Whenever Shinji's shape appeared at the horizon, Shikamaru tended to turn around. She was loud, insistent and possessed a vocabulary more colorful than a rainbow. Shikamaru could not appreciate it like Kiba and Naruto did no matter how 'lame' that made him, according to them. Unfortunately, Shinji now trained with spies and ANBU and had become incredibly silent in her approach.
Shikamaru was not above admitting he had a very civilian response to her face suddenly obstructing his view of the clouds. As he clutched his chest and scrambled up, Shinji's face morphed into an expression she could have learned from his mother.
"Lame." she commented.
Shikamaru scowled at her, trying to collect himself. The prospect of a lazy afternoon while Asuma hunted enemies on an A-rank mission, and the rest of his team strolled about the village, flew away.
"The hell do you want?" he grumbled.
Shinji planted her hands on her hips, "I need your help."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "The last time you asked for help, I got stuck meditating for five hours."
Who knew Shinji's parents were so strict? He had spent the whole afternoon at her house after school one day because Shinji had rallied up half the class to prove to her parents that she did have 'ninja-friends, so she knew what the shinobi-life meant'.
Shinji rolled her eyes. Her foot tapped a rapid rhythm on the ground. She gave him a brief, piercing glance, "It's a puzzle. A big one, got a lot of missing pieces and a lot of key figures."
The way she said it made him tense up.
"Right." he replied slowly, processing her words. Murder? Espionage? Village secrets?
"Yeah." Her foot tapped faster. Shikamaru looked around. They were in the Nara compound (Shinji had probably scared the guards away) and as safe as they could be. Or at least, as safe as Shikamaru could be.
"C'mon." she suddenly straightened. She looked a little pale and feverish, as if she had spent all night reading horror stories. Shikamaru knew he was going to join her. He knew it and he knew that she knew it.
His head dropped, "Ugh."
They ended up in an old shed where the clan used to keep food for the deers. Shinji paced the length of the hay-covered ground while Shikamaru kept his gaze bored and waited. When she finally began to speak, she stopped abruptly and faced him. Her hands were clenched besides her but she refused to lower her gaze.
Did she pick up that look from Chi? Shikamaru pictured the taller girl behind Shinji, glaring at him with those yellow eyes and had to suppress a shiver. The last time he had seen her, was after the failed invasion. Gaunt, filthy and radiating Killer Intent intense enough to make even the Jonin wary.
"Why do you think the Uchiha's were killed?" Shinji asked bluntly.
Shikamaru felt the air rush out of his body. His thoughts screeched to a halt so fast he could almost
smell them burning. Shinji didn't laugh, didn't make a face and did not move. Wind rustled outside. The sky darkened, casting them into a dim light.
"You're serious." Shikamaru finally stated. Shinji nodded tersely.
Shikamaru took a breath and recounted what he and everyone else knew, "They were all murdered because Sasuke's brother went mad. I overheard my dad say that he wanted to test his skill-"
Shinji was already shaking her head, "Nope."
"What do you mean 'No'?" Shikamaru refused to acknowledge the cold sweat in the back of his neck. His mind was up and running again, churning out thought after thought. Shinji grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him close. They were eye to eye.
"They are hiding something from us." she hissed, eyes imploring him to believe her. Shikamaru pulled her hands away.
"Of course they are," he snapped, "that's always the case. But Itachi Uchiha was mad."
"Is." Shinji corrected instantly.
"What?" he threw her a weary glare.
"He's alive." Shinji rolled her eyes, "He put Chi and Kakashi-sensei in the hospital, remember?"
That was why Asuma had been so distracted the last few days. Shikamaru hadn't known.He clenched his jaw.
"Why was he here?"
Shinji's expression turned sour, "They won't tell me. I only got a coded message to send to Jiraiya-sama."
Shikamaru frowned, "Isn't Naruto with him?"
"Who cares?!" Shinji burst, "Focus on the Uchiha first!" she lowered her voice.
He glared at her but complied, filing the notion away for later. "What a pain... Fine."
Shinji sighed, collecting herself, "I've read hidden files about the Uchiha-clan and Itachi. The Third-Hokage himself describes Itachi as a great shinobi, but too kind to actually be one. He should have become a teacher or something else, but couldn't because he's the heir and so gifted."
