I do not own or claim to own Naruto. This is just a fan fic. Please enjoy this, rate or review it if you feel like it. Yes, this is an ItachixOriginal Character. She is and I repeat IS MY own creation, so please don't spread rumors saying I stole your character. This is also my story, please to plagiarize or claim I stole your ideas because my twin sister is my proof that I created this story myself. Enjoy!

Chapter One:

The Mission That Changed It All

Blood and smoke reeked the air. Blood soaked into the dirt and the clothes of the fallen. A teenager behind a weasel mask looked around the newly destroyed village. Bodies were piled in the streets. The building were completely destroyed, glass littering the streets along with kunai and shuriken. The ANBU rookie besides the thirteen year old prodigy Uchiha Itachi cleared his throat, the noise scratchy behind the wooden mask that looked like a cat. Itachi looked over at the cat-mask-wearing man. He removed his own mask and held it loosely in his hands. He stared at the man, raising his right eyebrow to indicate to the rookie to speak.

"Sir, uh, the village is completely destroyed." He spoke in fear. Itachi looked at the village as he nodded.

"I can see that Hyoshi. What's your point?" Itachi asked, looking at a fire that began to engulf a building. "Sir, what are we doing here?" Itachi looked at the man again. "The Hokage sent us here to search for survivors." He answered coolly. "But surely commander, anyone who did this much damage would not leave any survivors." He stated matter-oh-factly. "Your right." Itachi agreed. "But orders are orders."

He turned to the rest of his ANBU group and looked at the eight other men and women.

"Your orders are to search the village for any survivors. You two," He pointed to a woman in a dog mask and the man in the cat mask. "Search over there." He pointed to the west side of the village. "You three, search there." He pointed to three men, one wearing a monkey, one wearing a bear and the third wearing a tiger mask. His hand moved to the east. "You two," He pointed to two women, one wearing a wolf and one wearing a snake, and a man wearing another elephant mask. "Search the south part of the village. I'll search the North. Go."

The eight people disappeared, leaving the Uchiha to stand alone. He sighed softly. He then picked up sounds. They were sobs. Then a scream. It sounded like a girl but like a large cat at the same time. He walked cautiously towards the scream.

Kneeling over two lifeless corpses was a girl about his age. Tears stained her face and her head was thrown back so she could yell curses at the sky and her deity. Purple tinted black hair covered her eyes. "Excuse me?" Itachi asked softly to catch the girl's attention. She straightened up, looking behind her shoulders with tear blurred silver orbs. She quickly turned and leaned over the bodies protectively.

"Go away!" She screamed. "Go away, go away, go AWAY!" Her legged kicked up a dust cloud as she made an attempt to push the bodies away from Itachi. The Uchiha's eyes softened at the sight of the broken girl. He kneeled into the dirt and held his hand out, palms forward to show he meant the female no harm.

"I'm here to help." He breathed in a soft voice. "I'm not going to hurt you." He reached out to the girl and she jerked away from his hand. "I promise, I'm not going to hurt you." He tried to touch her again. This time she didn't jerk away, she just sat there. In a sudden moment, her arms were around Itachi as she cried into his chest.

"You're too late. Everyone's dead." She sobbed, muffled by the Uchiha's chest. He looked down at her, aghast. But his hands wrapped around the girl in an attempt to comfort her. Itachi then noticed she was thin, like a tooth pick. He almost believed if he held her he might break the fragile looking girl. His hands rested on her side, the shirt beneath his left hand was wet and sticky. He pulled it away and held it up while the girl continued to sob into his chest. In the moonlight, he could see his hand was soaked scarlet. He gently took her shoulders, pulling her from him.

"Are you hurt?" He asked. The female stared at him with innocent silver eyes. She looked completely dumbfounded and soon she shook her head. But Itachi didn't buy it. He looked deeply into her eyes and asked again. "Are you hurt?" She began to shake her head again but then stopped, her hands reaching down her side and pressing to the same area Itachi had gotten blood on his hand. He sighed. "C'mon, you're coming with me. I need to find something and then I'm going home. Maybe you can help me?" He asked.

The girl nodded, her bangs moving with the movement. Her bangs were cut right above her eyebrows, her purple-ish black hair was completely straight and reached to her waist. She looked at him with her deep silver eyes and Itachi smiled. "Alright. I'm searching for a scroll. The leader kept it in his home. Can you show me how to get there?"

Again, she nodded. "I worked as his house cleaner." She croaked. "I know what you're talking about." Itachi nodded. "Very well. Can you stand?" He let go of her shoulders and stood up, holding his hand out to her. She took it softly in hers. Itachi noted that her touch felt like ice, bitter and cold. He pulled her onto her feet and she stood for a moment then fell onto one knee, gasping out from pain.

"Looks like you can't. Here." Itachi kneeled down and slid his hands under both of her knees, picking her up and clutching her to his chest. She was too exhausted to blush at how close they were. "Keep going straight." She said as she sighed. He nodded down at her and began walking towards the north of the village. Silence crept through the air.

