I do not own Naruto. The characters may be a little OC.
I do own Tsuki Hayato, Aiko, and other characters that I may make up though.
Tsunade looks at the man before her. He hasn't changed in appearance since he left the village but he claims to have had a change of heart. Or something like that. I can tell by his heart beat that what he says is true. It wasn't his fault. Those eyes corrupted him. But how do I know he won't revert back to his old ways. How can I be sure he isn't a threat?
"In order to make sure you are truly loyal to Kohona, you will be placed on probation. Someone will constantly be by your side to observe your behavior. You will not be permitted to go on missions or even step foot out of the village. Am I clear Uchiha Itachi?"
Itachi nods and she looks to Hatake Kakashi who is standing beside him. Kakashi had been the one to escort him to the Hokage's office. He seems to be the perfect candidate for Itachi's supervisor because of his rank and sharingan.
"Do you see a problem with being the one to keep an eye on Itachi?" she asks.
"Actually Naruto, Sakura, and I are already keeping tabs on Sasuke since his return. I think it would be best if Itachi was in someone else's care. There is someone else though that I would highly recommend," he replies. Tsunade nods. "Find them. Tell them I need to speak with them." Kakashi departs in search of the capable ninja.
Kakashi is jumping from roof to roof when he suddenly hears yelling below him. He stops and looks down to see Sasuke and Naruto sitting in Ichiraku's. Apparently they are arguing over something yet again. The two are friends once more but they seem to find enjoyment in harassing each other. Kakashi sighs and decides to deal with it later. He has a task for the Hokage to complete.
As he nears the training grounds, he senses the familiar chakra he has been searching for. He looks up to find the ninja relaxing in a tree. Their flak jacket has been discarded and is hanging on a branch beside him. They must have been training earlier because the only time Kakashi has ever seen the ninja wear the vest was during a mission or training.
Kakashi bends down to pick up a rock before whipping it at the lazy ninja's head who swiftly catches it. They crush the rock but their eyes remain closed. "Normally people call out to get someone's attention. But you throw a rock at me even though I already knew you were there, Kakashi. I could sense your chakra and hear the rock cutting through the air. Anyway, what do you want? Can't you see I'm a little busy right now?"
"I can see that. The Hokage has a task for you and needs to see you immediately." As Kakashi leaves, the ninja sighs and finally opens their eyes. They quickly put on their vest and make their way towards the Hokage's Tower.
Back in her office, Tsunade is showing obvious signs of impatience while Itachi remains unmoving and calm. There is a light rap on the door before the person behind it speaks. "Kakashi said you wished to see me, Hokage-sama."
The Hokage has a smile on her face at the recognition of the voice. They will be perfect. You made a good choice Kakashi. "Yes, please come in. You have a new mission."
The door opens to reveal a young man about twenty. His brown hair is slightly askew from the run. His brown eyes show intense boredom but a spark of curiosity appears in them when he catches sight of Itachi. He silently adjusts his headband as he awaits Tsunade's instructions.
"Itachi, I'm sure you remember Tsumi Hayato. You two were on the same team as genin after all, even though that time was short," says Tsunade.
The Uchiha looks back at the ninja who entered. He remembers him clearly. Itachi had always thought Hayato was below him and the two had been rivals from the beginning. They were opposites. Hayato was noisy and free spirited while he was cold and silent. Over time a friendship formed between them though. The bonds were weak but existent none the less.
"Hayato, you will be monitoring Uchiha Itachi while he serves his probation. He will be required to be with you at all times so you'll be living together. Itachi will not be given any missions and under no circumstances is he to leave the village."
Hayato speaks for the first time since he entered. "So we basically can only wander around the village all day during his probation. I won't receive another mission until his time is up."
"You will still be allowed to train as long as Itachi's behavior isn't threatening to the village's safety. And I'm sorry but you are the only one truly qualified to handle this. You won't be given another assignment during this time, Hayato."
Itachi finds it hard to believe that Hayato is "the only one truly qualified." When they were younger, Hayato was always far behind him in ability. Even before he left, Itachi was the captain of the ANBU while Hayato was a mere chunin.
Although Hayato doesn't particularly benefit from all of the Hokage's instructions, he agrees none the less. "Fine. Let's go Uchiha."
With that the two leave and there is silence between them as they walk through the village to Hayato's apartment. About half way through the walk, Hayato glances at Itachi and smiles. "You haven't changed much since back then, huh?"
Itachi looks at the man beside him emotionlessly. Hayato doesn't seem fazed by his old teammate's demeanor and tries again to strike up a conversation. "Anyway, I guess you'll be staying with me for a while." He continues to watch his friend as they walk until Itachi finally says something.
"Do you still live in that dump of an apartment?" His question angers Hayato who grits his teeth. "That was not a dump. And no, I don't. I moved about two years ago." Silence meets his answer. "Aren't you going to ask about the village or anything?!? It's been like…8 years!"
"No. Idiot."
"Bastard," Hayato remarks before letting a grin come across his face. Beside him, he doesn't see Itachi allow a small smile. Just like old times, they both think.
