Once upon a time I had solid reasoning for Shisui being five years older than Itachi. It had something to do with Kakashi's age and the Third Shinobi War but ... uh ... I kind of forgot all about it.
Chapter 2: Family Business
3 years ago
"Congratulations to all of you. You have passed this year's academy graduation exam and are as of now shinobi of the Leaf with the rank of genin.
"I'm going to announce the teams that you've been put into. After you have received the information about your teammates and your sensei you will stay here and wait for their arrival. Give your best, serve the village and stay alive."
Shisui eyed his academy instructor from behind half-lidded eyes. The man, Sanada-sensei, looked gaunt and tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face had deep lines at the corners of his mouth and on his forehead. He was struggling with the paperwork in his hands.
He was a retired shinobi who had jumped in as a replacement when his younger predecessor and Shisui's usual instructor had been called to enforce the borders of Fire Country. That had been two months ago. Shisui had the glum feeling that he would not be seeing Arata-sensei anytime soon.
He found that he could not muster the interest to follow the man as he rumbled off the different teams. His head was heavy and swirling with thoughts from the conversation he had had with his grandfather the previous night. Kagami's shinobi-initiation-speech had been infinitely more profound than the short "Give your best, serve the village and stay alive" from Sanada-sensei.
He perked up, though, as his own team was announced.
"Team 6: Aburame Muta, Teruya Atsuko and Uchiha Shisui. Your jounin-sensei will be Uzumaki Kushina."
He had been placed in a team with Number 4 and 21 of the graduation list. Having graduated at the top of this year's class himself, his team had been predestined to include both him as well as the dead last. He couldn't help but feel the slightest bit annoyed by the Hokage's attempt to balance the teams out, even if he knew theoretically that it was only fair.
He scanned the room for his teammates and found the Aburame seated close to the window of the second row. Muta wore the trademark attire of his clan: a high collared, light gray jacket that covered the lower half of his face, sunglasses in a peculiar plum color, standard dark pants and blue shinobi sandals. He wore his brown hair loose at shoulder length and had his arms crossed in front of his chest. His whole appearance was calm and relaxed.
His other teammate sat at the back of the class and was twiddling with strands of her dark blonde hair. She looked bored and not the least interested in what her teacher had to say, her chocolate brown eyes fixed on a point somewhere far beyond the window. She was dressed in a short green jacket that covered a black shirt with underlying mesh, black shorts and sandals. Gray fingerless combat gloves covered her hands. They were at least two sizes too big.
They were both 10 years old. Shisui himself was only eight and he briefly wondered if the difference in age would be a problem, but he dismissed the thought as he remembered that prodigies like Hatake Kakashi had graduated at age 5.
Which would explain why he had never had a permanent team as a genin, only joining one as a chuunin after a long time alone. Well, never mind.
They didn't have to wait long before a tall woman with fiery red hair and a stern face entered the room and called their names. They followed her obediently to the rooftop.
"So" the woman began, "I suppose I should congratulate you for passing the academy exam. But I have to warn you that you're not proper genin, yet."
"What." Muta said flatly.
"What?" Shisui frowned.
"What?! Are you kidding us?" Atsuko exclaimed.
"No. And you will address me with Kushina-sensei. You will have to pass another test, provided by me. If you pass, you'll become genin under my tutelage. If you don't, you can forget any aspirations you had for your shinobi career."
The three newly minted genin were dumbstruck in varying degrees. Atsuko's face was incredulous and slowly taking on a red hue, Shisui looked taken aback and Muta … was too covered up to show any visible expression. But his whole body was tense.
"Right. So, I have to admit that I'm not happy with your ages. Normally, the graduation age for the academy is 12, but in the face of the looming war, the Hokage has been hard-pressed to lower the threshold to 10 years to fill up our ranks. And apparently, it's even lower set for candidates who are particularly talented."
Here she threw a quick, meaningful glance at Shisui. Her voice grew even more heavy and serious, her face taking on a hard expression.
"I will freely admit that I oppose these regulations, mainly because the life of a shinobi is not a place for children, not even in times of peace. We do not lead adventurous missions to save some princess in a tower."
