Disclaimer: Naruto is a Japanese manga created by Masashi Kishimoto. All characters in this story are copyrights of Masashi Kishimoto, Shonen Jump, Studio Pierrot and Viz Entertainment.
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The Lazy Uchiha
By Bud
Chapter 35: Fear the Sphere!
He's the same as me...
Morino Idate had explained to Itachi the situation. Upon failure of the first test of the Chuunin Examinations in Konoha, he was coerced into securing the Raijin Sword and Scroll of Seals in a promise that would of allowed him to gain a promotion to Chuunin. Upon meeting with his Jounin instructor, one Rokushou Aoi, Idate discovered the true purpose of his mission and was shocked beyond belief. With the possibility of imprisonment or death for the crimes, Idate had fled with Aoi to the Rain Country in shame, a traitor to his own family and village. It would be later when he would be found by his own brother's pursuing unit and captured by the Rain. Itachi did not need to know the rest of the story since he had read Morino Ibiki's report. Naruto could not help but feel for Idate, who had undergone a similar fate as he.
Itachi glanced over to the normally hyper-active blonde. If I am not mistaken, Naruto had a similar encounter with the traitor Mizuki. He looked Idate right in the eyes. I have heard enough, the verdict is in plain sight.
"Ever since, I have not returned to the village," Idate said with sadness in his voice. He stared at the switch blade in his hands. "I'm a quitter who can't do anything right. But Boss Jirocho had faith in me. Boss believed in me, even if I had never done anything for him nor ever been useful to him. But I...!" He clenched his fist, trying to hold back the tears. "I'm such a loser... I've never accomplished anything..."
A motion to Sakura and Sasuke from the elder Uchiha brother had the pair standing and following their Jounin toward the mouth of the cave, leaving Naruto and Idate by themselves. The look in Naruto's eyes was more than enough for the teen-aged assassin to leave, who he was expecting to rant about the various lessons he had learned involving friendship, people to protect and those that believed in him. While most were lessons that he had taught the young boy, he did not wish to hear it himself. Naruto could be a broken record at times.
"The rain is beginning to die down," Itachi said at the mouth of the cave. "The Wagarashi Clan runner will make his move toward the Todoroki Shrine, soon."
Sasuke winced at the volume of Naruto's voice from the back of the cave. He was really laying it thick on the traitor. "We'll have to take out that Rokushou Aoi guy. If not to recover Konoha property, than to at least protect the traitor from getting himself killed."
"About that," Itachi looked the pair in the eyes. "Do not refer to Morino Idate as a traitor. As a matter of fact, upon completion of this mission, we shall ignore that he had ever existed."
"Why?" was Sakura's question.
He looked back down the cave, ignoring Naruto's shouting. "He had experienced a similar situation as Naruto when he failed the Academy final examination. He was an innocent victim coerced into committing a crime by his own Jounin instructor, someone that he had trusted and had abused such trust." He shook his head. "The only thing he is guilty of is not turning himself in. Considering his persona and the crime in question, he was afraid for his life. As anyone else would. For that, he cannot be blamed."
Sasuke frowned. "Fine, but what about our mission? Has it changed?"
"For the most part, no. Our primary duties lie in protecting Morino Idate throughout the race, however, we must recover the Raijin from Rokushou Aoi by any means necessary." He extended his palm outside the mouth of the cave facing up, testing the air as the rain began to die down. He stared down the length of his arm, as if he was gaging the distance of something deep into the thick woods. "It will take Naruto ten to fifteen minutes carrying our charge to the Modoroki Shrine and another five to climb the stairs. The fastest path for a non-shinobi to traverse from this Nagi island to Ouzu Island is an inland route circling east toward a connecting rope bridge over a ravine. The Wagarashi runner will take this path."
A light went off in Sasuke's head. "So, we're going to intercept and assassinate the runner."
"Yes and no. We'll take the Wagarashi runner out of the equation, allowing us more time to retrieve the Raijin and not worry about the race. However, merely slowing him down would be the logical choice. Assassination would be a last resort if his guard becomes a problem. We must consider the fairness of the race and not make such a bold statement. We could lose our commission if our client wins, but loses by default."
"Ah."
