Yuyami o Karasu
Naruko sat in the forest, alone after being attacked for the hundredth time it seemed. She cried in pain as she bled onto the soft forest floor. Itachi wasn't far away, contemplating how his family was going to ruin. He heard a noise, and the odd scent of Naruko's blood reached him. He went and found the sunshine-haired girl crying and trying to staunch the flow of blood from a hole in her leg. Her long sun like hair was stained with blood from other still bleeding wounds and burns.
"What happened to you?" Itachi asked.
"Ah!' Naruko struggled to her feet and scrambled backwards away from the seeming threat of Itachi.
"No, I won't hurt you." Anger welled in Itachi, obviously, this has happened to the girl before if the sight of him terrorized her. He wanted to find who did this to her and bring them to justice, it wasn't right.
"Are you lying?" she whispered, and looked at him. Itachi finally recognized her, long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, she was Naruko Uzumaki.
"You're Naruko. Why are you hurt?" Itachi asked. He knew that Naruko was the nine-tails Jin-jurriki, but it wasn't the fox hurting her was it?
"The villagers. They hurt me all the time." Naruko whispered. Itachi's anger flared.
"The Villagers did this to you?" he growled
"Yes. All the time, it's always the worst on my birthday…. It's like they're punishing me for being born." Naruko whispered. Itachi crouched and placed a healing hand over the wound, and an Idea formed in his head.
"Naruko, I am a pacifist. I don't like fighting, but I hate it worse to see a young girl like you hurt for no reason. Do you come here often?"
"Yes." She looked at him confused.
"Come here after school every day, and I'll teach you to defend yourself." Itachi told her.
"Are you serious!?" Naruko becomes her usually thrilled hyperactive self, and jumps on Itachi, hugging him, "Thank you!"
"U hm... you're welcome." Itachi patted her back in confusion, his little brother didn't even show this much affection to him.
"What's your name?"
"Itachi. I am Sasuke's older brother, but you mustn't tell anyone, this will be our secret." Itachi smiled. Naruko looked a little sad,
"I couldn't tell anyone if I wanted to. I don't have any friends." She whispered. Itachi was surprised, this pretty little Kunochi with such a happy optimistic disposition didn't have friends?
"You do now. I'll be your friend." Itachi smiled a little
"Oh thank you Itachi-sensei!" She smiled and hugged him again. Itachi smiled, maybe, this could help him get over his anger at how his family was failing him.
Months passed fast, Naruko grew strong, and soon, she was able to hit most any target in a moment's glance. Itachi felt a little bad, like he should be tutoring his own brother, but then one day, Naruko will meet him covered in blood and gashes from another attack from the village, and He'll remind himself, that Sasuke isn't being beaten within inches of his life every other day.
"Ita, I'm ready for something better!" Naruko whined after taking down another of the straw targets that Itachi had set up for her. They had spent so much time in the woods together, that they knew everything about each other, every physical attribute, every step, they could fight together, and while Itachi would be vastly stronger than her, they could fight as a seamless team.
"Alright… how about I teach you some of my illusions?" Itachi asked. This girl was one of few that could pull a smile from the dark haired teen.
"But I thought you said I had too much Chakra for Illusions?"
"But not mine."Itachi stood in front of her and began speaking, "Most of my illusions, or the good ones include crows. So watch as i weave the illusion, I will not cast it on you, but the point of it is to distract and incapacitate your opponent. It is called Dusk Crow technique." Itachi showed her the seals. She tried it, and failed.
"I cant do it Ita." Naruko groaned.
"Don't give up Naruko, you need to practice. So now that you know the seals, practice. You need to learn how to separate a little amount of Chakra. I know you'll never be able to learn the basic clone for your graduation, so I'll soon teach you a Crow Clone, but that is only if you will learn the Dusk crow." Itachi said, "I am going home, we have a meeting, continue practicing, and I will see you tomorrow." Itachi burst into a flurry of crows and Naruko groaned in exasperation. She sat down cross legged and began to meditate, hoping if she calmed her chakra that it would be easier to manipulate.
Hours later, Naruko woke up in the dark forest. She cursed realizing she fell asleep.
"Now that's not a word for a little girl to use." a thick oily voice spoke behind Naruko. She sprang up and immediately drew the tanto that was strapped to her leg. There was a tall but obscenely over weight man standing over her. He smelled of sweat, stale tobacco, and sake.
"If you leave me alone I wont hurt you." Naruko was surprised to find that her voice did not shake.
"Your no fun." the man leered. His hand shot out and Naruko's tanto was knocked out of her hand with a shrunken, and sent into a tree. Naruko cursed herself for putting herself in this position. The man began to advance on her, but went rigid and fell over unconscious, revealing Itachi behind him.
"Itachi!" Naruko ran up and hugged him, grateful.
"Listen, Naruko, you need to listen to me." Itachi whispered and knelt down so he was face to face with his seven year old student.
"What's wrong with your eyes Ita?" Naruko asked, now afraid, seeing his sharingan was different.
"Nothing, Naruko. I was just given a dangerous mission, and after tonight, i wont be back. I..." Itachi paused and closed his eyes, "I have to kill my family. I will leave Sasuke still."
"Why?" Naruko whispered, her blue eyes wide in astonishment.
"They were planning a coup to kill Hokage Sama and take over Konoha. You must understand this would cause the Fourth Great Shinobi War. I.. I'm telling you because i care, and i don't want my reputation tarnished to you by the village. I am doing what I'm doing because i do care. I will make you a deal though. I will come, every once and a while, to see how you are doing, if you promise to befriend my brother, don't let him become bitter."
"I promise Itachi-sensei." Naruko whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. She was losing her only friend.
"And here, I want you to study these every day," Itachi took a box out of his bag, it was full of scrolls, "it has the crow Clone, Dusk Crow, ephemeral, all my Jutsu that don't require a sharingan. I will take a while for you to learn that. But I just want you to not be hurt anymore." Itachi looked into Naruko's teary eyes then hugged her, "Goodbye, Naruko." Itachi then vanished, a swirl of black feathers raining down on Naruko. The small blonde girl fell to her knees, clutching the box of scrolls, and sobbing for her lost friend,
"Ita...Itachi..."