Anko was cursing everything in her world today. Not only was her former master here and attacking children, but he attacking Itachi's little brother and the jinchuriki. Kakashi and Itachi were going to kill her. And for some reason, she was under the impression Hana would as well. She was skilled kunoichi. She had been ANBU for god sakes. Few things in this world were unexpected for her, but for Orochimaru to show up and not only attack children, but to attack the one genin team that would get her killed was a little surprising. And, she wasn't even able to defeat him. She had lost. Fuck today.
"WHERE IS TEAM SEVEN?" Hana was basically screeching. There were few things in this world she cared about, but Kakashi's little genin team was one of them and god help that snake bastard today.
"Team Seven is completing the exam, they are fine," Sarutobi responded flatly to the woman whose face was far too close to his considering he was the Hokage.
"Completing the exam? The exam has been compromised," Itachi glared. The murderous intent in the room was strong. Even Kakashi had some radiating off of him.
"The exams will continue. And this is to remain confidential. Only the top brass will know."
Hana's teeth made an audible grinding noise. "I'm coming to the chunin exam preliminaries. They're not leaving my goddamn sight. Itachi is joining."
"I will allow that. It will be good for the genin to see some new jonin faces."
Not able to tolerate his lackadaisical attitude any longer, Hana was gone in a push of smoke to the exams. Itachi and Kakashi were close behind her.
"I'm going to murder him," Itachi growled and Hana wasn't sure who he was referring to.
"How did Anko let this happen," Hana muttered, glaring at the equally purple haired shinobi.
Kakashi glanced at her front of the side, hands in his pockets. "I don't think she meant to let it happen." Hana rolled her eyes. She needed to be angry at someone.
Other than the occasional 'Hn.', Itachi had been quite silent since their arrival in front of the genin. There was still so many of them. Hana leaned toward him, noticing his activated Sharingan. "Which one is he?"
Itachi's face tightened even more as he scanned around the room. Nothing. "I don't know," he said flatly, but anyone listening could feel the growl. It was a rare day when Uchiha Itachi didn't know something.
Hana's eyes centered on Sasuke, who was shifting uncomfortably. His hand was occasionally grasping his left shoulder in a pained movement. "It's there," she sighed nodding lightly in his direction. She received a hand signal from Kakashi, acknowledging her agreement and a 'Hn' from Itachi.
Her hands began flying through several signals at her sides indicating they needed to talk to Sasuke before his preliminary match. Several jonin, particularly the former ANBU, were paying far too close attention to her hands. She smirked, every team had their own language and her teams were one of the most intricate. It had taken her nearly a year to fully master it. Sasuke was grasping his shoulder near constantly at this point, they had to get in there.
"Akado Yoroi vs Uchiha Sasuke!" Team Erito visibly tensed. There were twenty people out there and Sasuke had to be the first one picked. Of course. They glanced between each other before agreeing Kakashi was the only one who could possibly speak to him. If all three approached, it was appear far too suspicious.
"Itachi, let's get changed. Us being here like this is distracting." They bounded away only to return cloaked and in masks, anything else would be far too obvious of their identity.
Sasuke's match went well, despite his lack of chakra use. Itachi was proud as they waited in the hallway, for Kakashi to escort him out. They were deep in the shadows, being extremely true to their ANBU identity. Sasuke entered the hallway and they dashed in front of him. He took a step back. "Nii-san…Hana…" He sighed, recognizing the masks themselves.
Hana bit her lip, knowing her rantings were not the time and place right now. Itachi spoke first. "To the basement, we have sealing to do." Out of the three of them, Hana was the best at seals. Maybe it was because she was so used to slathering things in blood. Who knows.
Kakashi and Itachi assisted with the set-up of kunai. Hana sliced open her palm knowing a prick would never cover the distance she needed. "Isn't your blood poisonous," Sasuke flinched, looking away from her.
The flinch was far too preemptive because she waited until the cringe receded to whack him. "Are you planning to lick it," she snarled, continuing the seal.
She sighed, motioning for her teammates to step back and she went through several hand signs and finally sealed him. Sasuke's scream almost too much for Itachi to bear, he was going to kill-
"My… my… my… How you three have grown," a slithering voice came from around a pillar. Hana immediately drew her sword, slathering it in her blood. The three formed a circle around Sasuke, they'd be damned if that man got ahold of him. "Four sharingan in this room..mm..I want them all." Hana glanced to her left and right unable to find the man. Itachi's sharingan was blazing and Kakashi looked ready to pounce.
"Then why didn't you come for me and not Sasuke," Itachi snarled.
"Because," Orochimaru was mere meters from Itachi. "He possesses the proper qualities I need in an exceptional piece." Orochimaru was in a flash in front of Kakashi. "Five sharingan, delightful." He a few steps closers and the chidori's chirping was heard around the room.
"Do not take one more step closer to Sasuke! I don't care if you're a legendary sannin. The least I can do is kill you as you kill me!" Kakashi was more forceful than Hana had ever seen him.
Orochimaru chuckled and moved in front of Hana. "An interesting kekkei genkei as well, I wish to study it." Hana's blade twitched, but Orochimaru was already far out of the room. "Oh.. and you're going to kill me? Why don't you try?" With that, the snake sannin and his chakra faded into the blackness.
