Memoirs of a Shinobi
Chapter One - The First Turn
Ravenous with the pent up frustration of parting from her for so long, the tall man with dark hair pulled the young woman into a small derelict alleyway. His hands searched her body with unfulfilled enticement; he would make the most of the time he had left with her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, telling him she'd missed him.
As though her words were inaudible, he continued, greedy to begin his sexual escapade.
With unspoken understanding she leaned into him as he hoisted her up. Soft groans filled the decrepit alley. Frustration built on the man's brow, trickling down as he focussed on the pouted lips of the woman before him. Her emerald orbs riveted his every desire soon causing his fingertips to numb as they traced the hem of her clothing. Animalistic longing rippled through him as his grey eyes gave way to fearsome red.
She hissed as he nipped at her neck with his teeth. Reaching up, her hands met his chest with a thud, forcing him to halt. His fast, unregulated breathing was a sign of what recent troubles had caused him so much inescapable pain. Flickers of past events were running frantically through his mind.
She, with lips swollen and a face flushed pink, stared back at him with sympathetic accepting. Her soft sigh told him that she too had grown accustomed to the troubles that plagued life and with a sudden pull she was once again in his arms. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and whispered, "You will be the end of me."
Leaving the Uchiha compound, Itachi's regal presence deterred his cold neighbours from badgering him so early in the morning. Feeling a presence behind him, he turned. "Yes?" he asked.
His mother was outfitted in her usual dress and apron. Her dark brown eyes and greyish under-eye circles made her look tired and as she gave a nervous smile, addressed her eldest son. She asked, "Will you be coming to the festival?" her voice was robotic though she'd rehearsed the question over and over again in order to get it perfect.
"When does it begin?" Itachi asked her reluctantly.
Surprised by his unexpected answer, she dropped her gaze down to the floor. "Um, half-past ten." She replied shuffling on her feet a bit. Itachi stared at her emotionlessly. His penetrative gaze was intimidating and gave him an aura of deadly power above his lowly mother.
"I will be there." He replied turning and leaving in a silent flash. Still not used to her son's effortless abilities, Mikoto shivered and then returned home just a few houses away. Walking into the kitchen Mikoto jumped at the sight of her husband who was sitting at the kitchen table reading the local newspaper. How he managed to enter the house every day without her knowing was a frightful thought.
"Well?" he asked still engrossed in the many paragraphs of the paper. Mikoto managed to calm herself and breathe.
"He said he will be there." She answered. "But I can't be sure…" As Fugaku looked up, his cold and unfeeling gaze reminded her once more where her two sons had learnt to be so unfeeling. She was certain that with the love and affection she'd shown them as infants, they would've grown to be more like her but the blood of the main house Uchiha was the strongest there was.
Grasping her fingers together she waited for Fugaku to speak. "I expect that you will be retrieving the scroll later." He said. Mikoto knew that like her eldest son, Fugaku had a penchant for speaking in rhymes and riddles which often made her head whirl. She nodded solemnly and when he put down his newspaper and got up, she stilled. He slid past her and left.
Now she could relax.
Upstairs in his room, Sasuke watched from his window as his father make his way out of the compound. Knowing him well enough by now, he knew that he should be on his way to work at the police station where he'd spend the rest of the day. Not that there would be anything to report to.
Turning away from the window he shut his curtains and sat in the corner of the room. He scribbled something onto a piece of paper and then tucked it away in a secret hiding place.
He was in fact feeling rather devious today.
"This dress isn't very comfortable." Sakura said itching her tightly clothed arm. Ino swatted her hand and told her to shut up.
"You look fine, stop complaining." Ino said pinning some material from Sakura's dress into place. "You look nearly as good as I do." Ino said pouting her painted lips. She was ready to go, the festival was only an hour away and knowing everyone else, she would be the best dressed person there. Well, by her own standards at least.
"Well, that's not very nice." Sakura commented flashing Ino a raised brow.
"Well I can't exactly have you looking better than me, can I?" Ino said sharply, as if the very notion was so ridiculous she wouldn't waste her time thinking on it.
"Oh give it up Ino." Temari spat, flicking through her magazine in the corner of the room. "It's not that difficult to look better than you now, is it?" she giggled. Ino stuck her tongue out at the sand-ninja as Sakura shook her head. It seemed to her that Ino and Temari would argue over everything, clothes, appearance, even Shikamaru.
Since Temari had come over from Suna to help further strengthen the ties of the two hidden villages, she'd made Ino's attempts to reel Shikamaru in, a failure of epic proportions. But it was quite funny to say the least.
"I'm pretty sure you'll be the best looking person there, Sakura." Temari said genuinely. She laughed heartily, "Just not in that dress." She said pointing to the monstrosity Ino had made for her friend.
"Hey!" Ino screamed. Sakura nodded and dodged a swipe from Ino who was becoming increasingly agitated by Temari's company. Since the time she had revealed the dress she'd made for Sakura, she had been met with ridicule ten times over. Surely it couldn't be that bad?