Shikamaru shrugged while his brain raced, "Too much pressure."
Shinji's eyes darkened, "Way too much. He was ordered to spy on his clan while his cousin Shisui Uchiha reportedly had to spy on the village for the Uchiha. Shisui ended up being a double-agent."
Spying on the clans within the village was not that unusual. Most shinobi-clan's were aware of the espionage and accepted it as one of the conditions to remain in the village. The Hyuuga's were a bit tricky so the village used one of their own, just like the Uchiha's apparently.
Shisui spying on the village however...
Shikamaru's blood ran cold, but he kept his tone even, "So what, the Uchiha's, the entire police force, were village-enemies?"
She shrugged, frustration in every line of her body, "I can't tell. Too much coding and too many cover stories. Itachi and Shisui were both ANBU and high-ranked, so most of their files are either sealed or don't exist. What I do know is that at that time, the village suspected the Uchiha of a lot of things. They were pushed away."
"They were police, that's natural."
"Yeah, but they-" Shinji leaned closer, "They were accused of letting the Nine-Tailed-Fox loose. I've read reports of survivors who confirm that."
Shikamaru whistled lowly, "That's a serious accusation."
"There is more." Shinji blurted, cheeks flushing. "I've read a report stating that the Uchiha's were planning a coup."
Boom.
He processed that information carefully, despite the roaring in his ears. Shinji looked completely earnest. She was known for being a bad liar but she must have learned something. Shikamaru shook his head, deciding to entertain the thought of the Uchiha's planning to take over the village.
Is that enough reason to kill a whole clan?
More importantly, was the information even legit? All those dangerous files should have been destroyed or at the very least locked up under the Hokage's bed.
"How did you find so many reports?" Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "How can you trust the sources?"
Shinji spluttered, "They are the village' files! In the Archives. You need a special permit to enter files there."
"Someone could have planted them." Shikamaru said, "Itachi could have done that to make himself look good."
"Itachi wouldn't. " Shinji began, frowning, "There is no point in doing that anyway."
"He killed his whole clan. Forging files doesn't seem that far-fetched. Besides, he could have been vengeful to the village." Shikamaru shook his head. "Itachi is crazy, Shinji. There is no excuse for what he did."
"It doesn't add up!" Shinji insisted. "Why would he leave Sasuke alive? And why would he come back and let him live, again? Or Chi, or Kakashi-sensei? Why become a criminal when he could have found the Nine-Tails, released him again and ruled the village? Why do any of this?"
Shikamaru crossed his arms, speaking slowly, "So you're suggesting that Itachi was ordered to kill his clan, and he just... did it?"
The thought made bile rise in his throat and Shinji didn't look much better. The soft splatter of rain announced the Autumn storm outside. It was predicted to be rough for a few days. In the cold shadows of the shed, Shinji's face was paper-white and the bags under her eyes were almost purple. The scar on her cheek was angry red, like an exposed vein.
"Maybe."
"It's possible." Shikamaru didn't miss how Shinji flinched.
Civilian child, he remembered. Shinji never had to navigate through clan-politics and uphold the esteem of her family's name. She was a regular kid under layers of pressure and trauma. No one to help her deal with it.
"Shinobi's are not honorable." He reminded them both.
Shinji nodded, looking away. "I thought the Third was."
"Hey," Shikamaru shot back, a tad sharper than he intended, "he was honorable. More than most. Being the leader of a village means making hard decisions."
"Besides, we don't know if he ordered Itachi, or if anyone did. He could have just snapped." he continued. The rain almost overpowered their voices.
"Don't tell anyone." Shinji said, holding out her hand.
Shikamaru looked at it, and sighed, before grabbing her hand. They shook once, solemnly, before letting go.
"How is Chi?" he casually asked after a moment of listening to the storm.
If anything, Shinji looked even worse and he almost felt bad for asking. She shrugged, "She is in a coma, most of the time. Her chakra is all over the place and sometimes she wakes up hallucinating. They say the nerves in her mind are fried, or something. Same with Kakashi-sensei, though he hasn't woken up once."