Somehow Shisui had difficulties imagining the stern woman in the middle of rescuing a princess.
"What we do is dirty, damaging and more often than not morally questionable. Our line of work is dangerous, brutal and gory. We kill for money. Death and blood are our constant companions. There will come a time where each of us has to decide whether to choose the success of a mission or the lives of our comrades.
"The impending war will kill a lot of us. You might never go beyond the rank of genin. If you are called to the front lines, you might never see your families again. If your enemies capture you, you might be killed if you're lucky. If not, you will be tortured for every last bit of information.
"Two of you are clan kids so you probably have an idea of what I'm talking about. But you, Teruya, are from a civilian family. This is the last chance for you to retreat. If you have any second thoughts, well, now is the moment to voice them."
Silence reigned on the rooftop. Atsuko was, for perhaps the first time of her life, speechless. She had not imagined her first day with her team like that.
The air was heavy with expectation as hard violet eyes drilled into the blonde and Shisui felt panic welling up inside him. What if Atsuko decided to give up? Would their team be declared defunct? What would happen to Muta and him?
Just as he decided to give a few encouraging hints, Atsuko spoke.
"The hell I'm going to give up now!" she shouted, determination in her eyes and fists bumping into the air. "I'm gonna show you all what a civilian girl is made of!"
The woman – no, Kushina-sensei – held the intimidating gaze a few seconds longer but Atsuko didn't budge. Finally, her eyes softened as a small smile appeared on her lips which rapidly grew into a radiant grin.
Shisui had to control himself to not let his jaw go slack. The smile changed her face completely and suddenly she was as bright as the sun on a summer day, all traces of the intimidating woman from a minute before gone.
"Congratulations, Team 6, you passed my test. You're officially genin now and I, Uzumaki Kushina, will be your sensei. Let's introduce ourselves to get to know each other better, ne? We're going to be an awesome team, 'ttebane!"
Shisui was not sure if he should be impressed or terrified.
Present Day
Shisui appeared on the training field in a swirl of leaves. He was exactly on time.
"Oh cut it, you show-off!" Atsuko huffed. She had her arms crossed before her chest and scowled at the Uchiha. "Seriously, how do you cram all these techniques into your head? It's been three years now and you still show up with a new technique every two months. And I never even see you practicing them before they're mastered!"
"I'm an Uchiha. We have some very useful ability enhancements." Shisui replied with a cheeky grin.
"That would be the Sharingan, but I know that you haven't awakened it, yet!" his teammate snapped. "That's even more frustrating."
Shisui was about to retort with something about enhanced brain faculties but was cut off by his third teammate.
"It used to be every three weeks. You're getting slower, Uchiha. Old age setting in?" Muta smirked.
"Maa, just moving on to tougher stuff. Can't always stay with the babies, right Atsuko?"
"What, are you trying to imply, Shisui-chan?"
The banter was light and easy, a reassuring constant in Shisui's life. Slipping into the solid comfort that was their team dynamics felt as natural as breathing and he was reminded of the conversation he'd had with Itachi the day before.
This is what home feels like.
A small voice in his head insisted on reminding him that an integral part of his team was missing, gone, never going to come back – fiery red hair, brilliant laughter and warmth in violet eyes – but he viciously smothered those thoughts and forced them back into the deepest recesses of his mind.
By the time Moeru-sensei appeared, they were in the middle of a spar. Atsuko was wielding her kusarigama, keeping Shisui at arm's length who was trying to find an opening with his tanto. The chain was rotating in a fierce blur, the weight at the end deadly with the combined force of speed and gravitation. Shisui was busy evading Atsuko's attempt to entangle his tanto in her chain, never staying in one place for too long. He realized that he couldn't break through her defense if he stayed within her reach and executed a quick back flip.
He was forming hand seals before his feet hit the ground again, tanto miraculously back in its harness. Atsuko widened her eyes and jumped back hastily in anticipation of a fireball which never came. Shisui allowed himself a smirk as he shunshined, appearing just behind her as she landed. He immediately crouched down on his hands and kicked her clean off her feet.
