Naruto the Sharingan Wielder
Chapter XI: Itachi's Dark Past
As said from the last chapter, we now discover Itachi's dark past when he was a shinobi of Konoha. Ever since his defection from his own home, he hasn't garnered any attention from people because his little brother always seems to be fully admired by everyone. Itachi's rage and jealousy has affected Sasuke for far too long and he wasn't about to let this traitor get away this time. Now the Hokage has issued Operation Lone Assassin against the child prodigy, but will Sasuke stop his brother before the mission is executed? On with the show
It's been almost two months now since the entire Uchiha clan has been murdered by a child prodigy known as Itachi Uchiha. Everyone in the village seems to be affected by this tragedy while reflecting back on what happened that day. Now the Hokage is planning to get this lone assassin back to Konoha in order for him to be tried and sentenced for the largest mass murder in Konoha history. Although itachi showed a little remorse for his killing, his dark past has been revealed. It's been told that before the murders, Fugaku and Teiyaki Uchiha never cared much for Itachi's grades and his commendations back then because they were focused too much on Sasuke because of how much he had excelled in his ninja training and the good progress he made while at the academy. However, much to Itachi's displeasure, he also wanted to be just like his little brother, but far more dangerous.
Despite Sasuke's good grades and all, his parents make sure that he always get the job done and would do whatever it takes to please them. Due to Sasuke's hard work, dedication, and pledge to be a hero of this village, he has earned the respect of almost everyone here, including Naruto. However, Naruto didn't seem to care how good Sasuke got as long as he didn't end up dead last, but he cared deeply for that raven-haired kid and wanted to be just like him one day. The two of them had developed a rivalry for each other since then, but nonetheless, they both had a strong bond of friendship and brotherly love towards each other.
But Itachi on the other hand, hated how Sasuke and naruto had bonded together as friends and family and he would do anything to break that bond between them. And the only way to do that was to get rid of his own parents and the rest of the clan in order to ensure that the child prodigy deserves power and everything else. However, both Naruto and Sasuke never knew that Itachi had this much hatred towards his own village and his family since that dark day. No matter how bad Itachi wanted revenge, he needed more power in order to get himself stronger and make people fear him.
At the Akatsuki's hideout, Itachi and Kisame were waiting on news from the other members when Deidara shows up and said, "So, is it true that you took your revenge out on your own family because of the attention that your little brother has been getting? I wonder why you would go off and do such a thing towards your brother?"
"I have my own reasons of dealing with such situations like that, but my little brother doesn't matter to me now. His family was getting in my way and they spent far too much time with him instead of me. I am so sick of them always praising Sasuke of his hard work and not mine. Since when did my little brother have the potential of being a shinobi in Konoha? He doesn't have the qualifications or the credentials to be a hero." Protested Itachi while flinging a kunai knife onto a wall.
"I see, well you didn't have to go and get his entire clan killed. You parents cared about you as well and they would have done everything in their power to be proud of you. They had a heart and soul and they will always be there to support you no matter what happens. But now you took the love away from your brother, that would put the stain on almost every village and it would easily put our plans to capture the beasts in fruition." Put in Sasori while he continued hand carving his puppets.
Itachi then looked at Sasori in frustration and yelled, "What do you know about my family anyway? My life has been a waste since then and I would never forgive my mom and dad for what they did. It's always " Oh Sasuke, we are so proud of you for your achievement," and " Oh, Sasuke, I think you have what it takes to be a shinobi," Seriously I am so fed up with their consoling of my little brother. Why is it that he's the only one that gets all the attention around here? What about me? I've been in the ninja academy since I was around twelve years old and graduated at age thirteen. I was always at the top of my game and defeated anyone that fought me in combat. I always thought that I was the heir of my clan, but Sasuke took that dream away from me! He stole my spotlight and I will not have the honor to let him destroy what I have accomplished." He then got up and went to his quarters without saying another word.