"So, what's you name?" Itachi asked, trying to kill the eerie silence. She looked up at him with her pure silver eyes. "My name is Oni Tsukiko. And yours?" She asked. He smiled down at her and her breath caught in her throat. His smile was dazzling. "My name is Uchiha Itachi. Why did you parents name you Oni? It means demon, right? Demon Moon Child?" He asked. She smiled softly, which warmed Itachi's heart. "My parents were the guardians of the village, and the scroll. We weren't a violent village, but every valuable thing needs a protector. The villagers were scared stiff at the sight of my parents, saying the two were demons. My parents smiled and laughed at the rumors of them being demonic, and to go along with it they decided to name their first born child Oni."

"And that was you?" Itachi asked after she finished. Oni shook her head softly. "No, but I'm the first one to survive. The only one to survive." She replied. Itachi raised his right eyebrow again. "Oh?" He asked. She nodded once again. "My mother was wounded gravely when I was two. Luckily for her, a rogue medic ninja was traveling through our village. My father asked her to heal my mother. She did but she said my mother would never be able to have children again. And it was true." Itachi looked at the girl. "I'm sorry." He offered. She shrugged. "It's no biggie." She explained. She didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that she wasn't able to have any other siblings.

"Anyhow, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Uchiha Itachi." She mused as she looked away from him towards the building. Before Itachi could reply, she pointed to a large home on the right side of the road.

"That's his home." She explained. Itachi nodded and walked to the ruined home. The roof was completely blown off and the sides were crumbled to the ground. Only half a wall remained standing. All the furniture was still in place. She pointed to a large desk that was at the back of the ruined house. "It's in the very bottom drawer on the left side." She breathed. Itachi walked to the couch near the brown desk and sat Oni down. She sat up to watch Itachi. He opened the large drawer and just as she said, there was a blue and white scroll at the bottom.

A scratching noise in the corner of the room caught Itachi's attention. He looked over at the corner as he reached in to grab the scroll. As he began to straighten up, a black blur of fur sprang at his face, claws outstretched. He caught the creature by the fur behind it's neck. It was a small black cat, only a kitten. Oni looked at Itachi when she heard the cat meow in anger. She laughed and Itachi looked at the girl.

"Maybe, Rei, if you were a few years older you would have been able to at least scratch him." She chimed. The kitten swiped at Itachi's hand and he dropped it to avoid being scratched. It landed on the floor with a thud and scrabbled away from his feet, darting towards and up the couch. The black kitten nestled into Oni's lap and the girl smiled.

"So you know this cat?" Itachi asked though it was obvious. "Yes." Oni replied. "She's mine. Her name is Rei. And she's no cat." Itachi looked at the girl and then the cat, suspicion in his onyx eyes. "She's a panther. Only a kitten. That's why she's small." Oni finished after seeing the suspicion in his eyes. He nodded in acknowledgment before sitting besides her. "How did you come to get a panther cub?" Itachi asked. The girl smiled as she looked at the kitten, who had fallen asleep in her lap.

"Well you see, we had a lot of rogue ninja's travel through our village. If they were peaceful, they were allowed to stay here." Itachi nodded. It was a crime for a village to house rogue Nins but some still did. "Continue." Itachi pressed. "Well two years ago, there was this woman. Kyoko. She was one of these rogue ninjas. It was late and my parents were away and I was home alone. Kyoko was at a bar and I guess she started a fight when she broke a bottle over a waitresses head because the girl was talking about her to another waitress. The bar owner chased her. He was going to arrest her and throw her in our prison."

"Kyoko needed some where to hide and she ended up jumping through the window of my room. I was walking into it when I saw her. She begged me to let her stay there till things died down. And I did." Oni's eyes had glazed over as if she was watching the scene again.

"She treated me like an equal, not like an eleven year old child." She smiled at that memory.

"To show her appreciation to me," Oni continued. "She gave me Rei. Which ironically means gratitude."

FLASHBACK

"Oni come here." An orange hair woman beckoned to the eleven year old purplish black haired girl. The new teenager walked to the woman who lounged lazily on the couch in the room.

"Yes, Kyoko-Sensei?" The girl asked. Kyoko sat up. "I have to go today Oni." She explained. "What-no! No, you can't go Kyoko-Sensei!" The child yelled as she grabbed the adult's arm and clung to it. The woman frowned and pulled her arm from the child. Oni's silver eyes looked glassy as they began to water.

"I don't want you to go Sensei. I don't want you to leave me alone." She sobbed. The woman looked at the girl as she placed her hand on the girl's cheek, making her look at her. "Child, I'll never leave you alone." Kyoko sighed. "I'll be with you, always." Oni sniffled and looked at the woman. "How?" She asked. Kyoko pressed the tip of her right index finger into Oni's chest over her heart.

"Our memories together will be in your heart, Oni. Along with me. I'll never leave you alone because I'll be in your heart." Kyoko smiled at the girl, her red eyes soft. Oni nodded. "Okay, Sensei." She replied. Kyoko let go of the girl's cheek and reached behind her.

