Several weeks had passed since the Spring Festival. Itachi spent all his time between missions and training with Shisui. As a result he hardly saw the she-wolf anymore. Mitsuki found him colder, more distant, and if she had the misfortune to bring up this change in behavior, he would shut down and dodge the question.

She didn't understand what was going on with him all of a sudden. After having come so close, here they were finally almost like two strangers. Did he regret all the tenderness he had shown her that evening? Or perhaps she had simply imagined all these things?

In any case, he had been gone for several days, and she could no longer stand still. She had to set things straight! She had then decided to run into the forest on the outskirts of Konoha, making sure that no one followed her, and took her wolf form once she was out of sight. She wanted to find him, even if it meant breaking the rules, and it turned out that while he could mask his chakra so as not to be detected, his scent was obviously not yet the same.She followed the trail she had found without difficulty, easily guessing Shisui's presence at her side. Surely they were still training. She walked up to them, and eventually spotted them at the edge of a cliff, both talking, their faces closed.

She moved forward a little more, hoping to surprise them and cheer them up a little, but two kunai grazed her, causing her to step back to avoid them.

"Kyaaai!" she squeaked as she leapt out of the thicket.

"Mitsuki?!" guessed Shisui, picking up the third weapon he had drawn.

For all answer, the she-wolf reverted to her human form, bringing her hand to her scratched arm.

"Damn, did I touch you?" worried Shisui, rushing towards her.

"It's nothing, don't worry, I shouldn't have tried to scare you," Mitsuki reassured him as she let green chakra flow from her hand to close the wound.

Shisui's face went from worry to laughter. How did she expect to catch two seasoned ninjas like them by surprise? Mitsuki stuck her tongue out at her, aware of the ridiculousness of her idea, before asking them more seriously:

"What were you plotting that you felt compelled to assault the first passerby you came across?"

"A passer-by? Wouldn't you have followed us instead? I remind you that you have no business being here, let alone turned into a wolf." Itachi returned, his unexpected firmness sending shivers up the girl's pale flesh.

"Hey... Well, it's true... I've been sniffing around for you... But you don't even come to see me anymore! And then you seem to be... elsewhere... bothered? I'm here, you know. I'm worried about you, and if you need help..." the she-wolf defended herself awkwardly.

"The only way you can help us is to stay out of it," Itachi cut her off.

"So... There is something, isn't there?" Mitsuki worried a little more.Itachi sighed. Shisui put her arm over his, as if to tell him to put himself in his friend's shoes, and understand her.

"Are you going to sideline me now too?" Mitsuki grinned, offended at being sidelined again, and this time by the people she trusted the most.

"Mitsuki... don't say that! We would never do such a thing! And you know it. You don't have to worry so much," Shisui reassured her.

Mitsuki glared at them both, and obviously didn't believe a word of it.

Luckily for them, a small voice broke out in the forest, putting an end to the discussion:

"Big Brother? Big Brother!"

Sasuke ran over to them, before throwing himself at Itachi.

"What are you three up to now?" he inquired.

"Nothing that concerns you, little brother," Itachi replied gently, ruffling his hair.

"You always hide everything from me! Come on, Big Brother! You look worried..." Sasuke insisted with a pout.

Mitsuki was definitely rubbing off on the little Uchiha too much for Itachi's taste, and from the triumphant look on her face, she knew it. He brought his hand to Sasuke's forehead before offering a flick.

"You're too small yet, we'll see about that later, Sasuke," he explained, before repeating the gesture on Mitsuki's forehead, a smile on his face.

Mitsuki's face softened as she rubbed her forehead, but she still wasn't convinced.

"You always say that, Big Brother!" Sasuke snapped.

Itachi lowered his head, not knowing what to say, when Shisui flew to his aid, taking the little boy under his arm:

"Come here, I have something to ask you!"

And as they debated some mysterious thorny subject, Itachi met Mitsuki's crimson eyes. She looked worried, and he was well aware that he wasn't doing anything to help, but he couldn't involve her in his clan's affairs. She was already far too involved, being under Aruna's wing.Itachi's onyx eyes darkened as he thought of the Sensei, which didn't escape Mitsuki. She understood that he wouldn't tell her anything, and simply slipped her hand into the dark-haired man's, smiling reassuringly when he flinched at her touch. He looked away, before withdrawing his hand, a little too quickly for the she-wolf's taste. Shisui watched sadly as his two friends gradually ignored each other, while Sasuke continued to argue heatedly without paying attention to the scene.

"I'm sorry, we'll have to get back, it's lunch time and we shouldn't be late," Itachi announced, inviting his brother to follow him.

"See you soon Shisui! See you Mitsuki!" Sasuke greeted them, glad to be making the trip with his older brother.

Mitsuki waved back. When they were gone, Shisui grabbed her by the shoulders to confront her directly.

