Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in Naruto, that right belongs to the Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my original character and the imagination that came up with this fic.

a/n: Please r&r

Chapter 3

(age in chapter is 17)

This morning the village mourned not only the loss of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, but all those whose lives were lost during the battle with the Sound and Sand villages. At the funeral, I stood between my two teammates, while our Sensei stood next to her older brother. As we all stood around the memorial, it started to rain, as if the heavens themselves wept for the loss of our fallen shinobi and the Hokage.

Later that day I was walking through the village with many things on my mind. After some time I stumbled upon a battle between three Leaf jonin and two men in black cloaks with red clouds. I knew the Akatsuki would be coming for Naruto, but I had no idea it would be Itachi and his partner that would come to the Leaf. Concealing my chakra, I hid in the bushes and watched the fight. Suddenly the fighting stopped as Kakashi started to speak about what Itachi and Kisame were doing here. He said he knew who they were and what they were after. From my hiding spot, I heard Itachi tell Kisame that they would be taking Kakashi with them but they did not need Asuma and Kurenai. I jumped from my hiding spot to help as Kisame rushed the jonin. Just as I landed next to Kakashi, a green blur whizzed past me.

"Severe Leaf Hurricane!"

In an instant, Kisame was thrown backwards landing next to Itachi.

"Well, who have we here?" Kisame asked intrigued.

"The Leaf villages most fierce beast of battle, I'm Might Guy."

After Guy introduced himself, Kisame made a snide comment as Itachi warned him not the underestimate him.

Next to me Kakashi collapsed and lost consciousness. I reached down to pull him out of the water and another set of hands appeared to assist me.

As Guy explained to Kurenai and Asuma how to fight someone with a Sharingan, my attention never left Itachi. Guy handed Kakashi over to Kurenai as he, Asuma, and I dropped into fighting stances. As we prepared to fight, Itachi told Kisame they were pulling back. And with that, they were gone.

I sat in Kakashi's bedroom with Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy. Kakashi lay on the bed, still unconscious.

"They're trouble but from the look of things, it doesn't appear they've found Naruto yet," Guy said as he stared at the floor.

"That's what's crazy," Asuma said as he sat down on top of the desk and took a pack of cigarettes out of his vest. He removed one from the pack, about to put it in his mouth and light it then thought better of it and placed it back in the pack. "It doesn't add up. I mean, they had already infiltrated the village. It should be easy for them to find Naruto around here. Besides, Itachi knows Naruto's face already."

"Shh!" Guy shushed Asuma just before the door opened.

"Kakashi!" Sasuke called entering the apartment. He glanced around and when his eyes fell upon his unconscious Sensei he gasped. "Why is Kakashi asleep? And why is this room full of jonin? What are you doing? What the hell is going on here?"

"Uh, not much, really," Guy bluffed not meeting Sasuke's eyes.

"Hey!" Aoba Yamashiro said rushing in. "Is it true that Itachi has returned?"

Damn it, you idiot. I thought as Guy glared at him

"And that he's come here to get Naruto?" Aodo continued oblivious to our silent pleas for him to shut up.

At this Guy sighed and covered his face with his hand. Sasuke turned towards the doorway where Aoba stood. Once his eyes took in Sasuke he realized his mistake.

"Idiot," Kurenai said voicing my thoughts.

Sasuke's eyes filled with rage and he ran from the apartment.

"Aw, why does this always have to happen," Guy said rising from his chair to follow Sasuke.

Before he could leave though, I quickly rushed forward and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, Guy," I said as he turned to look at me. "Let me go after Sasuke."

He sighed deeply and nodded.

I followed Sasuke through the village as he searched for Naruto. He finally decided to check Ichiraku Ramen and was informed that Naruto has gone to Shukuba Town with Master Jiraiya. After receiving this bit of information, Sasuke turned and headed for the main gate of the village. Just as he passed through the gate I called out to him.

He stopped and turned to look at me. "Kotori, don't try to stop me."

"I'm not going to stop you, Sasuke," I said at this he raised an eyebrow at me. "But, I also can't allow you to leave the village alone. You're still only a genin." And I have my own reasons for tagging along. I thought.

He understood that I meant to go with him and nodded. "Let's go then," he said and we took off towards Shukuba Town.