Shikamaru ran his hand over the tiny scar on his wrist. "I can feel her sometimes. It's like a weird itch in my veins."
"Yeah," Shinji nodded, "same here. Just ignore it. You can still use her chakra if you want. She's got plenty and the nurses think that her huge reserves are overloading her system anyway."
Before he could control it, his face scrunched up, "I got enough myself..." he hurriedly added, clearing his expression.
Shinji didn't try to respond. They left when the downpour lightened up for a brief moment. Shikamaru rushed to his home, keeping an eye on Shinji's running figure as she left the compound.
He entered the hallway, cursing silently at the muddy prints his sandals made on the wooden floor. His mother would kill him, unless he managed to blame it on his dad.
"Oh, better clean that."
Too late.
His father stood in front of him, smiling down at him. Shikamaru looked at him for a moment too long before turning down and kicking his sandals off. "What a drag..."
"Hmm..." His father replied, 'if you're fast enough, we can cook up an excuse."
If I tell him what's on my mind. Shikamaru grimaced. He needed to talk with his father. He needed to know if Itachi had been ordered by someone to kill them. If his father knew.
"Fine."
He slipped passed Shikaku and ducked into his office down the hallway. Shikaku closed the door behind them and walked around the desk to drop in his chair. Shikamaru stood stiffly, inhaling the scent of cigarettes that reminded him of Asuma.
"Did someone make you run?" His father chuckled lowly, sharp eyes scanning his son's tense posture.
Shikamaru shrugged, "Just some classmate being a pain." No honor among shinobi.
"Girls?" Shikaku rose an eyebrow.
Shikamaru shuddered and glared at him, "No. Just a classmate wondering about the village."
Shikaku lit a cigarette, lifting his feet on his desk. Shikamaru dropped in the other chair, rubbing his stiff knees.
"Treason?"
No honor among shinobi.
"Dad, how far could you go to protect Konoha?"
Shikaku choked on the smoke. Shikamaru didn't blink, but he hadn't meant to formulate it like that. His fingers dug in his knees. His father was a loyal man, but not blind. He would criticize the Gods, and he had, if anyone would let him continue uninterrupted.
"Far enough." Shikaku replied, eyes narrowed.
"What would be too far?" Shikamaru heard himself ask. He wondered if he had a fever. The room certainly felt hot.
Shikaku thought for a moment, tapping his cigarette on the edge of the ashtray, hidden in his drawer. "Depends on the situation."
What if it's a coup? What if it's a whole clan planning to attack? Shikamaru swallowed with difficulty. As heir to the Nara-clan, he had attended the funeral. Sasuke had been hospitalized at the time. Coffin after coffin been brought to the Uchiha compound. All the actual makers were killed so the other clans stepped in. The air had been thick with disbelief and shock. Even theHyuuga's had showed up to pay their respects.
There were rumors.
He hated Shinji for putting this in his head.
"Did something happen?"
What if the Nara's had planned a coup?
Shikamaru shot up, "Why did no one tell us Itachi Uchiha had returned?"
Shikaku sighed, "There was no need to cause panic. Itachi was taken care off."
"He took care of us, you mean." Shikamaru interrupted heatedly, "Kakashi-sensei and Chi are in a coma. Itachi could have gone after any of us!"
"He wouldn't-"
Shikamaru blanched, "How do you know?"
Shikaku bit his tongue and shoved his drawer shut, "I knew the kid. He wouldn't kill anyone out of nowhere."
"Except his clan." Of course his father knew Itachi. It was perfectly normal. A lot of people knew the boy who would go on to kill his parents.
Shikaku slumped and nodded wearily. He looked old. "Yeah, except his clan."
"What if," Shikamaru started carefully, "he was protecting someone?"
Shikaku stood abruptly, "That is not a reason to kill a whole clan. Nothing can justify that. Even if Itachi was worried about something else, he could have just told any of us. He was in ANBU, worked with the very best. He could have asked."
Shikamaru nodded absently and stared at the burned patches on the desk, deep in thought. His father walked to the door, resting his hand briefly on his son's head.
"Let's get some dinner and then go to sleep. You look pale."
