One-Shot ----- My Shinobi Way ----- Naruto Uzumaki

"Don't you fucking dare talk to me like you know what I've been through, Tsunade-sama!" I yelled to the Hokage in front of me; my vibrant green eyes glaring at her with so much hatred. I swiftly turned aroung, my long pitch black hair twirled with my movements, as I headed for the large double doors. "Stephany-chan, wait!" Tsunade exclaimed in anger, standing up from her chair and slamming her fists on her desk. I stood at the door frame already half-way out.

I clentched my fists and my fists were shaking lightly. "Why? Why should I wait? You wanted me to have that mission. Then fine, I will take it. I sure hope you already know the bloody outcome, Hokage-sama." I hissed through gritted teeth. I walked out of her office and slamming the doors shut in the process. Tsunade slid back down into her chair, hands covering her face as some of her blonde locks fell over her hands. "Dear Kami-sama, please help her see...she's not alone." Tsunade muttered as a tear ran down her cheek.

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I sighed as I stood in front of Konohagakure's beautiful gates. Gates that help protect Konohagakure from outside enemies, but also gates that confine everyone from the true world; the cruel and bloody world. I stay in my spot in front of the gates just waiting. I didn't know what I was waiting for or who I was waiting for, but my mind told me it best to wait. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I've waited long enough..." I whispered to myself as I slowly opened my eyes. I was just about to take a step forward when I heard a voice yell my name. "Stephany-chan! Wait up!" The Kyuubi carrier yelled again as he ran up to me. I turned around to face him with my trademark smirk. "Me?...Wait?" I asked him, pointing to myself in mock confusion. The Kyuubi carrier looked at me, then at my attire and his vibrant blue eyes saddened at my ANBU uniform. "You accepted the mission too." His normally happy-go-lucky attitude vanished. I noticed him wearing his ANBU uniform as well, his fox ANBU mask tied at his waist for now. "Is that how you treat your superior, Naruto-kohai?" I joked, trying to get his attitude I knew best back. And yes, I am his superior. The red ribbon tied on an inch below my ANBU tattoo proved it, I am the captain of the black ops team 7.

"iie..." He shook his head and smiled softly. "It's how I treat a friend."

I don't know why, but his words they echoed in my head and stay in my mind. I guess that's no surprise for me though, he's always had an affect on everyone he meets. I took my dragon ANBU mask from my hip and put it on. "You ready for this?" I asked him as he put his mask on as well. "Never been more ready." Naruto said in a serious tone. I nodded knowingly and we were off, jumping branch to branch, to our mission destination. I looked at Naruto from the corner of my eyes and feel a sharp pain in my chest. I gritted my teeth and showed no signs of the pain. "I don't know what this emotion is, but a shinobi must never show emotion on a mission." I whispered inaudibly to myself, warning myself about the possililities of failure if I slipped up.

"Naruto-kohai, you do know the risk of this mission?" I asked him as I slowed a bit for him to catch up with me. "Hai, Stephany-chan. I know, I know." He replied as he stayed by my side from then on. "But do you understand it?" I inquired. "iie..." Naruto muttered, not knowing if he wanted to or not. I didn't give him a choice. "It means...One of us is going to be staying in Kumogakure no Sato Village Hidden Amoung the Clouds." I stated, my voice void of any emotion.

For the rest of the travel, it was complete silence.

"Stephany-chan, let's rest. You'll need your sleep to prepare yourself for tomorrow. I'll take first watch." Naruto said as we stopped in a small clearing near a river. It was now about nine'o'clock at night. "Hai, Naruto-kohai. Arigatou." I replied gratefully as I sat against a tree. I looked up at the moon and sighed. "It's a full moon, Naruto-kohai." I turned to look at him as he looked up from the campfire he started. "Just like last time, ne?" "Hai, just like last time." Naruto said with sadden eyes. I grinned though it couldn't be seen. "Lighten up, Naruto-kohai. It wasn't that tramatizing, ne? I mean, he did come back after all." I said, knowing I must have hurt him by making him remember that day. "Hai, you're right. You're right like always." Naruto stated before attending to the fire. "Gomen, Naruto-kohai. Gomen." I whispered solemly as I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.

----------------------- Dream ----------------------

I open my eyes to see nothing but black around me. I was lying in a circle of light, anything outside this circle of light I couldn't see. I stood up suspiciously as I kept my guard up for any form of attack. When I stood and tried to take a step forward, I was abruptly yanked back. I looked down to see what yanked me and found out there were shackles on my ankles. I growled in displeasure of having this cold metel on me.

"Now, now, resistance is futile Stephany Hatake...or shall I say, sister..." An icy, drone voice said, hissing when saying 'sister'. I whipped my head back up with widened eyes as I came face to face with a guy four years older than me, red eyes boring into my green ones. After reconizing who it was, my widened eyes turned into a fearsome glare. "What do you want, nii-san? You want to kill me too, seeing you finally noticed you haven't?!" I said then yelled, hate dripping off of every word. I regreted my words immediately seeing the pained look apon his pale face. My eyes softened and my hands lifted to his face. "Oh...Ita-kun...I'm so sorry... I ...I didn't mean it that way..." He caught my hands just before they touched his face and hugged me tightly. "Steph-chan...please forgive me." He whispered as he slid to his knees, still hugging me. I could feel his tears against my clothes. It saddened me greatly to see my brother like this, it pained my so much even when he killed our clan I never hated him. If he hadn't killed the clan, I would have. In his grasp, I knelt down so I was at his level and hugged him gently with care, something he never got from our mother. "You need not to be sorry, Ita-kun...because, because if you didn't do it, I definately would have." I confessed to him.

