Black Moon
Tsunade, The Fifth Hokage, stood before her desk, looking outside. Soon the one she called for, a favorite student of hers would pass through the door and she will have to do a painful thing. She sighed, even if Tsunade didn't want to do it, it was her duty as Hokage.
Just then a knock was heard and inside the office slipped a seventeen years man. He was tall for his age with short black hair, onyx eyes and a hitae-ate at his forehead to prove he was a Leaf shinobi.
He was dressed with a long blue tee shirt, matching shorts and boots, but he had the famous ANBU tattoo on his arm to show everybody he was one of the most powerful shinobi in the village.
"Have you called for me, Hokage-sama?" he asked in a cold voice.
Tsunade, being used to his tone, answered calmly "Yes, I did. It's your eighteenth birthday tomorrow, is it not?"
"Yes, it is. I assume you want to tell them the truth?"
Tsunade nodded. "You know very well the jutsu will be broken tonight. They'll find out in a way or another, and I think is better to find out from you, even if you'll choose to turn right back. Plus I'm getting tired of your cold façade, since we both know you're not this way." She smiled at Sasuke, because this was the shinobi's name.
The latter sighed "Ok, Obaa-chan. I have to go and find them; I think I have only an hour left. And, you're right. I'll change back. After all, we don't want Itachi to find out, do we?"
"Then, what are you still doing here? Of you go!" the blonde said and watched Sasuke as he took of the window in search of his teammates and sensei.
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Soon, Sasuke stood in front of his team:
A pink haired, emerald eyed girl, who was training with the Hokage herself to become one of the best medic-nins, named accordingly Sakura Haruno. She was always after him, even if he repeatedly told her to leave him alone, and she was quite annoying.
Then, sitting next to her was a blonde with blue eyes, remarkably resembling a fox. Naruto Uzumaki was the famous vessel for the nine-tailed Kyuubi that once tortured Konoha, the most powerful shinobi living( in his opinion) even if Sasuke managed beating him every time, and the future Hokage. He was a hyperactive guy, always having something to say.
Finally, there was their perverted sensei, Hatake Kakashi. He was tall, lean with silver hair and one seeable blue eye, the other being covered by his mask. Why? Because the other eye was Kakashi's famous Sharingan, very similar to Sasuke's own, with the exception that Kakashi's was always activated. He was also named the Copy-nin, being able to copy any type of jutsu one could make.
They were all looking worried at him, sensing that something was wrong. If only they knew how right they were…
"As you might know, tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday…" at this he sighed.
Sakura rushed at his side and hugged him, without being rejected for the first time.
"Sasuke is everything all right?" she sounded worried, partially because he started to cry in her chest.
"No…it's not. You see, I have a secret I haven't told anyone and only one person from the Uchiha family knew…" he looked to see Sakura's, Naruto's and Kakashi's surprised gaze on him.
"I'm actually a girl…"
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Everyone gaped at her. She laughed while wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Aw, don't look so surprised. Each one of us had a secret and you told your's, so it was only fair to tell you mine. I'm sorry for not sharing this with you sooner, but I was in danger, I was risking Itachi finding out, and you wouldn't have believed me. In about two minutes I can show you."
The first one to recover from his surprise was Kakashi "Are you serious?" He was trying to sound calm, but failing miserably. How could a girl hide herself so well?
"Yes, I am." She answered.
Just then a blinding light that was clearly chakra engulfed her, and when it cleared where 'Sasuke' sat was now a beautiful female ninja: she had long black hair braided in two high pigtails that reached her backside with some in her face, covering one of her gray eyes and the hitae-ate holding some of her hair back, much like Sakura. She was dressed in a comfortable white and red kimono blouse tied with a red obi at her middle, red kimono pants, black boots and 1/3 black gloves( girl in the image).
"Well, can someone tell me how I look? I never saw myself as a girl." She said not in her usually cold tone but in a gentle one.
"Sasuke-dobe is that really you?" Asked a clearly surprised Naruto, voicing every present person's thoughts.
"Yes, even if it's a bit hard to believe. But my name is not Sasuke, its Tsuki." She grinned at Sakura's surprised expression." I hope you understand now why I always pushed you away. You are one of my best friends and just that, forehead girl."
Sakura grinned as well and hugged the girl who was still standing on the ground.
"Well' now that you saw me, I have to put the jutsu back in place; I really don't want Itachi to find out." And with some complicated hand seals, the old, familiar Sasuke was back.