"I know it's hard for you right now, Mitsuki. But keep your faith in him. Never forget who he really is, he'll always need you." he whispered softly to her, as a tear rolled down the young Hata's cheek.

"Why does he put such a distance between us then, Shisui? You know, I believed it the night of the party... I thought he loved me, and several times that he would eventually tell me. I didn't dare to do it myself... I'm sorry, but now that he's running away from me, I'm thinking that maybe I imagined it all." Mitsuki confided.

Shisui sighed, not knowing what to say to her. He knew how his cousin felt about the beautiful brunette, and he also knew how much it hurt him to have come so close to confessing everything to her, only to keep her at a distance for her safety. But he could not speak for her, so he was content to lend his shoulder to the pretty she-wolf, so that she could relieve a little of her grief, which, he knew, was only beginning. However, an idea came to him to try to save this family he loved so much, and he swore to do everything he could to make his two friends smile again, and save their destiny.

Soothed, Mitsuki smiled thinly, silently thanking him for being so understanding. It had only become a bad patch for her now, and she finally blamed her excitement on her fatigue and all the annoyance of being held captive. This was the first time Itachi had shown himself like this, and instead of supporting him, she had selfishly set out to make him react so she could feel like she existed in his eyes again. How difficult it was to navigate the turmoil of adolescence, mixed with the turmoil of love! But she would find a way to make up for it as soon as he was ready to open up to her again, she vowed to herself.

So she left Shisui, assuring him that all was well, and returned to the village as quietly as she had left it. She didn't notice the gaze of an Uchiha with long hair tied back following her from the top of a building, as she walked through the streets of the clan's neighborhood, eventually returning home with a smile on her face, cleverly masking the turmoil that had overtaken her in the eyes of her guardian. Would he ever have the opportunity to see that glint in her eye again? He shouldn't think about that anymore, he had deprived himself of that right the day he had embraced his destiny. Itachi then climbed down from his perch, returning home without a word to prepare for a new mission, one that would take him away from Konoha for some time.

During this new distance, not a day went by without Mitsuki watching the sky, hoping to see one of the young Uchiha's own dark birds. But she didn't, and she despaired of his return. Would he still be angry when he returned? If only she knew when he was coming back, she could try to coax him out with a few skewers of treats! She sighed loudly, leaning against the window of a hospital room.

"The doctor is requesting your assistance in the OR," a nurse informed her through the doorway.

Mitsuki nodded and briefly shook her stiffened arms from the bad position she had taken before leaving the room, under the amused gaze of her colleague. The woman wasn't fooled, there was only one feeling that could make one sigh so much with a pout like that.

"Ah, youth!" she recalled, with a benevolent glance towards their young apprentice.

The latter looked at the time on the clock fixed above the operating table. With a little luck, she wouldn't be hanging around here for long, and could finish her shift on time. So she applied herself to assisting the doctor, who explained her every move, supervising her sutures, before instructing her to clean up the soiled equipment. Three quarters of an hour late was not bad. After the stench of an infection that had turned out to be much more advanced than expected, she was just longing to breathe the fresh air outside.

Not a croak disturbed her walk, but she didn't really think about it anymore. Instead, she thought about the direction she wanted to take with her life. She could not decently stay here and mope, and her desire to be useful had finally returned to her as easily as it had been broken. She would not be a burden to this village. But how could she do that, when the limit of her permitted walk was at this great gate, surrounded by foundations designed to protect Konoha from intrusion? Drowning in her thoughts, she was abruptly brought out of her thoughts by a sharp smell, and quite characteristic for her canine scent. Blood...

Oh, of course, she had become accustomed to smelling its ferrous scent during her many shifts at the health centre, but this smell seized her much more sharply. So much so, that she brought her hands up to her nose, before being taken by nausea. This was not normal...

"Hey! EH!" shouted a guard, as she ran through the door.

It was lucky that he was still a novice, he didn't even really try to catch her. With her heart clenched in her chest, Mitsuki ran at full speed, following the trail that burned through her nose. Her blood ran cold through her veins, she didn't want to believe what her hunch was telling her. She then went deeper into the forest, and took her animal form when the density allowed her to no longer be seen. The smell became more pronounced, and so did the urgency of the situation. All that chakra... She accelerated again, and what she feared was confirmed before her eyes, a few meters from her position. A huge creature of green chakra vanished on a defenseless Shisui, ready to receive this last blow of fate.

He had failed... Everything he had done to save his friends had vanished the moment he had lost his eye to Danzo. But they had no intention of abandoning him. And as a dull growl erupted from behind his shoulder, along with a huge ball of fire, his weakened heart leapt beneath his chest. He could barely catch a glimpse of the black wolf lunging at his enemies, as Itachi appeared at his side to pull him out.

"I thought you were on a mission..." Shisui remarked, surprised and relieved to see him.

"I felt something was wrong, so I came. And obviously I wasn't the only one," Itachi replied, following his wolf with his eyes.