"Wait, Itachi-san, come back, you haven't told us about your plan to attack Konoha and…." Began Sasori, but Deidara cut him off.
"Let him clear his head for a little bit, he needs some time to cool off. Besides, he already took care of business in Konoha so why should we attack now? We should have some time to gather up a plan of attack first before we do anything rash, Sasori-san." Replied Deidara. "And besides, my art of bombs will always shatter the calmness of any villager in sight." He then went off to his room to make some clay for himself in order to make his perfect creation.
Itachi's life has been turned upside down after he killed his parents, but everyone knows that he has gone rogue. But even he knows that Konoha has always been his home. However the memory of that place has already faded away from him. Everything that he worked so hard for was gone. He wanted to erase any trace of his past from his mind and focus on getting the power that rightfully belongs to him because he wants to live a life without anyone telling him what he needs to do.
Back in Konoha, Naruto was preparing for his rounds of training when there was a knock at the door, he then went to answer it, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Shikaku! I have to tell you something important." He called from the outside.
Naruto then opened the door to allow the man to come in. "Oh, Hi Mr. Shikaku. What can I do for you?"
"Well, The Hokage wishes to see you in his office because it's important. So, shall we go?" asked Shikaku.
"Sure, of course. But before we go, I need to stop by at Sasuke's compound for a bit because I need to pick up some journals that Itachi may have left behind before he defected from this place. I also have some new evidence regarding that traitor that the council would like to hear." Replied Naruto as he heads out the door with Shikaku following close behind.
As Naruto arrives at the Uchiha compound, he discovers the door was still open. Once inside, he heads over to Itachi's room and opened the desk drawer to discover journals and plans of attack against Konoha village. "This sure is a lot of stuff that Itachi has kept hidden here, no wonder he didn't want anyone else to see it. Would these be enough to bring that traitor back?" he asked.
"I don't know, Naruto. But keep your eyes peeled, you may never know what Itachi has kept stashed here." Said Shikaku while helping him with the search. But soon, Sasuke arrived and sees Naruto in itachi's room, "What are you doing here, Naruto? And why are you in itachi's room?"
"Oh, Sasuke-kun. I was just looking through your former brother's stuff. You would not believe what I found. Your brother has kept journals written about how much he hated this family and his plans to attack this village, this could be the break that we needed to finally closing this case once and for all. I wanted to ask you, why didn't Itachi tell you about what he was keeping here?"
"I…. I never knew what my brother was planning and those journals, I never seen them before. He must have written these before he left. To be honest, I don't know why he did this to me or to my family rather." Said Sasuke with a worried look.
Naruto then showed Sasuke a tape that was also found here. "Maybe this might tell in detail of what Itachi was planning beforehand. I've managed to record a conversation between him and the mysterious criminal organization. So if I show this to the Hokage and to the council, I think we might finally figure out Itachi's dark past and the truth behind his killing spree." He replied.
So, after some digging, Naruto and Sasuke gathered up all the evidence found at the Uchiha compound and headed straight towards the Hokage's office. Once there, they immediately knocked on the door with the Hokage calling, "Coming!" Once he opened the door to find Naruto and Sasuke, he lets them in.
"What's up guys? I didn't expect you would be coming this early. Here I thought that you would still be back in the hospital and … Whoa! What's all this? Where did you guys find this stuff?" asked the Hokage while noticing the stuff being placed on his desk.
"These are some of the journals that Itachi Uchiha wrote at his compound the day before the murders occurred. I do believe that a couple of pages tell you about his dark past and how he wanted the attention for himself instead of Sasuke. Also, you might find that he wrote down some plans about destroying Konoha and everyone inside it. Itachi never told us about these journals since he kept it a secret from me and Sasuke and we had no idea that he was planning to harm people. I also have a tape here of his conversation with that criminal organization that you and Tsunade were talking about." Said Naruto while handing the tape to the Hokage.