"This is why you're a florist Ino, you suck at making dresses. Stick to what you know, you know?" Temari explained slowly, though the other blonde was hard of hearing. "I don't know why you're putting Sakura through this torture, that dress is hideous. You wouldn't catch me dead wearing that." She continued.
"It's not as though your thighs would fit." Ino snarled angrily.
"Oh Kami, give it up pig." Sakura finally replied. "Even if the dress did fit, I wouldn't wear it. It looks terrible!" she said, finally voicing her true opinions on the dress as she turned towards the full length mirror on the opposite side of the room.
First of all it was far too tight around her bust and drooped around her stomach where it was too large. How Ino believed she'd taken the right measurements of her friend was beyond Sakura's comprehension.
"I don't even think you measured it right." Sakura admitted. She turned to get another angle of the dress and then made a face of displeasure. The dress was a deep maroon colour with yellow and red designs along the hemline. In what world did the colours work well together?
"How could you possibly manage to make your dress look so good and make Sakura's look awful? Are you trying to sabotage her or something?" Temari inquired more seriously. Ino gave a look of shock to the older ninja.
Sakura, unable to stand the sight of the dress any longer, started shifting away from Ino as she unzipped the jagged zipper. "Ugh, you guys can't appreciate fine material when you see it!" Ino huffed; she threw her arms up in defeat and marched out of Temari's bedroom. Where she was going, the other two didn't have a clue.
"Give it here!" Temari said as Sakura unpeeled the dress from her body. She chucked it over to Temari who caught and flimsily threw the material up in the air. She made a face of disgust and then joined Sakura with a laugh.
Finding a pair of rusty scissors Temari readied herself to destroy the ugly garment Ino had slaved over. Sakura gave the dress one last look before gazing up to the ceiling and grinning as she said, "I never saw a thing."
"Ah!" Ino shouted running back into Temari's room after ten minutes or so. As her arrival shook the room Sakura turned so that her back faced her Ino leaving Temari to nervously drop her scissors and the dress.
"We're not doing anything!" Temari said hopelessly. A laugh escaped Sakura's mouth at her friend's new lying technique.
"You're really awful at this Temari." She commented. Ino flapped her arms in the air in an attempt to stop her friends from talking and make them listen to her.
"Guess what?" she flailed, excitedly now.
"What?" Temari and Sakura asked.
"I was on the phone to Neji and he told me Tenten was with him-"
"They must be dating then. They'll deny it but why else would be out all day, outside of training hours with her?" Temari cut in quickly. Sakura nodded in agreement. It had been obvious for a while now that both Tenten and Neji were emotionally tied. But with Neji's family being as strict as they were, everyone knew that no good could come from them finding out about the relationship. Unless Tenten could offer the Hyuuga's something they found worthy, they would never accept her as one of them.
"Yeah they are! They just won't admit it but that's beside the point. Guess what they told me?" Ino's voice began to raise an octave.
"What?" Sakura asked.
"No! Guess!" she insisted.
"For Kami's sake girl, just tell us." Temari yawned comically.
"Sasuke's back!" Ino said clasping her hands together under her chin and looking up dreamily. The corners of Sakura's mouth dipped in protest.
"What?" she whispered. "Since when?" she questioned. Temari passed a glance Sakura's way but her attention was focussed elsewhere.
No one had seen it coming when out of nowhere Sasuke left to train with Orochimaru. Team seven knew that as a group Sasuke believed they only weighed him down and that he could be better himself without the likes of them but he would train regularly with the rest of the team. And then one day, it all changed and his sudden disappearance shocked their circle.
He left no note, no explanation or details concerning his departure from both their team and Konoha. Even Kakashi had not been able to track him down and the Uchiha's were silent on his absence.
At first it begun with a few weeks here and there that Sasuke would leave without telling a soul where he was going and when he returned, never divulged in any of his adventures. Then after months of constant disappearances, two years and the community never saw any indication that Sasuke was even still living within the village.
Even as team leader Kakashi had not been informed about whereabouts and soon everyone started to worry. It had been a long time since anyone had said they'd seen him and now as Sakura's memories of him returned, she wondered whether or not she should believe what she had just heard. It seemed only yesterday now that they had all been competing in the Chuunin exams when they were fourteen.
Being seventeen now, the time had flown by.
Sakura didn't know what to expect. Would he be taller? Older? Or the same old Sasuke she'd known as an impressionable young girl. It was a strange feeling, knowing that within a matter of hours she may see him once more. There was no doubt if he was back then he'd visit the festival since all of the important clans usually made an appearance.
Stroking a strand of her long pink hair behind her ear, she started to worry. Now that she'd grown her hair out long again, would he even recognise her? Think her different than she'd been before he left? She really couldn't say.
One thing she did know, Sasuke was back.