"So, how will we proceed?" Sakura asked. Naruto appeared before them carrying Idate on his back before she could get an answer.
"Itachi-sensei," he began, adjusting his hold on the Wasabi runner. "I'm taking him to the shrine. He still has a race to complete and nothing will get done if we just stay here."
"Fine," He nodded his head to Sakura, signaling her to accompany the blonde. "Haruno, cover him. Sasuke and I will intercept the Wagarashi runner and initiate our plan. Be careful."
"Hai!"
"Hai, Itachi-sensei!"
Within a few seconds, the two brother's were left alone with each other. Sasuke couldn't help but stare at Sakura's back as she disappeared into the forest. "She's good."
"Jealous?"
"No." That was a lie. Of course, asshole.
"The training I gave her was to set her on the right track of self-improvement. Eventually, she will hit a plateau. After that, she is on her own - I would have nothing else to teach her without breaking the rule." He had already broken the rule of individual training, however, training her was out of necessity, not favoritism.
Sasuke changed the subject. "How are we going to deal with this Aoi guy? He's pretty good with that bamboo parasol."
"An umbrella is no threat to I, Uchiha Itachi. I can simply defeat him with my Uchiha Patented Anti-Umbrella spray." He pulled out a small spray can out of his utility pouch.
Sasuke's eye twitched. "That's deodorant."
"Oh, so it seems." He tossed the can out. "Then we must do this the old fashioned way."
"...you're an idiot."
"I know. You must be rubbing off on me."
-----
The scenic route was the best choice to gain the upper hand on intercepting the Wagarashi runner. With the rain still coming down as a very light mist, soon to be nothing more than dew on the ground, running along the ground seemed to be the least logical choice. Leaping from tree to tree with the high chance of slipping and busting their head's on a branch was even less likely a choice and would of saved a lot of embarrassment on both their parts.
From Itachi's assumption, at full sprint they were nearly twenty minutes ahead of the Wagarashi runner and another ten added on top of that from the others. The bridge they arrived at, as Itachi had indicated, would be a meeting point for them to strike at Rokushou Aoi. Further down the road, past the bridge, the Uchiha brother's began devising an intricate web of diabolical traps only a moron could fall into.
A visible wire hanging from a tree holding a candy bar.
Rope laying on the ground partially covered by leaves that was tied to a bent tree sapling.
Several detour signs that lead in a circle path.
A mickey-moused cage made up of thick branches and vines. An opening at one end and a plate of spaghetti connected to a wire that held open the cage door. Outside of it was a sign that said 'Eat at Joes'.
Along with various other traps the brother's were pulling every simple trap out of the book. And as before, only a complete moron would fall for them.
Sasuke stared at the cage. "Are you sure this would work?"
"Yes."
"And who was the moron? You?"
"No, you little anal beast." Itachi rolled his eyes. "If you wish to know, I managed to catch Kakashi with this."
"Kakashi?" That made the younger brother think for a moment. Instantly, he imagined a chibi-Kakashi walking with a bag of groceries minding his own business as usual. The Sharingan-eyed ANBU Captain suddenly walked by a wooden cage with volume of Icha Icha Paradise sitting on a small table. He quickly jumped in and began to read. The outside sign said 'Free Porn'. "Free Porn?"
"Exactly."
He shook his head. "Idiot."
"Even the most rudimentary of traps can snare the most experienced of individuals... if you know their weakness. If these traps happen to fail, we could always kill the runner and make it look like an accident."
Sasuke tied off a wire to a tree, cutting off the excess line. He stood behind a large log with a single pointed end, sighting down the thick wooden shaft to a large bulls-eye drawn into the dirt path. He had to admit to himself; the traps were stupid, some even childish, but they were effective at their purpose of capturing a target. No one would expect such blatant traps to be real, or working for that matter. Look beneath the beneath - a visible trap was a distraction from a hidden trap, however, a visible trap could hide a non-existing hidden trap to make an opponent believe the visible trap, the real trap, was false. Their short field of traps was a primary example of the latter.
Itachi placed his ear close to the ground. "Someone is coming."
