May You Live in Interesting Times

by Tamani

Uchiha Itachi died at the hands of his brother, just like he always wanted. Everything went more or less according to plan. What didn't go according to plan was Itachi waking up after dying in his body in what could only be considered another universe as a female.

May you Live in Interesting Times

AN: I don't own Naruto nor K, just the ideas that you can tell don't follow canon. Manga compliant. Also, fem!Itachi just so you all know. Starts before Tatara's death and ends shortly after. Thank you to any reviews or follows or favourites.

oOo

Uchiha Itachi died at the hands of his brother, just like he always wanted. Everything went more or less according to plan.

What didn't go according to plan was Itachi waking up after dying in his body in what could only be considered another universe as a female.

oOo

10 months before Dec 8

Uchiha Itachi got a second chance of life, waking up as his 13 year old self in an alley of what he later found out was Shizume Cho.

The first thing he did was ascertain the situation, automatically going into undercover mission mode to figure out what was going on.

Weeks later, Itachi resurfaced from his studies and determined many things:

1) He was healthy. After years of overuse of the sharingan, both normal and mangekyou, made him blind and his lung disease less than healthy it was staggering how much he could just breathe here. When Sasuke took his eyes, he must have given Itachi his own eyes because staring back at Itachi one morning was the eternal mangekyou sharingan. While his body reverted to his 13 year old age, his chakra had not. So now, were he in Konoha, would be considered a prodigy with a Kage's amount of chakra.

2) He was a girl. Not that it mattered much to Itachi, but he was much more familiar to male genitals that this may take a while to get used to. Luckily, her fighting style was much more dependent on speed, skill, and agility, all of which a gender change would do little damage to. She vowed to work more on flexibility to give her an additional advantage

3) She would stay healthy. There would be no mission to Mizu no Kuni that she would contract her lung disease in. Provided she was healthy here, there would be no more chronic sickness. Living on the street would be her biggest challenge. Years of constant vigilance as a missing nin would make living in the streets nothing compared to that.

4) Chakra didn't exist. At all. She still had the same amount as she did during her death, but no one else did. She noticed that there are some incidents most notably with blue and red clansmen that could give off blue and red chakra respectively, but upon questioning civilians, no one knew what it was or claimed that it was just special effects. Itachi reasoned that civilians didn't know what it actually was, and was most likely hidden from the rest.

5) If you had this chakra you belonged to a clan. There were whispers of something called a Strain and looking it up in a library showed that it was an individual with a genetic quirk that were almost exclusive to the Kanto region of Japan. When you were young you would take a test that determines if you are a strain, also known as a 'special foreigner' and act accordingly to the threat you could pose. A gold clan seemed to do this test, but the blue clan seemed to play some major role. Strains were taken care of by the police in Shizume, Scepter 4 – the blue clan. Internally she vowed to never be caught. This seemed much to close for Danzo and his Root than Itachi cared for. She would most likely be placed as a Risk 4 strain and would be lucky if she wasn't detained on sight if Scepter 4 found out what she could do. She also noted that she should limit his chakra and sharingan usage to the bare minimum or else be labelled a strain.

Overall conclusions and plans for the future: limit exposure to Scepter 4, stay under the radar, do not get caught as a strain, and stay healthy.

Itachi had no problems stealing food and clothes, but knew that she would run out of options sooner than later. Schooling here was done until adulthood, and Itachi was at the age that she could be in school. She didn't think there was really anything that she could learn but her cover demanded that she be able to provide for herself so she looked into schooling.

Months of research deemed that Ashinaka high school would give Itachi the perfect cover she needed.

oOo

The beginning of the school year heralded a new student at Ashinaka high school. Itachi needed to use her sharingan quite liberally to allow herself to the necessary background. The best lies were in truth, so she used much of her past life as a basis for her present.

Orphaned at the young age of 8, left in an orphanage where she ran away from and lived on the streets until she was of age for high school. She tested in as a scholarship student and was promptly bumped up to final year. While physically she was 13 and should be in middle school, her intellect was that of an adult. While she should be going straight to university, she was adamant that going to school with peers 5 years older than her would cause enough problems with making friends than being in university and doing the same.

She also convinced a Scepter 4 member to draw up and post-date her Strain screening and have it come up negative. Scepter 4 hadn't moved to an entire electronic record until she was 8, so any records of her or her agemates would have been on paper entirely.

With all the legalities out of her way and a sufficient background created Itachi started her final year of high school.

oOo

5 months before Dec 8

School wasn't challenging for Itachi at all. She found it very monotonous and instead of paying full attention to all classes she started to learn more in depth about the technological advances of this world. She would have liked to learn more about their version of chakra, but that entirely drew suspicions from Scepter 4 and Itachi much rather stay under the radar.