"Where are all of the hot men?" Ino screeched running through a mass of crowds upon entering the festival. Struggling to catch up with her friend Sakura tiredly sighed and watched as her blonde teammate vanished in the large crowd. She'd never know how Ino could have so much energy when it came to prowling the village for men. Especially considering how her parents had been planning to marry her off since the moment she was born.
Born into the prestigious Yamanaka clan, there was no doubt that Ino was expected to marry a man of strength and calibre. Not that there weren't any men of that description in Konoha but of course only the very best man would finally have Ino's hand in marriage when it came to her upcoming big day. And surprisingly, her friend seemed to openly welcoming of the idea of marriage even at her young age. Like most women, she wanted a handsome young man with lots of money and as long as her parents could provide her with that, Ino believed she would be happy with their choice.
There had been offers for Ino's hand but even with all of the official meetings and potential grooms, she hadn't found that special person yet. Funnily enough Sakura believed all of her searching was in vane considering Choji had had the biggest crush on her since they were children. And despite her friend's continuous desire for a man with good looks as top priority, Sakura could see that what Ino truly wanted was there right in front of her.
She smiled joyfully as she spotted Ino, chasing around Shikamaru, pretty much begging him for attention.
The town was quickly filling with smartly dressed families now and everyone appeared to be relaxed and cheerful. After managing to persuade Ino earlier, Sakura had finally made her way out of Temari's house dressed in a custom made kimono that made her look fit for a king. She wore her hair up in a bun and inserted three chopsticks inside sideways and when she moved, the little gems hanging from them would clink and jingle.
"S-Sakura?" she heard a voice call. A beautifully dressed Hinata walk her way with Neji and Hanabi walking slowly behind. Of course, as they were a part of the Hyuuga clan, they were bound to make some sort of attendance today. The annual festival, purely known in Konoha as 'festival', wholly celebrated the idea of community and togetherness every autumn. It was a fun time of year and one that was now seen as tradition after it was put in place decades back.
Sakura turned to Neji noticing a larger than usual smirk on his lips. She furrowed her brows. "Where's your boyfriend, Sakura?" Neji smirked. Sakura gasped.
"Boyfriend?" she exclaimed, shocked. She waited for him to mention Naruto like he usually teased and balled her fist, ready to punch him in the gut.
"Sasuke." He clarified laughing at her.
She opened her mouth to retort and then sighed, trying to calm herself down. "Oh shut it…where's your girlfriend?" she responded, his face fell and Hanabi standing behind him began to giggle.
"Who?" he asked crossly. Obviously he wasn't aware just how quickly news in Konoha spread.
"Tenten." Sakura smirked. Neji looked off to the side in embarrassment as a pink hue began to rise on his cheeks.
"Aw Neji-Nii, everybody knows about you and Tenten! It's no secret!" Hanabi chuckled. Hinata covered her mouth and giggled under her breath as she avoided Neji's deathly glare. He huffed and refused to speak any further. Ignoring his bitter moaning Sakura spoke with Hinata about how beautiful her dress was and at the same time Hanabi did her best to drag Neji off to see if he would talk to Tenten in front of her.
When Hinata left at the call of her father and mother, Sakura was once again left alone. She heaved. Where had Ino gotten off to?
In a matter of seconds Sakura went from being incredibly bored to having her heart race out of her chest. In the distant gatherings of chatting people, opposite to where the Hyuuga family were gathered, Sakura could make out a tall dark haired man standing in the crowds. Sasuke.
Instantly she felt a pull, drawing her towards him. She could make Ino so undoubtedly jealous if she was the first person to speak with him at his return. She hadn't seen him in so long; she was beginning to fear he would not remember her? She had to find out; she needed to know he remembered her. Trotting off in her high heels she made her way towards him.
"Sasuke?" Sakura chirped, stationing herself behind him. He turned and her heart skipped a beat.
He was not Sasuke. His eyes were a different kind of dark, with a smoulder she could not remember being on her passive teammate. His eyes were a dark grey like the lining of a stormy cloud whereas Sasuke's reminded her of burning black coal. He was also much taller than she remembered Sasuke was and his build was larger.
Now, Sakura was ignorant when it came to Sasuke's family. She knew that somewhere, there existed an older brother Sasuke had grown up with. But he never mentioned him, even when they were closer and Sasuke didn't have so many secrets.
"Sakura." Sakura suddenly whipped round to see who had called her name.
Sasuke stared at Sakura with eyes that lacked any form of welcoming. His arms were not wide-stretched and waiting to accept her into a large affectionate hug like she had previously dreamed. Maybe she had been hasty in thinking that Sasuke would've perhaps missed her while he was gone. Or maybe he just didn't know how to show her that he cared for her.
Alarmed, Sakura switched her attention back to Itachi and then to Sasuke again. They were so alike it was almost confusing.
"Sasuke." Itachi spoke. Much like Sasuke, his voice lacked any emotion but Sakura felt instantly that she could very easily differentiate the voices of the two Uchiha's. "Kaa-san has been looking for you." He said. Sasuke did not reply which Sakura begin to feel extremely uncomfortable. The way he looked at Itachi gave her a new level of understanding that she once thought she would never reach. He did not like Itachi; that much was obvious.