Shikamaru followed after a moment, comparing his father's face with Shinji's until the morning.
The next day, T&I Archives~
Inoichi would have a field day if he ever discovered him here. Jonin Commander Shikaku Nara shuffling through the Archives with only the light of his cigarette, and counting under his breath. He reached the 'U' at long last and peered up at the shelves.
With a groan, he began the research for which he had called in sick at work. Let someone else deal with sour-faced officials from the capital worrying about budget and nervously eying the kunai on his desk.
It took all of ten minutes to find the hidden section and another minute to deduce that someone had been opening it a lot recently. There were scratches on the sides and instead of alphabetical, the books and scrolls were ordered on weight. The heaviest book sat on the moving corner. The cardboard box that the items had been transported in, was folded as a secondary bottom layer. It almost popped open automatically when the last book was removed.
Shikaku pulled the bottom free and looked inside. When the familiar fan came to light, he felt his heart drop.
He still felt taut with worry when he walked in the bar and made a beeline for Inoichi, who waited for him in a corner. Inoichi saw him a moment after Shikaku spotted him, and angrily waved the napkin around.
"What the hell is this?" he demanded, shoving the napkin in Shikaku's face, "We haven't used this code since the war!"
"Yeah, yeah, my bad." Shikaku soothed, crumpling the offending tissue in his fist. "Just listen up."
In yet another code, this time stolen from Mist shinobi, he managed to tell Inoichi that his kid was involved in something stupidly dangerous. When he finished, Inoichi looked just as concerned. He looked at his half-empty jug,
"So is my potato. I think it got affected by the soil of another one."
"Wow, seriously?" Shikaku stared at his friend wide-eyed, "Bad crop this year, I guess."
Inoichi shook his head, "Nah, just us I think. It's the soil, I think. It's too muddy with all the rain."
Shikaku nodded, "Very muddy. They could drown."
Both men grimaced.
"Gotta save our potatoes. We need them for the winter." Inoichi muttered.
"They do taste great in stew." Ibiki agreed.
Shikoku flew over the table, kunai in his hand. Inoichi stared at his beer miserably, completely unfazed by Ibiki's appearance.
"Ibiki." Shikaku sighed, clutching his chest. The torturer nodded at him.
"It's crayfish, by the way. Potatoes are used by Rock and not in a stew." Ibiki added as an afterthought and Shikaku for the life of him, could not fathom how the man recovered his dry humor amidst this steaming mess.
Inoichi rolled his eyes, "Are you back to poison your liver?"
"Not really the time." Ibiki pulled back a free chair and sat down heavily. "Have you read the reports of the guards?"
Shikaku's expression morphed into a scowl as he sat back down. Ibiki agreed, "Even with the warning and precautions, they still managed to miss a dozen foreigners entering. We can't let that happen ever again."
"So you're here out of anger?" Inoichi inquired, already gaining a rosy blush on his cheeks. "Again?"
Ibiki ignored the jab. He fished an envelope out of his hidden pocket. It was thick and stamped with the hospital's seal. With a drop of his blood, the envelope opened. It were the little things like these that really made him realize how beneficial it is to have had a Hokage proficient in seals, who had also been married to a sealing expert.
"I need you to scan the nurse monitoring Chi in the hospital." Ibiki told Inoichi quietly, "She's not telling me something."
The other man sobered almost instantly, empty azure eyes narrowing. Shikaku leaned closer. Ibiki pulled the file out and smoothed it on the table. The three men craned their necks to read it.
It was a weekly report on Chi's condition. This time another nurse had added their own comments, which was why Ibiki only now discovered that Chi had been awake several times.
Ibiki wasn't known for being a good-natured guy. His personality was far from sunny and there were a few running bets about who could make Ibiki giggle. Despite that, neither Inochi or Shikaku had witnessed such a foul mood on Ibiki since the war ended. Or actually, since the last Big Thing his students had caused. Ibiki's eyes darkened, his fists clenched and his chakra started to twitch.
"They didn't think to call you, during any of the times she woke up?" Inoichi reread the notes with growing disbelief. "Ibiki, this means our hospital is compromised!"