Her teachers were noticing that she was not getting anything out of classes and were trying to determine what to do about it while she focused on the computer, learning to code and hack. She thought that the mere idea of so much information in such a tiny machine was astounding and extremely helpful. While Itachi seemed to be just as much as a prodigy in anything else, there was only so long that something could hold her attention. She quickly found herself learning all there was to know about the computer and continued to polish her hacking and coding skills. With this new skilled gained it would be easy to have to create documents that would enable her to start a new life should she ever have to.

oOo

3 months before Dec 8

The school board has come to a decision about Itachi's schooling. As there was nothing really for her to get out of it, they talked to prospective universities and came to a mutual decision. Itachi would test out of high school, and if she wanted to go to university, could test into one that agreed to take on a late transfer student.

Itachi took the test that day and walked out having graduated at the age of 13 and the youngest university student known in Japan. Itachi explained that she really did not want to go to university, and the university board members that showed up hoping to sway the young orphan genius Itachi were chomping at the bit to convince her to join. Itachi said the only way that she would join would be to take tests until she reached such a level that she failed, or would need to have some sort of practicum. She told them she wanted to be a chemist; or specialize in computers. The board members thought she was crazy but left that day to come back tomorrow with all the exams for chemistry majors and computers.

She was then known by the end of next week, the youngest student in Japan to have a double major in chemistry and computer. She signed on with another university to do her Master's degree in chemistry when she reached 18 years of age. She was able to decline and change her plans up until after the first month of schooling in her Master's.

Itachi knew focusing so much on school and information and none on coming to terms about her past life was unhealthy to a large extent. The school allowed her to stay on campus until the New Year, or roughly 4 months. She kept her room and would be found in the labs daily for her progression on chemistry and computers.

She, however, took a 2 week hiatus before starting on any experiments to come to terms with her life now that it has slowed down.

It wasn't her fault, she reasoned, that she was chosen to come to another life, another world. She always figured that while she would be reincarnated it would be as something horrible for the deeds she had done as Uchiha Itachi, not given this chance – with her memories and body intact, to become Itachi the child genius. While she reasoned that the past was the past, the fact that she had memories of it reasoned that it was important. So Itachi made sure to still honor her family by keeping her surname when crafting all of her background, and continued to pray for the dead that mattered to her.

oOo

Itachi made a point to go to the mainland at least once a week to relax for an afternoon. She found running errands was therapeutic and would be out and about from noon until 6 where she would find someplace to drink and eat something.

She had never seen a place called HOMRA before but the signage seemed promising if nothing else.

Entering the bar she quickly analyzed her situation – nicely lit, seems to be imported, blond man working – threat level high but only once provoked, can assume that due to care he is providing and looks he is giving to other customers about roughhousing near the bar that he would not damage it unnecessarily. There was a brown haired male – roughly 22, seems to have great knowledge of social cues judging by how quickly he shifts his body language – beside a white haired girl – childhood, ranging from 10-14, based on how closely she holds these red gems she may be a strain, and is very shy based on body language. The hum that the room is giving off, however is markedly suspicious. She hasn't felt anything similar to this except when dealing with Scepter 4. Reasoning that they must then also have the chakra substitute of this world she resolves to silently observe. Everyone else holds no noticed threat to Itachi as she makes her way to the bar. Itachi knows based on her body language and age most people will write her off as a young child, and most likely a male given Itachi's clothing preferences which haven't changed since coming to this new world.

"Hello, welcome to HOMRA bar, is there anything I can help you with?" The blond questions her.

"Just a glass of strawberry milk if you have it; do you also sell food here, I was not certain?" She places her bags around her seat as she speaks.

"We don't have food here to sell, but if you brought any you can eat it, I'll be right back with your milk." The man leaves the bar to go into the back to get what Itachi can only assume is strawberry milk. He enters carrying a cup and gives it to Itachi with a flourish. "Here you go, if you need anything else just ask for Kusanagi Izumo." He leaves before Itachi can say anything more.

oOo

1 Month before Dec 8

"Good afternoon Kusanagi-san." Itachi intones politely as she sits down in her usual spot on the bar. "No Anna today?" The girl usually is seen in the bar after Itachi routinely comes to the bar 2 months prior, in fact, she was the only other regular besides Kusanagi-san, no one else she has seen multiple times unless she suspected them of belonging to the red clan. After her initial meeting in the HOMRA bar, she asked people what HOMRA was, and all people could really say was that they were violent and a little 'boy' such as herself should not be asking questions about them.

"Maa, Itachi-kun Anna is off with Mikoto and Tatara today." Although Itachi has no idea who they are, she makes an agreeing noise as Kusanagi-san places her usual order on the table between them.

"Thank you Kusanagi-san." He nods and looks as if he wants to say anything before leaving. He has been like this the past few weeks and Itachi decides that she knows him well enough to call him out on it. "Kusanagi-san?" She asks while he's cleaning the glasses. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?" Kusanagi-san looks up and watches Itachi's face for something before deciding to talk.

