A/N: Good evening ya'll! This is a little passion project of mine. I was able to put (almost) all of my characters into one fic without doing too many mental gymnastics. This is AU! There is an OC: Sutero Hana and she is part of a relatively prominent clan that ya'll will learn more about. This is not directly a romance, but there are romantic elements. The massacre will eventually be prevented, hence the Uchiha's live. However, I try to keep with canon elements such as age and anything that wouldn't have been altered by the massacre (or lack thereof). :) I hope you enjoy! Reviews are always deeply appreciated!
Sutero Hana paced toward the Hokage's tower. She was already fifteen minutes late, but that man far too many expectations of her. Hell, everyone had far too many expectations of her. No matter how low she tried to set the bar for herself, people seemed to force her to exceed it. She'd be able to fly under the radar in the academy. Lives weren't at stake there. In the field, she didn't have room to be mediocre. Her talents had shown through. Before she knew it, she was a fourteen-year-old jonin. It wasn't unheard of, but it was certainly more work than she'd ever intended to do.
She walked right into the Hokage's office, not bothering to knock. Hand is her pockets, she did something resembling a bow. "Lord Third."
"Timely as always," Sarutobi mused. He always enjoyed teasing the young woman. Her insolence was honestly refreshing.
Hana smirked, raising her brows. "It's my specialty. What deserves me of this hike across Konoha?"
Sarutobi shook his head, sighing. "I would like to invite you to join ANBU. You would be reporting directly to me." He noticed the displeased looked on Hana's face. "Most people are honored to be considered."
Hana crossed her arms. "I am. Just exhausted. I only graduated two years ago. I was a chuunin for less than a year before I became a jonin. And now this? People are expecting a lot of me. I'm not that talented. But, I accept." She shrugged.
Sarutobi chuckled outloud. "You don't want to be that talented. Thank you. Please report tomorrow for training. Hatake Kakashi will be your commander and you other teammate will be Tenzo." Huh. The wood boy and the friend-killer, what a team.
"I have been selected for ANBU," Hana reported to her father, kneeling in their meeting room.
"Good. You are finally reaching your potential." Hana rolled her eyes, earning her a smirk from her father. "You are doing the clan proud." He stood up to exit, patting her shoulder as he left.
Hana kneeled silently for a few moments, it was always about the clan.
Hana approached the Hokage's office, it was time for her first ANBU mission. She generally wasn't a nervous person, but for some reason there was some fluttering in her stomach. Before she entered the office, she placed her finch mask on. She noticed her two comrades kneeling before Sarutobi already and supposed following suit was cause the least amount of uprorar.
"Welcome, timely as always. You three are tasking with the assassination of a diplomat from the Land of Rivers. He seems to have aligned himself with a strong team of bandits. This is posing a threat to several of our traveling citizens and to the land itself. If you encounter the bandits, silence them. If not, leave no trace of your involvement in his death."
"Hai," they announced in unison as they flickered to the front gates. Hana could feel Kakashi's gaze as she flickered.
She met it with a shrug. "Missions are different," she muttered. Over the past two weeks, she'd spent time with her two teammates and she'd at least earned some respect. Tenzo was particularly not fond of her leisurely take on time, but her skills tended to make up for it. It had only taken three days to devise several formations and a week for her to catch up on their sign language.
The first two days of their travel had been peaceful. They were finally approaching the border to the Land of Rivers. As they made camp, Hana sat down and stared deeply into the fire. She glanced down at her bandaged hands, wishing for her curse to be dissipated.
"Hana, if you're able to infiltrate the household, it would be the most efficient."
Hana nodded. "It takes approximately thirty-six hours for symptoms to appear and twelve hours after for death to occur. We would have to keep surveillance during that time." If it wasn't for the her being so new, this probably could have been a solo mission. Assassinations were what her strengths lent toward best.
Kakashi nodded. "If infiltration is impossible, or disrupted formation B is best." Hana nodded, still at the center of the formation if that occurred.
She only stared deeper into the first, earning her several looks from her teammates. Her general nature was talkative and bratty. However, missions were different. It was best not to talk at all.
Hana found herself on the outer-wall of the diplomat's home. It was just before his evening tea. The kitchen was bustling, there was no getting into the kitchen yet. Eventually the servants left the kitchen, presumably to acquire the dishes from dinner.
Hana slipped into the kitchen and bit her thumb, allowing the blood to flow. As she did so, however, the servants reentered. She found herself underneath and table, suctioned to the top by her chakra. The kettle and cups were then taken into the living area and Hana groaned. Their section option was much more indirect.
As the kitchen silenced again, Hana made a few flicks of her fingers and she was joined by her two teammates. They took silent nods toward each other as they entered into the living area. Tenzo immediately went to work isolating the diplomat from his guards and servants. Kakashi then took several moments to incapacitate the guards. Hana went directly from the diplomat. Kunai out she slipped by him nicking his arm. The man cried out in pain as if he have never had a cut before.
Hana bounced back, diving a kunai into her own hand, much to the confusion of the man who stood before her. She flickered herself next to him and smashed her palm into his wound, infusing their blood.
With several hand signs, Hana stood away from him arms out. The man cried in dismay as his arms also stretched out. "Why, what is happening? Why can't I move?"
Hana sighed. "My blood is chakra infused. And now my blood is fused with yours. I control you as I control my chakra." The leveled voice she used was deceiving. The immobilization technique was exhausting. Causing someone to explode or allowing her chakra to flow erratically within the person was easier, but far more inhumane.
A chirping noise interrupted the man's attempt to demand more explanation. Without warning, Kakashi pushed his arm through the man's chest. The three shinobi nodded at each other and left the home. Hana cringed at what was coming next.
"…the servants too," she sighed, unable to control the hurt within her heart.
"No trace. They would know our uniforms," Tenzo explained and Hana sighed, turning away from the scene about to occur. Kakashi formed several hand signs before erupting the home into flames.
Hana shook her head. This was nothing to be prideful about. Her father was wrong. She was a disgrace.
As they sat around the fire that evening, Tenzo took first watch as Kakashi and Hana sat around the fire. "You know what they call you," Hana said, not sure what prompted it. Kakashi was a wonderful ANBU, he had set that fire without hesitation. Maybe he was as ruthless as they seemed.
"I will never let a comrade die," Kakashi responded, staring at the fire himself. A shiver flew up Hana's spine. "You don't have the best reputation yourself. You're insolent, apparently."
Hana couldn't help but smile sadly, crossing her arms. "That I am. I'm the only survivor of Team 27. Do you blame me?"
Kakashi glanced up at her finally, seeming intriguied. "The team with Nakamori…" Hana's genin team had be teamed up with two other chunin (herself being one at the time). Nakamori Fumio had not only betrayed them, but led them to their deaths only to find himself murdered by the gang he had brought them to. Hana was found just outside the Konoha gates soaked in blood and close to death.
"Do you blame me?" She sighed, kicking a rock into the fire. Since that day, she questioned everything someone in authority told her. She didn't follow blindly, she wanted reasons. She knew something had be wrong with Fumio that day. Had she questioned it…maybe her team would still be alive.