Itachi surprisingly begins another conversation. "Does Aiko still live with you?" When he doesn't receive an answer, he turns to find that Hayato has stopped a few meters behind him and is staring at the ground. "Hayato?" he calls.
Hayato looks up and shakes his head to clear his thoughts. When he catches up to Itachi, he mutters "We'll discuss it back home." After that the remainder of the way home is filled with an uncomfortable silence.
They walk until they are standing before the door to Hayato's apartment. He digs a set of keys from his pocket and unlocks the door. They step inside and Itachi is surprised by how clean the place is. Hayato had never seemed to care much about the cleanliness of his home when they were younger.
"It's bigger than your old apartment," Itachi observes. He hears a light chuckle. "Yeah, lucky for you it has two bedrooms." He leads Itachi down the hall and stops in front of a room. "You'll be staying here."
The room isn't big but it will serve its purpose just fine. They notice that Itachi doesn't have any belongings to fill the room with. They decide to deal with the matter after some lunch. As they eat, the topic of Aiko is brought up again.
"So what happened to Aiko?" asks Itachi.
"She was on a C-ranked mission and still a genin. Her teammates persuaded the Hokage into giving them a real mission. Nothing major. That is until a missing nin showed up. According to her teammates, he tortured her with some jutsu. Aiko was in critical condition when her team returned. There weren't any medic nins who could heal her. Tsunade hadn't come back yet. A few days later, my sister died. It happened about 4 years after you left. I became a jonin that year. She never got to see it though."
By now Hayato is rambling. Itachi believes that may be because he has kept to himself over the years and it was tearing him apart. He watches his friend as he tightly closes is eyes as if in pain.
"I was all alone. Aiko and I had been on our own since the kyuubi attacked the village and killed our parents. Then I lost my best friend and my little sister a couple years after that."
Hayato's eyes snap open and Itachi can see them flash with anger. Hayato slams his fists on the table. "And you know what else? Kiyoko died too. It happened when the sound and sand attacked during the chunin exams. But you didn't care to ask about her earlier. She was our teammate and you don't give a fuck! Do you have any idea how hard I've worked so that I could kick your ass if I ever ran into you?!? My world came crashing down after you left. Those I cared the most about are gone."
Itachi is only slightly surprised by the outburst. Hayato always was passionate about the things he cared about. Itachi had seen that as one of his weaknesses though. Still, the words sting and Itachi can't help but feel guilty.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have been so insensitive."
Hayato is surprised by the Uchiha's apology. "Well if you're done lets go. I don't want to take forever buying clothes and whatever other crap we need to get. I want to try and fit some training in before the day ends also."
"Why does it take girls so long to shop? They take hours looking for a single outfit. We just bought an entire wardrobe in an hour and a half," Hayato comments.
"Not all girls spend hours shopping, Hayato!" calls an irritated voice from behind the two ninja. They turn around to see that it was Inuzuka Hana. She is standing a few meters behind them but can hear them clearly with her acute senses. Her hair is pulled back in a pony tail as usual. The red marks on her checks are clearly visible even from this distance. From the way she reacted, Itachi can safely assume her personality hasn't undergone much change since they were younger. Hayato raises his hands defensively.
"Relax. Some girls do. I never said you specifically," he counters. She rolls her eyes and walks up to them. "This is a surprise. Why is Itachi here? He's an S-class criminal."
"I did those deeds because I was corrupted. I didn't really have any control over what I was doing." Hana nods and looks back at Hayato. "Anyway, what have you been up to? You seem to be gone on missions a lot lately."
"Yeah, the missions keep pouring in. I'm actually on a mission now. I'm overseeing Itachi while he serves his probation."
Itachi refrains from rolling his eyes at Hayato's tone. "Must you sound so pleased when you say that?"
"Yes. I'm supervising my childhood rival who was always better than me. Now I'm the superior one and you'll be taking orders from me." Itachi scoffs at his comment.
Hayato looks between Itachi and Hana. He seems to have suddenly remembered something and beams. "Hey Hana, how about the three of us go get some drinks?"
Itachi raises an eyebrow. "I thought we were going to train."
"Well now I think you should start catching up with your comrades. You've been gone for 8 years and the shinobi have changed. Learn about the comrades you will be going on missions with in the future. Don't waste the time you have now. It's not like you can do much of anything else."
Hana nods. "He does have a point, Itachi. You should catch up with old friends."
"Fine."
Immediately after the word leaves his lips, Itachi and Hana are dragged to the closest bar by Hayato. They have no trouble finding empty seats since it is the middle of the afternoon. Itachi finds himself sitting between Hana and Hayato.
"Alright, I'm buying. Taro, get me the usual," says Hayato with a grin. "Right away, Tsuki-san."
Itachi leans over to Hana and quietly asks so only she can hear, "Since when does Hayato drink?"
"He started just after he turned 18, not long after he became a jonin. He was so respected that no one cared if he was underage. Everyone thought he would be responsible because of his rapid maturity after you left. He comes here a lot. I think it's his way of dealing with his problems," she answers.
It wasn't long after Aiko and Kiyoko's deaths. Now he's drinking to cover up the pain that has built up. He's become an alcoholic.