The pair literally winked out of existance, quickly transfering themselves to hidden observation points within the tree canopies. For several long minutes they watched, waiting and listened. Soon, around the bend of the road Hikyakuya Fukusuke, the hire-on Wagarashi Runner and representative, jogged into visible range of the Uchiha brother's. Sasuke placed his hand on his kunai pouch, his tongue licking his lips in anticipation while the unsuspecting runner neared the first trap. For a split second Sasuke wondered if the guy would notice them or not, but when his foot was close to stepping into the first trap, a rope and neuce partially covered by leaves, he finally pull back, startled.
"Heh!" Fukusuke laughed out loud. He sounded amused. "Who would be dumb enough to fall for such a stupid trap? Amateurs." He began to maneuver around the various traps.
This is getting us nowhere, Sasuke thought to himself.
"Eat at Joes?" Fukusuexistencetransferringke read out loud. The smell of hot spagetti assaulted his nose. He grinned, rubbing his palms together. "Don't mind if I do! I'm way ahead of that stupid Idate and even if he does catch up, that damn Aoi bastard will take care of him and his ninja friends." He laughed in his own world of amusement, planning to enjoy himself thorough when the race was over and the Wasabi family was long gone. "Time to eat!"
..snap..
"WAAAH!"
Sasuke dropped down from his perch, approaching the hanging runner and proceeded to poke and prod him while he hung upside down by his legs. "I thought he was suppose to be locked in the cage, Aniki."
"I did not have time to set up the trip wire for the plate. I had to improvise." Itachi began poking the runner with a twig, easily avoiding his attempts to swat his hands away. "And what is this I heard about Rokushou Aoi?"
"N-n-nothing!"
WHAP!
"OW! That hurt, you little brat!"
SMACK!
"What the hell was that for, you freaky-eyed bastard!" Fukusukenoose stspaghettiopped at his own words. He paused, staring in fear of the elder boy who looked down upon him with pure white eyes and veins that stretched out along his face. The feeling of death fell upon him and he immediately lost whatever nerve that he had, succumbing to the killer intent of the Uchiha. Itachi spoke in a tone that could freeze hell itself.
"Where is Aoi?"
A wet spot formed in his crotch, spreading rapidly as his own urine flowed down his body and dripped in a steady stream from his head. Those eyes were the most frightening he had ever seen. He wanted them away from him, to look upon something else. If he had to sell his soul to do so, he would do so. "B-back at... the b-b-bri.. bridge! Please don't kill me!"
They were gone before he realized it.
-----
"Impersonating the Byakugan. Hyuuga Hiashi would be pissed if he found out, Aniki." Sasuke smirked. It was an ingenious idea to impersonate another bloodline like the Hyuuga. Their Sharingan was powerful and one of the most deadly Doujutsu in existence, but the Hyuuga Byakugan had an intimidation factor that surpassed the Sharingan completely - one of the reason why the Hyuuga were considered Konoha's Ace while the Uchiha, what was left of them, were Konoha's secret weapon.
"Hiashi can kiss my ass." The lack of respect for said person could easily translate how Itachi felt for the Hyuuga Clan leader and the main house in general. He changed the subject. "Speed up. We'll reach the bridge in one minute. We cannot spare a single moment."
"Hai."
-----
"GAH!"
"Quite impressive," Aoi said with an air of superiority after striking and shocking Idate with the Raijin. He had a smirk that promised pain etched upon hi visage. "I never expected you to get this far." Once he felt Fukusuke cross the bridge, he activated the handle in his hands. A brilliant blade of lightning erupted from the ancient handle, creating a distinct smell of ozone as would a real lightning strike upon the ground. The lightning blade of chakra extended a full meter in length and created a distinct throbbing sound as it was waved through the air. With a quick pass off his hand, he cut through one of the ropes securing the bridge.
"Stop it!" Idate pleaded. Aoi made an sound of amusement, cutting the second of four ropes just to spite the boy.
"STOP!"
The Rain Jounin stood still as Idate closed in. A simple wave of his arm and he struck the missing-nin across the chest, shocking and sending him sliding backward upon the dirt. He closed his eyes, shaking his head in disappointment. "Cease your futile resistance. This is the legendary sword said to have been wielded by the Second Hokage - the Sword of Raijin. No one can defeat it's wielded." He brought the weapon close to his face, eying Idate with a smirk. "You should know that already, since you're the person who actually stole it for me."
