Out of nowhere came inspiration that encourage me to start this story that I had forgotten about. So bam! Here it is, chapter one
I deserve three cookies for this^_^
Shippu Jinraikyaku
Chapter One: 3 Years Later
Naruto paused a few kilometres in front of the entrance gate to the village. He hadn't step foot into or seen this gate in three years. During his travels with Itachi, he'd often thought about home. He'd thought about all the people he'd left behind, and if they'd missed him or not. Now that he was a few feet from his one and only home, he wondered why he had such a queasy feeling in his stomach.
Maybe he was afraid of returning home? Afraid that the people he once called friends had abandoned him, given up on retrieving him; that he'd ever returned back to them. Or maybe he was nervous about seeing them after so many years? Maybe this feeling was attributed to his earlier fear, the one that he'd worked so hard to overcome the first thirteen years of his life; the fear being if they would accept him again, knowing what he was, and the choice he'd made.
Naruto pushed away his uncertainty and fear. This was not the time to be worrying about such things. Although he should enjoy the fact that he was returning home after three years, he shouldn't be complacent. He was sent to Konoha on a mission, which was the only reason he was returning back home. Itachi had been precisely clear on what his priorities should be when he returned back to the village. He also drilled into Naruto that he should not get too attached to being back home as if his mission was discovered, he would have to leave the village immediately. Naruto remembered it clearly:
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Itachi sat on the edge of the bed while Naruto tended to the slowly healing wound in his back, courtesy of his foolish little brother. It was sad that his brother decided to let Orochimaru be his mentor. He swore that every time he fought with Sasuke, his brother would dish out some sort of dishonourable underhanded trick. It was unbecoming of the so-called last Uchiha prodigy. Itachi always snorted at the title placed on his little brother. However strong his brother got, he would never best Itachi in anything.
Regardless of Orochinmaru being a sannin or not, it was still depressing to have an Uchiha being trained by such a snake. He wanted Sasuke to become stronger but did he really have to seek strength in such a person? Itachi sighed; it was Sasuke's choice after all. He knew if he tried to explain to his brother why he killed off their clan, he wouldn't understand. Itachi was surprised that Naruto comprehended, and even accepted why he did so.
Naruto secured the bandage on Itachi's back. It was a good thing he was there to help stop Sasuke's attack, as if he wasn't Itachi probably would've been a dead soul now. But to believe that Sasuke would be so low as to take the child hostage…Naruto shook his head in disgust. His so-called best friend was losing his sanity, or at least his humanity.
"Naruto,"
Naruto jolted from his thoughts when he heard his name. He gathered his materials and patted Itachi's wound lightly. He let out an audible grin and said, "All done." He pulled up a chair, sat next to Itachi, and stared intently into his frowning face. It took Naruto several months to realize that whenever Itachi frowned, he was thinking. It was weird.
"Naruto," Itachi repeated, looking Naruto seriously in the face. "I have a mission for you."
"A mission?" Naruto asked. He wondered if it was to deliver something again. He'd gotten used to following Itachi's orders without asking about details.
"Yes, a mission." Itachi stated. "And it's crucial to our objective."
Naruto suddenly went on alert. He knew from experience, that whenever Itachi mentioned their objective, it was related to the reason why Itachi kidnapped him. Naruto often laughed at Itachi's reason for 'kidnapping' him. Naruto knew for a fact that Tsunade would have co-operated in achieving Itachi's objective, but when Naruto asked him why he didn't just ask her or send her a letter or something, Itachi replied that that would have been no fun at all
"I want you to go back to Konoha." Itachi stated. Naruto almost died. It was the one thing he wanted and feared the most. He wanted it so bad because he'd missed his friends, and he feared it because he had grown so attached to the man who'd transformed from his kidnapper to his teacher to his friend.
Itachi continued, "I need you to copy a jutsu from the hokage's secret scroll." Naruto choked on the very air he was breathing. The hokage's secret scroll contained the forbidden techniques created by all the hokage's for the purpose of defending the village against an impossible threat. This scroll was only to be used in dire circumstances as a last resort. It was the scroll Naruto's father consulted when he sealed the nine-tailed fox. This scroll had more defence and safety precautions than anything in the land of fire; which made it impossible to get near it.
"How the hell am I suppose to do that?!" Naruto asked. "How do you know that it's even in Konoha?" The scroll was never in one village for any period of time, it was always on the move, which added to its security as it was always hard to pin down.
"How you go about it is none of my concern as long as you don't jeopardized the mission," Itachi stated. "I know it's in Konoha because Tsunade is currently the strongest hokage of all the villages. As a rule made by the first generation of hokages, it was ordered that the scroll would stay in the possession of the strongest hokage at the time. Which is why when a new hokage is chosen for a village, all the hokages meet together for a duel to see who is the strongest, including the new hokage; the strongest keeps the scroll. Tsunade has maintained the title thus far. In fact, Konoha has set a record for having kept the scroll for two hokage generations." Itachi made a face at Naruto and said, "Don't doubt my intelligence. I am rarely wrong,"
Naruto nodded and asked, "But still, how do you know this?"
Itachi scowled at him and answered, "I was in the ANBU Elite, and they are the highest ranking ninjas, next to the hokage, in the village. We knew a great deal of secrets, as we were the batch the council chose from when they were deciding on a hokage. No one ever knows who is in the ANBU Elite, not even the Elite themselves. Only in times of need would we gather together, but that is another lesson for another time. I would go to Konoha myself, but I am in no condition to do so. I will give you one year."
Naruto gawked at Itachi. "A whole year to do one mission?"
"Yes." Itachi stated, sounding weary. "I have to deal with the Akatsuki matters before they realize that I am up to something. Deidara has been asking me odd questions which lead me to believe that he may be suspicious of me. I have to clear any suspicion if the objective is to e obtained."
"Alright," Naruto said, still not believing that he would be returning home after so long. He was becoming giddy just thinking about it. "When do I leave?" he asked.
"Tonight, before Sasuke could recover and track us." Itachi answered, "I'll leave tomorrow for Amagekure, then to the Akatsuki base. By the time Sasuke get's here, he'll have two trails to follow. You should make a circle, in case he sends someone after you. You may leave to prepare."
A few hours later Naruto stood at the door, with the bag Itachi packed on his back, ready to vanish into the night. Itachi had given him a detailed route to follow, and instructed him to make sure to leave tell tale signs along the route that he was there.
"And Naruto," Itachi started, giving the boy his trade mark stare. "I know it will be difficult to ask this of you but, try not to get attached back to home. If you're found out, they will try you as a missing nin, and execute you, and I may not be able to reach Konoha in time to stop it, so keep your mission in mind. If you fail, I will bring you back from the dead, to kill you myself again." Naruto nodded and tried not to fidget. Even after all this time, Itachi still could reduce him to a cowering fear with a glance. "Good luck," Itachi said, placing a hand on Naruto's head and giving it a good ruffle.
With that said Naruto smiled at his friend, waved goodbye, and vanished into the shadows.
Steeling himself, Naruto marched onward through the gate. He had a mission to do, and regardless of any circumstances that may come his way, the mission had to be fulfilled.
End of Chapter
Well, that's that. So…? How was it? You just have to let me know. I know its short for a chapter, but that will be fixed, once I know I'm making headway here. I'll try to limit the length of flashbacks as I know italics isn't easy on the eyes _, lol
So R&R plzz^_^
Shippu Jinraikyaku
