Naruto: Threads of Crimson

Kaito wrapped his arms tightly around May as if the very act of holding her was the only thing keeping him together. His deep sigh carried all the weight of the mission, of his role as a protector, a husband, and a high ranking member of the Uchiha clan. He needed this moment of closeness before the storm that awaited him.

May instinctively wrapped her arms around him in return, though she could feel the tension radiating off him like a palpable force. Something was deeply wrong—more than just the usual weight of a mission. She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his face, worry etched into every line of her expression.

"Kaito," she whispered, her voice tinged with concern, "what's wrong? You usually never come home like this. What happened?"

Kaito remained silent for a moment, resting his forehead gently against hers, his breathing slow. His grip on her tightened, as if to anchor himself, before he finally spoke, his voice low and heavy. "I've been given a mission... from Danzo."

The name alone made her heart sink. Anxiety flooded into her system as she held onto him a little tighter. She knew what Danzo's name meant, his reputation, his disdain, especially when it came to the Uchiha. 

"Danzo?" May's voice dropped to a wisper as well, the fear evident as she searched Kaito's face. "What... what kind of mission?"

Kaito let out another deep sigh, running his hand through her hair, trying to bring her comfort even as he too, grappled with the looming threat. "It's bad, May. Really bad. I suspect he's setting us up, using our clan for something more than just a mission. I don't know exactly what it is yet, but it feels wrong. I can feel it in my bones."

May's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing to comprehend what this could mean for them, for the Uchiha. Danzo had always been a shadow lurking over the clan, and if this mission involved him, it was bound to be dangerous. She tightened her grip on Kaito, hot tears welling in her eyes as she looked at her husband.

"This can't be a good thing, Kaito. You can refuse, can't you? There must be some other way our clan can help the village."

Kaito cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing away the tears that had begun to spill down her cheeks. His own face was slack with the strain of the decision, but his voice was calm, steady, as he tried to reassure her. "May, you know I wouldn't walk into something like this if I didn't think I could make it out. I've been in worse situations, and I've always come back to you."

"But Danzo—" May's voice faltered, her fear breaking through.

"I know," Kaito interrupted, his voice softer but strained, "Believe me, I know. But refusing him... it would be worse. They'd brand me a traitor, and the entire clan would fall under even greater suspicion and possibly surveillance. I have to do this. Not just for me, but for the clan. And for you and Shiro."

May's tears fell freely now, her grip tightening around him as she buried her face in his chest. She nodded, even though every fiber of her being wanted to scream at him to stop, to run, to find another way. But she knew Kaito. He was strong, one of the most powerful members of the Uchiha clan. If anyone could handle this, it was him. And yet, the gnawing fear wouldn't leave her.

Kaito held her close, the warmth of her body grounding him, giving him strength. He kissed her forehead softly, letting his lips linger there as he whispered, "I'll come back. I promise."

May pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, her tears still flowing but her expression fierce. "You better come back," she whispered through her tears, her voice filled with a mixture of love, fear, and determination. "You and Shiro are all I have, Kaito. You have to come back."

Kaito smiled, a sad, bittersweet smile. He nodded slowly. "I will. I'll do everything I can to keep that promise."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Upstairs, I sat cross-legged on the floor, a scroll unfurled in front of me. The dim light from a single lamp cast long shadows across the room as I focused intently on a new genjutsu technique. My Sharingan had grown sharper with practice, my understanding of how to manipulate the mind growing with each passing day.

I could feel myself getting stronger, more precise, more dangerous. But despite my progress, something didn't feel right. It was as if a heaviness had settled over the house, a weight I couldn't quite place.

Suddenly, my father's voice called up from downstairs. "Shiro, come down here for a moment."

There was something in his tone—serious, almost heavy—that made me pause. I quickly rolled up the scroll and set it aside before heading downstairs. My heartbeat picked up with each step, a growing sense of unease building inside me.

When I reached the living room, I found my father standing by the window, his back to me as he stared out into the darkened streets of the Uchiha compound. The way he stood, so still, made my concerns grow more. 

"Sit down," he said, his voice low but firm as he motioned to the spot next to my mom.

I obeyed, sitting down across from him. He turned slowly, his expression serious—far more serious than I had ever seen it before. The unease inside me grew, twisting in my gut.

"I have to go on a mission tonight," he began, kneeling down in front of me. His eyes were locked on mine, his voice measured but somber. "It's going to take some time, and I may not be back for a while."