Aoi side-stepped rapidly as a succession of kunai and shuriken struck the ground at various angles. His eyes moved, looking for the source of attacker within the forest. The weapons came at him from the left, right and center by way of the angles they hit the ground. By his count, there seemed to be six attackers, but only three Konoha Genin from what he understood. Must be the Nine-tails brat and his shadow clones.
He leaped as a huge windmill shuriken flew straight for him, allowing it to pass safely under him and out over the ravine. They're excellent at stealth. I'll give them that and to whomever trained them. His danger sense, honed from various missions he had conducted for Konoha and the Rain, went off like a four alarm fire! No!
POOF!
"I got'cha, believe it!"
The Shuriken exploded into a cloud of ninja smoke, quickly revealing a pumped up blonde ninja wielding a kunai. Naruto had a fox-like grin on his face as he twisted his body to fling the bladed throwing knife with all he had. Aoi reacted almost instantly when his feet touched ground. He leaped up once more and away from the edge of the cliff, flipping forward as he brought out him umbrella to deflect the large kunai and watch as the blonde shinobi created a shadow replication to use as a mid-air spring board to save himself from falling to his death. Again, his danger sense screamed at him. From the back again!
"Sakura Fubuki no Jutsu!" Cherry Blossom Blizzard Technique!
Aoi shifted in mid-air, blocking a kunai thrown at from his rear. He smirked at the masked kunoichi, ignoring the confetti scattered around him. Did she actually believed he would allow her to really attack him from the rear? The girl was good, but not good enough. She threw another kunai at him, this one trailing an explosive note behind it. Closing him umbrella, Rokushou Aoi made the biggest mistake he made next to becoming a traitor.
He struck the kunai with his confetti covered parasol.
Sakura dove for Idate, knocking him out of range and covering him with her body. "Boom."
Realizing his mistake, Aoi brought his arms in to shield himself, but it was too late. While not as powerful as Sasuke's explosive replacement or her first fielding of the Cherry Blossom against Gaara of the Desert, the single bag of explosive confetti was more than enough to give Aoi the hurting of his life. In a split second he was engulfed in a clustered ball of flames, the force of each miniature small explosive tag sending him to the ground at high speed creating a small crater and body imprint upon the dirt covered rocky ground. His body was burnt and blackened by the attack, requiring him to take several long seconds before attempting to move.
"Ugh..."
Idate stared. "... what the hell was that?" Sakura kept to herself, not wishing to give him the benefit of an answer. Aoi could still move so her job wasn't finished. "Is he dead?"
"He's gonna be!" Naruto shouted as he came down with a kunai aimed at Aoi's heart. Sakura noticed a movement.
"Naruto! Watch out!"
"ARGH!" The blonde cried as he was caught by the Raijin. The electrical chakra shocked his whole systems, freezing up his body as his muscle reacted. His body spasmed out of control, even as he was thrown through the air to land hard upon the ground near Idate and Sakura, he twitched trying to regain his normal motor movements. Slowly but surely, Rokushou Aoi willed himself to stand, pained expressions dancing across his face with sudden movement of his body. Anger and rage soon followed, his eyes narrowing upon the pink-haired ANBU wannabe that dealt such damage to him.
"You little bitch..." He staggered toward Sakura while she began to support Naruto. "I'll kill you!"
"DOTON: DORO GAESHI!" Earth Element: Mud Overturn!
Sakura gave a yelp as Sasuke snatched her and Naruto, pulling them out of harms way. Itachi landing in front of the trio, slamming his hands into the ground which a large wall of earth rose, blocking Aoi's deadly cutting strike with the Raijin. However, the Sword of Raijin's background as being a blade that can cut through anything was not a myth as it easily sliced through the barrier. Though, the time given by Itachi's defensive technique was enough for him to grab Idate and make a quick escape before the lightning chakra blade had a chance to even touch him.
Aoi's eyes widened in fear. "UCHIHA ITACHI!"