"Itachi-kun, shouldn't a young boy like you be in school? Or even at home eating dinner? You come here on clockwork that I'm just curious about you." Itachi mentally bumps Kusanagi-san up a threat level, for this seems to be light interrogation, trying to ferret out her motives for coming her so often and at such a young age.

"I have already completed my school Kusanagi-san, I simply come to the mainland once a week for errands. I found that your establishment makes the best strawberry milk than anywhere else on the trip back home so I will continue frequenting you until I die I fear, for no other place seems to be coming close to your strawberry milk." She supplies to whom she is assuming is an informant of some sort – perhaps the red clan, she noticed that there is usually always one other with a similar chakra that is in the building.

"You come to the mainland for my strawberry milk and errands?" Kusanagi-san asks faintly, a questioning eyebrow raised.

"And I will until you cease making them so delicious." Itachi replies, deciding to add a little joke to the end of her response. "I perhaps would go so far to use the phrase 'I'd kill a man for it', so be careful should you decide to rescind my milk."

Kusanagi-san laughs and promises Itachi that he won't anytime soon, but good to know that he can bribe Itachi with it.

"So if you are done school then what are you doing, your parents have you working for them? I remember that I chose not to go to high school." Kusanagi-san changed the subject.

"I have finished my high schooling and university, I currently live at Ashinaka High School and will until the New Year. Most of my time is spent in the laboratories working with chemicals or improving the school's security with computers. I am an orphan so I spend most of my time alone, but when I grow up I am going to help as many people as I can. So far, I have one precious person but I would like to increase that number. My social skills with others hinder that greatly." She rattles off while staring at the table and Kusanagi-san in turns.

"You should bring your precious person by sometime Itachi-san, I'd love to see who's your friend." Kusanagi-san completely passes by her intellectual abilities but she has no doubt that Kusanagi will report that later on.

"I spend every Thursday with my precious person Kusanagi-san, they make the best strawberry milk." Itachi responds with a smile toward Kusanagi-san as she twists her hands in her lap. Kusanagi-san freezes mid-motion of cleaning the glass to gawk at her, with what Itachi would say closely resembles pity before he clears it from his face, clears his throat and speaks.

"Call me Izumo Itachi-kun, if I'm your precious person then you should do that much. I'd like to consider you a friend as well." He smiles back. Itachi is almost taken aback by the sheer joy that is sent toward her, much more used to fear and hatred from her old life and jealously in her new life that no one really looks at her and sees Itachi as Itachi even in this world.

"Noted." Itachi states. "If we are to be friends then I should inform you that I am female as well. Many are under the impression that I am male." She gathers up her money for the milk and places in on the table. "Have a good day Izumo-san." Closing the bar door and walking down the street she hears laughing from inside from who she can only assume is Izumo-san.

oOo

2 weeks before Dec 8

As Itachi enters HOMRA she can tell that something is different. That something will happen, and something big. Scanning she notices that everyone in the bar feels like they have this world's chakra and Itachi is the only one who is lacking. There is a male on the couch with red hair that everyone seems to defer to that holds the most chakra. Itachi rules that this must be the Hokage of what she thinks is the red clan. Anna sits near him on the couch and she notes that the man that was with Anna the first time she entered the bar is also sitting at an adjacent table with other similar red chakra signatures. Itachi is called out of her analyzing by Izumo-san.

"Itachi-chan! Welcome, I have some of my friends that I'd like you to meet." He greets, coming around the bar and gestures to everyone at the tables and couch. "Here is Eric, Akagi, Bando, Fujishima, Dewa, Chitose, Kamamoto, Yata, Tatara, and you already know Anna, and this is Mikoto" Izumo finishes, ending with the three that she had heard about previously.

"The same Tatara-san and Mikoto-san that was off with Anna-san?" She asks for confirmation.

"The same ones."

"Pleasure to meet you. Izumo-san speaks highly of you all. As a precious person and friend of Izumo-san I will do my best to make sure you are well. I am in your care." Itachi finishes off with a slight bow. The silence is staggering – did I not introduce myself properly? She looks up to ask Izumo-san, only to find him very red and glaring at everyone he just introduced her to. All of the other patrons of HOMRA look like they are trying very hard not to laugh, at what Itachi has no idea, even the stoic Mikoto and shy Anna seem to be holding back chuckles. "I apologize if I said something incorrect in my introductions to make you laugh. If you could let me know I will fix it for next time I am to introduce myself." Izumo-san tsks and ruffles her hair.

"That was a great introduction Itachi-chan, right everyone?" Izumo-san looks vaguely threatening and this convinces everyone that she did, in fact, have a great introduction, and are vocal enough to let her know. The only thing that quietens them all is when Mikoto-san stands up and offers his right hand to Itachi. His hand seems to literally be giving off the red chakra that she has been associating this place with, and he isn't making any indication of acknowledging that his hand appears to be on fire via chakra. Itachi makes a questioning noise with her throat and glances around surreptitiously to see all the various reactions. Izumo-san seems eager and perhaps prideful that Mikoto-san has offered her his flaming hand, Anna is smiling in agreement and content with how things are playing out, everyone else seems interested in what could happen should she shake his hand.