"Would you care to explain why this happened, Tsuki?" questioned an ever calm Kakashi.
"Sure. But please call me Sasuke when I have the concealment jutsu
activated. After all, only you, Tsunade-obaa-chan and Gaara know the truth. And I really don't want Itachi finding out." And performing a silence jutsu, so nobody could hear, she started her story……
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"I am not an Uchiha. I was found asleep on the roads by Itachi's mother when I was only a few hours old. She was a very kind woman, so she took me home with her, at the Uchiha mansion.
She was much more than surprised to discover when I woke up that I had the Sharingan and she decided to keep me. But, in the main Uchiha branch every girl born was killed. So she put this concealment jutsu on me and when her husband came home from a nine month mission she presented me as their child, Sasuke.
Kaosu was angry to see that I already had the Sharingan activated when his heir had not, and he never treated me too well, said I needed to know I was inferior. He always trained Itachi and expected me to be just as powerful even if I was three years younger.
I always had a tensed relationship with Itachi, I think. In truth, he often didn't even spare me a glance except when there were storms. Why? Because I'm terrified of storms and having nowhere to go, I always went in his room and staid there for the night. He never said anything to me during that time.
But then the tragedy happened: he killed everybody, even the only person who cared about me, his mother.
Even today I have nightmares about that day. I remember returning happy from playing with the village children and discovering the house in ruins from a fire…Everywhere I looked, I saw parts of bodies and heads, weapons and rivers of blood.
In the middle of everything I remember seeing Itachi with the Magenkou Sharingan activated looking coldly at me with a katana still in his hand.
I was feeling so numb…The only family I ever knew was dead and I was all alone again with the exception of a murderer…I fell to my knees and wanted to cry my heart out, but Itachi took even this from me. He came and wiped my tears saying that he'll come for me sometime and to be ready. Then he left.
All this time I haven't trained to kill him, but merely to protect myself and my secrets from him. I never had the illusion that I could beat him… I just want for him to leave me alone to live the ruined life he left me have…"
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She was crying again, but couldn't care less if someone could see the cold, unfeeling Sasuke crying. It was very painful memory. She had blocked it from her mind all this time.
Tsuki was startled when Kakashi came and offered her a napkin, smiling down at her.
"Well, I can't say anything at THAT. But, looking at the good side, you took this from your shoulders, because it's easy to see that you never told anyone."
"Oh, Sasuke! I'm so sorry for pressing you to tell us…I didn't know. Sorry!!!!!!!!!!" Sakura and Naruto were also crying and sniffing, much like her.
"Don't worry. Sooner or latter I had to tell someone and I'm glad you, my best friends and sensei were here to listen." She hugged them all in a group hug.
"Um… Sorry to interrupt, but how you know you're not an Uchiha? I'm kinda confused here." Said Naruto looking at her.
"Well, Hikari told me as soon as I was capable to understand what happened. In fact, she believed that I was a halfling. That means that an Uchiha betrayed his clan and had me. But it wasn't one from the main branch, because I don't have the tattoo every important Uchiha male has in my true form. As Sasuke, I have it on my forehead." She told them smiling and lifting of the ground.
"How old were you when this happened?" Sakura sounded really curious, looking at Tsuki with her big emerald eyes.
"If I remember correctly, I was just turning six the next day. But I think we talked enough and it's time to train now, isn't it Kakashi-sensei?" she said laughing.
"Yes, it is. For starters, I want 500 laps around Konoha and then we'll see." Kakashi responded still reading from that strange book of his.
"I didn't mean that much! And you should train with us too. You're just jounin." Tsuki mumbled as she prepared to leave to make her laps after Naruto and Sakura.
Kakashi just smiled" Then you shouldn't call me sensei, Sasuke."
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"Ya know Tsunade; I just got back from an S-ranked mission. I didn't even have time to see the others. Can't I have a break?" Tsuki asked as she slipped again in the blonde Hokage's office.
"Why, Sasuke, but I'm just giving you that break. How ill you think of me." She smiled as she shook her head "You are to go and pay a visit to Inari."
"But can't Naruto go? Inari always liked him better. I was just the cold and insensitive guy that didn't like him." Tsuki pleaded with the Hokage.
"Naruto would be a good choice if they wouldn't have asked for you. And I'm afraid I have very bad news." Tsunade sighed and seated herself on her comfortable chair.