"I have already spoken to her." Sasuke replied coldly. His attention returned to Sakura making her still. "Sakura, you look the same." Unsure whether or not his statement was an insult, she merely lifted the corners of her lips and then tried her hardest not to turn into the twelve year old girl she had once been.
"Well, you look a lot different" She responded. And he really did, he looked much older and much more mature which lead her to think that he would be even less up for the childish games she had played with him and Naruto once. Possibly, it would be for the best for the best. They were getting older now, wiser, and just maybe it would aid them if they started acting like it. The thought saddened her because this wasn't the way that she imagined her first meeting with Sasuke to be after so long.
"Hm." He grunted uninterestedly.
"I need to speak with you when you come home." Sasuke's brother added before leaving. Sakura had almost forgotten he was there and when he spoke it virtually made her jump out of her skin. There were two Sasuke's now, well, two Uchiha's that she knew of and her awareness was maybe more than she could handle in just one day. Everything was moving so quickly, she was beginning to feel light headed. And then Naruto came crashing into the scene.
"Sakura! Sasuke!" he screamed happily. "It's like we're one big happy family again!" he said cheerfully. He put his arms over his teammate's shoulders and grinned cheekily as he smacked Sakura's cheek with a wet kiss. She gasped at his taken opportunity and elbowed him in the stomach. Naruto gasped and spluttered looking up and spotting Sai.
"Sai! Come over here and meet Sasuke." A smartly dressed pale boy came over from inside the bustling crowd and stood before Sasuke. He gave him a pleasant smile and then held out his hand to greet him.
Sasuke didn't take the greeting as Sai expected he would. "So this is my replacement." He said. Understanding that maybe he should have listened to Neji's earlier warning, Sai retreated immediately.
Naruto shook his head in an attempt to dispel to sudden tension. "No! Of course not Sasuke, he was just on our team while you were gone. But you can always join us, I'm sure that Kakashi would let us all be on one big team!" he said around at each of his teammates to assure them.
The sky above them was already dark at this time but was balanced by the brightly coloured lights and lanterns that gave Konoha a very festive feel. Sometimes, Sakura could be very grateful that she lived in a village like Konoha, as there was no place else she could call her home.
Dropping his hand, Sai continued to smile as he spoke, "I think that we will work well together." He tried. Sasuke gave Sai a look of inspection and then moved his attention elsewhere.
"Ah!" Sakura squeaked. Clasping her hands over her bottom she turned to see her perverted sensei standing behind her with the village pervert himself, Jiraiya. She should have known better than to have her guard down dressed as informally as she was.
Sighing, she dropped her fist knowing very well she would cause a scene if she beat the two men to death during the festival. She made a mental note, however, to give them a real talking to later on. "Ugh, Kakashi-sensei…" she groaned.
"I can honestly say it wasn't me this time." Kakashi smiled.
"Oh Sakura, you know how we men are in the presence of a gorgeous lady." Jiraiya joked. Sakura shook her head and smiled. As strong and as well-known as Jiraiya was, he was a great teacher and a very humble man. And despite his obsession with spying on unknowing women, he'd been an inspirational mentor to Naruto when the boy had been at his lowest after Sasuke left.
Seeing Naruto so happy right now made Sakura think just how much certain people could impact other's lives.
Sakura beamed, maybe things were beginning to look up – maybe it was her turn to be happy.
A loyal shinobi if ever there was one, Kisame had a very frightening appearance but he'd been Itachi's most reliable partner in years. His skin was blue and on the surface were markings that related to his marine nature. Standing next to him was Deidara who had come with Kisame to celebrate after being stationed in Iwa. His hair was pulled back in a large tall blonde pony-tail and on one eye he wore an eye-scope for long-range observation, ready to strike into action if need be.
Standing beside the blonde was Hidan who was currently chatting up a beautiful woman wearing a crane patterned kimono. He was an odd man with silver slicked back hair and a taste for blood. And his love for fighting was well known in Konoha. Originally from Yugakure, Hidan had defected years ago to become an ANBU member like his fellow friends.
"Ignoring you again, is he?" Kisame asked Itachi. Itachi paused before replying, the answer was painfully obvious.
Sasuke never willingly spoke to him unless he was threatening his brother's life.
Kisame leaned back against the bar and sighed as he drank a cup of sake. "He's an ungrateful little wretch; I don't know why you bother with him." Kisame said.
Itachi sighed sorrowfully. "He will listen to me, in time." He commented.
"Yeah, when it's too late." Kisame replied angrily. "You try much too hard. Just leave him." he said.
"I cannot, you know that." Itachi said clearly, he leaned against the bar wearily.