Atsuko fell backwards with a startled cry. She attempted to twist and lunge at Shisui with the scythe of her kusarigama in mid-air. Shisui shot up from the ground, grabbed the wrist of her weapon hand and used her own momentum to slam her into the earth.
Just as he was about to straddle the furious kunoichi, a cloud of kikai bugs descended upon them. Shisui cursed and shunshined out of the way. He berated himself for forgetting Muta and quickly scanned the training field.
That was when he spotted Moeru-sensei, who signaled them to break up the spar and come over.
He jogged back to the place where he had left Atsuko to the bugs, finding his teammate groaning on her back. He had a smug look on his face as he offered her a hand to pull her up. Atsuko scowled at him.
"Asshole, you tricked me. I thought you were going to blow your goukakyuu into my face."
"Just because I formed the seals doesn't mean I put in any chakra. It worked beautifully, don't you think?"
He snickered as he dodged a fist aimed at his head.
Muta appeared from behind the tree line and joined them.
"That was indeed clever. And your shunshin has become rather impressive. I would've mistaken it for a kawarimi if it wasn't for the lack of a substituted object."
"I'm thinking of making it my signature move. I may not be able to reproduce the hiraishin, but a perfect shunshin is close enough. What do you think?"
Indignation forgotten, Atsuko whipped her head around, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"That would be, like, really cool!"
Moeru-sensei motioned for them to sit down when they arrived. He had his ever-present scowl on his face that accentuated the scar that ran from his right temple across his cheek. He had the typical red Yuuhi eyes and dark close-cropped hair, one shade lighter than coal. He wore the standard jounin attire of Konoha, his flak jacket open over his black shirt.
Yuuhi Moeru was so different from Uzumaki Kushina that none of the genin ever honestly thought about comparing them.
From the moment he met Team Kushina, he made it clear that he was not going to cuddle them and demanded absolute devotion to the tasks assigned. He was strict, his training was hard and he expected nothing but perfection. That didn't change on the – admittedly unspectacular – missions, either, where they were mostly left to their own devices.
What showed them that he cared regardless was the way he criticized them. Sharp and on the spot, he never wasted time on pleasantries and pointed out weaknesses in their individual fighting as well as in their teamwork. The truth had sounded harsh at the beginning, but they quickly came to realize that it was exactly what they needed.
He spoke without preamble.
"I nominated you for the next chuunin exams. They'll be held in Suna this time and I want all three of you to pass. That means a lot of preparation. You will have additional training, so the number of missions will go down. I have planned an intensive training tour for you which will be two weeks long. We'll go to the border of Wind Country for that so that you get an inkling of the conditions you'll have to face in the competition. Come to the front gates tomorrow at 0800 and pack adequately. Training starts the moment you set foot out of Konoha."
"Hai!" the three chorused.
Moeru nodded sharply and left with a shunshin.
"Well" Atsuko said after a short pause. "That was unspectacular."
"What did you expect? Some big speech about how well we have served Konoha until now and that it's time for us to take on some responsibility?" Muta commented wryly.
"It would have been nice" grumbled the girl.
"You do notice that it's Moeru-sensei we're talking about, don't you?"
"Of course I do, but you don't nominate your genin team for the chuunin exams every day. I bet even the cold, stony Uchiha say something nice to their kids when they take part in the exams. Don't they, Shisui?"
Muta and Atsuko turned around to face their teammate – who had not been paying attention at all.
A mischievous glint appeared in Atsuko's eyes.
"If I didn't know any better" she drawled "I would say that our dear Shisui-chan, who is always focused and attentive to a fault, was spacing out. Say, something on your mind?"
"Hn."
"Oh, don't you hn me, Uchiha. Something's going on in that genius mind of yours. Spill it."
Shisui put on his sweetest smile showing just a little too much teeth. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"Come on, tell us. Is it a girl?"
Although he knew that it had been a wild guess and couldn't possibly refer to that particular girl with that particular backstory, he couldn't help but feel caught. Suddenly he was thankful for an upbringing in a clan that didn't approve of open emotional display.
Irritated, Atsuko turned to their remaining teammate. "Hey, how about you helping me? Don't just stand there and let me do all the work! Aren't you interested?"
"No" Muta deadpanned.
