Prologue
Long ago
When the world was young
There lived ten beasts
Bound by none
They lived peacefully
And happily
But one day
They were leashed
And so did much suffering begin
XXXXX
Three years. It was only two words, but to live it was very long indeed. As much as he hated it, Itachi was forced to wait. His heart boiled, anxious and uneasy.
Every day dragged, feeling like an eternity. Missions went well, Itachi and his colleagues being given them far more frequently than they had been in the past. New members joined; some for personal interests, others for philosophical ones, and a few sick individuals for more…base desires. It didn't matter though, because the leader always said the same thing to every new recruit:
"Come with me, and I shall grant you your deepest desire."
Where was his though? Seven years Itachi had been with them and his wish, simple as it was, still lay unfulfilled. Even after the first Beast fell to Hidan and Kakuzu and the second to Shuu and Zetsu. Their plans had been moving forward quicker than ever. And yet Itachi's own stood still. He waited. And then, one day, they were called once more.
"Fuck, the hell's the boss doing callin' us up outta the blue like this?" Hidan dejectedly sharpened that imposing scythe of his.
"Oh shut it, hm. You probably weren't doing anything worthwhile anyway, hm."
"Don't test me, you little shit!"
The air crackled with enmity, Deidara's hand straying to his pouch. Itachi sighed. Meeting like this in person was always so problematic. Something heavy slammed into the floor, the ground cracking.
"Enough, the both of you." The perpetrator said, her voice echoing. "As much as I'd like to stretch my legs, I prefer it not be because of men dealing with their testosterone issues."
"Seconded, there are other matters at hand."
That low, throaty growl emanated from the middle of the dark room. Eyes, solemnly burning, cut into everyone who saw them. The meeting had begun.
"I believe you two have been doing most of the legwork lately." The leader glanced to the right to a pair of silhouettes. "What have you found?"
"The Nine-Tails boy is returning home. He was at Miikedo Pass last we heard." The voice was light and airy, unsettlingly deliberate.
"And the others?"
"The Two and Seven are still eluding us. As for Eight…"
"Yes, he will be most troublesome. What about Six and Five?" Those piercing eyes glanced above.
"We know Six's identity, but they're refusing to stay in one spot for long." This voice was irritated, Itachi practically hearing her nibbling her nails. "As for Five, they dropped off the face of the world after we tracked them for two weeks. I'm still trying to figure that out."
"So five positively identified and two remain enigmas. It is progress."
"But is it enough?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence he had held up until now.
Red met violet. This was not the first time they had done this.
"Itachi, we have been over this. You will get what you want."
Always the same reassurance from him; how utterly tedious, Itachi thought.
"As for the situation, I believe we have enough information to act accordingly. Sasori, Deidara, Shuu, you will lead the next operation. Kisame, Itachi, you are on backup should it be needed."
"Hehehe, I was waiting for ya to say that, hm. It's been awhile since Master Sasori and I got to compare styles, hm."
"You'd better have learned a few new tricks, Deidara."
"A good artist always does, hm. I'll give ya the show of a lifetime."
That anxiety inside Itachi was building, though now for completely different reasons. For the first time in three years the world felt like it was moving again.
"Itachi."
Those words stopped him just as he was going to leave. Once again he looked into his superior's eyes, the only things in the world that could unsettle him. Just the two of them now, left alone in the underground chamber. Whenever the leader wanted someone's attention it was important.
"Yes, sir?"
"How are your eyes?"
"Fine. I've not been in a situation where the Sankishin are necessary for quite some time."
"Good. We need you and he Sharingan for our plans. Don't let them go to waste, especially on your little…projects."
He couldn't miss that tone of contempt in the leader's voice.
"Sir, I believe we had a deal."
"And we still do, Itachi. But, we are both obligated to fulfill our ends of it. And yours is quite the special case."
"What do you want me to say, Pain-san?"
"I need your word that your actions and your desires will not interfere with the goal of Akatsuki."
"Interfere?" Pain dared to ask that of Itachi? He who slaughtered his own clan to prove his worth? Who risked his life time and time again for the Akatsuki? How many times had he proven his loyalty, his conviction? And he was the one being asked this?
Itachi glared slightly, tempted to use his Mangekyou for the first time in months. No, he had to tolerate it. After all, this was his only way, his only avenue to achieve his wish. He reverted his eyes to their natural, black state. And he gave Pain what he wanted to hear.
"No, Pain-san, they will not."
"And should your brother interfere…?"
Sasuke, always so problematic. The brother he spared, the one he set on the path years ago. The one-in-a-thousand chance of him and the Kyuubi boy being so intricately connected. He saw what Pain was asking about. The most difficult of choices, one he must make now. If Sasuke were to become a problem…
"Then I shall make him beg for death."
XXXXX
Post chapter notes: So, a lot of you are probably thinking "what the hell is this?" Well, like many people who got into manga over the past decade, one of the first I really got invested in was Naruto. And, like a lot of people who got invested,…I just kinda stopped reading after awhile. However, the recent ending to the series and the release of the final movie has gotten me interested again because another thing Naruto got me into was writing. About ten years ago I made one of my first fanfiction in the form of "Nindo" about where I thought the series was going (at the time of beginning it the series was in the middle of the Rescue Sasuke arc). I never finished it, perhaps due to things coming up or just interest dwindling. I wish I still had the old manuscripts and drafts (having lost them with switching computers over the years) because there were some things in it I found intriguing when comparing it to how the series went canonically (I might bring up a thing or two in author's notes when I find it relevant to talk about).
So, anyway, this is essentially my attempt at doing a remake of that story I left unfinished. There will be a LOT of breaks from canon; there will be a lot of threads either changed or dropped and new ones brought up. New characters will be introduced, old ones might be dropped (though I will try to incorporate as many of the established cast as I can) and established ones might have different arcs and or characterization. As for structure, this will be done on a sort of series basis. Sirocco is essentially the first volume of a light novel series or the first season of a TV show. When this is done a sequel will pop up and we'll continue the funsies. So, with all that out of the way, I welcome you to my series, Nindo.