This one was a far cry from the Mitsuki he knew. Her hair was bristling from her head to her tail, her greedy fangs gleamed under her upturned lips, and her red eyes gave off a fury that was enough to keep the few attackers at bay. She took this moment to turn her gaze to Shisui, before barking at Itachi.

"I think she wants us to run away," he deduced, grabbing his cousin by the waist and draping one of his arms over her shoulders.

"Wait... She won't be able to defeat them on her own..." Shisui protested, her only eye on her friend as she continued to snarl at Danzo's men.

Itachi hesitated, too, but his cousin was too beaten up to leave him here. Mitsuki turned to him again, before barking again, more ferociously.

"I don't understand the wolf," he growled, "but you have to trust her. She's trying to buy time. She'll probably find us as soon as she knows we're far enough away."

Shisui reluctantly agreed, and the two Uchiha immediately fled. In the distance they heard Mitsuki's snarls of rage, punctuated by more ominous squeaks. A hundred times they would have turned back, but Itachi knew how much she would resent them for putting themselves in danger, and Shisui was clearly in no condition. He gritted his teeth until he reached a cliff. He released Shisui, who then explained what he had tried to do and Danzo's intervention to stop him. The fate of the Uchiha clan was now inescapable...

Time was running out, it was only a matter of minutes before Mitsuki joined them, and it was imperative that he finish what he had to do before she arrived. After a hard-fought promise, and a few words exchanged, Shisui smiled as he felt the she-wolf's chakra a few steps away. He was now putting his friend's fate in her hands, trusting her, though she still knew nothing of what the future held.

Itachi's lips trembled, before he regained control of his emotions. Shisui turned around, facing the cliff, and the sun disappearing over the horizon.

"Thank you for everything..." he breathed.

He smiled as images of their friendship flashed through his mind. And it was with a heavy heart, but with his cousin's wish in mind that Itachi pushed him off the cliff.

At the same time, a howl sounded, and Mitsuki jumped out of the forest, before resuming her human form and dashing towards the edge of the cliff.

"SHISUI! NO!" she screamed, as Itachi barely caught her before she tried to follow his cousin down.

She could only watch him fall, discerning between her tears the smile of her friend who had heard him call her name, as if to tell her that she shouldn't worry. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, nor could Itachi, letting her tears fall behind the Uchiha. At the moment of impact, Itachi's vision blurred for a moment. Mitsuki turned her wet face towards him, seeing what Shisui had bequeathed to her: the Mangekyo Sharingan. He slid his pupils towards her, before releasing her.

"Why?" she sobbed.

"It was his will..." he answered soberly, letting his eyes return to normal, "I'm not asking you to believe me, I'm not asking you to forgive me... But please don't tell anyone about this. The safety of the village and our clan is at stake. You had nothing to do with this, so don't do anything you'll regret."

Mitsuki looked at him, aghast, before pushing him to his abs.

"You forget who I am, Itachi Uchiha?! Don't you care about me anymore?! I'm Mitsuki Hata! I'm your childhood friend, your best friend! I'm the one who'll follow you blindly, no matter what you do! And if you tell me that Shisui, whom you love like a brother, willingly gave you the Mangekyo Sharingan, I'll take your word for it. So stop threatening me or rejecting me, because it's useless, I'll always come back! I made you a promise, Itachi Uchiha, and I'm never going back on it!" Mitsuki exploded, continuing to hit him, seemingly holding back her resentment for a little too long.

Itachi gently grabbed her wrists, cutting her off and looking straight into the she-wolf's crimson eyes.

"You have to forget about all this. There's no more friendship, no more promises, Mitsuki. You are nothing to me," he said coldly.

Mitsuki's pupils shrank, and her heart seemed to stop for a moment. Something was wrong, and she couldn't figure out what. Why was Shisui being chased? Why had he sacrificed his life for Itachi? And why the hell was Itachi being such a jerk to her? He didn't mean a word of what he had just told her, she was sure of it. But how could she get him to tell her the truth? He seemed so determined to break her heart... But it wouldn't take on her.

He finally released her, convinced she would give up, and turned back towards the forest.

"I love you, Itachi-kun... I... I have always loved you. I wish I had told you that night... And not waited to be on the edge of that cliff... But I'm telling you. And nothing you can try to make me believe will change my mind," she admitted, determined to make him understand that he would not win in this way.

He paused, gritting his teeth before shedding a tear, unseen by her, and finally disappeared with a leap, leaving her alone on the edge of the precipice that would have swallowed her cousin and Mitsuki's confession.

He didn't look back until he reached the Uchiha district. He watched the streets where he had grown up, alongside Shisui who never left his thoughts, perched atop the highest pole overlooking the area. He didn't leave the area until he saw the little she-wolf returning home, looking downcast. Shisui was gone, and a dark path now awaited him.