of our clan. Would he have killed me too if I was there?"
Yuina can feel Izumi's aura begin to change, with her eyes quickly transforming into Sharingan and her face changing into one of coldness and anger.
"This isn't going to stay like this. I'm going to find out who was responsible…"
Izumi's eyes begin to transform again, taking the form of six-pointed snowflakes and completely changing her image, no longer that of a compassionate and adorable 13-year-old ninja, but rather that of a young woman with a broken soul and an immense thirst for revenge.
"...And I will kill them all"
…
At night, after the two-week notice has expired, the two warriors in samurai armor, one man and one woman, reappear in the hotel room, steaming from their bodies. It's already past midnight, but Izumi is still awake, sipping tea in the living room.
The young woman is surprised by the sudden arrival of the guests, who appear in the room almost like magic and very silently.
"It's good to see you still here. I suppose you've seen the news about the massacre of your clan?" the man begins.
Izumi stares at the man for a moment, then looks down and lets out a long sigh. "Yeah… All the news points to Itachi, but you mentioned there are a lot more people involved."
"Correct, at least two organizations directly involved," the man adds, sitting down in an armchair directly opposite Izumi.
"Right now I don't know what to believe. It is impossible for me to see Itachi commit the acts that everyone describes, but you are undoubtedly the only one who was there and the one who has given me the most complete explanation possible. I want to know the truth, I want Itachi to tell me why, if he really committed that...if...all of us really deserve to die..." Izumi can't help but break down emotionally and tears begin to flow from her eyes, but her gaze remains fixed on the man in the Demon mask.
"It's all too complex and absurd, even for me. As I told you last time, your friend Itachi was simply a tool for those who wanted to see your clan disappear. But be careful, he really did everything the stories describe; he killed every single member of your clan in cold blood, men, women, and children, with the exception of his brother Sasuke. He doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt, because for whatever reason, he was willing to kill his own parents, for who knows what kind of twisted reason someone put in his mind," the man says in a cold tone.
Izumi can't help but bring her hands to her face. "I don't need to hear this. I want to know who's really responsible for the massacre. I want them... I want them dead!" The young woman ends up screaming, showing her Mangekyou Sharingan directly at the man.
But the man is unfazed by Izumi's display of anger, simply staring at her intently. "You're not ready to face that kind of enemy yet. For you to show me those eyes like this is a clear example of your ignorance. Do you know what happens to those who use Mangekyou too much?"
The young woman is surprised by the man's words, causing her to calm down for a moment and return her eyes to normal. "What do you mean?"
"The Mangekyou Sharingan is an amazing power, but it has a weakness, because the more you use it you will quickly begin to lose your sight, until you become completely blind," the man answers calmly.
Izumi, until now blinded by her emotions, awakens from her irrational state, paying much more attention to the man.
"You need to control that power before you even think about facing those you want to kill. Even then, you won't be able to do it. We're talking about extremely strong ninjas, Kages-level, whom neither you nor I are capable of facing, even if we join forces. You need time, and you need allies, something only I can give you right now."
"You want to oppose the entire ninja world. Why should I follow you?" Izumi says, after recalling the speech the man gave last time.
"Just because I want to oppose them doesn't mean I want to eliminate them. I simply wish for a slightly more balanced world, where ninjas think twice before starting their conflicts and stupid wars. I want a force capable of opposing the large hidden villages on equal terms, thus reducing the likelihood of more wars like the one that recently ended. Or at least try to… And I want you to help me create that force."
The young woman tries to follow the man's words, but has difficulty understanding him, to which she ends up saying in a very loud voice, "Why do you make something that is simple sound so complicated? You want me to help you with your organization and at the same time you will help me take revenge on those responsible for the massacre of my clan, is that correct?"
The man is surprised by Izumi's abrupt change in personality. Even the woman next to him can't help but let out a small laugh.
"Heee… Well, we could sum it up that way," the man finishes by saying.
Izumi leans back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling of the room, and after a long moment of meditation, she answers, "I don't think I have a better option right now… Is it true that you can share your powers?"
"Of course."
"Even teleportation?"
"My partner at my side is proof that it can be done," the man replies, pointing to his partner, standing behind him.
Izumi stares at both of them with an inquisitive look, as if waiting for something.
"Is something wrong?" the man asks.
"Do you have names? Or am I going to have to refer to you as 'you' forever?"
"My followers refer to me as the messenger, but you can call me Akira," the man says, somewhat embarrassed.
"Kiyoko," the man's companion says.
Izumi's face continues to show disbelief upon hearing the names, but in the end she decides to accept them "I hope this is not a mistake on my part, but it is a pleasure to meet you."