"Come on guys; let's not talk about Itachi's moody little brother. We're meant to be having fun." Hidan said ordering another drink from the bar. Not particularly dressed for the occasion he wore trousers and his ANBU shirt and jacket. As the others knew, Hidan loved showing off his ANBU rank and strongly believed that this made him more desirable in the eyes of the Konoha's women which in his and Kisame's opinion, were the best around.
"Come on, let's get drunk." Hidan said downing his cup and then ordering another. Kisame waved over the bartender and ask for three more cups of sake. But Itachi wasn't very worried, his teammates, he knew could take a lot of alcohol in their systems since they drank so often. Only Deidara drank lightly as he believed too much would distract him if his assistance was needed back at the ANBU base.
As an ANBU member, you never knew when you would be called for duty.
"I thought you'd never ask." Kisame grinned, allowing everyone sight of his sharp incisors. He gave Itachi a short stare and motioned the seat beside him. "Itachi, have a drink with us." He almost begged, knowing well his teammate would decline.
"No, thank you." Itachi was already walking away. "I have work to attend to."
Itachi's thoughts were never his own. Tracing and focussed, calculating and sophisticated. Itachi's mind was a busy factory of hidden and unknown doorways.
Making his way towards the Uchiha compound he suddenly turned right and then left and then walked down a barely visible dark path. Entering the clearing of the pathway there was a large courtyard where Uchihas were speckled.
Nods of understanding passed his way as they made their way into a large unmarked building. Inside the building there was a single floor where sitting mats littered the floor around an imaginary rectangle on the ground. Itachi walked inside and made his way up to where his family were already sitting. His mother and father greeted him with a look of concern.
And when the elder Uchihas entered the room, everyone fell silent. Everyone bowed close to the ground and only raised their heads once the elders had taken their seats at the top of the room where they could see everyone. An unspoken awareness united the men and women of the Uchiha clan. "Let's begin." The main house Uchiha elder spoke.
"It has come to my attention that the current Hokage has discontinued yet another military branch started by the previous Hokage at our request. As of now there are only three sub groups still remaining, none including our own." He said, everyone stayed quiet and kept their eyes fixed to the ground. "Within the ANBU and Jonin ranks we are plentiful but it is foreseeable what the woman Hokage and her council are planning against us."
"When our units are cut, we did not argue with the Hokage, even when she gives us petty excuses as to why that is. But again she goes too far with her scheming plans. We are growing in numbers; it is obvious that they are scared of what we are capable of, as they should be. We follow their insignificant rules and as usual get no recompense for what we do."
"What are we left with? A small police force in which only the menial missions, that Hokage has no real need for, are given to us. The Hokage is trying to push us out, limit us to the least important quests in hopes of finally getting rid of us. But I say, we have been too kind."
By this point it was quite clear what the elder was trying to say. Behind him and to the side of him, the other elders nodded in agreement.
That same feeling plagued the room like it had done so long ago, the time when the Uchiha elders schemed their way into the Hokage's seat only to be unsuccessful. In Itachi's mind, they were only after one thing and his deterrent was no longer working.
"Itachi." The elder addressed him. Itachi lifted his head very slightly just to let the elder know that he was listening. "Still you remain our greatest weapon of all. You have dealt us well in this game of thrones but the time has come that we use a different path." Itachi shut his eyes. Things were getting out of hand and he was all too powerless to stop them now like he had before.
"The woman is plotting against us. We would be fools to let her get her way in this showdown of fates. Just like the Senju she is…" he snarled. Itachi felt many Uchiha in the room tense at the mention of their historic enemy, the Senju. Every day, Itachi wished that the Curse of Hatred had not been burned into his family.
"I know that you will try and stop us putting further action against them but the time has come. I am sure of it." He expressed stubbornly.
A small cough made sound echo throughout the room. Waiting for permission to speak, Fugaku lifted his head slightly. "Go on." The elder encouraged loudly.
Upon making eye contact with the elder, Fugaku almost shrunk back into the body of the child he once was. The fearsome, penetrating gaze of the man made his voice weak. Fugaku cleared his throat once more and then tried again. Speaking as the head of the main house Fugaku said, "I agree with all that you have said. I believe that the Hokage is plotting against us and in order to survive this we must find a way to gain their trust at the heart of their operation-"
Cutting off his son abruptly, the elder continued, "We already have our inside ninja, Fugaku. They believe that Itachi is on their side, not ours. Silently waiting like we have in the past has only worsened our situation with the other clans." Fugaku dropped his head in embarrassment.
"The other clans are not of any concern." Itachi said brusquely voicing his opinion. It was truly spectacular how his opinion could own the entire Uchiha population's captivation. "Let us focus on the most difficult matters at hand."
"The other clans have their say in how we are treated overall, Itachi." The elder said. He swallowed and then spoke, "It is because of them that we are losing the respect we once had over the shinobi world. We must stop the Hokage from removing our men as soon as possible."
"Yes, but in order to do that, we must be smarter than our enemies." Itachi said confidently. The Uchiha elder scratched at his beard.