Shikaku memorized the handwritings and vowed to find the nurses. Better him than Ibiki anyway. Ibiki seemed to be in a 'torture-first-talk-later'-mood.
"Does anyone else know?" Shikaku inquired, "Do her teammates know?"
Ibiki shrugged, "Ryuya is still out of the village. Shinji... She's busy, I don't know when she visits."
Aside from the occasional afternoon helping out in the dungeons, Ibiki barely saw any of his students. He couldn't spend that much time with Chi anymore, the workload had grown too much.
"Go to Chi then." Shikaku instructed, "If she wakes, talk to her. If she doesn't, at least you can keep guard."
Ibiki gritted his teeth, "You know I can't. There is too much work to do."
"Guarding one of Konoha's clan-heirs is important work." Inoichi argued.
Ibiki brought his fist down on the table with just enough control to keep the noise and damage down, "Why do you think this keeps happening to her? People's mind don't change that easily. They hate the Ketsueki. To them, Chi is exactly like her mother."
"He's right," Shikaku lifted a hand to stop Inoichi's protest, "but this isn't about that."
Ibiki fell silent, staring down at the file with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Shikaku swiped the paper and folded it back into the envelope. "Chi is an odd kid, but still a kid. She needs someone to hide behind and she needs other people to see that, even if she'd never admit it. If you go there, and guard her in person, these bastards will think twice before doing this."
Ibiki sighed deeply, "I may be the last person she wants to see."
"Ibiki-" Inoichi began, but Ibiki shook his head.
He stuffed the file back in the envelope, "I left her alone."
"You're all she has." Inoichi said quietly, "Teams are more than family to each other. Sure, you fight, make mistakes and hurt each other, but at the end of the day who else would you go to to share the latest gossip? Or to try out a new café?"
Shikaku rolled his eyes, but his lips were curled in a smile. Inoichi leaned closer, "Who would you ask to join you for a mission, to have your back in a life or death situation?"
"Students are different." Ibiki muttered stubbornly.
Shikaku grinned, "You get to order them to listen to gossip and you get to stitch their battle scratches while they try not to cry. It's adorable."
"No wonder his team always gifts him books about empathy." Inoichi threw him a glare.
Ibiki snorted weakly. Inoichi patted his back and stood, "C'mon. You go to your student, Shikaku'll find the nurse and I'll make sure our potatoes and crayfish are good enough for the stew."
Both Ibiki and Shikaku groaned. Shikaku threw a bottle at his friend, "You ruined that on purpose."
Inoichi shrugged and flicked his ponytail so it rested on Ibiki's bald head.
A town in the Land of Fire, evening~
Shizune had had rough days. Like really rough. Like, Tsunami-with-a-hangover-on-Monday-and-a-new-debt-by-Tuesday-rough. This day however, really took the cake. Literally.
Shizune peered at her master from around the massive strawberry and whipped cream monstrosity. A cold wind blew through the dusty streets. Most of the citizens of this tiny town had already scurried inside. A purplish blue sky hung overhead as the last rays of the sun sunk behind the mountains at the horizon.
Shizune would have loved to be there at the moment. She hadn't trained in a while and the two they were facing didn't look like they came here to talk. Oh well, she hadn't replaced her master's sake that morning with water for nothing.
Tsunade managed to look both unimpressed and tense at once as she faced her teammate. Orochimaru gave them a tight smile. Both of his arms hung by his side. He looked paler than usual and his posture tilted towards the young man at his side.
Shizune wondered if all of the Sannin had a student they managed to brainwash into obeying them. As if he could read her mind, Kabuto, with his shaved head, smiled at her though his eyes were cold behind his glasses.
Greetings did not seem appropriate at this moment.
"What Hellhole did you crawl out of?" Tsunade eventually bit out.
Orochimaru huffed and stepped closer. On instinct, Shizune stepped back, holding up the cake as a shield. Tonton took a bite to calm her nerves.
"My," Orochimaru began in a raspy voice, "is this how you greet old friends, Princess?"
Tsunade didn't respond. Orochimaru didn't seem to mind. He made a miserable attempt to lift his arms but soon let them drop with something akin to a pout. "As you can see, I'm not much of a threat right now."
