I sighed as I walked through the center of the Leaf Village. It was just getting dark and all the villagers had retired for the evening. The streets were lit with the last rays of sunlight, making everything a fiery orange. There was one stall still fully active: Ichiraku Ramen. As I approached it I heard someone call out my name. I turned to see who was speaking to me. It was Naruto. Go figure. He jogged up to me, smiling and waving. I smiled back.
"What's up Lakota?" he asked me politely.
"Nothing much," I told him. I had more of an edge to my voice than I meant to.
"Oh..." was his response.
I felt kind of bad for being so sharp but truth be told, I just needed to be alone right now. Naruto and I had always been... companions. We understood each other's pain, the both of us having jinchuurikis trapped within us. He had the nine-tailed fox, and I the ten-tailed wolf. We had grown up with the same burdens and we communicated with one another as no one else would ever be able to. They just don't understand what it's like.
"Sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't mean to snap on you."
"H-Hey, don't apologize," Naruto assured. "I uh, just came for some ramen... do you want to join me?"
I shook my head. "Sorry Naruto. I actually promised my father I'd visit him tonight," I said. I felt guilty, lying to him like this, but I needed to get rid of him.
"Well, that's fine," he replied. "Say hey to Kakashi for me then."
"I will," I assured him before I left, not really heading in a particular direction.
Yep. My father's Kakashi Hatake. I'm Lakota Takashi Hatake. We aren't superbly close to one another, but there's a bond that will never be broken. Years ago I left home: traveling, experiencing. I was having the time of my life. Then he made me return to the Leaf Village. I was angry but I understood. You know what made the whole coming home thing worse? I had just joined an amazing group of people. They filled the gap in my heart which had been empty since my childhood. I still visit them often enough, those friends of mine. But I can't ever tell my father. He'll freak. The reason? Those friends, my family – they're the Akatsuki.
It was now dark out and I found my feet leading me to the training grounds. It was one of my favorite places to relax and think. Alone. The moon shone brightly in the clear evening sky. It would be a perfect evening to get things off my mind through training. However, not the entire universe seemed to agree with me. When I finally reached the grounds I sensed another presence. Not wanting to be detected, I stayed within the shadows of the forest that bordered it. Then I closed my eyes and listened. An owl called from somewhere in the sky above. Crickets sang from a nearby meadow. And heavy breathing, a person, lead me to a clearing in the center of it all. I laid down in the tall grass which skirted it, ever so slowly creeping forward. When I reached where the grass stopped, I froze. I pushed back the last patch in front of me so I could see clearly.
In front of me was a silhouette illuminated in the moonlight. I couldn't tell who it was. They appeared to be practicing taijutsu: punching, kicking, and dodging. It sparked something in my imagination. I decided to start a game. I took two kunai out of the pouch at my waist and flung them at the mysterious character, making sure neither of them would actually hit. I watched as the figure easily avoided the attack. Whoever it was looked in my direction. I decided to lay low. I threw two more kunai as I escaped into a tree. Just as I pressed my back against the trunk I saw a flurry of shuriken whiz past my face. My eyes widened. I wasn't expecting a retaliation. There was only one person that could be. Sasuke Uchiha.