"Go on." He encouraged, he seemed more willing to listen to the young Uchiha than his father. This was something Itachi found very easy to do, talking so little; when he did speak it wasn't a struggle to get people to listen to him. And specifically gaining the elder's attention, it was known that Itachi's words were soon becoming more heard and respected than even his father's.
"I have a plan, but if we want to execute this properly then we must take our time and own everyone's respect. That is key."
"We'll start with the Hokage."
The atmosphere as they left the meeting was edgy. Again, embarrassed by his son's superiority, Fugaku went straight to his room when they returned home. Mikoto soon joined him in their bedroom leaving Itachi in the quiet of the rest of the house. Not that it wasn't always quiet, their home never made a sound. Though as Itachi looked at the front of the house he could always vividly remember the sounds of explosions and screaming that pierced the air. The memories he had of Konoha's destruction by the Kyuubi remained fresh in his mind.
He could remember exactly what he had been wearing, what smells the air held and what he held in his arms - his baby brother who had not a care in the world for the stench of death rippling through the village. The memories he had of his little brother as a child were in stark contrast to the realities of who he had become as a shinobi and as an Uchiha.
Right now he could feel the half-hidden chakra of said younger brother moving from his bedroom to the side of the house. Why he didn't just use the front door, he wouldn't bother asking him. But as he walked up to his bedroom, trying his hardest to forget today's hardships in preparations for tomorrows, there was something else hovering in the back of his mind. Almost overriding everything else.
He shook his head; his thoughts would never be his own.
Sasuke smacked and kicked the post in front of him making sure every bruise and blister he gained was worth it. He put every ounce of strength into his strikes but as soon as the many hits became too much, the wooden pole shattered into hundreds of shards. They littered the ground with some, very thick and sharp shards sticking upright in the grassy field beneath Sasuke's feet.
But no matter, the more he practiced the better he would be at his craft. He just needed to continue committing his time and energy. No one would see it coming when he showed his family just how good a shinobi he could be. He'd demonstrate how talented he was at the skills his brother was unsuccessful. He'd put his brother to shame, he would put him to disgrace, all right.
Sasuke pulled back his hand from the broken wooden post and observed it, now dripping with blood and caked in gaping wounds. He clenched his fist and held it up in the moonlight, breathing deeply.
This kind of pain was the sacrifice he was willing to make in order to get what he wanted.
And he would get it, not matter what it would cost him.
The next day Sakura made her way to the Hokage's office. Sure, at this time everyone would be resting still after the festival but like her small epiphany yesterday reminded her, it was time to grow up. And Tsunade had said that she wanted to talk to her, about something important, no less. Hopefully it would be to send her on a mission that would finally make her famous in her own right, she could wish.
Smiling at Shizune on the way to see Tsunade, the black haired woman waved her towards Tsunade's office straight away. "She's waiting for you." She pointed to the large red double doors in the distance of the building.
Sakura braced herself. Considering she had made ANBU recently, it was a pity that she'd been sent on just two regular missions since. Two C-rank missions to be precise, and to make matters worse, they hadn't been directly given by the Hokage. Was that her master's way of saying she wasn't good enough?
She hoped it wasn't.
When Tsunade looked up to Sakura, she waited to be addressed.
"Sakura." Tsunade started. "I just want to know if you're sure about this." She was talking about her recent jump to ANBU, she was sure. Sakura could feel her master's eyes boring into her; looking for some small waver of emotion. Thankfully she was soon learning how to be as emotionless as the top ninja she saw being awarded for their duties. But still she needed practice in taking her heart away from her sleeve.
She thought about her answer before speaking. "Shishou, I am committed to the life of a kunoichi and all that it throws my way. I would not simply waste your time if I wasn't." She said honestly.
Tsunade chuckled shortly. "Well, then I wish you the best of luck with your decision." Tsunade said quietly. Sakura didn't know what Tsunade quite meant by that so she sat still and waited as the blonde Sannin reached through a pile of papers before her and then handed one to Sakura. "Here."
A new mission? Finally. "What type of mission?" Sakura queried interestedly. Tsunade leaned back in her large chair.
"ANBU." She said quietly. "I've made you wait long enough; I can't treat you like a child anymore. If you want to take this then I will let you." Tsunade told her but in her voice Sakura could hear the hesitance in her decision. It had taken a lot for her to do this; Orochimaru had probably helped in advising her decision.
"If you decide to go you will be on a team normally with three other people including your team leader. They will make the rules and regulations and as you have already been taught, the mission comes first above all else." She said gravely. Sakura exhaled; usually Tsunade was a lot more enthusiastic when it came to giving missions. There was no doubt in her mind that this was serious and she needed to take it as such.
"Alright." Sakura said. "Who will be my leader?" she asked. If it were Kakashi then she was sure Tsunade would've said so already.
"That is for you to find out." Looking at the clock ticking on the wall behind Sakura, Tsunade continued. "The meeting assembly will be in twenty minutes. You might want to head there now." Sakura agreed. She could no longer deny it as she left the building; her heart was filling with excitement. It was about time young ninja stared at her in awe and not the other way around.
