In the forest just outside of the Hidden Leaf Village, a young girl was watching her clan's birds fly around here, teaching their young how to fly and hunt properly. Occasionally giggling and jumping up to try and catch her parent's birds, the five-year-old was having the time of her life. One of the younger birds landed on the girl's right shoulder, he was the youngest of her parent's bird's chicks this breeding season and was very fond of the young girl. Giggling again the red-haired girl stroked the baby feathers under the bird's beak gently with her left hand, making him coo softly. Blue eyes drifted to each bird in the clearing, it seemed as if all of the birds in the clan had decided to come and play with her today. Smiling big, the girl began running around the clearing once more, scaring the young bird off of her shoulder. Laughing loudly the redhead flopped on her back in the middle of the grass clearing, gazing at the birds flying above her and throughout the forest with playful eyes.
However all good things must always come to an end.
A kunai flew just over the girl's nose and thudding onto one of the many trees in the clearing, scattering all of the young birds and alerting the adults to the new danger to their young charge. Blue eyes wide in fear, the girl shook as she watched the bushes rustle as someone bounded through them after the sharp weapon. Shrieking a warning, the birds in the clearing landed in front of the redhead, her mother's bird being the one in front of the others, partly extending her wings in a threatening manner. When the would-be attacker emerged from the brush he looked at the flock of birds surrounding the girl with wide eyes and stopped in his tracks. Peeking out from behind the flock, the girl could see that the boy looked like he was about her age. He had black hair, black eyes, and he was wearing Uchiha clothing.
"I'm sorry if I startled you, I missed one of my targets." the boy stated, thought the girl wasn't sure if he noticed her or if he was talking to the flock. "It's alright! No one is hurt so everything is fine!" the girl bounded out from behind the flock, seemingly startling the boy. The pair looked each other over for a moment before the girl spoke again. "My name's Ayane Tori! What's your name? Wanna be friends?" the young redhead exclaimed, smiling big as her eyes closed excitedly. "I'm Itachi Uchiha. Why would you want to be friends with me?" the boy was clearly confused at Ayane's outburst. Confused at his actions, Ayane opened her eyes and looked at him funny. "Why not? I've never met someone outside of the clan before without my parent's introducing us and I wanted a friend." Ayane explained childishly, hoping that Itachi would understand. The boy smiled a small smile, completely understanding the girl's explanation. "I would love to be your friend Ayane!" Itachi's smile was the biggest that he had ever experienced, and Ayane matched it. "Yay! 'Tachi is my new friend! You can call me Aya if you want 'Tachi!" the redhead smiled, hugging the black-haired boy in front of her. Slightly taken aback, it took Itachi a second to recover before he hugged his new friend back.
It was the start of a great friendship.
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The classroom was full of whispers. It was the first day of school for the new class of ninjas-in-training and no one knew what to expect. There were, however, two students who were sitting quietly next to each other, not taking notice of the rest of the class as they waited for their sensei to arrive. The girl had auburn hair, blue eyes, and wore a green t-shirt and blue shorts that stopped just above her knees with nothing on her feet. The boy had black hair, onyx eyes, and wore a dark gray t-shirt and black tight pants with black ninja shoes. "Hey, 'Tachi, what do you think's taking sensei so long?" the girl asked the boy next to her quietly. "I don't know Aya, maybe they were held up somehow?" Itachi answered his best friend with an equal amount of quietness. "It's irritating that we have to be here early and yet our Sensei is late." Ayane grumbled, clearly irritated as she glared at the door. Itachi snickered softly; it was so fun to see his best friend upset.
Before he could say anything to cheer Aya up, the door opened and a male Chunin walked into the room with a clipboard and began taking role. Once it was determined that the entire class was present, the man introduced himself as their Sensei and began their first lesson in Ninjutsu, nearly putting both Ayane and Itachi to sleep since both of their families had already schooled them on the basics of being a ninja. When Sensei got to the explanation of Taijutsu, he had the class follow him outside to the training yard in order to assess where they were without any formal training. Aya and Itachi smirked at each other, wanting to see how much the other had improved since their last spar. When the sensei tried to pair Itachi with another boy, he refused to fight anyone other than Ayane, who also wanted to fight her friend. With a defeated sigh, the Chunin decided to let the pair have it their way and let them spar in front of the class, saying that it was a no-holds-barred match as long as no one got hurt too badly.
Grinning at their Sensei's approval, the two six-year-olds went on to test the other's complete physical limits in Taijutsu, making the Chunin sweat just watching them and their classmates either fear or adore them for their prowess. After about a half-hour the Sensei called the match at a tie and went along with the next match, though he was obviously a bit shaken at the thought of Ayane and Itachi's spar. Smirking at the other for a job well done, the best friends watched in pity as the rest of their classmates tried, and failed, to out-do them.
Maybe this wouldn't be so boring after all.
