Summary : Re-write of this story. Naru Uzumaki has recently returned to Konoha, and has vowed to do anything to stop Sasuke Uchiha from hurting those she loves, but when she is kidnapped by Itachi Uchiha, who claims that he has no intention of taking her to the Akatsuki, her beliefs are wavered as she spends time with the Mass Murderer.
Disclaimer : Do Not Own Naruto. If I did, Itachi would still be alive :'(
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Being back in Konoha was a strange feeling: like returning to an old friend who has changed, and yet, was still the same.
Naru Uzumaki surveyed the village, her sapphire eyes taking in everything as the sun slowly rose, casting an orangey-red glow in the sky. Konoha never looked more beautiful than it did at this moment. She had missed watching the sun rise from the top of the Hokage Monument. It was a lovely sight.
The two and a half years away from her home village had made her miss the place a lot, but she was also glad for the time she'd been able to spend away from the place. She'd matured both physically and mentally, and also in the department of being a ninja. These changes that had happened...well, she wasn't sure whether they were good or bad. She had become less naive, less willing to see the goodness in people and things that she was so well known for when she was younger, and she was more aware of the reality of the world - it was anything but happy.
Even her Ninja Way seemed stupid now - who in the world had ever heard of a ninja who didn't kill anyone?
She released a heavy sigh. She didn't even know when she had stopped seeing the good in everyone and everything, but sometimes, she did miss being able to look at the world and see all the good things. Naiveity, she now realised, had been a precious gift. Especially for a ninja.
Along with her out-look on the world, she'd matured in her looks; becoming a beautiful young woman at the age of fifteen - nearly sixteen.
Golden blonde hair, that had previously come down to her knees when she was twelve, had been chopped off to just below her shoulders after she left Konoha, but it had grown down to her mid-back now in a high braid. Her eyes held power and a grown-up look that didn't really suit her, and within the depths lurked a shadow that had been growing since her birth, her face was now shaped with no puppy fat, the black whisker marks on her cheeks slightly darker, her lips bow-shaped, and her skin lightly tanned. Her body was lithe and slender, with a slight curve to her hips.
Her sense of style - if what she dressed like when she was younger could be called style at all - had changed a lot, aswell. An orange jumped suit was gone, and replaced by black ANBU pants, hugging to her hips loosely, a crimson tank top with black and white bandages intwining and wrapping around her arms, up to her elbows, and the look was finished off with a pair of black ninja sandals.
Unrecogniseable, not because of her looks but because of the emotions in her eyes, some times, when she looked into the mirror every morning.
She let out a slightly bitter laugh, and her lips twisted into a sad smile. How bad was it that she didn't even recognise herself in the mirror?
Naru pushed back her fringe and sat down on the head of the Fourth Hokage - still her hero, despite her changed view of the world -, and pulled her knees up to her chest so that she could rest her chin in between them.
A gentle morning breeze kissed her skin. She shivered at the icy touch, but remained where she was.
What was wrong with her? Why was she so distant at the thought of her village? She remembered being so eager to return to Konoha as her training trip drew to a close, but now she'd returned and spent only a little over two months here, she felt as if she wanted nothing more than to leave again.
It was so odd, and frustrating, to feel that way and not even know why.
" Thinking? " The familiar teasing voice said from behind her. She turned her head slightly to get a better look, and she saw her old sensei. Kakashi-sensei - who she would probably still call sensei if she ever became Hokage - sat down next to her, his hand strangely void of the usual orange book. He looked wide awake.
The blonde shrugged and turned her attention to the rising sun again. She didn't want her sensei to see her eyes, which she was sure were showing the same troubled emotions that she was currently feeling. " I like to watch the sun rise from up here, " she said softly.
Kakashi nodded - even though she couldn't see it - in what could only be described as an understanding way. " It does make a nice picture, " he agreed quietly.
Silence fell.
It annoyed her to no end. What had happened to a time when she wouldn't have even left silence emerge? She used to be so bright, cheerful and willing to talk into early hours of the night. Now she couldn't even muster more than a short sentence to her old sensei.
Naru glanced at her old sensei. His eyes were fixed on her. She cleared her throat. " What are you doing up so early? I always got the impression that you liked to sleep. "
" Ninjas have messed up sleeping patterns, " he answered boredly, " I'm more awake at night than I am during the day. "
She nodded. She had noticed, while she was away with Jiraiya-sensei, that her sleeping pattern had become erratic as the old Sannin was forever waking her up at ridiculous times to train.
