A/N: I don't own Naruto, yet.
This Path I Walk
Chapter 2: Despair, (Part 1)
(Arc I: Sacrifice)
Opening: Cecilia and the Satellite. Artist: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Album: Self-Titled
She was running late. Again. Her old teammate was waiting for her and she was running late! Thank Kami for rooftop travel, and her overall agility! The kunoichi lands in front of Ichiraku's Ramen Shop lightly; in both step and heart. After all, this was where he used to love to eat. Ridding herself of such thoughts, the newly promoted Jonin goes under the flap.
"Hana! Its been awhile!" Was the first exclamation the Inuzuka met, and it came from the owner, Teuchi Ichiraku, himself. Hana nodded at the chef.
The second one came from the customer booth: "Hello, Hana."
Hana smiles at her teammate and responds: "Hello, Itachi."
He, no, they were so different from their time as genin. Itachi was always of the tall variety, but puberty jumped him all the way to the height of six foot four. He was wearing the normal Konoha attire except there was an Uchiha fan on his back. Hana herself had grown to the height of five foot eight and filled out in all the right places. She was wearing a sleeveless gray blouse and black ANBU pants. She also had bandages tied on her right arm under her tattoo of the word Union, in kanji.
After a hug between the two, Hana takes a seat next to Itachi. She orders her ramen, chicken, and asks her teammate:
"So, how are things with Hitomi-chan?"
Itachi, who was eating his cabbage ramen, glances at Hana and says:
"Don't see how that's your business, Hana."
The Inuzuka pouts before grinning as her ramen is sat down in front of her.
It didn't take long for that bowl to lose its contents, nor the second or third one either. Itachi smiles as his eccentric teammate dusts her third bowl, it reminds him of easier times with his team. With thoughts of his team, comes thoughts of his teammates. Specifically the other male, and his best friend, Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki. Itachi was hailed as a prodigy, but even he could not compare to Naruto. Naruto, the first Konoha-born ninja to create a Kekkai Touta; Naruto, the second ninja to be given the SS-rank; Naruto, the first ninja to ever combine a Kekkai Touta with a Kekkei Genkai; Naruto, the legendary Kodokuna horo-sha; Naruto, the killer of village elder Danzo Shimura, Naruto, the first SS-rank missing nin. However, before he was any of those things he was Naruto of Team 7 with Itachi Uchiha and Hana Inuzuka; led by Hizashi Hyuuga; Kami rest his soul. Itachi missed those times with his team, he missed Hizashi's never-ending optimism, Naruto's and his constant strife with the oni known as fangirls, and Hana's bipolarity when it came to the eldest Namikaze child. Alas, those times are long gone. Now, Itachi needs to get to a Team Ro meeting. He smiles at Hana, congratulates her on her well-deserved promotion, and body flickers to where he is needed. Hana watches him leave with a forlorn expression, before standing up and paying for her meal. She has training to get too; Naruto won't come back to her if she's weak after all.
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Naruto looks at his fellow ethereal Akatsuki members in silence as his leader, Pein, tells their assignments.
"Naruto, Kisame, you two are tasked with bounty collecting."
Wow, waste of his time.
As all of the missing ninja disappear, a female voice calls for Naruto to wait. And wait he does.
She gives him another assignment.
And the assignment he will do.
After all, when the creator of all chakra tells you to do something, you do it.
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Itachi straps a tanto to his back. Next, the Uchiha attaches a kunai holster to each leg. His forearm guards came next; after tha-
"You know, you don't need to do this, Itachi-kun."
t came the shin guar-
"Itachi-kun."
ds. Next, was the gloves and explosive ta-
"Fukutaichou Uchiha!"
And a pair of admittedly soft hands stops his hand. Itachi follows the hands to their owner: Yugao Uzuki, his captain. She was a beautiful woman with flowing purple hair.
Itachi stares at her with emotionless coal eyes.
"Yes, Uzuki-taichou?"
And the stoicism followed in his tongue.
"I expect complete cooperation in this upcoming mission, Lieutenant. If you can't promise this, than return home. This mission will not fail because you couldn't control your feelings."
Itachi only nods.
"Good, finish getting ready. We're about to head out."
"Hai, Taichou."
Finally, the mask. Itachi stares at it, and then places it on his face. He is no longer Itachi Uchiha, he is Weasel of Konoha. And Weasel does what he is told.
Even kill his best friend.
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It didn't take Team Ro long to make it to the rendezvous, and apparently neither for the Mist Anbu.
The Kiri hunter-nin were known for their efficiency in apprehending, killing, missing ninja; Team Ro was not. However, they were known for their overall combat and mission competence, and this would not change, even if they had to hunt a former team member. Yugao, Cat, exchanged a couple words with the hunter-nin leader. Who, obviously with the gigantic butcher's knife on his back, was Zabuza Momochi. With a gruff voice, Zabuza laid out the plan:
"We've got Kisame. You lot handle Namikaze."
It was a simple plan, and Team Ro had no problem following it. However, the problem was just how the two teams would find the missing ninja. It was not like they had an Anbu member who could summon a pack of dogs for that sole purpose.
Sarcasm.
Kakashi Hatake, Dog, ex-Captain of Team Ro, Holder of the Dog contract, specialized in tracking. Why he gave up the captain position no one knows, but rumors have spread of the great White Fang having a girlfriend, and she was controlling.
Like sensei, Like student.
Nonetheless, Kakashi summoned up Pakkun and, after an argument about paw softness, off the two teams went.
Yugao glances at her temporary teammates as the two teams follow Pakkun. Her Hokage had explained the situation as 'unavoidable' if they wished to pursue his son because of the tailless biju's presence. Taking on Naruto himself would take all of Team Ro, adding on Kisame Hoshigaki would make the mission impossible. However, with the addition of Kiri, the odds were lessening.
Maybe.
Though there was this feeling in her stomach she just could not place; almost like indigestion. Perhaps the ramen she had earlier? No. Teuchi was a master of the art. Meh, probably just pre-fight anxiousness.
Hopefully.
It only took thirty minutes to reach where the scent of the Kiri-provided cloth originated: a large open field. Standing in the middle was none other than Kisame Hoshigaki himself. The shark-like man grins verociously:
"Oh, lookie here. Some little guppies found their way into my ocean. I wonder how much each of your bounties are?"
No answer.
Kisame grins then body flickers away.
The Mist ninja follow.
The Leaf move to do the same, before a black chain erupts out of the ground and cuts one of them, Kuma. The man didn't even have time to gasp before his entire body began to disintegrate. Starting from the cut on the arm, toxic chakra moved throughout his body; eroding the chakra system. Another gruesome effect of the chakra was that it would burst out of the Tenketsu, which is what caused the body disintegration This chakra was a mixture of fire, earth, and lightning; this was corrosive style. The Kekkai Touta created by Naruto Namikaze. He was here and already had killed one of Konoha's finest. Right then and there, Yugao understood what that feeling before was.
Despair.
Team Ro has bitten off more than it can chew.
And it was all her fault.
Now, all she can do is hope for her team's survival.
Ending: Centuries. Artist: Fall Out Boy. Album: So far Untitled
Next comes the whole fight. If any questions arise about Naruto's corrosive style, wait for next chapter. I'll expand on it. Anything other than that please do review about it. Thank you and have a nice day.