Itachi thinks that the saying 'in for a penny, in for a pound' accurately describes this and sees no harm in shaking Mikoto-san's hand. Perhaps she will be able to gather more information on this non-chakra this way.

Firmly grasping Mikoto-san's hand allows for the fire to travel over and across Itachi's skin. Controlling her reaction she watches what happens. She feels a burning sensation focusing on her left bicep, where her ANBU tattoo was once upon a time. Before she knows it the flames recede and return back into Mikoto-san's body.

"Welcome to HOMRA." Mikoto-san announces. Cheers go up around and Itachi is being passed around everyone here greeting her again and passing her down. What is truly minutes but seems like hours Itachi is found back at the beginning standing next to Izumo-san. Itachi really doesn't know what just happened, and although this feels like an initiation, Itachi agreed to nothing. She can feel the same red chakra that is in everyone else is now flowing through Itachi. Interesting, but will be considered later, now she must focus on what Mikoto-san said about HOMRA and getting her strawberry milk.

"Thank you Mikoto-san," here she bows solely to Mikoto-san who is still standing, though perhaps with an air of amusement, Itachi can never be sure, "I was unaware that I was unwelcome in HOMRA bar before now, but I am glad that that has been rectified." Itachi straightened up from her bow "Izumo-san," she asks turning toward an embarrassed Izumo-san – and why is he embarrassed, he hasn't said anything, "may I have my strawberry milk now? If I do not acquire one soon I will not be able to have my second one in time." A sound from Izumo-san which Itachi thinks mirrors the high schoolers than cannot grasp calculus right away, before Itachi jumps when she hears everyone behind her laughing. Mikoto-san chuckles and has a definite air of amusement surrounding him now.

"Yes, we can get your strawberry milk Itachi-chan, I am beginning to think that I can actually get you to commit murder for this drink." He says walking behind the bar to serve up her drink. Everyone else in HOMRA has gone back to their own thing and is letting Izumo-san and Itachi talk.

"I am very serious about my beverages thank you Izumo-san." Itachi accepts the drink proffered to her. "I am actually leaving to go visit my parents resting place and will be gone for a few weeks, I imagine to be home December 7 at night, I have an apartment viewing at the Hirasaka buildings that evening." Izumo-san makes a noise of agreement and shoots a look at Mikoto-san

"Oh, Itachi-chan I didn't know you would be leaving town so suddenly? Have you looked into the Hirasaka buildings?"

"Izumo-san, you seem to have a question you are not asking again. However, I leave on Sunday, so I still have a few days before my departure. I have looked at the Hirasaka buildings during the day, however not at night. I chose those buildings for their folklore however, so I suppose the rest wouldn't matter." Itachi sips at her milk.

"Well if you have any problems before leaving, you can always come here." Izumo-san encourages.

"Thank you Izumo-san, as my precious person you would be the first to hear if anything unsavoury occurred in my life." Choking noises behind Itachi prompted her to turn around. It seems that Itachi said something humorous once again, because HOMRA looks like they are about to laugh again. It was only Tatara-san that stopped further laughing from leaking out.

"Folklore? Those buildings are fairly new Itachi-chan, I don't think that there would be anything supernatural about them."

"The Hirasaka buildings are names after Yomotsu Hirasaka; the boundary between the underworld and the human world."

"I didn't know you liked folklore Itachi-chan." Izumo-san chirps. She turns back around to face who she will be talking to,

"Of course Izumo-san, I do not mind history, but this specific folklore my parents passed on to me, they named several things I own that surround this particular story so naturally I would remember them." Her PDA beeps informing her she has 25 minutes to make it to the train station to go back to Ashinaka. "I must go now, but it was enjoyable to get to catch up Izumo-san," She turns toward Mikoto-san who is sitting down again and everyone else at HOMRA "You too Mikoto-san, it was nice meeting you and your handsake is very firm. I am told that this is an integral part to success in business meetings so you must be very profitable. Tatara-san, should you wish to hear more I can tell you next time we meet on the 7th, I'll probably be at the bar that night to catch up with Izumo-san and can book an allotment of time for you. Anna-san, see you next time. Minna-san; Eric-san, Akagi-san, Bando-san, Fujishima-san, Dewa-san, Chitose-san, Kamamoto-san, and Yata-san. Until next time please do not do anything that can cause bodily harm, it would be unpleasant if you were sent to a hospital." She bowed before straightening and leaving through the door.

This time, the collective laughter of HOMRA could be heard down the street.

oOo

Meanwhile in the bar...

"Kusanagi-san, where did you find Itachi?! She is so smart but socially is very old fashioned and speaks very bluntly – did you see what she said to King?!" Tatara says with laughter breaking up every few words.