Kakashi switched his gaze to a lone tree in the distance. " You've been awfully quiet lately, Naru-chan, " he pointed out, " I'm used to being able to hear you before I see you. "
Her lips twitched at that, and she turned her attention forward again. So much truth in that sentence.
" Sensei? " She said it so suddenly and so seriously that all humour vanished, and she felt regret at that. " Was it hard for you, when you left the ANBU? " Maybe knowing this answer would help her with her own problem, but she held no hope, because her old sensei wasn't exactly open with his private life. So it was a big surprise to her when she felt the thoughtful silence from him. She turned back to look at him. He looked as if he were actually considering the question.
After a minute or two of silence, he opened his mouth and said: " Hai, it was very difficult, but only because I was so used to being away on missions and doing things that no Jounnin was allowed to do - the adjustment was hard, and I found it odd that I was doing such low level missions - low level for me, anyway. "
Naru blinked, and blinked again, then stared at him. She was sure that there was surprise written across her face, because she could see his single eye curved upwards into it's signature U-shaped smile. So much honesty.
Since she'd met Kakashi-sensei a little over three years ago, she had learnt four things about him: 1. He was a pervert. 2. He was always late, for everything. 3. He took team work and his Ninja Way very seriously. And 4. He didn't talk about himself. Ever.
It was a surprise, but a welcomed one.
" Would you ever go back? " She whispered. She held her breath as she waited for the answer that could possibly help her in her confused time.
Then he gave her the one answer that now seemed to obvious and simple, yet, the one thing that she hadn't even thought of: " When I am ready. "
Naru released the breath she'd been holding for so long that it had begun to hurt her deprived lungs. They expanded again, gratefully taking in air again, as her heart lightened considerably. It seemed so uncomplicated because of that answer that it annoyed her that she hadn't thought of it. Just four simple words.
When I am ready.
She knew now. She knew why she felt so torn, so trapped in Konoha - she wasn't ready to come back to Konoha. She loved the village, she really did, but she needed to get away from the place that had brought her as much heart ache as it had happiness.
Whether Kakashi had heard the released breath was not obvious, but his single eye was far too knowing for him not to have heard. " I hope that's answered your question, Naru-chan, " he said, rising to his feet, and he brushed himself down.
" It has. Arigato. " Naru only managed a small smile before her old sensei formed familiar hand-seals and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. She then turned back to look at the sky, which now had a fully risen sun in it, and she relaxed.
She never noticed the pair of eyes, as red as blood with strange black markings in them, watching her intently.
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After catching a few more hours of sleep, Naru left her small apartment chewing on a piece of buttery toast. Ramen for breakfast had not been accepted by Jiraiya-sensei, who had called her a stupid blonde when she'd suggested it on their first day away, and refused to buy her anything but food that was meant for breakfast. Toast was an ok replacement.
It was nearly 11:00am, and she was heading towards Training Grounds 3, which is where her and Jiraiya-sensei had agreed to meet. The perverted sensei had contacted her, via frog summoning, and told her that he was returning for a few days to rest, and that he wanted their customary fight. The old sannin had been so busy with his spy network lately, and coming to Konoha was probably like a holiday for him.
" Naru, " said a voice that could only belong to Shikamaru Nara, because it sounded so sleepy and bored, but intelligent at the same time. She turned her head and saw the Nara heir join her from out the shadows. The two of them walked, side-by-side, down the street.
" Morning, Shikamaru-kun, " she said warmly, " what are you doing up so early? " It wasn't really early, but for Shikamaru, who would probably get a job sleeping if there was such a thing, it was far too early. She finished her toast off with one bite.
Shikamaru released a loud yawn that had his eyes watering slightly. " Hokage-sama wanted to see me, " he said, " and Oka-san remembered. "
Naru let out a quiet laugh. " You should be more worried about Baa-san, " she said. " Now she's terrifiying when you're late. " As if she could still feel it, she rubbed her stomach, which had been the victim of a vicious punch from Tsunade, who had suffered another jab at her age by the one she thought of as a little sister. It wasn't the same thing, but still, when Tsunade was angry, it hurt.
Shikamaru snorted. She shot him a glare. Of course he knew what she was remembering, since he had been there that day, and he had helped her up after watching her fly through two walls.
" I have to go now, " he said with another yawn, " by any luck, I'll be there five minutes early. " Without waiting for a good-bye, he shuffled off down the street, dragging his feet as if it were a great effort to even be walking. Knowing him, it was.
She shook her head, a fond smile painting her lips, and she continued on her trek to the training grounds.