Atsuko huffed. "Kami, you two are no fun at all! And I'm gonna have to spend two weeks with you?"
"You spend time with us anyway" Muta said dryly.
"That's only because I –"
"- don't have any friends." Shisui completed with a smirk.
"- have pity with you." Atsuko cried.
Shisui dodged her fist, laughing and waving at his teammates as he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
"Huh?" Atsuko blinked. "He just … left?"
When Shisui entered the hospital room, Kagami was awake. He looked even more tired and worn than the day before.
Ugly fear raised its head and sent waves of anxiety rolling through Shisui, setting him on edge. In a split second his vision shifted.
Suddenly his grandfather's complexion had a waxy white color and his eyes were wide open and glassy. His chest was still, as was the rest of his body. The pale hospital light drew hard lines on him as he turned into something more akin to a faded memory than a person.
Shisui blinked and he was back again. Kagami was watching him attentively, breathing and very much alive.
Relief washed over him and for the first time he realized the very real possibility that, someday, he would be alone, that the leading figure of his life, his voice of reason would be gone. There would be no more advice, no more guidance in times of uncertainty.
The loss of his grandfather would change him in more profound than he could he yet imagine.
He dreaded it.
He tried to shake the anxiety away and, taking a deep breath, walked over to Kagami's bedside. He sat down on the chair which had been left there from the last visitor. He briefly wondered who it had been but he didn't dwell on it. Kagami had known a lot of people during his active duty years. It was nothing out of the ordinary to assume that some acquaintances had become friends.
"I went to the Anzai smithy, oji-san" he began. He hesitated.
Kagami didn't answer and waited patiently, his face in a perfectly impassive Uchiha mask. Not for the first time Shisui found the trademark expression of his clan slightly unnerving.
"The shop is heavily damaged and currently not in active use. Anzai Katsuro, Emiko and Isao died in the Kyuubi attack."
At this, Kagami's eyes darkened. A flicker of grief, noticeable in the minute tightening of the corners of his mouth, the brief tensing of jaw and neck, passed over his appearance.
Shisui waited for him to recompose himself before he continued with his report.
"Anzai Keiko survived and has given birth to a daughter, Sugimura Kanae, two months ago. Mother and daughter are currently living with the Sugimura clan. They are well, at least physically."
Kagami closed his eyes.
"How does she look like?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"She looks like an Uchiha. Pale skin, dark eyes and black hair. She's a pretty girl."
He knew because he had caught glimpses of her when he had visited the Sugimura estate the day before.
In the soft twilight of dusk, surrounded by the walls of the estate and cocooned in the domestic warmth of a big civilian clan, mother and daughter had seemed like a fragile unit, a construction laced with isolation and the tentative hope to overcome the suffocating grief that stood like a wall of glass between them and the rest of the world.
He had decided then that it was for the best if he remained unseen. He didn't know how to act if they noticed him.
"Do you feel up to it?"
Shisui blinked. "I already promised."
"Without knowing what would await you."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I knew from the beginning that this was about family."
"So this is clan duty to you?"
"I remember saying that it was family business."
Kagami smiled, eyes still closed. "I see."
His grandfather looked peaceful like that. The smile erased the shadows under his eyes and filled the hollowness of his cheeks. He gave the air of a man who was not free of sorrows, but who knew that he had done all he could to ensure that whatever problem was left unsolved would be taken over by capable hands.
Shisui was proud that Kagami put so much trust into him, but at the same time he was scared. An unfitting sentiment for an Uchiha, a snide voice in the back of his mind remarked.
Annoyed, he latched onto the next best thing to distract himself, thus blurting out "I'mleavingfortwoweekstomorrow" rather randomly.
"For training" he added after a short embarrassed silence. "Moeru-sensei nominated us for the chuunin exams."
Kagami watched him closely. Calmly he asked "Do you feel ready?"
Shisui nodded enthusiastically. "We've all grown pretty strong now and our teamwork has never been better. With the additional training we'll be getting I'm confident that we'll make it to the third round."
"That's good. Where will the exams take place?"
"In Suna."
"Suna, hm? Be prepared for conditions harsher than what we're used to. There're no trees in the desert and the sun can quickly become your enemy."