"Tatara, I told you, she just became a regular of the bar that got more interesting each week. I think that she could be great for HOMRA, all of her stories check out and her intellect could be of great value. Most importantly, I know her and she just wants to find a family again, and have precious people." Izumo rants at the blond and stupefied HOMRA behind him as Mikoto watches on with some interest. "She had been coming to this bar before she told me that I was her first precious person since her parents death – she's 13 for Kami's sake! Her parents have been dead for 5 years and if one man that gives her milk once a week for 3 months is her closest friend, well I think that she's family more than anyone else we've met recently!"

"But what if she's a spy?!" Yata squawks up

"Her information checked out, everything came back negative. If she had any ulterior motives, she never would have been able to shake King's hand. The only problem we have is that Itachi-chan is about to leave and no one will be able to help control her aura now!"

"She never lied to us." Anna quietly interjects. "There's something that she hasn't told us, but we haven't told her about HOMRA so I think that's fair."

Silence as everyone thinks on the points brought up.

"She'll stay. We need to help her now, she belongs to HOMRA and we need to let her know what that means. She's family now." Mikoto states and any arguments dry up right then and there.

oOo

1 Day before Dec 8

Itachi reaches her destination of the Hirasaka apartments that evening and goes through her tour. By 9 at night she is done and is on her way to HOMRA to talk to Izumo-san, possibly Tatara-san, and to grab a drink of milk.

Upon entering the bar, she hears cheers and people welcoming her back. It seems that everyone that saw her leave is here to welcome her home. She doesn't know when she started considering the HOMRA bar her home, simply accepts that this is the new norm for her. In a month she will be moving onto the mainland and can make more time to come to HOMRA.

"Itachi-chan! How was the visit to your parents?" Izumo-san asks as Itachi positions herself on her usual perch.

"It was good, thank you Izumo-san. Getting back to the city was more difficult. There are many Scepter 4 police members out and about today. Do you know why?" Izumo-san makes a considering noise before stating he hasn't been told that anything is happening in town.

"Why do you think that there are more Scepter 4 Itachi-chan? No one else has noticed and they have been here and out all day." Tatara-san asks. Itachi turns to look at Tatara-san and sees him sitting with Anna-san and Mikoto-san playing with a video camera, filming whoever he is talking to. Though Itachi prefers not to be on film she supposes she can humour him this one time.

"If you haven't noticed Tatara-san, nor anyone else here that would indicate that Scepter 4 has been slowly including more people into their patrol for the past two weeks. Given how many additional blue's I have been noticing on my walk from Hirasaka something is likely to have just happened or will happen and they are preparing for it."

"Why do you call them blue's Itachi-chan?" Itachi can tell that Tatara-san is digging for some specific information but Itachi does not know what he would want that he doesn't already know.

"They have blue not-chakra. It is all over the city, concentrated at the police headquarters of Shizume Cho and surrounding various paths in the city. I do not yet know if these paths have any pattern that is discernable as I haven't been in the city the past two weeks but something about today seems ominous."

"You can see auras?!" Yata-san blurts out, jumping up from his spot in an adjacent booth.

"Is that what they are called?" Itachi hums, "well then, yes. If that is the proper vocabulary than yes, many police have blue auras, but it seems to be exclusive to Scepter 4. I do not really get close enough to them to determine anything further. Why?"

"So you're a strain then! No one can see auras unless they're fighting with it!" Yata-san points to me.

"Yes I am a strain."

"Don't try to deny- wait, what?! You are?!" Yata-san twists his head between Itachi and his King, trying to figure out the next course of action. "Your tests came back negative when you were younger!"

"They did."

"GAH! Itachi-chan – answer properly, what the hell is happening?!" Yata-san is losing his temper.

"From what I gathered from the test was that they would analyze your brain through IQ mostly. By the end of the test they gathered that I was extremely smart and that was all. I did not know I was a strain. I thought that seeing auras was normal, and was simply part of everyday life, similar to other noticed events that no one mentioned. Since Mikoto-san injected his aura into me it has become much easier to sense others."

"You can't stay mad at her, she doesn't understand what she is apologizing for, if all she can do is sense auras it isn't even that big of a deal, just leave her alone Yata!" Izumo-san hollers toward the skater.

"Is being a strain bad? Should I have informed you all as my friends?" Itachi paused in drinking her milk – had she misstepped and committed a faux pas? "I apologize if that was the case, I was not aware I had to tell you my secrets, do I have to disclose the others?" Izumo-san glares at Yata-san as if telling him to fix it, Itachi turns her questioning gaze toward Yata-san. Under the light he becomes flustered, coughing out a 'no, of course not Itachi-chan' before falling back into his seat, grumbling about stunted kids making him feel bad.

"Well Itachi-chan, I am going to go out and shoot some of the city lights, would you like to come?" Tatara-san asks.

