Hello, here I am with a new story. There are just a few things I feel the need to point out first: this story was written in a time when I didn't yet like Itachi, which is why he's the 'evil guy' here, also some details of the timeline and the identities of Naruto's parents hadn't yet been revealed; while the second I've been able to mostly sort it out, the first I chose not to arrange it, for it wouldn't complicate things a bit too much (so if you feel I'm not following the timeline, that's because I'm really not, sorry). This is technically an AU anyway, the story will go a different direction from cannon starting at the very first scene mentioned in the chapter, and though I will bring up some things from cannon in the future, I'll mostly stir this in a completely new direction.
This story is mostly finished already, so the updates will depend entirely on the reviews, I just have a few more details to sort out: like making this a NaruSaku or a SasuSaku...oh, and there's another couple, but that's decided already.
Hope ou'll like this!
Izuki
By: Lalaith Quetzalli.
Disclaimer: I do not own nor the story nor the characters of Naruto (I honestly don't remember the name of its mangaka). This story is mine and it changes the events of the anime from the chapter where Itachi and Sasuke meet again on. Hope you like it.
Chapter 1.- Destiny meeting.
"Stupid little brother…"
That same phrase rang again and again in his ears, as his body tried to endure the continuous kicks and punches; but it wasn't easy, his attacker was older, bigger, stronger and much more evil than him, and the mental torment to which he had just been submitted just made things worse.
Behind Itachi stood his follower and beyond him Naruto, Jiraiya, and one of his toads; all unmoving, not knowing what to do to help Sasuke.
"You're weak." Itachi told Sasuke on the ear. "And you wanna know why? Because you're missing…hate."
There was venom spilling from his words, leaking from Itachi's mouth and into his little brother, the one who had admired him so much; his older brother, his example to follow, his hero and…the one who had destroyed his family.
Itachi laughed at the useless attempts of Sasuke to break free and attack. Feeling he'd already won this fight Itachi prepared to give his already semi-unconscious brother one last punch.
But just before his hand reached Sasuke's gut, another hand got in the way.
The hand was white, it belonged to a female figure currently standing next to Sasuke and Itachi; she looked in her twenties, her skin was a porcelain white, her eyes a deep blue, almost purple, her clothes consisted on black tight-pants, a dark blue sleeveless blouse with a high neck and a thin navy-blue rim, bandages around her ankles and wrists, and her shoes were those of a ninja; her hair was a shiny black, long to her waist, pulled back in two braids, her forelocks were a dark purple, curled on the tips and reached only to her shoulders.
"Who the hell are you?!" Itachi's follower yelled, as he tried to hit the newcomer with his big sword, Samehada.
But the woman just raised her free hand, it emitted a sudden glow, and a second later the other ninja crashed into the wall, more stunned than injured.
"Don't get into this!" she hissed. "This is between Itachi-san and me."
"I can't believe you're here." Itachi finally said, giving a step back. "You finally tired of running away?"
"That's out of the topic." She replied. "I once told you I would make you pay if you dared touch Sasuke-kun."
"He began it all." Itachi said as an excuse. "He tried to attack me, but of course he's so weak." He turned to look at his brother laying now completely unconscious on the ground. "I wonder what he has been doing all these years, nothing worthy of course."
"And you believe what you've been doing is worthy?" she was being sarcastic of course. "You believe killing and destroying is more worthy than studying and giving his best to become a good ninja."
"What may you know about what being a ninja is? After all, you were the one who ran away so long ago."
"At least I wasn't the one who killed all the clan before deciding to get away."
"It was all done with a specific purpose."
"Shut up! You and your specific purposes are nothing but b******t! What purpose can there be in destroying not only a clan but those who once called you a family, who said you were their pride?"
"The Clan, the clan, the clan, it's always about the clan. I'm tired of being considered nothing but a part of the clan."
"That's no excuse to kill them all!"
"You know, we could go on arguing this forever, and it would still be useless, our opinions will never be the same."
"No, you've changed too much."
"I've turned into the best ninja ever."
"You've turned into an assassin."
"I have forgiven your life twice already, there won't be a third. Get in my way again and I'll kill you."
"Would you truly?"
"I killed father and mother, of course I will kill you."
"Then heed my advice too. Because if you do as much as even trying to hurt Sasuke-kun, I will forget I ever called you family, that I ever respected you, you'll die by my hand."
"You wouldn't dare…"
"Don't try me. You aren't the only one who changed in these years. And even if it pains me so, if you just try to harm Sasuke-kun…you will die."
There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted a few seconds before Itachi turned around and left the place, without uttering a single word the other criminal followed him.
After a few seconds of wait to make sure they were truly gone the woman dropped to her knees next to Sasuke, her expression changed from one of fight to one of concern.
"Sasuke, Sasuke-kun listen to me, wake up please." She called.
"Who are you?" Jiraiya asked approaching her slowly.
"There's no time for that." The woman replied. "Sasuke-kun is in a delicate state."
"Is he gonna be alright?" Naruto asked worriedly.