He didn't know but, just like him, I too was a prodigy child. I had mastered the Sharingan the exact same day he did, though unlike him I wasn't praised for it. I was shunned for it; female Uchihas are not supposed to be able to master the Sharingan fully at all and to master it at such an incredibly young age was proven disastrous for me. I was hated by my parents for it and the other clan memebers,. If he hadn't killed them I would have been killed by my own father or even worse exiled, to be left forgotten forever.

He pulled back slightly and looked at me, tears falling freely down his cheeks. "Hai, Ita-kun. I'm serious about that. I would have killed them if you had not. Please, do not shun me away for admitting it. You may regret killing them now, but...I am eternally grateful that you did." I spoke softly and sincerely as I too began to cry. "But...why? Why, Steph-chan? Tell me...tell me, why." He asked me between in-takes of breath. "You need not to know, Itachi. It is longer over now, no reason in reminiscing in hate-filled memories." I said solemly, I wished not to relive the pain by telling him or even showing him. "No matter what you choose to do now, Ita-kun, always remember I'll always love you. I'll stop loving you as my brother the day after eternity." I said kindly and full of love as I kissed my brothers forehead and faded out. His was not the only one who obtained the Mangekyou Sharingan.

...Thank you, Stephany-chan, thank you for everything you've done for me...

------------------ End Dream ----------------

No...thank you, Ita-kun... "Stephany-chan...thank Kami." Naruto sighed in relief as I opened my eyes to see him sitting next to me, ANBU mask off. I looked at Naruto in confusion. "I...I thought Itachi...I thought I heard him here, talking with...with you?" Naruto muttered, seeing my confused look. A soft smile came across my lips. So you actually came, huh, Ita-kun? You really sought to find me, I guess it is my fault it took you so long. I'm sorry, but I had to hide them... "iie...Naruto-kun, he wasn't here, I was only talking in my sleep." I spoke kindly. "Naruto-kun?" He asked dumb-founded. I looked into his vibrant blue orbs and nodded. "Hai, Is that not how I am to address a friend?" I stated and he grinned widely.

"But...Naruto-kun...I have a confession to make..." I muttered as I looked away from his blue orbs and to my hands that lay neatly on my lap. I took his silence as a signal to continue. "The Stephany you know... was all just a lie. A lie to hide my true identity." I stated and managed to look at him to see his reaction. Naruto had a serious look on his face, he didn't have any sign of hate nor rejection in his eyes and I sigh inwardly in relief. "You see, Naruto-kun, I am of the Uchiha Clan and...and Sasuke's older sister. I am not the same age as you and he is, the age I told you all. I am three years older than you nd the color of my eyes are not my true eye color." I took off my ANBU mask, still looking at Naruto. My vibrant green eyes slowly changed color; to onyx black and then the Mangekyou Sharingan. Naruto's eyes widen in shock and slight fear. "You...you have-" "Hai, I have the forbidden Mangekyou Sharingan. Just. Like. My. Older. Brother." I finished for him. I apologize to you, Naruto-kun, for what I am about to do...

I closed my eyes, then reopened them. I had activated one of the three ablilities the Mangekyou Sharingan could do, the genjutsu called Tsukuyomi. I had entrapted Naruto in an illusion of my choice. "I hope you can forgive me, Naruto-kun. But I must go after Ita-kun, he needs me. Someone to take care for him in this harsh judgemental illusion we call reality." I whispered to him

-----------Naruto's Illusion-----------

"Where, where...am I?" Naruto asked after seeing he was in a field of white roses. "That is not important right now, Naruto-kun." Naruto spun around after hearing my sweet, lullaby-ic voice behind him. "Steph-" "Sssshhh" I whispered as I pressed an index finger against his lips. "Naruto-kun...I have another confession." I muttered and he nodded his head to show his was listening. I let my finger and hand fall from his face and back to my side.

"Naruto-kun...I...I love you...I always have. I-I just never realized I had this emotion until...now." I whispered softly to him before I pressed my soft, rosy lips against his. My eyes were closed and so was his as he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed back. I am truely sorry Naruto-kun...but I must do this...for my sake, I must.

I slowly faded from the illusion, leaving a dazed Naruto in a field of lovely white roses.

--------------------End Naruto's Illusion-----------------

"I hope you can forgive me, Naruto-kun. But I must go after Ita-kun, he needs me. Someone to take care for him in this harsh judgemental illusion we call reality." I whispered to his unconscious form before I kissed his lips and left him there. I headed north-east, never taking a look back at Naruto, fearing I just might go back if I do. "I told you, Naruto-kun, one of us will be staying in Kumogakure no Sato." I whispered, though knowing he couldn't hear me, I was already too far away.

Our mission Tsunade-sama gave us...our mission was to find and kill Itachi Uchiha. But I, on the other hand had promise myself long ago to never harm the only real brother I have. Sure, Sasuke is my brother to, but he shunned me away just like everyone else in my family...Forgive Tsunade-sama, but this is my nindo...my shinobi way...