Naru arrived there within a few minutes. She wasn't surprised to see that her sensei wasn't there yet; while he wasn't as tardy as Kakashi-sensei, he didn't exactly try his best to get to places on time. The hentai was probably peeking into the hot springs on his first day back.
Almost out of habit, she clasped her black fingerless gloved hands together in a familiar seal, " Kage Bunshin No Jutsu, " she spoke. If her sensei was going to be late, she might as well spend that time doing something useful.
In a poof of smoke, eleven copies of Naru appeared, all in various stances. One had their arms crossed, another was slouching against a tall wooden post, one had a hand on a slightly curved hip and so on...
It was slightly strange to see herself in different stances, and it was even more strange to think that each of her clones were thinking a different thing. Her lessons with Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-sensei were paying off.
She looked at each of them. " You know what to do. " It was unnecessary to speak to the clones, as they could hear her thoughts, but she preferred to speak aloud - it was easier.
The clones paired off, leaving the eleventh one behind. She walked over to the original Naru, a smile curving her lips. " How does it feel, beating yourself up? " Clones they may be, but they all had a part of her personality, and since her training, they acted like they were different people.
Naru shrugged. " I could ask you the same thing. " Yes, it was weird, having a conversation with yourself - well, a clone, actually - but it was fun banter, and she never had to explain herself, as her clones knew everything she did.
Clone Naru winked. She disappeared with a blink of the eye.
Naru backed up and raised an arm, effectively blocking the kick that had been aimed at her face. Her clone appeared in the air, a wide smile crossing her features.
The fun was about to begin.
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It must have been an hour before Naru felt it was time to give up and take a rest, only after summoning lots more clones after all of them defeated each other, and she defeated her clones. This was the only way she could train when she was alone, but it annoyed her, because she knew herself better than anyone, and so, fighting herself wasn't really a challenge.
Stupid Jiraiya-sensei.
Wondering into the forest, she found a large tree to sit under, one that did not have a single ray of sun light peeking through. She leaned back against the trunk, and slid down it until her arse hit the floor, and she crossed her legs. Well, she wasn't going to make it easy for her sensei to find her - even though he would easily sense her: she could hide her chakra signature, but not that well.
Her body felt slightly heavy due to using so much chakra, but she could take fact that if it was any other ninja doing what she was doing, they would be in hospital with chakra exhaustion. It made her slightly smug to know that not a single person in Konoha had higher chakra reserves than her.
She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the tree trunk with a light thud. The idea of sleep was so tempting right now.
It could have only been a few minutes later, just as she was about to drop off into an exhausted slumber, that she felt the wind change. It was so slight, and so subtle, that it would have been unnoticeable if she hadn't been training to be constantly on edge for the past two and a half years.
In what appeared to be a random thing, she pulled a kunai out of the pouch on her left leg, and threw it. After a moment, her eyelids flew open. She hadn't heard the kunai impact on anything, which means it hadn't hit anything, which meant that someone, or something, had stopped it.
Turns out, it was a someone.
She swiftly got to her feet, her eyes trained on the person who was stood under a tree, their facial features hidden by the shadow that the canopy provided, her thrown kunai was being twirled around casually by long, pale fingers. The familiar black cloak with red clouds fluttered menacingly in an almost non-existant breeze. Despite the immense shadows that covered the face, and the Akatsuki that she knew were wandering the Ninja nations, searching for other Jinchuuriki, she knew there was only one of two Akatsuki who had been sent to search for her, who could also enter Konoha unnoticed, even with all the new protection and guard - Itachi Uchiha.
" Itachi Uchiha, " she said coldly, and unsuccessfully tried to keep her voice calm, but it did shake a little.
He walked out from under the tree like he was a shadow himself, the darkness reluctantly letting him go. He continued to twirl the kunai, but with each step he took towards her, the twirling slowed, until eventually, it came to a complete halt. He dropped his arm back to his side. " Naru Uzumaki. " His voice wasn't overly deep, but it was low and smooth, like honey.
" I'm not going to the Akatsuki - so you can just forget about asking, " she said, crossing her arms over her chest. She was fully ready to fight the Uchiha if she needed to, but she had no doubt in her mind that she would probably come off worse. Still, she could try and hold him off until Jiraiya-sensei got here.
As if knowing what she was thinking, Itachi blinked once and said: " Jiraiya-sama will be unable to come here today. "
Fear gripped her heart. " What have you done to him? " She spat angrily.