The three teammates relaxed and glanced back and Sasuke, who was passed out from pain. Itachi picked him up. "I will take him to the hospital."
Kakashi nodded as Itachi bounded away. "I should watch the rest of the matches, Naruto and Sakura are bound to fight soon, if not already."
"Tell them to kick ass and take names," Hana grinned. "I'm going to head home. Today has been far too eventful for a day off. Let me know how they do."
As Hana passed through the compound she stopped at her parent's home, deciding to talk to her sister. As she went to enter, she heard through the living room door them speaking. Funneling chakra to her ears she listened. "-petitioned to graduate," Harumi's voice was extremely level.
"Darling, you're only ten," Hitomi consoled gently. Harumi was a talented young girl, but graduating early was a feat.
"Itachi was six, Kakashi was six, I'm practically dead compared to them," Harumi groaned. Hana could hear a soft thud and could sense the dramatic gestures her sister was making.
"If the petition is accepted, we will agree to you graduating early, Harumi. Though, don't get your hopes too high," Hiroto nodded. Hana was perturbed. Her little sister didn't need to graduate early. Her sister needed to form normal bonds with her classmates. She took a long breath and found her center. The mindset she found was one she hadn't delved into a in long time – apathy. In her early years, apathy was her defense mechanism. Hana wasn't sure went the shift occur, but somewhere along the lines she became anything but apathetic. Everything suddenly matter and everything was high stakes.
She was sick of it. She was sick of everything always being her problem, and while deep down she cared, she didn't care enough right now. With a gentle shrug, Hana continued her stroll home, she had a husband to finish her night with.
"Orchimaru?" Shisui gasped, as they laid in bed, nearing sleep.
"Mhm," Hana nodded, arms behind her head.
"And, Sasuke? And he wants the sharingan?" Hana nodded again. She wasn't really supposed to be telling him she supposed, but he was not only her husband, but a fellow ANBU. That makes him top brass.
"Christ…" Shisui groaned, flopping back down against his pillow. "This is some shit."
Itachi, Hana and Shisui found themselves together for the final round exams. The rest of their families had sat together, but as the heirs were consistently exhausted by diplomacy, they thought it best to sit alone. Two conversations with foreign feudal lords was more than enough today.
"Ya know, that Nara kid might be giving you a run for your money," Shisui teased.
Itachi smirked at Shisui. "If only he wasn't as lazy as you."
Shisui shoved Itachi, eliciting a light laugh from the man. "I'll remind you I raised in this ranks as fast as you. Now this one here," he glanced at his wife and lowered his voice so their teasing wouldn't be heard. "…might be the definition of lazy."
Hana shrugged, with a smirk resembling Itachi's. She really had to spend less time around that man. "Sutero and Nara are distantly related. I just happened to get the long dormant apathy gene as I prefer to call it." The Uchiha (and well Sutero technically for Shisui) men shook their head on either side of her. She noticed the countdown for Sasuke's arrival heading closer to zero than for comfort.
Sasuke was late and the match had been delayed twice already. Hana was twitching. "I'm not even this late to stuff. Damn Kakashi," Hana snarled.
"If he is eliminated based on this, the entire clan will be in an uproar," Itachi noted. The two Sutero nodded. The Uchiha already weren't thrilled with Kakashi's existence and possession on the sharingan, so causing Sasuke to be eliminated would be quite the issue.
"Ah, I think I feel them coming," Shisui nodded in the direction of the entrance. His sensing abilities were outstanding compared to Hana and Itachi's. Sure enough, Kakashi and Sasuke were in the arena with seconds to spare.
The match between the Suna shinobi and Sasuke began and the bloodthirst in the arena was unnatural. That redhead was a tough cookie and despite Sasuke's recent uptake in speed, he could barely make any head away. The three ANBU gritted their teeth, watching the match. This guy was good, but so was their Sasuke.
"Holy shit," Hana gasped as Sasuke formed an all too familiar. "That's…"
"…the chidori," Itachi was as close to beaming as Hana had even seen him. For Sasuke to have mastered the chidori, it was an astounding feat. Itachi and Sasuke had always fought different. Itachi was a slender, agile individual and his chakra pool (at least compared to other Uchiha), was quite low. His techniques were all planned carefully and he had a plan from the beginning, he fought like a genius. He also used a large amount of genjutsu and weaponry. On the other hand, Sasuke had a large chakra pool and even as a young teen was much more muscular than his brother. He preferred taijutsu and ninjutsu to genjutsu. His strategy was there, but his reliance on force was much greater than Itachi. This made them training together often a disaster. Sasuke and Itachi just fought too differently.
Kakashi, on the other hand, while far more strategic than Sasuke for now, fought extremely similar. He was the perfect training master for Sasuke. Itachi almost found himself jealous of the way Kakashi was able to help Sasuke more than him.
These trains of thought were cut loose by the familiar feeling Itachi knew too well. Genjutsu. His companions seemed to notice seconds after him as they released it. The rest of the stadium was not as lucky.
A/N: Ah yes, hopefully thats enough of me essentially recapping and slightly altering the Naruto storyline for a while. Some distinct changes from the main line will happen in the near future. And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the problem that is Danzo, but unfortunately he is a silent threat for now. :)
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