The rest of the council members went over to the desk, takes the journals and reads them while the Hokage plays the tape to reveal the true motives behind his murder. As the gang listened, they discovered that Itachi had made up accusations to frame his brother for the crime by saying how he shouldn't have garnered all that attention and the fact that the only true heir of the Uchiha clan shoudl be Itachi himself. Once Sasuke heard everything on the tape, he immediately grabbed the device and hurled it out the window with a loud crash sound. Everyone in the room had silent, shocked looks on their faces after seeing what Sasuke had done.
"OH, BE QUIET!" He then paused to take a deep breath. "How DARE he spew out such nonsense about his own clan like this? As I said before, no one disrespects my family and gets away with it! The nerve of that Itachi! He thinks he can frame me for murdering my own family? If this is the best he can do, I will have no choice but to make his life a living hell. The bottom line is this: I will be the next Uchiha clan successor, not Itachi! I will show him no remorse and I promise you, my former brother will pay for his betrayal." Shouted Sasuke as he got up and walked out of the office while closing the door behind him.
The Hokage could only groan after what he had witnessed in his office, but decided to brush it off afterwards. "Well, Naruto-san? You heard what Itachi had said on the tape. So, do you want me to initiate Operation Lone Assassin? According to the journals that Itachi had written, it will be enough to bring Itachi back while pinning the murder charges on him."
As Naruto looked at everyone around the room, he could see some winks and heads nodding regarding the capture of Itachi. "Well, since that monster has become a delusional psychopath, we all would want justice for the Uchiha clan. Yes Ji-san, go ahead, it's time that we put a price on Itachi's head after the incident here. Personally, I would like to see that guy suffer the consequences of his actions as Sasuke had put it. I wouldn't allow Itachi to disrespect everything that we worked so hard to achieve here in Konoha." Replied Naruto with a thumbs up.
The rest of the council members didn't seem to approve of Naruto's decision about dealing with Itachi. "Are you serious about this? If you allow Operation Lone assassin to move forward, you are only putting yourself in danger!" said one of the villagers.
"Relax, my friends. I think this plan will be of great help to our case against that ex-shinobi who is no longer a part of our lives. And besides, I agree with the Hokage's plan. This will be a great opportunity to show us our true strength against that killer." Said naruto with a smile on his face.
Just then, a villager grabbed Naruto hy his shirt collar and hollered, " Listen to me, you may think that Itachi has been ex-communicated from Konoha, but what makes you think you can come here and decide on how Itachi should be handled? Haven't you forgotten that everyone here hates you as well? You are nothing but a demo..." but before he could finish his sentence, Naruto activates his sharingan and placed a Kunai knife above the man's neck while warning him, "Try saying that again, punk, and you will be the next person to get ex-communicated from this village! Besides, this place already has its share of troubles with Itachi Uchiha, don't EVER put me in that bastard's position, you hear me?"
"Cry…Crystal clear, Naruto-san!" said the villager with a scared look on his face. The Clan heirs smiled as Naruto released the villager from his grip with a smile on his face. "Good! I am glad to see that we have this settled. Now then, I think we have enough evidence to build a murder case against Itachi Uchiha, don't you agree, Mr. Shikaku?"
"I guess so, but are you sure you want to put an end to him now? It would really be troublesome for this village at this point."
"Don't worry; I know what I am doing. And I promise you, this village will be at peace once Itachi is out of the picture. And furthermore, we might be able to deal with the remaining Akatsuki members without too much trouble." Continued Naruto while eating a pocky.
"Interesting, so what sort of plan did you have in mind, you little brat?" asked Tsume with an evil glint on her face.
"Well, we could have some Shinobi patrol the forest area and have the rest of the guards patrol the areas within the village, including the training field and the ninja academy. This way, we might get some leads to Itachi's whereabouts. If we follow his scent, it could lead us right to his trail. Also, would it be possible to let the Anbu guards do some digging within the outskirts of Konoha to see what they come up with? I think if Sasuke wants to get revenge against his brother, this plan of ours will be put into good use." Commented Naruto while drawing out the plans of attack.