The words seemed simple enough, but the way he said them... Something about his tone, his expression, made alarm bells start ringing in my mind. A cold knot formed in my stomach. My throat tightened, my mouth dry as I stared at him, struggling to find my voice.

"A mission?" I asked. "What kind of mission?"

He paused for a moment, watching me carefully, then sighed, his gaze softening ever so slightly. "I can't tell you the details, but it's important. I have to go."

"You have to go?" I asked, my voice strained, the knot tightening even more. "So, when will you be back?"

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice calm but filled with an unspoken sadness. "It could take some time. I can't say for certain."

My heart began to race, I couldn't explain it but something in my mind was screaming at me to stop him from going. "Dad… don't go on this mission. Please, take another one. I can't explain it, but I have a bad feeling about this."

He shook his head slowly, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and determination. "I can't just refuse a mission from the village Shiro. If I don't do this, it could harm the clan's reputation. People will start questioning our loyalty, and we can't afford that right now."

Frustration flared up very briefly in me, and I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. "So what?! Who cares if it could harm the clan? Why can't you say no? The village can't force you to do this!"

My dad's expression hardened in an instant, his calm demeanor shifting as he stood up abruptly. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity I rarely saw from my father, a rare flash of sternness. "Shiro," he said, his voice firm, almost commanding. "This is what a father has to do to keep his family safe from harm. The clan and our family comes above all else in my mind. If I refuse this mission, the consequences for the Uchiha will be severe and will most definitely affect you and your safety. Do you understand that?"

His words struck my brain, but they did nothing to ease the rising panic or frustration inside me. "You say that your family comes above all else but, it feels like you don't care about what I'm feeling! My gut is telling me there is something wrong with this mission, how can you just disregard that? Didn't you tell me to always follow my gut?" I shouted, my voice cracking.

His eyes softened as he listened to me, the intensity in his gaze melting into something gentler, more understanding. But the resolve, the determination, it was still there. Unshaken. He took a step forward and placed his hand on my shoulder, his touch warm but firm.

"Shiro-," he began before I cut him off.

"No, don't say anything. You don't truly care about me do you? You're so insistant on doing this mission but you don't care about me or mom. If you did you would turn it down and protect us yourself." My voice trailed off as I wiped the tears coming down my cheeks.

His voice cut through my thoughts leaving behind something I would never forget him saying. "If sacrificing my life means that you can live in peace without worry of anything else, then I'll gladly walk down that road. Every. Single. Time."

The tears spilled over, and I could no longer hold them back. "But why does it have to be you?" I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper now.

Dad sighed, his hand moving to cup the side of my face, his thumb brushing away a tear. His eyes, filled with love and sadness, met mine. "Because that's what it means to be a father, Shiro. To be a protector. A leader. Sometimes, that means making choices we don't want to make. I do this for you, for your future."

I shook my head, the tears falling faster now. "I don't want a future without you." My voice cracked as the weight of those words settled between us, raw and desperate. 

My dad knelt down, bringing himself to my level, and pulled me into a tight embrace. His arms, as strong and comforting as they had always been, wrapped around me. "I know," he whispered, "I know. That's why I'm going to come back. And when I do I'm going to make you train twice as hard for ever doubting your old man." He chuckled as I sat frozen in his embrace.

When he finally released me, a silence hung between us. I watched, heart pounding, as he turned his back and walked toward the door. Instinctively, I moved to stop him, getting up off the couch and running forward before my mind could catch up with my body.

I needed to hold onto him, to keep him from leaving, but before I could reach him, my mother stepped in, her strong arms wrapping around me and pulling me back. "Mom! Let me go!" I cried, thrashing against her hold, my heart screaming for him as his figure flickered out of the house and into the night. "Dad! Don't go!"

My mother's grip tightened, her own tears falling silently onto the top of my head. "Shiro... Shiro, stop," she said softly, her voice trembling with the same pain I felt. "He has to do this." 

I stopped fighting, collapsing into her arms, sobs wracking my body. The cold emptiness settled in, wrapping around my chest as the brutal realization hit. He was gone, and no amount of crying or fighting could change that. There was nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing.

'I'm sorry my son.' Kaito thought as he disappeared within the cover of night.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

(A/N: A little bit of an emotionally charged chapter but nothing too bad. Honestly, I was having a little trouble with how to write this because I wanted to show the erratic mood swings within Shiro here but I can't decide if it just made it feel werider to read or not. Hope you guys are enjoying this and continue to enjoy reading!)