Deep within a mountain in the Land of Grass, nine of the most powerful Shinobi in the Elemental Nations were gathered. Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki were currently the only two there in person. The rest were holograms. Leader-Sama turned to the Shark-man, "Kisame, I want you to track down an old acquaintance of the Akatsuki's, and find some information about his village leader" he ordered. The blue man nodded, "sure thing, I might find something to shred along the way" he replied, grinning toothily.
He then turned to the Uchiha, "Itachi, I want you to travel to Konoha and find new information on the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, do you understand?" the Rinnegan wielder asked. The elder of the Uchiha brothers nodded, "understood Leader-Sama" he replied in his usual monotone. "Dismissed" the leader said.
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Itachi and Kisame broke the connection between the others. Kisame stood up and stretched, while the Uchiha stood with his usual grace, "well, good luck Itachi, but I know you won't need it" Kisame said with a feral grin. Itachi nodded slightly, before he turned away and vanished in a seal less, soundless, smokeless Shushin.
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The elder Uchiha found it ridiculously easy to sneak past the Chunin guarding the gates of his old home. As he walked through Konoha, he simply set a Genjutsu on anyone he passed to make them see a normal looking man with brown hair and green eyes. As he walked, he took the time to look around his village. It hadn't changed much since he'd been gone. Suddenly he saw a flash of gold in his peripheral vision. Turning to it, Itachi's eyes widened when he saw his younger brother and the Kyuubi Jinchuriki walking together. Sasuke had a Chokoto tied to his hip, while Naruto had a Blue and red Gunbai strapped to his back.
Silently, the double agent followed them. The two boys went to a training field and Itachi watched from in a tree as they both removed their weapons and proceeded to engage in a spar. Itachi smiled proudly as his little brother handled his Chokoto masterfully. But he was ultimately defeated by Naruto. "Damn it" he heard Sasuke mutter. Naruto grinned at him, "you did really well Otouto, I'm impressed" he said. Itachi's eyes widened. Naruto saw Sasuke as a little brother as well? Sasuke looked down, "but I only managed to hit you once?" he asked in confusion. The blond boy chuckled, "it was still a hit, and I think you did a good job Sasuke, don't get so down on yourself" he said reassuringly. Sasuke looked up at Naruto with a small smile, "arigato Anija" he replied.
Itachi's eyes widened once more, now Sasuke saw the Jinchuriki as an older brother? After a moment the elder Uchiha smiled softly. It seemed that his baby brother had another older brother to take care of him while Itachi couldn't. He was happy for Sasuke, really he was. The Uzumaki wrapped one arm around Sasuke's shoulders, "so, what do you want to do now?" he asked. Sasuke shrugged, "I don't know, I don't have many hobbies" he replied. Itachi frowned, why not? Naruto tilted his head before his face lit up, "well then, that is what we should do!" the boy exclaimed.
Sasuke looked confused, "what?" he asked. Naruto grinned, "find hobbies of course, it's not healthy for us to do nothing but train all the time" he replied. Itachi nodded, that was a good idea. His younger brother looked thoughtful, "like what?" he asked curiously. Naruto removed his arm from Sasuke's shoulder and crossed them over his chest with a thoughtful expression of his own on his face, "well, I like learning about the powerful Shinobi of the past- I also enjoy gardening and I was thinking of trying meditation as well" he paused and turned back to Sasuke, "what kind of things do you like to do in your spare time?" he asked. The younger Uchiha blushed slightly, "spend time with you" he mumbled, but Itachi was able to read his younger brothers lips, and by the look on his face, Naruto had heard what he'd said as well.
"Hmmmmm," he hummed, looking thoughtful, "what about something creative, you could learn an instrument?" he suggested. Sasuke thought about it, "yeah, what kind though?" he asked. "Well, are there any that catch your eye?" Naruto asked. The younger Uchiha blushed, "well, there is one, but it's a little embarrassing" he replied. "I won't laugh" the blond boy said seriously. Sasuke turned his gaze to the ground, "the Leaf Whistle" he replied quietly, but both brothers heard it. 'The Leaf Whistle, interesting' Itachi thought to himself. "The Leaf Whistle huh? Well, I must admit I am interested in learning the Ocarina" Naruto said, nodding.