"Sensei, what are you doing?" Oni asked, trying to look around Kyoko but her hand came up and pushed Oni away by her face. "It's a surprise Oni. Stop trying to ruin it." She scolded. Oni stood still as Kyoko turned around, a black ball of fluff in her hands. Oni stared at the fluff ball, bewildered. "What is it Sensei?" She asked.

Kyoko smiled. "Touch it." She ordered in a soft voice. Oni obeyed, rubbing the black fur. The ball unraveled, revealing a small cat. It yawned, opening it's silver eyes to look at the eleven year old before closing them and curling back up lazily.

"It has the same color eyes as me, Sensei." Oni chimed, smiling. Kyoko nodded, smiling warmly as she watched the girl rub the cat's head. "She's a panther cub. She's only a couple months old, that's why she's so small. Her name is Rei. Which ironically, it means gratitude. Hold out your hands, Oni." The girl obeyed her Sensei, holding her hands out, palms up. Kyoko placed the panther cub into her hands and smiled. "She's yours. To show my gratitude." Kyoko smiled wider.

Oni clutched the kitten to her chest and smiled before hugging the older woman. "Thank you, Sensei!" She chimed.

END OF FLASHBACK

Oni's eyes glazed over again. Instead of bothering her, Itachi watched the girl. Oni smiled at the memory as she snapped out of her reverie. "It seems you and this Kyoko woman were close. What happened to her?" He asked. She did nothing for awhile but then, the silver eyed girl nodded.

"Yes, we were very close. She taught me almost everything I know. She taught me how to use jutsus with an animal companion, hence me and Rei." The girl sighed. "She was killed two weeks later. Executed by the Mist Village." She breathed. Her silver eyes then saddened. "I'm sorry." Itachi offered again, concerned. She nodded. "S'okay." She muttered sadly. She looked at the kitten and sighed. She sniffled, paused, and then threw her head up.

"You have to get your men out of here!" She gasped as she tried to stand. Itachi wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back down. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "Itachi, listen to me. We're in danger. There'll be another massacre if you don't get your men and you out of here." Itachi nodded and picked her up again, waking Rei.

The cub hissed at Itachi and he glared at the panther. She got ready to pounce but Oni's hand snaked out and grabbed Rei by the ruff of her neck, pulling her into her lap again. "Itachi, we need to not mess around." Oni warned. He walked out of the ruined house right as the same clad-in-a-cat-mask man came to a stop in front of the thirteen year old ANBU leader.

"Captain, captain, Rini reported sighting a group of hostile ninjas." He gasped, breathless. Itachi looked at the man then at the girl in his arms. "How did you know?" He asked her. "No time for questions captain." Oni grinned widely. "We have to find your squad."

The older ANBU looked at the girl in his thirteen year old commander's hands. "Uh, sir…?" He trailed off in question. Itachi looked at he rookie and shook his head. "But sir," The man pressed. "I don't think the Hokage wants you bringing her back." Itachi stopped and glared at the man. "It's just sir-"

"I will not leave a wounded thirteen year old girl with barely any experience in combat I alone with nothing but the corpses of her loved ones in a ruined village that is crumbling to the ground as we speak. End. Of. Discussion."

The male nodded and Itachi began walking again. In the middle of the village, where they were before, stood Itachi's ANBU squad. They looked at Oni briefly and then nodded at Itachi to show they awaited his orders. "It seems the culprits are returning. Let's go before they come and try to avoid the possible fight. If it comes down, I will send three of you ahead with Oni here." He stated, gesturing to the girl in his arms.

"Let's go, team." He finally breathed. The eight older ninjas took off into the surrounding forest, as did Itachi. He jumped into the trees, jumping from branch to branch. "So Itachi, where we headed?" Oni asked casually with a smile.

"Konohagakure." He replied without much emotion. He looked at her as her silver eyes widened. He chuckled softly. "What don't like Konoha?" He asked teasingly. "No." She replied. "No I think there's going to be an-" An explosion erupted right behind them on the large tree trunk. All sounds were killed in the shock wave. Itachi was thrusted forward, Oni flying from his arms with excruciating force. She hit the tree, hard enough that a small crater had formed around her body, and fell to the forest floor.

She pushed her hands beneath her and pushed herself up. She looked up, blood pouring into her eyes from new gashes on her fore head. her vision blurred and she gasped out in pain. Her arms wobbled beneath her and she fell into a fresh puddle of blood, the world spinning. She felt Rei nudge her arm and then growl at approaching foot steps. Then the world came to a sudden halt and then blackness swept over Oni's vision.

Oh my gosh :runs around screaming: I loved writing this. My sister gave me so many ideas and so did other peoples fan fictions. You guys inspire me so. Any how, I'm already working on chapter two so it wont be long before it's up. Read my other story too! :grins:

Chapter 2:

Dying Is Her Latest Fashion