"What happened? Obaa-chan, you're worrying me! What could be so bad to have you worried like this?" she was scared and hoped it was not what she thought.
"Sasuke, I'm sorry… There have been detected Akatsuki members near the Naruto bridge. You have to go there and guard both the village and the bridge from them for a month. After that you'll be replaced by Naruto, Kakashi or Sakura."
In that moment, it was pretty much clear to Tsuki that Karma was a bitch to her. What could I have done so bad that I'm now getting this, Kami? I just wanted to lead a normal shinobi life…
"I'm sending you because you're one of the best and I know I can trust you to be fine. There's still some good news: no one spotted Itachi, so you should be safe from him. You have to leave immediately for the village."
"I sure hope everything will be all right, even more than you, Tsunade. Goodbye, obaa-chan!" she took of the window direction the village in the Mist.
"Goodbye, Tsuki. Return to us safely!" whispered Tsunade as she watched her favorite student leave for an SS-ranked mission.
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"Why this happens to me all the time? I have to be the most unlucky shinobi ever! Only I could have such a stupid mission, and exactly when I wanted to relax and visit Gaara. I hate you, Karma!!!!!!!!!!" to say Tsuki was upset was a huge underestimation. Chakra was swirling all around her to show that she was extremely pissed and thus not to be messed with in this state.
She leaped from tree to tree silent as a feline, even if she was annoyed as hell. She had almost three more hours till her destination when Tsuki suddenly stopped and landed in the middle of a
"How could I have not thought of this sooner? I really need a vacation, last time I had one was five years ago for the Chuunin exams and it's seeable I'm extremely tired." At this she sighed and she disappeared with a puff of chakra behind.
She didn't, however caught the amused expression of her silent stalker, when he heard all of her complaints.
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Ok, maybe teleporting yourself in the chief's office wasn't the greatest idea she ever had. Now she frightened the poor old man.
"You have to know that if you want to ruin the bridge, we'll put up a fight, you dirty shinobi traitor!" even if he put up a brave façade, Tsuki could easily she the man was scared.
"I've changed so much in 5 years that you don't recognize me, Jii-chan? It's me, Sasuke Uchiha from the Leaf village!" she smirked at his stunned expression. The man recovered quickly and hugged Tsuki.
"How much you've grown, Sasuke-kun! When I sent for help, I didn't expect for them to send me their best shinobi."
"Well, we have many good shinobi, even if we lost many in the fight with Oorchimaru. There are also Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi…"
"And the other Uchiha, Itachi? Isn't he one of Konoha's best, too?"
At this her Sharingan activated and she answered in a freezing voice that sent shivers up the old man's spine.
"HE is a missing nin that works against us, being one of the most important Akatsuki members. A few years ago maybe he was, I don't know, but I'd really appreciate if we changed the subject and you told me about the attacks, Takimura."
Fortunately for him, Takimura understood the subject was a taboo and let it drop "It all started a few weeks ago when a weird blue shinobi attacked the village telling…" at this he was interrupted by a deeper voice.
"…them to announce Sasuke Uchiha that the Akatsuki was back, full force."
Tsuki's eyes widened as she turned around and knocking the man down, outside the house.
"Gaara! How much time has passed? Four months? You promised to visit, Baka! I missed you! You promised to be there when I told them…" she cried in the tall man's blouse.
"I'm sorry. I was declared Kazekage and couldn't come sooner. Forgive me, please Sasuke." Gaara said hugging her back.
Tsuki turned her head to look in the man's gorgeous pale green eyes. He was beautiful, with short red hair, fair skin and on his forehead stood the scarlet kanji for love. He made a reputation as Gaara of the Sand and had immediately sow trough her concealment jutsu when they first met, obligating her to tell him and the Hokage her secret. Soon, they were like brother and sister, but were also fighting like cat and mouse.
"You're here to help me with the mission?" she asked as she lifted herself up and dusted her shorts.
"Yes, and to make sure you're not kidnapped. Because it could happen, ya know." Gaara looked at her, smirking.
She growled at him "We should go inside and explain the situation to Takimura. He looks a little confused." Tsuki said in her Sasuke voice.
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They now stood at a table, Gaara talking with the adults and her searching for Inari.
"Excuse me, but where's Inari?" she asked concerned.
His mother avoided her gaze "He's at the wooden bridge. Inari is very scared that the attacks might take down me and dad. He was hoping that Naruto will come to lift is moral up…"
"Don't worry, I'm not upset. I'll go and se what I can do to cheer him up…" and she rushed outside feeling Gaara's gaze on her.