"Now that sounds like one of the best plan of action from you, Naruto! You know, you really should go into strategizing here in Konoha since you know a lot about this place inside and out. I do believe that one of these days, you will become an excellent shinobi in combat operations." Replied Choza with a smile on his face.
"Well, this is just the beginning of letting Itachi Uchiha fess up for his crimes. So there is more to come, don't worry. That guy won't escape our grasp this time because when he does return to the village, I have a score to settle with him when his prison sentence is completed." Said naruto. Everyone else around the room now knows the seriousness of this situation so they decided to put their faith in the child as operation Lone assassin is officially set into motion. With that out of the way, the village can finally move on to other matters rather than spending all day thinking about what Itachi had done.
Naruto then shows his plans to the Hokage for approval since it could turn the tide of the battle in their favor. With Itachi still at large, Konoha and the rest of the great nations will have to be prepared for anything when it comes to facing the Akatsuki in battle. But their main goal is not known at this time since no one knows where their hideout is located. But Sasuke, on the other hand, knows what Itachi is planning since he and Kisame will be back for what's inside of Naruto.
As the Hokage reviews the plans, he seems pleased that the child was able to come up with this sort of idea. "You know, I like the way you think, naruto-san. Personally, not everyone has your aptitude for handling a case like this, so I would probably appoint you as my assistant in gathering intelligence and devising plans of attack, also known as strategizing. I think this will be a good chance for us to work together in order to keep this village safe, what do you think?"
Naruto thought about it for a moment and said, "Sure, of course we can work together, oJi-san. And also, I would be more than happy if the clan heirs joined in so that they can offer support for both of us when we face Itachi. We need to make sure that he gets the punishment he deserves."
"Yeah! Now you are talking, pup! And of course we will support you all the way when it's needed. Besides, the Hokage here has made it clear that we will be in charge of you for a while until the situation here is resolved. The only reason we are helping you is because we don't want you to relive those painful memories of what that child prodigy has done to his family since his life is wasted on committing crime and endangering the lives of civilians. We don't want you to end up like him because you are not capable of causing such terror and destruction. Our number one concern for you is safety since you seem to like doing dangerous things that none of us can handle, and that's the reason why we are putting you under our watch, do you understand?" said Tsume while crossing her arms.
"Yeah, I know you guys are worried about my safety, and I do understand, but there are some things that even I cannot handle alone either. I know about Itachi's dark past, but his parents did everything they could to support him and they made sure that he would become a most successful shinobi to help us fight against any enemy that threatens this village, but now he has turned into something much more darker. I should have known Itachi had a secret that he never told us after he murdered his entire clan. He wasn't like this the first time I met him because I thought he was loving and caring of other people." Added Naruto
"You thought he was loving and caring? Well, see, that's where you are wrong. My brother has been anything but kind and gentle. You heard the conversation he had with his fellow henchmen, right? From the day you came to our life, Itachi lied to all of us about how he wanted to take good care of his family. He used you to get to me, Naruto, and you still think he is sweet and loving? I don't think so! You don't know much about my brother the way I do, kid. Let me tell you something right now, my brother will do anything to get his hands on your power, and I will do what it takes to destroy him to avenge my family. Once he is out of the picture, I will restore my clan to its former glory. And I can see that you guys are planning to use Operation Lone Assassin, so shall I join you in hunting down that traitor?" said Sasuke as he looks at the plans.
Naruto then turns to face Sasuke and said, "You are more than welcome to join me in our fight against that monster. Once we cut off our relationship with Itachi, he is no longer considered a family to this village. I think you and I will make a great team to track down your former brother and ensure that your family is avenged. Welcome to the battle, bro. Let's make it a good one!" he then shook Sasuke's hands and tapped fists with each other before arming themselves with ninja gear.