Walking down the road Sakura headed to the ANBU meeting point. Since it would only be a meeting, she gathered that she wouldn't need any of her tools or weapons which were at home. Now, she was in ANBU hands, and what they said would be law.
She grinned. If this pulled through, she'd be the first to go on an official ANBU mission out of her friends. Ino had been busy with clan matters, same as Choji and Shikamaru so when she came back she could finally say, "I've been there, done that."
Suddenly she thought of Sasuke. She wondered maybe if he knew anything about what an ANBU mission entailed. When team seven were entered for the ANBU exams, which they all passed, Sasuke had been absent. Had he taken the test already?
She shook her head, next time she saw him she would ask him.
A cold gust of wind blew past Sakura's arms, she shivered. It had not been so chilly when she left the house and that was why she didn't take a coat. Looking around to a place she had never actually seen before, a magnificent thick gate loomed above her head. She'd walked quite far from her usual path in Konoha whilst daydreaming.
Behind the magnificent gate she saw houses and then she realised where she was. The huge gate was the only physical body that separated the normal civilians from the Uchiha. And the compound looked almost completely abandoned as no one could be seen walking about. Most people steered clear of the Uchiha knowing their reputation for beginning fights and bearing grudges over the smallest disputes. They were dangerous shinobi, and even more dangerous people.
Another whistle of icy air wrapped past Sakura. Sakura would be smart to avoid them.
"Hey."
Sakura snapped out her daydream to see an ANBU member joining her in the assembly hall. He was fairly young and good looking with fair hair and skin. He was older than Sakura, from what she could tell and bared a few cuts and scrapes from past battling injuries across his face and neck.
"Oh, hi." Sakura greeted him.
She heard the man suck in a deep breath and then smile with a cheerful hum. "You think you're ready then?" he asked her. By his comment, Sakura gathered he was new to being ANBU just like she was and in a way that comforted her slightly.
"Yeah. Well, I've tried not to think about it too much." She admitted and to her surprise, the man began to laugh. She cringed.
"That's not good; you'll lose your head if you're not prepared." He grinned. Sakura gave him a forced smile before looking away. It was only then that the man realised Sakura didn't share his sense of humour and if he wanted to converse with her more, needed to change his tactics. He scratched his head nervously.
Slowly his smile receded and then he started again, holding out his hand. "My name is Ao." He said introducing himself with a jovial grin. Sakura sighed; she wasn't in the mood for small talk. She just wanted to get out there on the battlefield and do what she knew she could for the village. But the man's obvious efforts to make a good first impression told her that maybe she was being a little cold towards him. She shook his hand and then gave him her name.
"Sakura?" He repeated. Sakura nodded.
"A pretty name." He commented as the two noticed more men and women filling the room. He seemed to be cautious if anyone were listening to their conversation. Sakura could only lift the corners of her lip to show Ao that she appreciated the compliment. It hadn't exactly been her choice in name but it was a gift her loving parents had left her before their untimely demise.
"Whose team you think you're going to be on?" He asked her, once again shocking Sakura out of her daydream. Sakura gave him the attention he appeared to crave but was honestly surprised that the man wanted to continue such small-talk with her. She didn't know him and hardly felt she owed him anything.
"I don't know. I'll deal with whoever I'm placed with." Sakura answered him truthfully. Being placed in another team would be good for her. As much as she appreciated Kakashi, Naruto and Sai, their company bored her and lacked any form of excitement. The change would do her good, even if at first it would be a challenge to grow accustomed to.
"Hmm, I guess." He agreed. ''Kurenai's pretty hot, I wonder if I'll be on her team." He said beginning to daydream like Sakura had earlier. Unfortunately for him, Sakura came crashing down with blunt honesty.
"Kurenai-sensei is a Jonin, not ANBU." Sakura clarified. "So she wouldn't be here." Unimpressed she once again turned her attention elsewhere to the newly ranked ANBU who weren't afraid to flash her a small greeting.
"Oh, I knew that. Well, I guess I might have Hiroku. Or even Joi then." Sakura nodded uninterestingly and forced herself to continue listening to the man. "Then again, I guess anyone is better than Itachi."
A constant bell started to ring in the corner of her mind. For a moment Sakura wondered if the man had said what he had and her silence was enough to make him look her directly at her – searching for question. Sakura however, was the first to speak.
"'Itachi?" The man smirked as he finally seemed to get Sakura interested in speaking with him. But it was much more than that which had Sakura's interests rising.
"Uchiha." He explained. "You know, he's the heir to the main house." That was right, Sasuke's older brother. She remembered seeing him the other day at the festival. She couldn't say she'd ever met him before that and so couldn't fully grasp what Ao meant by his comment.
"I never knew he was ANBU." She admitted. But then, Sasuke had never spoken about his family in front of her, from what she could remember. And if she hadn't seen Itachi the other day, she could expect she'd probably have forgotten entirely that he existed somewhere in the Uchiha family-tree.