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Itachi followed the two boys as they walked through the streets of the village. They soon entered a music shop. Transforming into a normal looking Konoha Chunin, the Uchiha went into the building after his brother and Naruto. He watched as Naruto walked about and examined the instruments. The blond boy picked up a four-hole Ocarina and grinned. He went up to the counter with his selection so as to buy it. However, when the woman saw him, she bared her teeth in a sneer, and Naruto flinched. Itachi narrowed his eyes. When he was still living in the village, he sometimes had to switch duties with Kakashi, and as such, he would guard the boy.
Despite it being the Akatuski's mission to gather the Jinchuriki, and as such might possibly be his mission eventually, he always had been a caring person. Watching an innocent young boy, especially one that he'd watched over, get treated this way truly did hurt him. "What are you doing here, you worthless brat?!" the cashier demanded to know. She stood up threateningly, "get out of here you demon! How dare you come into this shop as if you actually belonged here?!" she screeched. Naruto began shivering. The woman began moving around the counter.
Itachi watched as tears came to Naruto's eyes and he stepped back. The elder Uchiha frowned. Yes, the blond boy was young still, but he had never known him to cry so easily when he used to watch over him. Even then he had mostly tried to ignore those kinds of comments. He concluded that it must be something else that was making him act like this. "Get out of here, before I make you, you murderer!" the woman screamed, raising her hand to strike the blond. Naruto flinched away before Itachi saw his younger brother move so fast that to the civilian Sasuke would have just looked like a blur. "And just what do you think you are doing to my Anija?" he asked in a cold voice. The woman stepped back, her eyes wide, "Uchiha-Sama! What are you doing?" she asked, greatly surprised. Itachi rolled his eyes, stupid woman couldn't even comprehend the fact that his younger brother cared about Naruto.
The younger Uchiha glared at the woman, "if you must know, I came here to help my Anija find an Ocarina for him to play, when I saw you doing something that look suspiciously like trying to hit him, so I ask again- just what were you going to do to my Anija?" Sasuke asked, voice calm, but Itachi saw that his eyes were steely. The civilian woman spluttered for a moment, but became quiet when Sasuke's eyes began smouldering with a quiet fury, one that Itachi had only ever seen on the night that he was forced to murder their Clan. The cashier paled when Sasuke walked up to the counter. He raised his hand and placed enough money for Naruto's Ocarina onto the bench, "here, take the money, but don't expect us to come back" he said, leaving with Naruto walking behind him.
Itachi looked around slowly, before sighing, like he couldn't find what he was looking for before exiting the shop, sparing one last glance at the shivering shop owner. Following his brother and Naruto silently again, the elder Uchiha watched as Sasuke glared darkly at everyone who looked at them. The three soon left the crowded areas of the village, where Sasuke slowly calmed. Naruto walked silently up to their younger brother, "hey," he said softly. The younger Uchiha turned to the blond and his glare became a concerned look, "are you alright?" he asked. Naruto smiled, "I'll be fine- I'm used to it" he replied. Sasuke scowled, "you shouldn't be!" he exclaimed harshly. The blonds smile became sad, "but I am- for now there's nothing I can do to change that, but one day, I will show all of them that I am someone they can trust to protect them and I'm sure they will change their minds" Naruto spoke.
Sasuke frowned, "Anija, how do you do it, how do you just take everyone's hatred and continue to want to protect them? I said before that I wanted this village to become my family, but when so many of them treat you the way they do-" he shook his head, "I don't know Anija, I just don't know". Itachi smiled sadly, that sounded a lot like his situation- if things had been different, maybe he and Naruto-kun could have been friends as well. Naruto placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "Sasuke, I continue to protect them because I know that one day they will accept me- they will accept me because I will show them who I really am- I am Naruto Uzumaki and I will be the Hokage one day" he said with determination. Both Itachi and Sasuke stared at the blond boy, and the older Uchiha could see the determination and will in Naruto's eyes.
Sasuke nodded, "I understand Anija" he replied, before both turned and began walking again. Itachi continued to follow the two boys until they reached a house that he recognized as the same house Naruto's parents lived in before the Kyuubi attack. After they entered, Itachi decided he'd seen enough, and vanished in a smokeless Shushin. As he left his home, he smiled slightly. 'It seems that you have changed for the better Sasuke- thank you Naruto-Kun for taking care of him' he thought as he began his journey back to the Akatsuki base.
To Be Continued