"So... your are Rokushou Aoi," Itachi made note, ignoring the panicked look the Rain Jounin showed. "I was expecting someone more gruff-looking, less of a pretty boy and non-homosexual. That scarf you wore at the opening ceremony was a clear sign of your thirst for the vein-laden meat kodachi."
Sasuke sweated. Leave it to his brother to insult the guy the first few seconds of meeting him. He did make a point with the scarf, though. "Naruto, Sakura. Are you doing well?"
"Just a few scrapes," replied the kunoichi.
Naruto groaned. "What do you think, bastard? I'm really going to kick this guy's ass, believe it."
The Rain Jounin shook his head, ignoring the voice in the back of his head that all but willed him to strike down the calm looking Uchiha prodigy. He was not a fool. He was not weak, either. As long as he held the Raijin, all but those rank as S-class or Super S-class in any bingo book could defeat him. From what he had last heard of Uchiha Itachi, the guy was one the watch list of various organizations, some that went beyond the five great shinobi nations. He was even considered to be just a great as the Legendary Sannin, rumored to have even defeated the Snake-sannin Orochimaru. Rumors that he could not confirm, but he knew for a fact that Uchiha Itachi was not one to fuck with.
Aoi chuckled cockily. "And here I thought the Uchiha Clan was long gone, yet here stands the last two remaining saps of a weak village. Tell me, Uchiha Itachi, how poor has the Leaf become if they could allow such a weak village like the Sound and an undermanned Sand cause such a ruckus?"
Itachi let out a breath that blew some of his hair out of his eyes. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm not sure what you are trying to get at, Aoi. Are you trying to insinuate that the Leaf is weak?" The Raijin wielder brushed his hand through his hair.
"Maybe I am."
"I see..." Itachi sighed. "Maybe you're right. The Leaf has gotten weak, lately."
Sakura stared. "Huh?" What is he saying?
"Peace has brought weakness to the Leaf. Without consistent conflict, genin produced from the Academy have become weaker and weaker. Look at that boy, Morino Idate, the brother of one of Konoha's elite. A weakling by anyone's standards and nothing compared to the three I command. Personally, I'm disappointed. However..."
"However...?"
Itachi formed a rapid set of hand seals faster than Aoi could blink his eye. "It's better without a traitor like you!"
"KATON: DAIHOUSENKA!" Fire Element: Great Mythical Fire Phoenix!
Several huge bird-shaped balls of fire flew from Itachi's lips in rapid succession. Unlike the original fire phoenix attack, the great mythical fire phoenix could be compared to firing several grand fireballs at once. The result was a wall of fire that ripped through Aoi's personal space, several that missed flying past the Jounin to set ablaze and destroy the connecting robe bridge. Those that did connect with Aoi destroyed the water clone that took his place, allowing the Raijin wielder to dive down at Itachi in a vicious downward slash aimed at his head. To his shock, the Uchiha elder shifted his foot, literally flashing out of existence, reappearing next to him in mid-air with his hand grasping his wrist.
"I will allow you to know pain before you die."
His cold, heartless tone was a statement, not a threat. Within a split second the heel of his foot crashed into Aoi's chest, followed by another to his shoulder and a third to his stomach nearly making the traitor vomit. A fourth kick in the form of a round-house juggled the man in mid-air soon was accompanied by an uppercut to the jaw and a double striking back-fist to the head and spinning back-kick to the lower ribs. Twisting himself up over end, Itachi came down with a final momentum driven axe-kick that pinned Rokushou Aoi to the ground. His impact literally made him bounce upon the unforgiving ground, picking him up into the air high enough off the ground for Itachi to come with a second finishing attack - a powerful side kick that sent the Jounin flying parallel to the ground until a tree stopped his flight.
Sasuke stared as Aoi struggled to stand. More relentless than I first imagined.
Itachi looked amused. "Oh, you are still capable of combat? How unfortunate." Again, he slid his hands into his pockets, taking it upon himself to show the most bored, yet amused look he could muster. "Being an A-rank criminal in Konoha's bingo book is a big deal considering the skill which A-rank criminal's possess. Without the Raijin as a factor, you are nothing. Not even worth my time." He turned away, purposely showing his back to the enemy. Total disrespect.