" I sent him a distraction, " he answered smoothly. " By the time he get's here, we will be gone. "
" We? " Naru repeated, raising a thin gold eyebrow. " Who said anything about we? I'm not going anywhere. "
Itachi did not appear to be annoyed with what she had said. " If you will come with me peacefully, then unnecessary harm can be avoided. "
" Iie. "
For a second, just one second, she thought she saw regret flash through his Sharingan eyes, before they were cold and empty again.
The, he moved.
For a brief time, she was in pure awe of the speed the Uchiha presented. She hadn't seen him move - only that he was there one second, and gone the next. She couldn't see where he was either...
The blow to her stomach answered that question. She let out a pained gasp as she was sent flying back from the fist in her stomach. She managed to flip herself before she hit a tree, and she landed in a crouch, but skidded back a few feet.
Itachi appeared in front of her for only a fraction of a second - then he was gone again.
" You're going to need me for this one, brat. " The Kyuubi's deep, inhuman voice rumbled through her mind, sounding evil and gleeful.
Naru scowled. ' Just what I need - you butting into my thoughts when I'm busy, ' she thought angrily. She reached out with her chakra, trying to locate the Uchiha, but he had himself hidden very well.
Kyuubi's chuckle was mocking. " You can't do anything without me, human, so why not just use my power? You haven't forgotten the deal that you demanded not too long ago, have you? " Trust him to use her own deal against her - a deal he hadn't even liked.
' No, I haven't forgotten it, but I can do this on my ow- ' A harsh, and powerful, hit threw Naru off her feet and backwards into a tree, which snapped under the force, and she heard a suspiciously loud crack that she feared had nothing to do with the tree. She hit the ground with a thud and rolled for a few seconds.
Laying there on her back, she carefully went to move her arm, and she felt a massive twinge in her ribs. Damn. She pressed a hand to her right side. There. She could feel a large break in at least two of her ribs.
Ignoring the pain, she jumped to her feet, just in time to avoid a kick by Itachi, who seemed to have decided to become visible. With a small growl, she launched herself at him with a flurry of punches and kicks. " Kage Bunshin No Jutsu! "
Hundreds of Naru's appeared in the woods - standing on the trees, lining every possible exit, and some even emerged from the ground. All attacked the dark haired male.
It was a disaster. For her.
She barely had time to catch a breath, and blink away the tears caused by the pain in her ribs - she'd had worse pain. But it was still pain, and it still hurt, none-the-less - before Itachi defeated all of the clones like they were nothing. Something hot covered her lips. One taste confirmed a metallic tasting liquid - blood.
" You're too predictable. " Itachi came at her again.
Naru jumpep up into the trees, and out of the way. But he appeared to have known this, and was instantly behind her.
Crap.
She felt a sharp blow to her head - one she could have avoided if she hadn't been training for the past hour non-stop. Darkness slowly crept up on her.
" You shouldn't have made this so difficult - gomen. " She could have sworn Itachi whispered that, before darkness took her into it's surprisingly warm embrace.
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Naru was going to kill him in the most painful possible way that her prankster mind could think of, and then some.
Jiraiya hurried down the familiar route to Training Ground 3. He knew that his student couldn't defeat him yet, but boy, when she was angry, she was terrifiying and vicious in a way that would guarantee him a week long stay in hospital. Scared of a fifteen year old girl. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.
He hadn't meant to be so late...but the he'd been peeking at the Hot Springs, and was on his way back when a beautiful woman had emerged from a shop, smiling seductively, and winking at him. She had been trying to seduce him...and it worked. Maybe the Universe had decided to be kind to him, and give that woman to him as a welcome gift for his first day back in Konoha in months.
" Naru-chan! Where are you? " He announced loudly and cheerfully, strolling into the training ground. He looked around. His blonde student wasn't anywhere to be seen, but it was quite obvious that she had been there, if the familiar small craters littering the ground were anything to go by. Rasengan. There was training, and then Naru's version of training.
A last sweeping glance of the training ground confirmed his thoughts: Naru was hiding, again. She always did it when he was late in meeting up with her, and even though he could easily find her, it was such a hassle - one she knew annoyed him.
With a heavy sigh, he set off into the woods. Just follow the path of destruction, was his moto, when it came to finding his angry students.
Reaching out with his chakra, he was very surprised when he didn't sense Naru's rather recogniseable chakra - the combination of lots of normal chakra along with the Kyuubi's fiery and violent energy was rather hard to miss. Frowning, he wandered further into the woods. His student couldn't mask her chakra that well yet - it was impossible.