"I'll be fine, Gaara. I'm an ANBU after all." Tsuki smiled at him, but still could feel his worried gaze on her.
After twenty minutes of searching, she reached the pond and saw a ten years old Inari crying.
"Yo! How have you been squirt?" Tsuki asked him looking at the insects that were playing on the pond's surface.
"Leave me alone, Uchiha! Why couldn't Naruto come? You only laugh at me!" the young boy shouted.
She sighed and sat next to Inari, hugging him.
"Inari, I'm sorry if I've done that in the past. You know that I was very upset and immature then. If you're wondering why Naruto didn't came, he was on a top secret mission with Sakura and Kakashi. I think they'll come here next month." She grinned at him.
"Ok, I'm sorry too. I haven't seen you in 5 years and jumped to conclusions…" Inari looked down ashamed at himself.
"Cheer up! You've got nothing to be sorry for, you couldn't have known."
"But if the rest are on another mission, how come you're here?" he asked confused.
"Well, they're still jounin, while I'm an ANBU captain, so I go on more dangerous missions more often than them."
Inari bowed his head "So this is an SS mission?"
"Yes, but don't worry, your village has me and Gaara to protect you, and Naruto will come soon. Ok?"
"Sorry for what I said before, Sasuke. I'm glad you're here to protect us." Inari hugged her back, crying in her blue tee-shirt.
"Now that we settled that, how about we go inside? Your mother was pretty concerned about you sitting all alone here."
"Let's go!" and taking Tsuki's hand, Inari rushed to his house laughing with the older girl all the way back.
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In the next week, nothing out of normal happened, leaving Tsuki time to get reacquainted with the new Kazekage and Inari's family.
One day she was walking through the village's border as a patrol with Gaara when she put a rather interesting question.
"Gaara, don't you think it's too quiet here for a SS ranked mission?"
He nodded "Yes, I do. But there is not much we can do about it, just wait and see what's happening. I never asked you: where are the others?"
"The Hokage told me that they were going in a mission to train Hinata Hyuuga in order to reunite her with her bother, Neiji. I actually like Hinata, at least after I get her to not apologize for every little thing she does." She smirked "That's what they think. In fact it's a bet between me and Tsunade about how long it takes for her and Naruto to get together."
"Hinata was that shy girl that was always after Naruto?" Gaara asked stopping to look at her.
"Yes, and I hope Naruto won't be so stupid this time and………" she was quieted by a sign from Gaara.
"Sorry to interrupt but I think we got company. Go to the village and warn Takimura, ok?"
"Gaara, but…"
"GO NOW, TSUKI!" he shouted at her before realizing his mistake, but she was already gone, so only the enemy heard him reveal her secret.
"Now that you heard me, Deidara, I have another motive to kill you…" conversationally said Gaara.
"I'd like to see ya try, Gaara-kun!" the blonde Akatsuki member replied in an annoying tone, calling more and more shinobis for backups.
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Takimura was peacefully reading some papers at his desk when, suddenly the one he knew as Sasuke entered in his office like a storm.
"What happened, Sasuke-san?" the old man asked irritated by the shinobi's entry.
"The Akatsuki members attacked the Northern border. I left Gaara there, but I don't know how much he can hold them by himself. I already announced your shinobis and the villagers, so there's no worry with them, but you have to come to me as the village's leader." It was clear to Tsuki that this was not the response Takimura expected.
"Why am I needed?"
"Because, even if we are shinobi, is always better to try and win the battle trough negotiations, is it not? This way we don't loose precious fighters."
At his nod, Tsuki grabbed him by the arm and teleported them at the Northern border where they were clearly expected by the village's army and by the Akatsuki members.
She quickly surveyed the area and saw that Deidara had defeated Gaara, who now stood unconscious at the older man's feet.
"He put up quite a fight, ya know. Something about a secret that he shouldn't tell." He said looking her in the eyes.
At this, Tsuki felt her blood run cold through her veins, but kept up the cold exterior.
"What do you really want, Deidara? We both know it's not the village or the bridge, because if you did they wouldn't be standing now." She asked in an icy voice.
"Well, I can certainly say this is a progress compared to five years ago when you simply rushed in a battle."
"…"
She did not bother to reply, but her look told him to get to the point quickly.
"Well, it's actually simple. Our leader wants only one person. Guess who, dear boy? Yup, he wants you." he had plastered a cruel smirk on his face.