"I know. That's why we're leaving tomorrow. Moeru-sensei will take us to the borders of Wind Country so that we get a taste of what we'll be facing."
"Borders of Wind?" Kagami frowned. "You'll have to cross River for that."
"That's fine. River is neutral grounds and both Wind in the west and Grass in the north are allied with Fire. Secure from all sides, see?"
"Still, be careful. Grudges and feuds cut deep and the treaties are still young."
Shisui nodded. He stood up from his chair and touched his grandfather's hand.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave now. I've got to prepare for the journey and I need to tell Itachi that I have to cancel our training session." He grimaced at that thought. "He won't be happy about that."
"You're leaving again? Your sensei is aware that protocol demands you to rest between lengthy missions, isn't he?"
Itachi's face was set in a disapproving frown that looked almost comical on his baby face. Shisui smiled fondly as he reached out to ruffle his cousin's hair. Itachi didn't even flinch at his actions, merely drawing his brows even further together.
Shisui sighed and replied in a placative tone "Participating in the chuunin exams without proper preparations wouldn't be smart, you know."
"You don't need any more preparation. You already are better than most chuunin." Itachi stated matter-of-factly, completely convinced of his own opinion. He was picky in his choice of role model after all.
Shisui grinned broadly, mirth dancing in his eyes. He knew he probably felt entirely too smug about the hero-worship his cousin was displaying in moments like these, but he figured he would relish them until Itachi learned to hide his emotions like a proper Uchiha. They were already getting rare as it was and frankly, Itachi would probably surpass him before he hit puberty anyway.
Besides, Itachi was right. Why should he hide behind false modesty?
"It's not just about me. We'll be tested as a team. The strength shinobi can achieve in a team is far greater than the attempts of a lone fighter."
Itachi pressed his lips into a thin line and said nothing.
"I'm sure training with your father and Yashiro-san will help you progress really quickly. They're terrific teachers."
"I'm not upset about the training sessions we'll miss." Itachi's voice was even, not giving a hint of the agitation he felt.
"I'll make up our lost time to you as soon as the exams are over, alright?"
At this, Itachi's gaze intensified.
"Promise?"
"Promise. You want my pinky for that, 'Tachi-chan?"
His little cousin raised an eyebrow at that. Shisui chuckled. He lifted two fingers and, before Itachi could react, poked his forehead with them. Itachi scowled and made an indignant noise, puffing up his cheeks in the process.
When the seriousness in his expression dropped, Shisui mused, Itachi really was an adorable little kid.
He was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed and thinking about the stuff he would need for the journey. His backpack stood between his legs as Shisui methodically sealed weapons, survival equipment and various other items into three storage scrolls and dropped them into the bag.
Although it was still bright outside, his room was bathed in meager twilight, reflected off the house walls of the backyard and sluggishly finding its way through the milky window panes of his window. It hadn't been cleaned for a long time, but Shisui couldn't find it in him to bother. At least it made it hard to look in.
Finished with his packing, he was left to ponder over what he should do with his remaining time. He could go train, but he would be doing nothing else for the next two weeks anyway. He supposed he should relax and save his energy for that and half-heartedly thought about reading or meditating. But all of a sudden, he felt restless.
He opened the window and slid through the gap between glass and window sill, immediately pouring chakra into his feet to stick to the wall. He ran up to the roof and headed straight for the gates of the Uchiha district.
For a while, he sped over Konoha's rooftops without a clear destination, just running for the sake of running. He enjoyed the feel of the cool evening air racing against his skin, ruffling through his hair and making his eyes water. He pushed himself to his limit and soon the muscles in his legs began to burn in a satisfying way.
He slowed down to a comfortable jog after completing five laps around the village. It was starting to get dark and the air had cooled down markedly, picking up speed until the wind was tugging insistently at his clothes.
He hopped down from the rooftops and walked on the streets, allowing his feet to take a random direction. Running had emptied his mind effectively and he felt much calmer than before. On a whim, he decided to check on the Sugimura estate one last time before he left.
When he arrived at the low walls surrounding a rather big garden, darkness had fallen already. A soft glow was emanating from the window which he knew belonged to the baby girl's room. He climbed the wall and swiftly ran up one of the sakura trees which provided a good view into the room without risking being seen.