The woman looked at him for a moment; her eyes reflected something, as if she knew something about Naruto.
"I'm gonna have to use that special jutsu." The woman murmured, more to herself than to those behind her.
"How do we know you will help Sasuke-kun and not hurt him further?" Jiraiya asked.
"Because I would never do such a thing as harming Sasuke-kun." She explained, and there was such a caring tone in her voice that Jiraiya believed her.
And so she began doing a series of seals with her hands, preparing herself to do whatever she was planning on doing to help Sasuke.
"Oh, and, my sensei is coming." The woman added. She made a last seal over her forehead, then touched Sasuke's and said: "Risei Kaihou!"
The chakra seemed to concentrate in her forehead, and then project into Sasuke's head; it lasted just for a second before the woman fell unconscious, half of her body over Sasuke.
"Nani?" Naruto was confused, what had just happened?
Jiraiya was in no better situation.
And it all seemed to complicate even more when another woman entered the scene: dressed in dark green short pants, a blouse that showed more cleavage than would be recommended, and an open green tunic; with amber eyes and blonde hair pulled back in two pigtails.
"Tsunade-san?!" Jiraiya cried out.
.---.
A couple of hours had passed since the incident with Itachi. Sasuke was laying in a bed, his wounds had already been treated and he was sleeping. Naruto was sitting in a chair next to him, turning to the window every couple of minutes, as if expecting that other ninja, Itachi, to come back to kill Sasuke. In the bed next to Sasuke laid the other woman, the one who had saved Sasuke, she was being treated by Tsunade and another woman with short chocolate brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in a white shirt, dark pants and tunic.
"What happened to her?" Jiraiya asked, standing between the beds, watching everything.
"She's drained out of chakra, and I believe she somehow got a mental injury." Tsunade explained as she analyzed the woman's state. "Was she attacked?"
"Iie." Jiraiya shook his head for extra emphasis. "She wasn't attacked, neither physically nor in any way."
"Maybe it had to do with that jutsu she did." Naruto suggested.
"Jutsu?" Shizune asked.
"Exactly what jutsu did she use?" Tsunade asked, almost fearing the answer.
"I believe she said something like Mental Reveal…" Naruto began.
"No, it wasn't reveal, it was release." Jiraiya corrected. "She said 'Mind Release'."
"Damn it!" Tsunade cursed.
Jiraiya saw how she began concentrating a green chakra in her hands and projecting it into the unconscious woman's head.
"What is it?" Jiraiya asked. "Tsunade-san, what does that jutsu means?"
"It means that I have almost nothing to do." Tsunade replied. "Any harm she may have acquired by using that jutsu, there's nothing I can do to heal it."
"A wound you can't heal?" Jiraiya asked, not believing it. "It's impossible."
"No, it isn't." Tsunade said, she turned to the unconscious woman. "Damn it, why did you have to use that jutsu?"
"She called you sensei, right before doing that jutsu." Jiraiya remembered. "I didn't know you had taken a student."
"She's been my student for a very long time." Tsunade said, giving little importance to the comment. "Although this last year she's been working on her own techniques, most of them truly wonderful, although some of the last ones she made I don't know what consequences they may have."
"You don't know of the consequences of this one?" Jiraiya guessed.
"Iie, I do." Tsunade replied. "She explained this technique to me once. She even told me she had created specifically to counterattack one of Uchiha Itachi's. But as she never tried it before, not even she knew what the consequences might be."
Silence reigned for a couple of minutes.
"Anyway, why are you here Jiraiya-san?" Tsunade asked, sitting on a chair. "Accompanied by two genins of the Secret Village of Konoha, one of them the last member of the Uchiha Clan."
"I came here with Naruto on a mission." Jiraiya explained. "Sasuke arrived here afterwards. I believe he somehow found out Itachi was looking for Naruto."
Tsunade just nodded, Jiraiya guessed she already knew Naruto had the kyuubi and that's why the Akatsuki was looking for him; or she just didn't care.
"Your student seemed to know where to find us." Jiraiya said.
"Yes, she's quite talented at finding other people." Tsunade said, it was obvious she didn't wish to go into details. "And, what was that mission? It must be good, to bring you out of your solitude and in the company of a kid."
"I've taken Naruto as my student." Jiraiya explained.
"As teacher as student." Tsunade said sarcastically.
"What are you insinuating?" Jiraiya asked raising a brow.
"I insinuate nothing, I say the things directly." Tsunade replied.
Shizune just watched their exchange in silence, fearing a possible fight between the two. But, surprisingly enough, Tsunade returned her full attention to the woman in the bed and ignored Jiraiya completely.
"What mission brought you here Jiraiya-sama?" Shizune asked.
"I came looking for Tsunade-san in fact." Jiraiya said. "You probably do not know, but Konoha was attacked recently."
"I do know." Tsunade said.
This surprised Jiraiya a bit.
"News travel fast." Tsunade said as an excuse. "But what does that attack has to do with me?"
"Orochimaru killed the Sandaime." Jiraiya blurted out.
"What?!" both Tsunade and Shizune cried out in shock.