The older they became, the more withdrawn Sasuke became. Sakura's so-called friendship with him was prime example of that.
"Made it when he was just ten." Ao explained to her. "That's really something but, I've heard he's very strict." He confessed.
Sakura frowned and pursed her lips. "'This isn't a game." The man with fair hair once again sighed at his poor efforts to make conversation. But what else could he expect for a team leader? They had to keep order somehow.
"I hope you're on my team, we can get to know each other better." Ao said. Sakura rolled her eyes, silently hoping she would be placed on any team but his. She wasn't ready for anyone to mess this up for her. She wanted to take this opportunity for what it was; maybe the last chance she had to show everyone what her tutelage under Tsunade was really worth.
When Tsunade appointed her an apprentice, she hadn't seen it coming but took everything Tsunade had thrown at her. The unexpected missions - the late calls in the night - the gruelling training regimes. No one ever saw what it was really like for Sakura under her coaching, and they never would if Sakura didn't do something quickly to prove she wasn't a lost cause.
"Here comes some of the others." Ao said watching a flood of tall ninja coming through the double-doors. Finally, the seasoned ANBU were approaching. And they were extremely intimidating.
Then from a mass of heads, Sakura spotted Naruto bobbing through the crowd. Ao suddenly sighed.
"And that fox boy." He muttered spitefully. Sakura bit her tongue as she fought the temptation to smack him hard for his remark. Naruto wasn't just a vessel for the nine-tails, he was her friend and he deserved to be treated like a normal human being. That was what she believed, anyway.
Then realisation hit her.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto said running towards Sakura and hugging her before pulling back and remembering that this kind of affection would be frowned upon in the eyes of his fellow ninja. At least, he should at least keep his happiness at bay until they were sent out under the guidance of their new team leaders.
From the corner of her eyes Sakura spotted Ao dipping his head in frustration. If he was trying to impress her, it certainly wasn't working. His 'fox' comment had made sure of that.
Slowly a grin grew on her face. She was happy for Naruto. She knew that his strength was far greater than even her own with the boost that came from his tailed-beast however, due to this very fact he'd be held back for long even when he was capable of becoming a higher rank. With all Kakashi's persuading, the council had finally allowed him to take the test and along with Sakura and Sai he had passed. Not to Sakura's surprise. But she'd never tell him that.
"Hey!" Naruto cried out as Sakura fist went pummelling into his ribs. "What was that for?" he spluttered.
"Thanks for telling me you'd be here, Naruto. Why didn't you tell me earlier? We could have walked here together." Sakura said, just a little angry. She wasn't so mad that he would be on an ANBU mission too but more the fact he'd hidden it from her when they could have celebrated together.
"I didn't know! Granny-chan only told me about an hour ago!" he said. Sakura raised an eyebrow. That was strange, why would Tsunade not tell her this? She sighed, she was certainly in for a life changing experience.
Sakura flashed in and out of consciousness as lights all around her appeared and then disappeared into red mist. Her head ached and her tongue was heavy and numb in her mouth. One minute she had been out with her new team, making their way out to a mission briefing destination where they'd meet their team-leader, the next minute she was shielding her team from a huge chakra blast that had been set off.
She groaned as she twitched her fingers. She was still alive, she was sure. But she had no idea where she was and her eyelids were heavy with an aching weight. Soon, unable to bring herself fully to consciousness, she fell asleep not knowing that close by, spiralling red eyes were watching her closely.
In the cold crisp air of Konohagakure, the silent households of the famed clans sat in secrecy. Opposing each other on the opposite sides of the centre of the village. Rarely were there any outright confrontations between the members of the clans; only silent, daring judgements of their fellow shinobi. No words were exchanged, only glares and fabrication.
Though over the years these many feuds had begun to diminish as the new age came battling with new ideologies and inhibitions. Lead by the new generation of shinobi that stood on the front line. The clan elders could only watch on in hope that their years of agonising would not go to waste over petty truces. Truces that may very well anoint the fabric they'd worked so hard for. Truces that had started the slow rippling of uproar in the quiet village. And the pinnacle of shinobi amongst the clan that bared the fan symbol, kept to themselves. Preparing a silent onslaught ahead of time and planning many strategies of mass destruction through the whispers in the cracks of the walls.
On the face they are the clan feared by all and challenged by none. They are the clan that deep down every Hyuuga, Akimichi and so on, wish they could amount to. But pale in comparison when the red Sharingan of the Uchiha emerge.
The shadows dance behind the walls of the compound. Morphing into ugly shapes until they disperse into black flames, but no one dares shine any form of meagre light into the centre of all that there is to behold. Their red eyes are a symbol of danger and their lineage is marked with hatred and violence.
But beneath the surface there are cracks that threaten to unravel the dirty secrets of the house called Uchiha. And now as they fall from the foundations that once, their horrifying secrets will be revealed.