With unbelievable swiftness never before seen in someone in such an injured state, Aoi caught the Uchiha unaware, the electrical throb of the Raijin cutting through the air like a lightning bolt. The horrid stench of freshly burned flesh filled the air after the chakra blade tore right through a surprised Itachi's chest, piercing the heart and destroying it at the same time. Though death was instant, a relaxed smile rose from Itachi's lips while his body went completely limp. Sasuke saw it. Sakura saw it. While seeing their master and commander struck down, as heart wrenching as it was, they knew the truth.
Naruto saw red.
"YOU BASTARD! KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"
He was out of his teammates reach before either could stop him. The clone running along side him began manipulating chakra within his right hand, creating a swirling vortex of power that pulsed and raged within, demanding to be released upon anyone and anything. The clone disappeared in a plume of smoke, the contained power in his hand sucking in the cloud. His legs pumped, then compressed before he launched himself through the air at Aoi. The Jounin, while heavily injured from Itachi's taijutsu attack, was more than capable of defending himself. He had the Raijin! What was a little genin like him going to do with such a bland technique? He brought up the Raijin, preparing to defend against the boy before countering and killing him, just like he killed Uchiha Itachi.
Behind him, out of Naruto's vision and Aoi's awareness, Itachi stood upon what remained of the bridge support post. He watched.
"RASENGAN!"
Emotion was a powerful tool. It can create, destroy, save or allow death. Ninja in general were trained to be emotionless when it comes to duty, to become only tools used by their respective villages. While true, many ninja do not openly practice such statements. No matter the fact, ninja were still human and incapable of ignoring emotion. In most cases, it was emotion toward their village that allowed these ninja to become emotionless. Their love or respect for many of those in the village allowed them to perform their assigned duties without question. Or it was their emotion toward performing such duties that allowed them to do what they must do. Thrill seekers.
In the case of Naruto, who loved Konoha despite previous treatment throughout his life, was fueled by other emotions. He had only recovered control of his body, his mind still dazzled after being electrocuted, only to see that Aoi guy run-through his sensei, a man that called him family, with that damn sword, killing him.
Sadness. Anger. Grief. These all fill him upon seeing his death. Was this what Sasuke felt when he saw me die? Yet, only one emotion stood out among the many.
Hate.
The emotion enhanced his abundant chakra reserves, adding fuel to the controlled torrent within his hands. His eyes were focus squarely upon his target as he thrust the growing ball right at the Raijin, locking in a stalemate with the Jounin. It only lasted a second, the emotion fueled Spiral Sphere breaking through the sword that was said to cut through anything, crashing upon Rokushou Aoi's mid-section. Within a split second, his clothes were ripped from his chest, his skin twisting and warping under the stress of the Rasengan. Soon, his body was engulfed completely by Naruto's technique, exploding outward in a giant ball of chakra where his body was only a shadow within the swirling mass. It flew away from Naruto, past the wide-eyed Uchiha Itachi and across the ravine were only the unforgiving wall of the cliff stopped his progress. There was an audible crunch, earth debris falling away from Aoi's body and the hemispherical crated created by his impact. His eyes were open, but from a close observation, they lacked any sort of spark within signaling his immediate death. Only the coating of his blood within the crater and that which oozed down the steep grade gave the only supporting evidence that he was indeed permanently incapacitated.
The technique created by Yondaime Hokage, Itachi stared at the wild, heaving Naruto. His eyes softened after a moment of collecting himself. Powerful.
"Naruto."
The voice startled the blonde. His eyes quickly darted to the fallen body were Itachi should of lied only to see nothing. Forward, he centered upon the destroyed bridge, nothing. The voice called to him once again and he whirled around with desperate eyes, catching the sight of his sensei with nothing close to a scratch upon his body. "I-itachi-sensei! Itachi-sensei, you--"
"Naruto." Itachi placed his hand on his shoulder. "What have I told you before?"
"I am not one to be captured so easily, or killed, unless I allow it. Remember, Naruto, to look beneath the beneath. Everything that you see is not always as it seems."
"..." His eyes fell to the ground, feeling somewhat ashamed of what he had forgotten. "...hai." It looked so real...
Itachi caught the boy before he hit the ground. Exhaustion.
Sasuke shook his head, shaking off the surprise he had of seeing Naruto's Rasengan technique once again. He looked at Idate. "Don't you have a race to finish?"
Idate nodded. "Yeah, I--" He suddenly remembered something. "The bridge! Oh no, it's gone!"
Itachi kept his back to Idate, a sweat-drop forming on his brow.
Oops.
-----
Idate had made it on time to finish the race. With Fukusuke, the Wagarashi runner hanging upside down somewhere in the forest, it was more than easy for the Konoha missing ninja to jog toward victory. At the end, one of the race officials cried foul using photo evidence that Idate was carried a short distance by a commissioned Konoha ninja. A true fact, however, the Feudal Lord countered his accusation with photographic evidence of the official's private encountered within Wagarashi establishment. The Wagarashi was soon disbanded leaving the Wasabi Jirocho's family the clan leader of Degarashi Port.
The following day found Team Seven walking away from the Degarashi Port sector of the city, leaving behind Morino Idate and Morino Ibiki, who secured the hilt of the Raijin within his person. Without prior knowledge, Konoha had dispatched a naval vessel to retrieve the item and any wounded, considering the difficulty of the mission and the item in question. Wouldn't it be a surprise to the new Hokage how a team of genin completed an A-rank mission with only bumps and bruises as injuries?
"Are you sure we'll get paid for an A-rank mission?" Sasuke asked. Itachi nodded.
"Yes."
Sakura sighed. "That didn't feel like an A-rank."
"Consider your level of skill in the last A-rank mission you performed." He yawned, covering his mouth and stretching out his back. "You were only a few weeks out of the Academy. Totally green in the art of being a true ninja." She gave him a look. "And yes, it was easy. Find yourself fortunate that the rank of mission reflected the priority of the item that was recovered. In a normal A-rank mission, the danger level would be so great that a simple mistake could cost the life of your teammates or yourself. There will be challenges testing your stamina, stealth, but most importantly, patients. What we have done these past days is a cake walk compared to a real A-rank mission."
"A rank missions deal with reconnaissance in enemy territory, assassination of ranking officials lower than that of a feudal lord and espionage, retrieval an various other mission involving a large concentration of ninja."
"So, technically, if the Raijin sword was not involved, we would still consider this a B-rank mission?"
"Exactly, my foolish little brother."
Naruto scratched his bandaged head. He was wrapped in gauss wrap on every limb and around his chest under his clothing. Being electrocuted, thrown into the ground and pushing your body to the limit in an injured state really took a toll on him. Even his healing factory given to him by the Nine Tails could not heal him without outside aide. "So, where do we go now? Back to our homes? Or...?"
He stopped in mid-step to allow his team to pass him up. He cleared his throat, catching their attention. "We'll leave for the Fire Country and soon as possible. After I send our mission completion forms via courier bird to Hokage-sama, we will depart to the north to begin training."
"YES!" Naruto and Sakura cheered, giving each other a high-five in celebration. Sasuke looked amused at their antics.
Itachi shook his head, walking ahead of the team.
Two weeks to train. I better prepare.
End of Chapter 35
Author's Notes:
Back! Anime Expo was the bomb! Anyone see me? They call me Iron Ninja Chef! I went to this thing called Random Ninjas thinking it was all the Narutards getting together, talking mess and doing silly poses, but it ended up being some sorry band that couldn't do a proper sound check. Suckers. Next year, I'm planning to cos-play as a Sound Ninja or Orochimaru during the 2nd Exam. I just need to find some black ninja shoes!
Anyway, chapter 35 is done, taking place during episode 105 and 106. It's shorter than I wanted, but I lost track of what I was writing about anyway.This arc of the story got kinda lame and I didn't want to fall back to the original dialog. In the next chapter, I plan on introducing another OC and give a little back story on Itachi's genin days with Washimaru.
Just to let you know, I'm a rabid fan of Naruto's english quote "Believe it!" I'm planning on going back and switching up some of the dialog to incorporate it, believe it! I might even switch it up quotes like "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Maybe not. But I'm not joking about Naruto dialog, believe it.
Next is Chapter 36: Misadventures of Itachi Vol 1