"Thank you Tatara-san, I would love to. I have not had any time to look at the sky at night lately. You also will need someone to watch you, for tonight I feel something big will happen."

"Maa, Itachi-chan, if anything happens I would have to be the one protecting you as I am older, and responsible for you." Tatara-san ruffles my hair as he passes me to go put on his coat. "Don't worry, everything will be fine!" As he's gone I turn to face the remainder of HOMRA, including Mikoto-san. I bow before beginning to speak.

"Do not worry, for I will be going with Tatara-san and as he is a precious person of my precious person Izumo-san I will ensure no harm will come to him." Everyone shifts, indicating they are uncomfortable with something, but Itachi was told that reassuring others that nothing would happen should put them at ease.

"Thanks Itachi-chan. We leave him in your care." Mikoto-san inclines his head in my direction before Tatara-san is back in a world wind and informs everyone he will be back by midnight and they are going to the Hirasaka buildings to get their pictures.

oOo

Dec 8

Following behind Tatara-san, Itachi did not see that there was another person before Tatara-san started talking to them. Itachi subtlety glanced at the stranger. He was a teenager, with white hair and wore the uniform of Ashinaka High, but Itachi has never seen him in class nor in the student database he had to update just last week. His movements also seemed very jerky and his aura seemed almost sinister. Itachi put on her sunglasses and activated the sharingan. His hand remained in his pockets, but the muscles twitches that Itachi could see indicated that he was holding something and was preparing to attack.

Itachi crouched into a more defensive stance. Her first objective was to get Tatara-san out of danger before thinking of attacking this teen. The teen quickly turns around when Tatara-san is done talking and Itachi can see that he is holding out a gun and is about to shot Tatara-san dead.

Itachi doesn't even think before she has tackled Tatara-san, two bullet holes embedded in the concrete behind them. Before the white teen can get over his shock, Itachi is on him and knocks the gun away from him as well as knocks the man unconscious. She turns around to help Tatara-san get up and retrieve his camera.

"Tatara-san, I think we should leave before this man wakes up again and causes problems." Itachi leaves no room for Tatara-san to disagree before she is pushing him toward the door. Just as Itachi is closing it she hears a creaking sound and pushes Tatara-san down to the ground. A resounding bang echoes through the stairwell and her shoulder flares up in agonizing pain. The sound that comes out of her mouth is completely involuntary, she has never been shot but it was much more painful than she expected. Tatara-san makes some sound as Itachi can see his mouth moving but hears no sounds coming from his mouth. Itachi bites her lip until she can focus on that pain, and slowly Tatara-san's voice drifts in.

"-Can you hear me?! Itachi-chan! It's going to be fine, you're going to be fine! It'll all be okay!" Over and over again. Itachi looks around and sees that they are still in the stairwell and right near the door to the roof access. This is not going to do, if that teen is still up there, it could only be a matter of time before he gets enough energy to get up and finish the job, Itachi is in no position to fight back, and Tatara-san is woefully unprepared to fight should it come to that.

"Tatara-san." Itachi cuts him off mid-rambling. "We have to get out of this stairwell. We have to get to the bottom of this building and call the hospital. Based on the blood I have lost half a pint. I have another pint before I get so dizzy I will not be able to move. We want to be at the bottom for that. Tie something to stem the bleeding and notify someone to come and fix this wound. Snap out of your shock Tatara-san, it is only going to get one of us killed. I have vowed to protect you because you are Izumo-san's precious person and I am not going to go back on my word. So let us depart." Itachi found in her past life that delivering things to monotonously usually caused others to calm and it did not fail her in this world either. Tatara-san nodded and used part of his shirt to stem the bleeding before we took off down the stairs. By the time we were at the bottom Itachi was much bloodier and was starting to pass out. The last thing she heard was sirens in the distance and Tatara-san yelling in his phone to Mikoto-san about what happened and that 'Itachi-chan was losing consciousness' no matter what Tatara-san said.

oOo

2 days after Dec 8

Itachi woke up to smelling the hospital and hearing a faint beeping sound. Looking up she noticed that it was early in the morning, probably an hour before visitors were allowed to come. Itachi paged a nurse, the sooner she was allowed to leave the better.

"Oh you're up sweetie! You lost a lot of blood and slept for quite a while." The nurse chirped

"May I leave?" The nurse frowned.

"We don't have any more reason for you to stay, your blood levels were back to normal and stable as of yesterday, you were just sleeping through it all. Do you have parents or any guardians to call to discharge you?"

"I am emancipated." Itachi confessed. "I can sign my papers myself, thank you." The nurse frowned more severely but had no reason to not let the young girl stay.

"Very well, just sign these sheets and you are free to go. You will have to wear the clothes that you came in with, unfortunately your shirt has blood on it and the sleeves were removed to reach the wound but otherwise perfectly wearable. Are you sure you don't want to wait for someone to come?" No answer from Itachi prompted the women to continue. "Very well, you will have to wear your arm in a sling for another few weeks until your wound completely heals – understand?"

