On top of a cliff, a large wolf stood, sniffing the air and observing the land below him.
"I can smell two people within that forest", he said. "One of them is him". His low voice echoed slightly, his black fur glistened in the soft sunlight and his Sharigan eyes glowed like those of a demon.
"Good, Apaku. Follow the scent. Who else is there?" a girl replied, who was sitting on his back. Her long ebony hair danced in the wind and her fringe covered some of her forehead protector. Her bright blue eyes sparkled like sapphires in the bright sunlight. Her hood created a shadow which hid her face and she wore the forehead protector of Konoha, the hidden leaf village. She wore a black fur cloak with the hood down, and a short tunic that was a dark navy, with a red sash along her waste. Her forearms were covered in bandages and her kunaiwas sitting in a satchel on her right side, meaning she was a rare left handed ninja.
"Hmm… Tobi, they call him", Apaku said, baring his teeth.
"Keep him distracted, I'll go for Itachi". He leapt down from the cliff and into the forest. The girl smiled under her mask and pulled her hood up.
Itachi and Tobi rested in a clearing next to a camp fire. Suddenly Apaku leapt from the trees into the clearing. The girl jumped off and landed in front of Itachi, eyes closed and concealed by the hood, while Apaku held back Tobi.
"It has been a while hasn't it, a few years, maybe seven? Uchiha Itachi", she said, opening her eyes to reveal the Sharingan that glowed in the shadow.
Nani!? Itachi thought. She is part of the Uchiha clan!? But that's impossible. I killed all of them…Itachi stood and thought. She seemed very familiar. Her Sharingan pupil was different, like the one Inuzuka's have.
"Now it is time for you to repay on what you have done", she said, running towards him and forming a seal. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" She shouted, as three shadow clones on each side appeared. All seven of them circled Itachi and drew their kunai's. Itachi then performed the fire breath technique. Only three were caught and disappeared, the others dodged.
"You really think you can defeat me?" Itachi yelled, ready to attack. The mysterious girl then seemed to mirror his every move, including the jutsu's that he used.
How is she doing this? Itachi thought. She knows how to use the Sharingan very well, yet she doesn't seem to be a full Uchiha...
The fight continued on and on. There were many close hits, but neither harmed one another. They were of equal strength, and were very smart. Eventually they stood opposite of each other, fatigued and out of chakra.
Kuso!Itachi thought, as he examined her, trying to remember who she is. We are of same strength. This fight will go on for ages! She seems so familiar...
"Who are you?" Itachi yelled.
"Humph! You really do not know who I am? I'm one of the most well-known ninja! I am Merō Uchiha!" She replied, showing the back of her cloak and removing her hood to reveal her white face.
Nani!? Is it really Merō, my old teammate?Itachi thought, wide-eyed. She has changed a lot. I've heard she's a very strong ninja now. Looks like the word was true.
"We will meet again, and I will get my revenge for what you did to our clan," Merō said. She and Apaku then disappeared into the forest.
"Tobi's eyes didn't deceive him. That was the Merō Uchiha," Tobi said as he stood next to Itachi. "Looks like Itachi has another person who wants to kill him".
"She has changed a lot," Itachi replied, staring into the forest where Merō and Apaku disappeared into. "She was in my team, and she wasn't the popular person. She was always picked on because she was from two clans and looked different. I felt sorry for her, but it seems she has gotten stronger… Very strong."
Itachi couldn't believe it. He graduated from the academy, and he's only six. In the distance, Merō also graduated, but she wasn't happy. She wasn't getting congratulated by her peers. Instead they were teasing her as usual.
"Show-off!" yelled a girl.
"Loser!" A boy yelled.
"Dirty blood!" screamed a group of children. They called her this every day. Itachi sees her train hard every morning and in the afternoon. She seemed to be sick of people pushing her down. Her father wasn't an Uchiha but her mother was. She was accepted as an Uchiha because her blood screams the clans' name. Out of all her peers, Itachi seemed to be the only one who didn't call her anything and didn't push her around.
Later in the day, they sat waiting for their sensei. It was only them in the team. It was an awkward silence. They sat and waited for about an hour, until someone landed in front of them.
"Sorry I was late", she said as she dusted dirt off her Jounin vest. "I only just got the news that I'll be teaching two young grasshoppers. I am Amaya, your sensei. Tell me your names and your dream for the future. We'll start with… You there!" She pointed to Merō.
"I'm Merō Uchiha", she replied, staring down.
"An Uchiha, eh? Go on".
"My dream… Is to become one of the strongest ninja. I want to be a traveller. I want to travel to other villages. I want even the toughest Jounin to fear me when I walk past. I want them to tremble when they hear my name. I want to be known in all the villages!"
"I saw you hesitate when you were fighting", said Apaku. "Why is that?"
"Because... He was the only one out of the people at the academy that didn't put me down", Merō replied. "Despite the fact I hate him for what he has done to the Uchiha's, I still appreciate that he felt sympathy for Me."
"You must let go of that. He killed your clan for such an absurd reason! You must kill him soon!"
"But I overheard that his brother Sasuke also has a grudge against him. I might leave the killing to Sasuke and help myself to make him feel the pain that he put me through of losing the only ones who loved me". As Apaku hopped from tree to tree and Merō rested on his back, Apaku lifted his nose in the air and sniffed.
"Want some ramen, Merō-chan?" Asked Apaku.
"Hm... I do feel a bit hungry. Hai!" Replied Merō, her stomach growling. She grabbed her hood and pulled it up, hiding her face back into the shadows.