Everyone in the room had smiles on their faces knowing that these two brothers will work well together to defeat their rival. "Well, it looks like we can finally relax now that we got Naruto and Sasuke teaming up. I must say, the murders of the Uchiha Clan have changed their lives completely. This mission will not be easy for them since there will be a ton of obstacles along the way. All I can do is wish them luck and hope they will survive in one piece." Replied the Hokage. Even the clan heirs agreed with the old man because even though Naruto and Sasuke had a long history together, they will not stop until their goal is fulfilled. Although they may be rivals, they still love and care for each other no matter what happens. But their journey to being a successful shinobi will be a long one since they will learn about using intelligence, endure lots of training and combat skills, and perfecting their techniques to make sure they are at a hundred percent strength. Furthermore, their friends will also do what they can to make sure that these two brothers succeed on their mission.
As Naruto and Sasuke entered into the streets of Konoha, they could see their teammates waving at them, including Hyuga Hinata, who had already seen what both boys have gone through up until now. She fears for their safety as well because of how badly Itachi had treated them. But Naruto walked directly over to Hinata and said, "Everything will be fine, Hinata-san. Me and Sasuke will stop Itachi, we promise. And besides, we are not about to let the Akatsuki steal our glory. We will show Itachi Uchiha just what it really means to suffer pain and torture after what he did to us."
"Well…. Okay… But…. But please come back alive in one piece. I…. I really want… to … to see you guys succeed in bringing down that traitor." Stammered Hinata.
"Don't worry, sweetie. We will do what we can to win this. After all, we both have the support of the Hokage and the village to keep us alive. And we will not let anything happen to you while we are around. Yes, this mission will be difficult, but the Hokage and the clan heirs are full confident that we can handle it. In the meantime, we will not let this village suffer another nightmare just like what happened before. We made a promise to protect this place and we are not going to back down from it, and that's our ninja way." Replied Sasuke with a smile.
Hinata was relieved to hear those words from Sasuke and plans to put her faith in them since they have a lot of work ahead of them. But everyone here knows that Naruto and Sasuke will succeed as long as they don't get hurt because Konoha will never be the same without them. The Hokage also knows that if anyone can stop Itachi, it has to be Sasuke since he learned a lot from his training, but neither he nor Naruto will find Itachi to be an easy target since he has some surprises in store for our heroes. However, Sasuke already knows what Naruto had gone through when the Tsukoyomi was released on him so he wasn't about to fall for his former brother's trickery again. "Nee-sama, I am not planning to fall for your tricks this time so no matter what attacks you use on me, it will backfire on you. You can attack me all you like, but with what I have in store for you, there is no way you will survive my onslaught." He thought to himself.
"Sasuke's right, Itachi may be strong, but he has the ability to analyze his opponents' moves before they even make them. Sometimes I wonder how on earth Itachi can dodge so many attacks aimed at him. How can he possibly survive after I landed a couple of hits on him the first time around? I need to be careful because his genjutsu attacks can easily put people's minds elsewhere. Furthermore, I don't need to be reminded of that horrible nightmare again because I need to stay strong in order to defeat the man that killed the family we loved so much. I can't just stand around moping and complaining about what happened before so I will do whatever it takes to end this nightmare once and for all!" said Naruto while clenching his fists.
Sasuke couldn't help but smile at Naruto for trying to conquer his fear. But nonetheless, this was a personal matter that should be dealt with. No one in Konoha will let someone get away with murder, especially Naruto because he was the one affected the most by this tragedy, but he learned to accept it and move on. By putting their personal losses aside, Naruto and Sasuke would always look out for one another while protecting themselves. Failure isn't an option for them because they already know what's at stake.
As the duo arrived at the training field, a bunch of leaves blew right past them and at that moment, they knew who was coming. "I can tell that you guys are risking everything to keep yourselves alive for this mission, right?' said a voice from above them. Naruto recognized the figure out from above as Hatake Kakashi, the same shinobi that saved him from Itachi's assault.