Even though she wanted nothing more than to whip his smirk, Tsuki kept her cool.
"If I accept to come with you, Deidara, are you ready to perform the Unforgettable jutsu with me?"
"If I have to…But I'm hurt you don't trust the word of a missing nin." He mimicked a hurt look with big puppy eyes at her.
Tsuki, in a flash, caught Deidara's hand and cut both his and her wrist with a kunai. Then, using her still free hand, she performed some seals.
"Consider you made yourself with a deal, Deidara. But I added another condition: Gaara goes free and the village, as well as the Naruto Bridge goes unharmed."
She smirked triumphantly at Deidara before fainting due to the lack of chakra and blood, her wrist still bleeding heavily. She was however happy that she managed saving everyone at such a low price, knowing that Gaara and the rest of the team seven will come after her as soon as they could.
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The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the enormous room she was in. The walls were blood red striped with little rivers of black, the furniture was classical Japanese of the same color but the most beautiful thing in there was clearly the bed. It was occupying almost half of the imposing room, being made in western stile and being able to sustain at least five people and many windows, with the curtains closed.
Tsuki got off the bed when she realized that she was still weak and dizzy.
"You better lie down till the dinner, after all the boss doesn't want a dizzy company at dinner, brat."
She passed through various emotions when she heard the voice coming from the darkest spot in the room: shock to discover that Kisame, Itachi's partener was in the same room with her which meant that her 'brother dear' was near, a very little amount of fear and, most of all, she felt a burning fury and her Magenkou Sharingan activated, sending waves of fire-like chakra all around her, destroying the things in her near vicinity.
What did I expect? For Akatsuki to send me back to Konoha so that I don't see Itachi? How more stupid could I be? But I can't do anything about it now, so I better hold myself together and wait for the right moment to send Bijou to announce my location. After all, I knew this time will come, so I'd better take what comes with head held high!
With that said Tsuki calmed herselfand deactivated her Sharingan, her eyes turning back to the cold, onyx ones of Sasuke Uchiha.
"When will be the dinner, Kisame?"
"Well, well, well…Uchiha jr. remembered my name and calmed himself. Amazing really. As I said, you'll be dinning with our leader, so you'll need to take a bath first. After that, a maid will come and help you dress. Follow me now, Uchiha." The blue, fish-like shinobi said.
Tsuki bit her lip, drawing blood, in order to bite back a witty remark that would've worsened her situation as she followed Kisame trough some long wooden corridors. The place seemed oddly familiar, even tough she couldn't place them. Everything, starting from the corridors and till the paintings that decorated the walls, it was like in a dream…
Soon, they reached the sought place and Tsuki was startled to see that it was in fact a hot spring. She placed a hand in the water only to see that it warmed up thanks to her chakra. She looked questioning at Kisame.
"Yes, this place feeds of one's chakra. The more chakra you have, the more comfortable the place is, and let's say that you have more than enough chakra." He responded at her unasked question and then he left, leaving her to enjoy her bath.
It was true. Looking around she noticed that the hotspring was now a huge warm pool, the floor as well as the walls were made of white alabaster and that she had at her disposition different scented aromas to put in the pool and multicolored towels. The room was illuminated also by scented candles.
She picked an aroma of black roses and moonflower, putting her in the pool before entering herself in the relaxing bath.
After washing herself and her hair, she felt as if she could face the whole world by herself.
As she put a black towel on her, a maid appeared. She was pretty, with blonde hair and big ocean blue eyes, but she seemed a little scared of Tsuki.
"H-hello, Uchiha-sama! I'm Akita, your new maid for as long as you'll stay here with us. I came to guide you back to your room."
Tsuki only turned her cold gaze in the girl's direction and nodded as a sign for Akita to show her the way.
"Through here, if you please, dono-sama." Akita said, head still bowed while pointing to a scarlet door.
"You don't need to be so scared of me, Akita. As far as I know, I don't bite." She joked without turning to look at her maid. "Oh, and you can call me Sasuke form now on."
If she was surprised, Akita didn't tell, but as soon as Tsuki glanced in her direction, she plastered a big smile on her face.
"As you wish, Sasuke-sama!"
In the end, she decided to wear at the dinner her usual clothes, which had been washed during her bath. If this 'boss' thought he'll break her easy, he was extremely wrong…
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Tsuki now sat at a big table, waiting for the Akatsuki leader to show up.