Once we reached the town, Sasuke and I began to search door – to – door for Naruto and Master Jiraiya. After searching multiple inns, we finally came to one that the inn-keeper confirmed there was a blonde kid and an old man staying on the second floor. Sasuke and I rushed up the stairs. When we reached the room indicated, Sasuke pounded on the door. Once we heard the lock click, Sasuke flung the door open.

"Naruto!" he said, but then looked at the boy on the other side of the door in surprise "You're not..."

"Damn it! Come on Sasuke." I turned to the boy and old man in the room and quickly apologized. "Sorry to have bothered you."

We turned and ran from the inn, continuing our search. At an inn down the street that looked identical to the one we had just left, we learned that a boy with spiky blonde hair and an old man were staying there. After we were told the room number, Sasuke and I dashed up the stairs. On the third floor landing Sasuke, who was ahead of me, came to a stop. I looked around him and saw at the end of the hall that Itachi and his partner had Naruto cornered.

"It's been a long time," we heard Itachi say. "Sasuke."

"Itachi Uchiha," Sasuke said with hostility in his voice.

At that Naruto's eyes flicked to Itachi, repeating the name with surprise.

Kisame turned to look over his shoulder at Sasuke, "Well, the Sharingan. And he looks an awful lot like you. Itachi, who is this kid?"
"He's my younger brother," Itachi answered still turned away from Sasuke and me.

"That's strange, because the way I heard it, the whole Uchiha clan was wiped out. By you," Kisame said still addressing Itachi but his gaze remained on Sasuke.

"Itachi Uchiha, I hope you're ready to die," Sasuke growled.

At that Itachi finally turned to look at Sasuke. His eyes flicked ever so briefly to me, then back to his brother.

"It's just as you've said, brother. I've fostered my hatred for you all this time," Sasuke said angrily, Chidori forming in his left hand. "I lived my life for one single purpose. To see you die! It ends here!"

"Chidori?" Itachi remarked.

"Enough! You're dead!" Sasuke said his voice full of rage. He rushed toward Itachi with a yell. "Die!"

The instant before Sasuke's Chidori made contact, Itachi knocked it away and grabbed Sasuke's arm. The two brothers stared at each other, one showing no emotion at all while the others face was contorted in rage.

Naruto and I looked on in shock as the last bit of Chidori faded from Sasuke's hand. Seeing his friend in trouble, Naruto started to gather his chakra.

As Itachi gazed at Naruto over his shoulder, Sasuke pulled back his free hand ready to strike his older brother.

"Enough," Itachi said, not looking at Sasuke.

The next instant there was a sickening crack of breaking bones followed by Sasuke's scream of pain. Sasuke fell to the ground clutching his broken wrist to his chest.

"Sasuke!" Naruto and I both exclaimed in concern.

"All right, that's it," Naruto said. He bit his thumb and he began to weave hand signs.

"Too slow," Kisame said swinging his huge sword. "Sorry, kid. My blade, Sharkskin, cuts through chakra and devours it."

Naruto looked up frozen in fear. Again Naruto tried to gather his chakra.

"You're wasting your time," Kisame informed him raising his sword over his head then he brought it down just as a puff of smoke appeared, concealing Naruto. Kisame's blade stopped it's decent. "What the ..?

When the smoke cleared, an armored toad stood in front of Naruto, blocking the huge sword. Then another puff of smoke appeared behind Naruto.

"You two don't know me at all, do you?" Came a voice from inside the smoke. "Should have done your homework. Jiraiya, the Toad Sage falls victim to no woman's charm. Rare beauty is dropped for me like blossoms in a storm. It isn't in my nature to be duped by the wiles of women. When you reach the stature I have, the ladies kneel and worship at your awesomeness."

Naruto turned and glared at Jiraiya. "Aah, don't give me that!" he yelled. "One wink from a pretty girl and you turned into a mountain of mush! You fell for it like a ton of bricks, Pervy Sage!"

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of other people," Jiraiya said sheepishly.

"Are you kidding me!" Naruto screamed and pointed in the direction of Itachi and Kisame. "We've got worse things to worry about than what these guys think of you! Get with it, Pervy Sage!"

"Didn't I just ask you not to call me that?" Jiraiya hollered at Naruto.

Kisame chuckled. "Whatever name you go by, Master Jiraiya, I must say, you're something of a disappointment. A lecherous old man with the disposition of a child. It's almost impossible to believe that you are one of the three Legendary Sannin."