"What are you two whispering about? Aren't you going to order a drink? I said I was buying." Itachi faces Hayato to find he has already downed his entire beverage.
"You shouldn't be drinking so much or often. It messes with your coordination, reaction time, and other vital qualities a ninja needs," Itachi scolds. Hayato glares slightly before standing up. He pulls out a kunai and throws it to his left out of the bar. He looks out and Itachi follows his gaze. The kunai has pinned a leaf to a tree and hadn't hit a single passerby in the crowded street.
"I don't drink until I'm wasted. I know the consequences and drink responsibly. I can't afford to get hammered. If I didn't all my missions would have failed and my comrades would have died because of me."
The two ninja stare at each other until Hayato goes out to retrieve his kunai. Hana taps Itachi's shoulder and he turns to face her. When she speaks it is in a hushed tone. "I never said he would get drunk everyday. He is responsible. He has to be or else he wouldn't be an ANBU."
A look of shock appears to cross Itachi's face, but it is quickly removed and it is hard to tell if it was ever there. "Hayato is an ANBU. Since when?" Hana looks a little confused at the question. "Since about two years ago. He's been training like crazy. It's really all he has. He never told you?" Itachi shakes his head as Hayato walks back into the bar.
"Damn children can be annoying. Some kid kept bugging me to give him my kunai. I swear he was only four. He shouldn't be away from his mother anyway none the less playing with weapons. Seriously, when the two of you have kids-"
"Why didn't you tell me you were accepted by ANBU?" Itachi asks cutting Hayato off as he sits beside him. He shrugs. "Never really came up. Besides we'll be together for a while. There is plenty of time for us to catch up."
Hana, who had gone tense near the end of Hayato's earlier rant, comments on a different subject. "What do you mean by 'when the two of you have kids'?"
"Hmm…ohh, well you and Itachi were somewhat close before the…incident. You, Hana, are one of the very few people who have gotten to get to know Itachi. You, Itachi, never really opened up to Hana but you were comfortable around her. You had developed feeling for each other. Others may not have seen it but I did because Itachi was my closest friend. You complemented each other back then and I assume you still do now. You both are highly respectable, strong, and intelligent. Even though Itachi is more of the silent type and you are more outgoing, there was a connection and there always will be. Like they say opposites attract."
There is an awkward silence and Itachi inwardly curses Hayato's big mouth. Hayato orders his forth drink from Taro. "You're drunk." Hayato looks at Itachi from the corner of his eye. He can see Hana nodding her head in agreement. "If that's what you want to believe then go ahead. You'll only be delaying the inevitable."
Itachi and Hana avoid making eye contact. Hayato catches the faint blushes on their faces and smiles knowingly. I can read them like books. Why do they bother denying it? I have to help them out. They need one another. Too bad they're both stubborn as well. That makes getting them together more difficult. On top of that, I don't know the first thing about relationships!
Hayato looks at his companions and inwardly sighs. He stands and fishes some money out of his pocket for the drinks. "Let's go back home, Itachi. You need to put your stuff in your room. It was nice seeing you again, Hana." Itachi stands and Hayato elbows him in the ribs. Itachi nods his good bye.
Man do I have a long way to go, Hayato thinks.
As soon as they are out of sight, Hana orders the strongest drink. Taro looks at the woman with an eyebrow raised. "Something wrong, Inuzuka-san? You hardly ever drink."
"Yeah well, Hayato's quick observations are a little unsettling."
Taro smiles at her comment. "Maybe that's because they're true." He receives a glare from the Inuzuka and the topic is promptly dropped. After all, angering an Inuzuka isn't the best idea.
It is late but Hayato and Itachi are still awake.
"I told you I've been training hard since you left!"
"Why didn't you become the ANBU captain then?" Itachi's swiftly replies.
"I could have if I really wanted to. I was offered the position." Itachi looks at Hayato who answers his unasked question. "To me, that will always be your position. I would feel like I was betraying you. And I don't want complete responsibility of my comrades' lives on my shoulders. I'd crack under the pressure. I already put the lives of my teammates before my own. That's enough for me."
Itachi is shocked by his words. Even though Itachi had betrayed the village, Hayato had still been a loyal friend.
Hayato checks the clock. "It's pretty late. Since we didn't train today, we'll have to get up early to make it up. It'd be best to get some sleep. The bathroom is the second door on the left if you need it." With that Hayato leaves for his room to get a good nights sleep.
Itachi follows soon after. As he lies in bed, he stares up at the ceiling. He can't help but think how kindly Hayato has treated him. How quickly he accepted him back.
He remembers why they had become friends when they were younger. Hayato didn't demand greatness from him like his family. Hayato was a loyal teammate that wouldn't think twice about sacrificing himself for his comrades, even Itachi who was his rival. Hayato had once shared his lunch with him when Itachi hadn't brought one to training. With those thoughts, Itachi's eyelids become heavy and he falls asleep.
Alright, how was that? I could use some ideas for this story so feel free to send me your thoughts. Don't forget to review! And Happy Belated Halloween!