" Naru-chan! Come on! " He yelled. " I've been later than this before. You can't be that ang..." His words left him as if ripped from his voice box. His eyes darted around the damaged woods.
" Over board on the training much? " He muttered to himself. He walked further into the damage that he knew was caused by his student and looked around.
" NARU-CHAN! "
Despite the scene looking like the end result of his students training session, something didn't feel right...
His brown eyes stared hard at the ground, as if waiting for a secret trail to appear, and in a way, it did. Blood. Tiny droplets of drying crimson liquid were on the ground. He followed them for about a few inches, before they stopped...Where had she gone? Unless she'd accidentally cut herself and it had healed quickly.
No, that didn't even sound right in his head.
Fights between Naru and her clones never ended in bloodshed - not because she didn't want it that way, but because they were all the same person which made it impossible to pull one over on each other.
This wasn't good.
He turned around and headed back towards the village.
Tsunade would want to hear about this. Kami know's she would be furious.
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" WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT IN THE VILLAGE? " Tsunade's furious shout was so loud that people on the other side of Konoha could hear. All wondered who had angered the Hokage now.
Jiraiya winced from where he stood by the window. He rubbed the ear closest to his old team-mate and cast a glance out the open window. One jump was all it would take to get him away from the angered woman, but now was not the time for silly games: Naru was missing.
A collective cringe went through the Hunter ANBU Team that were knelt in the middle of the Hokage Office, heads bowed in a sign of respect.
" Hokage-sama, " a deep voice said from behind an oddly painted porcelain mask, " we have followed the trail of blood left behind, but it only reached so far as a tree, before Uzumaki's chakra signature disappeared completely. "
" Naru can't mask her chakra that well, " Jiraiya said, " I've only just begun to teach her how to do it. "
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. " This is not a prank played by her, this I can assure you, " she growled, " and we can't think optimistically about this situation, considering who is after her. "
The door burst open.
A worried Sakura came in, her emerald green eyes instantly searching out the man who had taken her team-mate away for nearly three years, " I saw Hunters looking around the village - is Naru-chan alright? "
The Toad Sannin averted his eyes to the floor.
" Is she alright? " Sakura repeated, looking at her own sensei.
Tsunade sighed tiredly. " Keep looking, Captain. Search every place in the village that you can think of, and report back, " she ordered.
" Hai. " The Hunters disappeared from the room.
The pinkette stalked forward. " You didn't answer my question! Where the hell is Naru? "
" Sakura, " the Hokage said softly, " we're not quite sure where Naru-chan is. All we know is that she's not in the village. "
" The Akatsuki? " Sakura said, her voice sounding shaken and scared.
Jiraiya frowned thoughtfully. " I'm not sure, " he admitted, " but I wouldn't think so, not after the damage dealt to them by the loss of Sasori and Deidara. They need time to recover. "
" Maybe they sent someone else out to get her? When our guards down? "
" Our guard hasn't been down since the emergance of the Akatsuki, Sakura, " Tsunade said. " There is no way, no matter how skilled they are, that any Akatsuki would be able to get in and out of Konoha without our knowledge. "
" But they've done it before, haven't they? " Sakura said, " back before you were Hokage, right? Itachi Uchiha and his partner managed to sneak in - undetected! "
" Konoha wasn't aware of the Akatsuki back then, " Jiraiya said, choosing to jump in on a subject he knew best. " Sensei didn't have any idea about them, so they were able to sneak in, but now, with all of the guards around the village, and knew barriers, it would be impossible. " He looked at his old team-mate.
Tsunade took over. " Besides, nothing about the Akatsuki is sneaky when it comes to attacking, " she said, " you've seen the way they fight - they like to make explosions and cause as much destruction as they can. "
Sakura fisted her hands at her side. " Then who could have taken her? " She said in a whisper, " who could be strong enough to take Naru, when even the Akatsuki haven't succeeded? "
It was a question playing on all their minds.
" As worrying as that thought is, " Tsunade said, " we can't do anything until we know for sure who took her. " She cast a look at Jiraiya, who instantly understood. With a small salute, he jumped out of the window. She turned her attention back to her student. " Go and gather Team 8, Team 10 and Team Guy, as well as their senseis, and get Kakashi and Sai. "
Sakura nodded and quickly left the room.
The Hokage dropped into her chair with a heavy sigh.
Who could have taken her little sister without that much of a struggle?
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What did you all think of my re-write? I'll update in two days!
Please review, my lovely readers,
Phoenix x.