"Yes. Thank you nurse-san for taking care of me." The nurse's visage softened considerably

"Of course sweetie, have a nice day."

Itachi left the hospital and gathered that it was reaching 8 in the morning. HOMRA would be open for HOMRA members, but not serving alcohol for several hours. Luckily Itachi prefers strawberry milk.

Entering the bar, however, was much different than what Itachi pictured. Typically there is much more life in the auras of the bar, HOMRA members seem to be almost muted – and enraged. She easily picks out Mikoto-san's and feels that he is very angry and stewing rather than expressing his feelings. Mother always said that one should express themselves, and while Itachi doesn't practice this, since coming to her new life it is much easier to do so – not to mention humorous when she pretends that she doesn't understand what people are saying. They all seem to be on the main floor of the bar, all members centered around Tatara-san and Mikoto-san, almost as if Tatara-san is giving an after mission report.

It was that scene that Itachi entered the bar, nearly all members of HOMRA turned upon hearing the door enter only to freeze in yelling at whoever dared to enter when they realize it is Itachi. Itachi ventures to break the silence if no one else is. She searches the crowd before she finds Izumo-san.

"Izumo-san, I know that the bar does not open for several hours but I was wondering if I would be able to have a glass of strawberry milk. Last night for me was very harrowing." Dropped mouths from HOMRA, but no answer. An eyebrow goes up before Itachi continues. "If this is about last night with Tatara-san I ensured that he would not be in harm's way. I made sure that Tatara-san and I dodged the first two bullets and I did not anticipate the teen to wake up so soon after I knocked him unconscious. While I could not save him from the third bullet, I managed to take the bullet so it hit my shoulder before it hit Tatara-san. We got away before the teen could come back." Still no answer, Itachi licks her lips before glancing around. No one is giving her any indication of emotions besides horrified looks, Itachi bows and looks down at her feet. "I am sorry Izumo-san that I could not better protect Tatara-san, I will do my best next time to make sure there is no threat on your precious person before we reach the top. Tatara-san is just so tall that he is hard to see around and as he went first it was nearly too late to see the threat and act accordingly. I hope you can forgive me." Itachi vaguely hears Yata-san mumble is she serious before Izumo-san can bring her chin up to look at his face.

"Itachi-chan, you don't have to be forgiven. You stopped Tatara from dying and for that we all owe you a thanks. We also have to explain to you what HOMRA is but that can wait until tomorrow. Why are you out of the hospital? We could have come to get you – did you walk all the way over here?!" His voice started of normal then just got louder and louder as he progressed.

"I cannot drive Tatara-san and was unfamiliar with the train route to get back here. How else would I have made it back in time?" Itachi retorts. "I also have no way to contact you so it was only logical that I walk back here."

"You're injured baka! You shouldn't be walking anywhere. And you have blood all over your shirt! You're lucky that Scepter 4 didn't try to take you in!" Yata-san exclaims.

"I ensured that I would not run into Scepter 4 and my shoulder feels much better, I was planning on taking off the sling when I got here."

"NO." was the consensus of the HOMRA members.

"But I do not need it, see?" She shows her shoulder where the wound looks like it is much older than a few days, a small pink scar being the only sign that there was a bullet there anyways. "My chakra makes certain that there is minimal scarring and heals it at a much faster rate. I am glad that it was me that was injured, Tatara-san would not have a quick recovery." She says and before anyone can protest she has taken off the sling and is doing flips and stretches to demonstrate that her arm is fine.

"What's chakra? That is the second time that you mentioned it."

"It's not-aura I guess." Flat looks all directed at Itachi.

"Itachi-chan! Speak English!" Yata-san hollered

"Well, I originally thought that aura was not-chakra before you informed me because I possess chakra and could sense your 'not-chakra' now known as aura. So then that makes chakra not-aura. Correct?"

"I think what Yata is trying to say Itachi-chan is that he needs more of a definition of chakra or not-aura." Tatara-san hastily reassured the young orphan.

"Aa. Chakra is a mixture of physical and spiritual elements, that enable myself to perform ninjutsu, genjutsu, fuinjutsu and other techniques. Prior to my family's death I was considered a prodigy in all my studying fields, however had to cease upon their death. No one else could help me and as not many knew what chakra was I had to determine and create my own study schedule. I believe that I have learnt a lot, but as there is no one to test my skills against it is much harder to determine."

"So your strain is chakra? I thought it was sensing auras!" Yata announced

"With chakra you can sense auras." Itachi looked at Yata-san. "Was I supposed to have clarified that answer? I was told that most people do not enjoy long-winded answers and that one should venture only to answer what was asked as that is the information the asker cared about the most." A choked gurgle comes from Yata-san's direction before he just lays on the floor in ... misery?

