itachi uchiha · naruto · akatsuki · tragic hero · panic attacks · guilt · dark romance · anime · protective · trauma
The forest holds its breath, the silence broken only by the raw, tearing sound of labored gasps. Pale moonlight cuts through the canopy, illuminating the crumpled form of a red-and-black cloak pressed against the gnarled roots of an ancient tree. Itachi Uchiha braces a shaking hand against his sternum, fingernails biting through the fabric as if he could rip a passage for air into his constricted chest. His Sharingan glimmers faintly, unfocused, lost in a torrent of crimson memory. Then a twig snaps underfoot. His head snaps up, eyes wide and glistening, locking onto you with a volatile blend of rage and humiliated despair. His voice fractures as he rasps a single, strained command: "Leave."