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"But mom! Why can't I graduate with Itachi!? I'm just as good as he is and he's graduating already!" a seven-year-old Ayane pleaded with her mother. "Because you are the future of the Tori Clan! Just because you are just as good as someone who is graduating does not mean that you are ready!" the Head of the Tori Clan was angry with her daughter, though Aya wasn't planning on backing down. "Sensei gave me the okay to graduate with Itachi next month mom! Sensei approves it! And so does the Hokage! So why won't you let me graduate!?" Aya was nearly in tears as she tried in vain to persuade her mother to let her graduate early. "I said no and that is FINAL young lady! Now get out of my sight! I'm so mad at you right now I could throw you out the window myself!" Lady Tori screeched at the top of her lungs. "I HATE YOU! IF FATHER WERE HERE HE WOULD HAVE LET ME GRADUATE!" Ayane's screech was louder, and it struck her mother's heart to the core, freezing her in shock as her daughter raced from the house in tears of anger and sorrow.
Aya raced away from her home, away from the clan, and away from the birds that called to her. She didn't want to see anyone right now. She ran out of the village to her special spot in the forest, it was the same spot that she had met Itachi two years ago, so it meant a lot to her. "Aya? Are you alright?" Itachi walked into the clearing to find his best friend in the center crying her eyes out. "M-mom won't let me gr-aduate w-with you." Ayane tried and failed to hide her tears from her best friend, wanting to sound tough like him. Itachi didn't say anything as he walked over to his friend and sat down beside her, pulling her into a hug and letting her cry on him. "It's alright Aya even if we don't graduate together you will always be my best friend." Itachi whispered in her hair once the girl had calmed down a little. "Y-you mean that 'Tachi?" watery blue eyes looked into calm onyx eyes for the truth. "Of course, we'll be best friends forever Aya." Itachi gave her a warm smile as Ayane gave him a grateful hug.
After a good five minutes Itachi invited Ayane over to his house, knowing that she and his two-year-old brother Sasuke loved to play together with Itachi. The best friends walked to the Uchiha residence hand-in-hand, knowing that no matter what, nothing would ever overpower their friendship.
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Aya had been sitting in the middle of the clearing for a good half-hour waiting for Itachi, hoping that he was back from his mission with his AMBU Squad and would swing by their spot. It had been five years since he graduated the Academy, and he had kept to his word about always being best friends with Aya so she wanted to tell him that she was going to the Sand with her squad to take the Chunin Exams. Since it would take a while to get to the Hidden Village of the Sand, Aya's sensei decided that the squad would leave the next day, much to the boy's disagreement. Ayane didn't really care, she just wanted to catch up to her best friend, and she wanted to be able to keep up with Itachi. "You haven't been waiting long I hope?" Aya smiled when she heard the Uchiha enter their clearing, still in his AMBU uniform.
"Not at all 'Tachi!" the thirteen-year-old redhead smiled as she hugged her best friend for eight years. After sharing their hug, the friends sat down in silence, enjoying the other's company. "I'm leaving for the Chunin Exams with my team tomorrow. We have to travel to the Sand Village and I don't know how long it will take so I won't be able to see you for a while." Aya stated quietly, not looking at Itachi for fear of what he might say. "That's great Aya! Congratulations, you're becoming a Chunin faster than I did." Itachi's compliment made the redhead blush in embarrassment. "T-thanks 'Tachi. So, how was your mission? Or can you tell me anything?" the blush was gone in an instant as Ayane spoke of Itachi's mission, bringing a smile to his face as he began to talk about it.
The best friends sat in their clearing for an hour before two smaller figures crashed through the bushes and ran at them, tackling both teens from behind with a laugh. "Brother! Sister! We missed you today!" seven-year-old Sasuke Uchiha and Miyuki Tori grinned as the pair laughed. "I missed you guys too, Sasu, Yuki! How was school?" Aya ruffled the chibis' hair as she and Itachi got back to their sitting positions. While Sasuke and Miyuki talked about this annoying blonde boy in their class, Aya and Itachi acted like they were paying attention, yet they were actually thinking about how nice it felt to be so close to the other. Once it started to get dark, the group got up to leave, Sasuke and Miyuki challenging their elder siblings to a race to see who could get home faster. When they were out of sight, Itachi looked at Aya, who had a soft smile on her face.
"You're going to do fine Aya, you're going to come back a Chunin before you know it." Itachi smiled at his friend. "I know, I just don't want to be away for very long." the redhead sighed, closing her eyes in defeat. Getting his confidence together, Itachi cupped Aya's chin and kissed her lightly. "I promise you that we will be together forever. You are the first girl that I have ever loved, Ayane." Itachi murmured against the girl's lips before he disappeared, leaving her alone in their clearing. Blushing like mad, Aya put her fingertips to her lips in amazement; she had liked Itachi for a long time, but never in her wildest dreams did she think that he would feel the same. After standing in the clearing for another minute, the redhead smiled and dashed home after her little sister with a smile on her face.
Itachi would be here when she got back, then everything would be alright.
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To say that Ayane was torn, upset, and angry wouldn't even be a complete understatement.
Itachi broke his promise.
He wasn't there when she returned.
He wasn't there to hear that she was the only one to become a Chunin.
He wasn't there to tell her he loved her again.
He wasn't there to hold her.
He wasn't there to take care of Sasuke and Miyuki with her.
He wasn't there to laugh with.
He wasn't there.
Itachi wasn't there.