"It cannot be, are you sure?" Tsunade asked.
"I am sure!" Naruto cried out standing up. "I truly don't know who the hell that Orochimaru is, but he attacked us during the Chunin exam, and then in the finals, I've been told he was behind the treason of those from the Sand Village."
"That's just like him." Tsunade said sitting down again. "Making others work for his purposes while he stands back and looks."
"You think Orochimaru-sama is looking for Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.
"That may be, but I'm not sure." Jiraiya admitted. "What brings me here is something related more with Konoha."
Naruto would later admit he was rather surprised to see Jiraiya, or like he called him Ero-sennin (perverted hermit) acting so seriously for the first time since he had met him.
"The mission that brought me here is that the Konoha Council has voted on you to be the fifth." Jiraiya finally said.
"Nani?!" This time Tsunade and Shizune were the ones in shock.
"Ero-sennin!" Naruto yelled. "You never told me you were looking for a new Hokage! And you pretend this woman to become a Hokage?! No way!!"
"You doubt my abilities?!" Tsunade yelled angrily at him.
"You should not doubt Tsunade-sama's abilities." Shizune said, trying to calm down the two of them. "After all, she is one of the Densetsu Sannins."
"You cannot become Hokage." Naruto insisted.
"Wanna test me?" Tsunade dared him. "Lets go outside."
"Fine with me." Naruto said mad.
"Fine."
They were about to jump out the window when a voice interrupted them…
"Matte…"
Tsunade forgot everything about Naruto in a second, as she turned to the just-awoken woman in the bed.
Shizune was already checking her vital signs.
"I'm fine Shizune-san." The woman assured. "Just a bit weak."
"Wanna explain me why you used that Jutsu when you knew the risks?" Tsunade asked.
"Precisely because of that." The woman replied. "I knew the risks of doing that technique, as I knew the risks of not doing it and letting Sasuke-kun endure the consequences of what Itachi-san did to him."
"You'll never change." Tsunade said with a sigh.
"Excuse me, who are you?" Jiraiya asked.
"My name is Hirome." The woman replied. "I'm Tsunade-sama's student."
"You're an Uchiha?" Naruto asked.
This question brought great shock to everyone.
"I believe I heard something you said while arguing whit Sasuke-kun's brother." Naruto explained. "You talked about calling him family."
"Hai." Hirome nodded. "I once called him family, but that was a very long time ago, when I was considered as a part of the Uchiha Clan; before I left Konoha with Tsunade-sensei." She turned to the bed next to her. "Sasuke…"
"He's alright." Tsunade assured him. "Thanks to you if I may add. He must be able to wake up in a day, or two at the most."
"Good." Hirome smiled and laid back in some cushions. "I know about you Jiraiya-sama, but I'm afraid I don't know who you are." She turned to Naruto.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, a ninja from Konoha, and the future Hokage."
"Just a stupid person would want to be Hokage." Tsunade said icily.
"I'm not stupid!" Naruto yelled. "Becoming a Hokage is my dream! I'll become Hokage one day, and everyone will recognize my power!"
It seemed that Tsunade was about to retort when Hirome spoke:
"That dream will truly be a difficult one to achieve Naruto-san." Hirome said. "But I don't doubt that if you give your all, you will achieve it one day."
"Hirome-san, don't give him false illusions." Tsunade said.
"They aren't false illusions Tsunade-sensei." Hirome replied. "It's wonderful to have dreams, to wish to do something with your life; something that gives you a reason for living. And that dream in particular, this isn't the first time you hear someone saying it."
"Don't bring that up now." Tsunade said coldly.
"Please Tsunade-sensei, if you don't do it for us, do it for them then." Hirome pleaded. "In their memory, in their honor."
With the last words Jiraiya finally understood of who they were talking about: Nawaki, Tsunade's little brother, and Dan, Tsunade's boyfriend; they both died a long time before, when Konoha was still in constant war.
"I agree with Hirome-san." Shizune said. "You must remember Tsunade-sama, you are the granddaughter of the first, he wished to help protect Konoha; now Konoha needs you to protect it."
Tsunade stood in silent, she definitely didn't like when Shizune and Hirome agreed on something against her.
"No matter what you decide I will go to Konoha." Hirome said seriously.
This seemed to truly surprise Tsunade.
"I cannot run away from the past forever." Hirome said, more to herself than to those around her. "This was due to happen one day. It is time for me to confront everything I ran away from six years ago." She sighed watching Sasuke again. "For the memory of those I loved, for me, and for…Sasuke…"
Naruto noticed there was something strange in her way of referring to Sasuke, not something bad but strange nonetheless; but he preferred not to mention it.
"Fine." Tsunade said after a while in silence. "We are going to Konoha first thing tomorrow morning."
"Arigato Tsunade-sensei." Hirome said with a sweet smile.
"Hai, hai." Tsunade nodded. "Now go to sleep, you need to rest before we travel."
Hirome nodded and got under the covers again; laying on her side, looking right at the sleeping Sasuke, she smiled before she closed her eyes, drifting into sleep.