"Maa, that's fine Itachi-chan, now that we know your strain is chakra, what can you do with it?"

"Many things Tatara-san, was there something you had in mind?"

"Uhhhh, I don't know, King? What do you think?" Tatara-san gestures to Mikoto-san.

"Can you just give us a demonstration?"

"Aa. I can show you some techniques. There are the academy-three; the substitution jutsu." Itachi quickly swaps places with Yata-san on the floor, perhaps the thunk that Yata-san makes upon impacting the ground will cheer him up. "The Henge." Itachi continues and suddenly a second Yata-san in standing in the spot Itachi was in previously. "The clone." Now there are three Yata-san's in the room before Itachi dispels them all. "I am also well versed in elemental ninjutsu; fire, earth, air, water, and lightening. I can also do the tree walking exercise and water walking upon many other techniques. Would you like to see the elemental techniques?" I offer coating my hand in lightening chakra and showing it to the HOMRA members.

"Not in the bar!" Izumo-san yells upon seeing lightening flashing throughout the room

"You can walk on water?!" Yata-san yells overtop of Izumo-san. Itachi walks over to the wall and scales up it until she is walking on the ceiling.

"Yes, it is a similar technique to tree walking. I found that the aura at first disrupted my chakra sense, but now they live in harmony and I am able to pull from either of my reserves although I must keep moving when using my aura, otherwise I melt through the building. Though I am getting better at that with changing the applications of my aura. It is quite fascinating. Did you know you could do this with your aura?"

"No Itachi-chan we didn't. Now can you come down and drink your milk?" Izumo-san asks. Itachi drops down from the ceiling and lands in a crouched position before getting up and sitting in her usual perch.

"Thank you Izumo-san. May I inquire as to what you were all discussing prior to my appearance this morning?" Itachi queries as she starts drinking from her milk.

"We're looking for the bastard fox that tried to kill Tatsuka-san and you Itachi-chan!" Yata vehemently declares.

"Why would you do that Yata-san?" Itachi responds. Yata-san is gaping for several minutes before he can continue.

"Why would we do that?! Because that bastard tried to KILL YOU AND TATSUKA-SAN. No one messes with HOMRA and gets away with it! We gotta protect our family!"

"I understand your frustration Yata-san but I believe that this may be a scenario where we just let things lie as they are."

"Why would you say that Itachi-chan?" Izumo-san asks after sharing a look with Mikoto.

"Because whoever is the perpetrator is, they are playing the man who shot us as well as ourselves. They are probably betting on HOMRA going out for revenge. Mikoto-san's aura is very angry and wishes to lash out. While as long as I have known him his aura has been very bright, but he seems to be struggling under the weight of Kage and unless we decide to do something about that, HOMRA may find themselves Kageless."

"Itachi-chan. ENGLISH." Yata-san demands.

"The fox that shot is not the man responsible for committing the crime. I suspect foul play. Furthermore, if we do not focus on attention on HOMRA than there will be no HOMRA because Mikoto-san's aura will burn everything up. It may already be inevitable, in which case, Mikoto-san, I suggest you find your successor so you can pass the mantle down before you must sacrifice yourself."

Silence.

A cough.

"How sure are you of this Itachi-chan?" Tatara-san asks

"That the fox man was used? 90%. That Mikoto-san is taking a long walk on a short pier? 100%. Unless he finds a successor for Kage then he will probably die within the next month. His aura is very difficult for him to contain."

"King?" Tatara-san turns to face Mikoto-san.

"She's right Tatara. Unless I give up the position of King, or Kage as I believe Itachi-chan calls it, I will probably die very soon. I cannot control all of this power. If I don't we'll probably have another Kagutsu incident on our hands." Mikoto-san bluntly sums up.

Clenched hands and bitten lips respond to their King's answer.

"Then what do we have to do, because you aren't dying anytime soon." Tatara-san says, grasping at Mikoto-san's shirt.

"I'll abdicate the throne. Anna will take up the mantle if she wants it." Anna-san nods determinately, hoping that she can stop the struggle that Mikoto-san is going through.

oOo

15 days after Dec 8

With Anna as the fourth King the HOMRA clan has changed in some ways, and remained the same in others. Trying to stay true to the ideals of a King can be difficult but with a strong family at your back can change many things. Anna becomes and amazing King and HOMRA continues to ensure their turf is without any other trespassers.

oOo

Fin.

AN: So I did not expect that to go in that direction AT ALL, but once you start writing it seems you just can stop. I originally intended to have Itachi show up once before Tatara died, but then she became a regular and things just spiraled out from there. As you could probably tell I had no real idea of where to end it or how so that ending is probably very lack lustre. My original plans really only lasted until she intervened in the Dec 8 incident anyways.

So this is a oneshot, but if anyone wants to review and ask for a prompt of something that happened in the universe I will write one up for you and post it on fanfiction.

Thanks and feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought!