10 Loss and Sadness

It had been a year since the academy had started, and Itachi had already graduated and joined Yuki Minazuki's team along with Tenma Izumo and Shinko Inari, creating Team 2. They had already built a great relationship as they've been through numerous missions. Tenma saw Itachi as a rival, but also a friend even if he didn't like to admit it.

The team developed an outstanding mission record during their first year, earning them the honor of escorting the Land of Fire's daimyo. However. during that trip, a masked man appeared and suddenly put everyone into a genjutsu, besides for Itachi and Tenma.

...

Seeing the man both Itachi and Tenma grip onto their kunai's. "Who are you?" Itachi asks.

"I am not someone you need to know" the man with an orange mask with black patterns responds as he lets his aura seep out.

Seeing this Tenma charges at the masked man with his kunai, only to have the man sidestep while slashing at Tenma's throat brutally finishing him.

Seeing this, time suddenly slows down for Itachi as he feels numerous emotions such as anger, guilt, sadness. His eyes turn red, awakening his Sharingan. But, before he's able to react the masked man suddenly appears behind him and knocks him out. He then later wakes up to find Tenma and the daimyo's guards slaughtered. Looking back at Tenma's body, Itachi starts walking towards his body as he suddenly falls on his knees when grief fills Itachi's heart as tears flow out from his eyes.

Waking up Shinko sees Itachi on his knees, with his eyes red with a tomoe, but the thing that shocked her was seeing Itachi had tears. Not sure what happened she suddenly catches sight of Tenma's dead body, with a terrifying gash across his neck. Gasping, she quietly asks "Tenma is dead?" as she also starts to have tears running down her cheeks.

...

Standing in front of a grave was Yuki Minazuki, the genin leading team 2 and beside him was Shinko Inari and Itachi Uchiha both with bouquets of flowers in their hands as they place it down on the grave.

Walking away, Itachi asks Shinko "What should we do from now on?"

"I don't know, but I don't think I'm suited to being a ninja."

"What? Why?" Itachi asks surprised.

"Seeing Tenma's dead body was much too painful for me to bear, I feel if I were to lose more, I wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm thinking of looking for ordinary work."

Seeing Shinko's depressed eyes, Itachi quietly nods.

...

"Congratulations on awakening your Sharingan at the age of eight," Fugaku said with a slight smile.

"En." Itachi was currently very depressed and didn't want to speak with anyone as he decided to go back to his room when he sees Ren sitting in the courtyard looking at the moon.

Turning his head, Ren sees Itachi's is considerately heavy-hearted as he already knows the reason. "Itachi, it's not good to keep your emotions bottled in like that. Whether is physically or emotionally, you need to let it out, I'll be here to listen."

Sitting down next to Ren, Itachi says gloomily with his eyes wet "Tenma is dead, I don't know what to do anymore."

Suddenly hugging Itachi, Ren whispers "No matter what, you must never be stuck looking back, but continue to look on forward to see what the future has for you."

Hugging Itachi, Ren could feel his shirt getting damper as the sounds of sobbing continued throughout the night.