It occurred to him that, technically, he was trespassing on private property and that he could easily be mistaken as some weird stalker. He snorted when he thought of the reaction of his cousin if he ever told him. Ah, the things he did for family.
Keiko and her baby were conveniently seated at the opened window. The young mother was gazing at the night sky, a blanket draped over her form to protect her from the chilly breeze. She had her daughter, neatly bundled and sound asleep, clutched tightly to her chest.
She looked so very soft and vulnerable in the pale moonlight, auburn hair framing her slightly plump face and gently flowing down her back. She had big pretty eyes set into a nearly childish face that made her appear so very young and fragile. Yet, her lips were surprisingly full and sensuous – something she had passed on to her daughter. She was not beautiful, but attractive in a way that appealed to a part in the brain that wanted to protect her and make sure that she was never hurt.
That, however, had clearly gone down the drain the moment the Kyuubi had fired off into the civilian quarters.
In that moment, Keiko moved. She stood up from the window, shut it and drew the curtains closed. Shisui followed the movements of her shadow as she put her daughter into a crib, bent over to give her a kiss and finally left after switching off the light on the nightstand.
Shisui knew that he should be leaving now but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do so. He was suddenly confronted with the urge to see the baby, Kanae, up close before departing for his training journey. Without further thinking he was running up the house wall and stopped next to the window. He crouched there and listened for a few heartbeats, making sure that none of the house's inhabitants were going to interrupt him.
He opened the window and quietly slipped inside. He sneaked stealthily to the crib, intent not to wake the child, and peered over the curb.
As he had said to his grandfather, Kanae's Uchiha heritage was as plain as day. She had the same sharp facial features like himself, with the straight nose and long dark eyelashes that had a slight upturn at the corners of her eyes. Someday from beneath the baby fat, he was sure, high cheekbones and a clean jawline would emerge.
He couldn't imagine how anybody could not mistake her for an Uchiha.
He felt a sudden urge of protectiveness in his chest. It was similar to what he felt for Itachi but at the same time more gentle and heavy, pulling at him as if it was about to consume him whole. A picture flashed through his mind: Itachi, protectively holding little Sasuke in his arms. Was this how his cousin felt for his baby brother?
He closed his eyes and tried to envision himself holding little Kanae, feeling the soft breathing bundle of life against his chest and knowing of the responsibility he held for this tiny existence. He smiled when he opened his eyes again.
To stare directly into a pair of onyx ones.
Shisui froze. He was holding his breath, anxiously waiting for the moment her piercing wail would rip through the silence of the house, alerting the rest of the family. He tensed the muscles in his legs, ready to shoot out of the room at the faintest noise.
Nothing happened.
Nothing, except for those big, dark eyes that watched him with an uncanny focus. After a few tense seconds, the girl moved, lifting her chubby arms in the direction of his face.
Mesmerized, Shisui let his hand reach into the crib and meet her tiny fingers. She grabbed his index in a surprisingly firm grip in response.
Shisui was absolutely knocked off his sandals when the baby girl began to smile.
Gurgly sounds escaped her pink lips as she wiggled happily, never letting go of his finger. After the initial bafflement Shisui began to chuckle and sway the digit, watching as her attached fist followed his every movement.
He was reminded of a saying that he had picked up somewhere along his childhood: that animals and babies could tell if a person was really kind or not.
And in that moment it appeared like a revelation to him. Even if he had not already agreed to watch over her he was sure he would have now. She had chosen him and he would be damned if he failed to protect her.
His voice was thick with emotion as he spoke. "My name is Shisui. From now on, Kanae-chan, I'll be your nii-san. I will protect you with all I have. I'll be here whenever you need me. I promise."
Doing something had never felt so right.
The scroll that contained the plans for the escort and protection of the Hokage on his journey to the capital in order to legally affirm his reinstatement as head of Konoha was safely tucked away. He was in full ANBU gear, porcelain mask covering his face, as he jumped along stone walls and giant steel pipes into the secret underground base of ROOT. His silver-white hair was whipping with the speed of his descent.