"Yeah, this is our chance to put an end to that criminal once and for all. So we decided to come here and get some training done in order to get our strength back to a hundred percent. Although I was weakened by that criminal before, I am not going to back down from a challenge. If I can go through this training, I will be sure to prove to the world that I am ready to fight Itachi Uchiha!" said Naruto.
"I agree with Naruto, if I am willing to avenge my family, then so be it! I am also willing to take on this training regiment if I have to, and destroy that pathetic loser once and for all. I am not just doing this for my new best friend and brother; I am doing this for my parents and for the village of Konoha! Remember that, Kakashi-sensei." Put in Sasuke.
Kakashi was astonished to hear these words from Naruto and Sasuke, but nonetheless, he smiled at them and thought to himself, "Wow, after all this time, you are really starting to put your courage to the test. It amazes me to see that you two are finally working together as a team. I recently heard from the Hokage that he wants to make you his assistant in gathering intelligence and devising plans of attack, that's very good. But times have changed, my young friends. I hope you are prepared for this." He then placed his book into his pouch before turning his eyes to Naruto and Sasuke.
"All right boys, I will be more than happy to get you guys started on some training, but let me be fair to you: this will not be easy since there are a lot of missions to be performed, and also I recommend that you guys start the basics at the ninja academy for a while before we move on to more advanced training. Now, I know you guys are willing to do anything to protect the things that are precious to you, but are you able to handle this sort of task?"
"You bet, Kakashi-sensei, and I think the academy is always a great place to start working to get ourselves strong. What do you think nee-sama?" he said while turning his attention to Sasuke.
"Heh! If you are willing to go through this, than I am too. Just don't fall behind, okay? Besides, starting out at the academy will give me a good chance to perfect my combo attacks and substitution techniques. I want to make sure you will not become a drop-out because that would ruin all our hard work."
Naruto then cracked a smile back at Sasuke and shook his hand, "You are on, nee-san! And don't worry; I will be sure to give it my best shot, besides we have all the time we need to get ourselves stronger before we face that former failed brother of yours."
And with that, both Naruto and Sasuke prepared themselves for the test of their lives. But as long as they have the commitment and dedication, they will have no problems with the training at hand. As Kakashi watched them heading off into the sunset, he could only imagine what the village would be thinking. "Brace yourself, Itachi! Naruto and Sasuke are going to have a few surprises in store for you. So be prepared! And furthermore, you are not going to get the power inside of Naruto because as long as I am here, we will make you answer for the crimes you committed!"
Elsewhere, at an undisclosed location below the land of sound, a mysterious voice spoke up to his forces, "So, it appears that the Akatsuki are gathering up plans to steal the tailed beasts from other villages, eh? Very interesting, but no matter, their plans won't be in motion when I tear them apart. And then we have Uchiha Itachi, the former child prodigy of Konoha turning against his own people. Well, when the time comes, I will deal with itachi personally since I used to be a member of their criminal organization. And the, no one will be able to stop me from achieving my ultimate goal! Hahahahahahahaha!" The evil smile then fades into the darkness as no one had realized that another new evil has risen. But one thing is for certain, Naruto and Sasuke needs to tread lightly if they want to stop the forces of evil and darkness because who knows what new danger awaits them as they prepare for their training regiment.
And stop... Okay that was a bit of a long chapter, but I think the Hokage has set a goal for our young heroes now that Operation Lone Assassin has been put into motion. Before the boys can battle their most hated rival, they must go through a series of basic training regiments in order to strengthen themselves. We also know that Naruto has been assigned to work as the Hokage's assistant in gathering intel and planning attacks, but will it be enough to put an end to Itachi? And who is that mysterious new evil foe lurking from his village? All the answers will be revealed in the next chapter. So in the meantime, read and review, and as always see you all next time.