"What?" Naruto said shocked. "You- You already know who he is?"

"Uh, don't be fooled by appearances, or, you know, anything this little squirt might say," Jiraiya laughed.

As Kisame asked how Jiraiya had broken their Genjutsu over the woman, I glanced at Sasuke, who was still laying on the ground at Itachi's feet.

"What kind of coward would do something like that?" Jiraiya asked rhetorically as he finally placed the unconscious woman gentle on the ground. "Using his Sharingan to inflict an illusion jutsu on an innocent woman, all in order to separate Naruto from me. I know that he's the one you're really after."

Both Naruto and Sasuke gasped in surprise.

"That explains how Kakashi knew. Now I understand. He learned it from you," Itachi said looking at Jiraiya.

Itachi knew it was actually me who passed on the information. But for the sake of both of our missions, he couldn't name me as the informant. It had been a month since Lord Third and I had told Jiraiya and Kakashi about my mission. Our original plan, back when I started my mission five years ago, was to include no one else. But when the information given to me concerned the abduction of one of our own Shinobi, Lord Third decided to tell Jiraiya and he, in turn, told Kakashi since he was Naruto's Sensei.

"You're right," Itachi continued. "Naruto is the prize that the Akatsuki are after. And we will have him."

The hallway was full of tension, nobody made a move or said a word. The silence was broken by a pop as the toad blocking Kisame's sword disappeared.

"No way you're getting Naruto," Jiraiya told them.

"We'll see about that," Itachi replied.

"Actually, this is all very convenient. I can eliminate you both at the same time," Jiraiya said confidently.

"Stay out of this," Sasuke groaned rising from the floor shakily. "The only one who's going to eliminate him..." he paused panting. "...is me!"

Everyone stared at Sasuke.

"Go away," Itachi said looking over his shoulder at Sasuke. "You don't interest me at the moment."

Sasuke glared at his older brother. "Well, get interested!" he yelled charging Itachi only to be kicked back easily.

Sasuke flew the length of the hall, hitting the wall behind me with a grunt.

"Sasuke, no!" Naruto exclaimed and charged towards Itachi. "Damn you lousy-"

"No, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled "Don't butt in. Mind your own business!"

Naruto stopped charging and grunted.

"I told you before," Sasuke said, using the wall behind him to help him stand. "I've lived my whole life for this day, this moment. This fight is mine!"

Sasuke charged towards Itachi again. When he got close, he raised his fist to punch Itachi only to have it blocked and receive a punch to the face that sent him flying back down the hall towards me, colliding hard with the wall again.

Sasuke grunted in pain. "Not..finished. This fight is mine."

Itachi glared. "So be it."

Jiraiya tried to move forward to protect Sasuke but was stopped by Kisame.

I moved towards Sasuke as Itachi walked slowly down the hall towards us.

"No, get back Kotori," Sasuke said weakly.

I froze, feet away from Sasuke. I knew Itachi would never purposely hurt me, at the same time though, I was unsure what he would do with another Akatsuki member present. I stood by helplessly as Itachi stopped in front of Sasuke, who was still sitting on the floor against the wall. Then in a flash, Sasuke leapt forward at Itachi.

"And now finally!" he shouted.

In the blink of an eye, Itachi punched Sasuke in the stomach, forcing all the air from his lungs. As Sasuke doubled over in pain, Itachi elbowed him in the back at the base of his neck. Then kneed him if the face. Sasuke flew back against the wall as Itachi again punched him in the gut, resulting in blood spraying from Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke fell to the ground his strength gone.

From behind me, I heard Kisame say. "You show him no mercy."

Itachi looked down at Sasuke, regarding him calmly, then he bent down and grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt and held him at eye level with his back pressed against the wall. "You're still too weak. You don't have enough hate," Itachi said. Then he leaned in closer and said in a quieter voice. "And you know something? You never will." The last part was a whisper, and I barely caught what he said.

Sasuke gasped as his body went limp. Then in the next instance, he screamed in agony.

"Isn't that heartwarming?" Kisame asked with a smirk. "Using Tsukuyomi on his own brother."

"That does it. I'm through standing around!" Naruto growled and rushed towards Itachi.

End of Chapter 3

a/n: please read and review.