He had taken his time to decide. The full three days in fact that Danzou had given him to reflect on the offer he had been made. But in the end, joining ROOT had been the only option.
It was the Sandaime's fault that he was alone now. Minato-sensei had died because of some stupid peace vision of an old deluded man that had managed nothing but to prevent a generation of strong shinobi to help protect their village and their Hokage. The protection of Minato-sensei, his last precious person, the only remnant of his family after the deaths of Obito and Rin, and Kushina-san had been the only thing worth living for, the only thing keeping him from drowning in guilt and self-loathing.
He saw now that it hadn't been the Kyuubi but Sarutobi Hiruzen that had ripped this away from him. Had it not been for Danzou he would have been too grief-stricken to notice, but now it was as clear to him as day. All his hatred and rage, but also his guilt and powerlessness had found a new vent and with the focus of a person living without goal he had set himself on the path of bringing the Sandaime down. Entering ROOT was a small price to pay.
The attack came as a surprise.
Wood sprouted from behind one of the mighty stone pillars, growing with impossible speed, twisting and winding its way to him in several beams. He could not dodge, having just propelled from one of the pipes and thus flying defenselessly through the air.
Mokuton?!
And then the wood was upon him, creaking in its effort to bring him down. He noticed that the edges were blunted – which was good. That meant that his opponent was not going to impale him.
He twisted his body in mid-air, pulling his legs to his torso, only to let them down on one of the beams, all in a second's notice. With a burst of chakra he pushed himself off again, summersaulting out of the way of another two beams in a sharp angle to his original course.
He landed vertically on the next stone pillar and immediately spun around. His opponent chose the same moment to step out from his hidden position and launched his next attack. As a new barrage of wooden beams shot from his outstretched arm – in fact, he noted detachedly, his arm had become the wood – he gripped his right hand and lit it up with a massive burst of chakra which immediately took the shape of cackling electricity. The sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the space.
He jumped from the pillar directly into the attack of his enemy, intent on cutting through the wood with his chidori.
"That's enough!" a harsh voice commanded.
Instantly, the mokuton user dropped his attack. The ANBU watched fascinated as the wood disassociated from the arm that regained his flesh coloring. The suspended beams hung in the air for a short moment before crashing on the ground.
He dissolved his chidori and landed next to his attacker who was now facing Shimura Danzou. The first thing he noticed was how small he actually was. Judging by the build he was still a child, not even a teen yet. Like himself he wore an ANBU-mask that covered his face. Dark brown hair was cut short a few inches beneath his ears. His attire was held in varied grey nuances, consisting of a nearly black short-sleeved jacket over a dark sleeveless shirt that was tied at his waist with a string. Dark grey pants, sandals and a weapon's pouch at his thigh completed his outfit.
Why was this boy able to use mokuton? How was this even possible? The kekkei genkai had gone extinct with the death of the Shodai!
"I called for him." Danzou said to the boy in disapproving tone, face set in a hard expression. Half of his face was covered with bandages, obscuring his right eye from view. A distinct scar in the shape of a cross marred the skin of his chin.
"Yes, sir." The addressed boy bowed sharply. His voice confirmed the suspicion that he was indeed very young.
Without sparing him a further glance, the elder turned toward the silver haired teen. His expression changed instantly to a grandfatherly smile that had his one visible eye squinting.
"Thank you for coming here."
The ANBU went down on his knees and grabbed for the hidden scroll, presenting it with an impassive "Here."
Danzou took the scroll and opened it. A short silence ensued while he was reading its content in which none of the two boys moved an inch. When he finished, an excited gleam appeared in his eye and his lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
"The time has finally come" he whispered, almost as if he didn't mean it to be heard.
Louder, he continued. "Well done, Kakashi. Now the real work will begin."
The ANBU, still in his kneeling position, raised his head to face his superior. Through the eye slits of his porcelain mask a brief flare of crimson could be perceived as he accepted his praise and waited for his new orders.
He would listen now and nod in acceptance. But there were things he needed to research before he could decide whether he acted on his orders or not.
By the way, Muta is a canon character, unlike Atsuko and Moeru-sensei. Leave a review and tell me what you think!