Apaku made his detour to a restaurant.
"I might go now. It's been a tiring day," said Apaku, yawning.
"Ok. I'll whistle if I need you," Merō replied, as she waved to Apaku. She walked into the building, and noticed an old friend at the back with two students. One was reading through the menu while the other sat quietly.
"I want this one! No wait I want the special!" yelled out Naruto.
"Baka!" replied Sakura as she slapped Naruto across the face. "You are really loud and attracting attention."
"Shizukanishite!" Hissed Kakashi as he lowered his book labelled 'icha icha paradise'. "I am in the middle of a love-"
"Ah, Kakashi-sensei. Still addicted to the icha icha paradise series, I see?" Interrupted Merō as she rested her arm on his head.
"E!" Sakura said, pointing at her. "You are Merō Uchiha!"
"Who's she?" asked Naruto.
"Only one of the most well-known and strongest Jounin around!" Answered Kakashi as he turned around to see Merō sitting down next to him.
"I see these are your pupils", Merō said. "You're Sakura Haruno, eh? I have heard you are the smartest ninja in your age group".
"You know who I am?" Sakura replied.
"Hai. Kakashi told me about you in our letters and you too, Naruto. The one with the Kyuubi sealed within him and a very ambitious man," Merō said, drawing back her hood to reveal her bright blue, Inuzuka eyes and her naturally white skin.
Naruto noticed her long, black pointed nails on her hands, her pointed ears, her mysterious white skin and her empty emotion. He decided not to say anything, and went back to deciding what ramen shall he have.
"E!" Merō yelled. "Spicy ramen is on special! I must have it!"
"Do you like ramen as well?" Naruto asked, jumping out of his seat.
"Hai! Ramen is the best food there is! I would live on it if I could!"
Oh brother, Sakura thought. Not another Naruto...
When their lunch arrived, Naruto payed his attention to Merō. Kakashi sat, laid back on his chair and reading his book. When Merō opened her mouth to eat, she revealed her large wolf-like canines. She then stopped before eating.
"Itadakimasu!" Merō said. Once they began to eat, it fell silent on their table. Kakashi wasn't hungry and continued reading his book.
"Merō", Naruto said, breaking the silence.
"Hai?" Merō replied, eating up noodles.
"What is the story behind your teeth, nails, ears and skin?"
"Hm. Might as well tell you now so I don't forget. Ages ago, when I was about nine years old, I was entered in the Chuunin exams.Unfortunately, in the third exam, my first match was against someone who made me snap. I was alone, and outcasted because I am only half Uchiha and because of my strange white skin. Anyway, all this anger built inside of me, and black chakra began to pour out of my body and engulfed me. I had a beast sealed inside of me since I was born, and I never knew it. I couldn't transform back and my mind was not there. I tore my opponent to shreds, and when my mind returned, I noticed what I did but it was too late. My mother sealed the beast inside me, but killing her in the process. Kakashi taught me afterwards to control my anger so I could use this other source of chakra, and hopefully soon be able to use this demon beast. Luckily I became a Chuunin, though. One day we were out for a week on training in another village, and when I returned after that, at night, Itachi massacred the Uchiha clan, which meant he killed my father. At sixteen, I became a Jounin and I went off traveling. As you know, I am a well-known ninja. I may not be talked about often, but majority of ninja know who I am, and they do fear me."
"Does anyone challenge you in a match?"
"A lot of times, yes, and I have never lost. Some think I should become Hokage, but it's too much work."
"You're so awesome!"
"Arigatou", Merō said, smiling as she finished off her ramen. Once they finished, Merō pulled up her mask and her hood, they paid the bill, and they all set off.
"Kakashi-sensei; Can I tag along with you?" Merō asked, leaning on his shoulder.
"If you would like to, sure. We're heading back to Konoha", Kakashi replied.
"Sounds good enough; let's go!"
It was a couple of hours until the positive atmosphere changed when Merō picked up a familiar scent.
"Nan desu ka?" Sakura asked.
"An Uchiha is nearby," replied Merō, carefully observing the surroundings. "Sasuke. It is pointless to hide up there!" All was silent. "Baka! You can't hide from me!" Merō leapt up into a tree. A few seconds later, Sasuke fell to the ground with Merō alongside him.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.
"Why are you spying on us?" Merō asked sternly.
"Trying to kill you, imposter!" Sasuke yelled, pointing at Merō.
"I'm no imposter!" Merō snapped back.
"There are no survivors of the Uchiha clan! You are Itachi in disguise!"
"Humph. I was on a mission at the Hidden Village of Mist for a week."
"Where's your proof?"
"Here", Kakashi said, breaking the argument and pointing to himself. "Merō was my pupil after her Chuunin exams, and we indeed had a mission for a week, during when the Uchiha massacre occurred. If this was a person in disguise, they wouldn't have a seal on her stomach."
"You had to say that, didn't you?" Merō said, massaging the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "What if he wants to see, now?"
"I don't invade peoples' privacy," Sasuke replied.
"Well, Sasuke, if I was Itachi, I wouldn't say this. I have a grudge against him too. I wanted to kill him for what he has done but I found out you also want to. So I'll be nice. I would like to put him through the pain he put me through, from losing the only two people that loved me. After my sensei, Amaya died, I was alone, and I had no friends or family."
This will result in you killing him!"
"My sensei's specialty was mind techniques. I can put him through pain without physically injuring him."
"Hm. I find that hard to believe."
"Believe what you want to believe, Sasuke. You'll see." Sasuke studied Merō.
She looks serious. Sasuke thought. And she does look very strong. I'd rather not mess with her right now. Sasuke then disappeared.
"Did you really teach that baka,Kakashi-sensei?" Merō asked.
"He isn't a baka!" Sakura snapped.
"He is too obsessed with power. He's forgetting about the other two important things, wisdom and courage. Without wisdom, you can destroy, without courage, power just goes to waste. My sensei told me this before she went missing. It was her last words to me. Well, let's go. We are just standing here playing with our hair!" Kakashi lead them off.
Merō, Itachi and Amaya were resting for the night. They have just completed a mission. Amaya was cleaning and stitching a kunai wound that Itachi had on his back and Merō tended to her own wound on her leg.
"Keep still, Itachi", Amaya snapped. "I am out of chakra, so I have to stitch it".
"Here", Merō got up and used her remaining chakra on Itachi.
"Merō!" Amaya said. "Use it on yourself. I've got it under control."
"His wound is more serious than mine. I can stitch mine up."
She puts her comrades before herself. Amaya thought. She will be a very good ninja.
Later that night, when they were all asleep, Itachi woke up to hear Merō leave. He secretly followed her to find her next to a waterfall. The full moon made the water glow, and the many cherry blossom trees made this area look like one from a fantasy story. Merō grabbed a kunai, and cut her forearm.
"Merō-san!" Itachi called. "What are you doing!?" Merō showed her arm, which was covered in scars. Suddenly chakra began to glow from there and it began to heal.
"It's an experiment", Merō replied. "I am making my forearms impenetrable, so I can reflect sharp objects."
"I find that a bit ridiculous."
"You'll see soon, Itachi-kun".