But your assistant might be. Shizune eyed Kabuto warily. He looked underfed and haunted, but that had never stopped a shinobi from being lethal before. Tsunade didn't look too surprised.
"Couldn't find a body in time?" she remarked icily.
Orochimaru's upper lip curled up, "I have different priorities at the moment. Worry not, I have made preparations."
Gross.
"So what happened to you?" Tsunade shifted her weight and put a hand on her waist, "Did you find out why you couldn't become Hokage?"
Oooooh snap.
Even Kabuto looked impressed. Shizune snickered behind the cake. Minato's inauguration was held on the same day a nearby town reported to have been attacked by three-headed snake. No names were said. No one asked where Orochimaru had been during the festivities. Jiraiyia and Tsunade had given each other and their sensei a look before deciding to just drink on it.
"Sensei is dead, Princess." Orochimaru replied smoothly, just barely hiding the tightness of his expression. "I killed him."
"And yet, here you are." Tsunade sneered. "Did you come to mourn him? Apologize?"
That would have been interesting to see. Shizune blinked at the emotion in Tsunade's tone, carefully slipping out from underneath all that steel.
"We are long past those sentiments." Orochimaru nodded at Kabuto, who immediately reached over to roll up the sleeves of his master. Inky lines ran over his forearms.
Tsunade clenched her jaw, "Killed him, you said?" she muttered darkly under her breath.
"You can help me." Orochimaru stated, "As well as with another little problem."
"What else did you do?" Tsunade glared at him.
"A little leech got a hold of me." he stated. Kabuto gave his master a second look.
Tsunade frowned, "A leech- Do you mean a Ketsueki?"
Shizune's eyes went wide. She had heard her fair share of foul language and slurs during her travels, but hardly anyone called the Ketsueki a leech anymore. Not many did when they still roamed around. The risks of becoming an unwilling blood-donor were too high.
"Pretty sure that's an advantage to you."
Orochimaru shook his head, "Not without my arms and your knowledge. You studied their bloodline, you should know that."
Shizune couldn't remember where they were, but she had seen some scrolls about the clan in the few possessions Tsunade had kept from Konoha.
"Didn't you memorize my research?"
"You punched me every time I tried." Orochimaru said mildly, giving Shizune some highly entertaining visual images.
"Won't you help your old friend?"
Tsunade put one foot in front of her, clenching her fists. "I'll help the world by letting you rot."
"How dare you-" Kabuto moved forwards, but Orochimaru stopped him with a foot.
"It won't be for free, Princess." he smiled. Shizune felt a shiver run up her spine.
"I've been studying these past years." he continued, "There are truly some remarkable jutsus out there, just waiting for use."
Just as the sun slipped away, Orochimaru looked Tsunade dead in the eye. "I can bring them back. For you."
Silence coated the village. Birds sensed the lurking danger and flew away. Villagers shut their curtains. Shizune gently balanced the cake on a nearby fence.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tsunade snapped, but she looked pale. If they made it out alive tonight, she was going to drink herself into oblivion again.
"Nawaki," Orochimaru said, "and Dan."
Shizune stiffened. Those names were forbidden around her master. Tsunade would punch anyone who even uttered them by accident, down a bottle of sake, and then throw the bottle at the unconscious figure.
"How?" Tsunade finally ground out. Her fists shook.
Orochimaru nodded at Kabuto, who sighed. He pulled out a scroll from the inside of his jacket. It was an old, yellowed thing with a red ribbon keeping it from falling apart. Orochimaru glanced at it.
"There are several methods. Of course Lord Second developed an ingenious method but in this body it is rather hard to do even with my arms restored, and you won't be able to do it." His eyes glinted, "That is where our dear leech comes into the picture. I'm sure you remember, they have such an interesting body composition-"
"I refuse."
All eyes shot to Tsunade. She had collected herself again and sneered at the men. "I won't let a child die for this and I don't trust your intentions."
"We only need one." Orochimaru replied, "Just one for two lives."
Shizune couldn't help herself, "Impossible." she scoffed.
Orochimaru turned his eyes to her and she instantly felt the need for a shower.
"There is only one leech left, and I know for a fact that she is plenty for two lives."
"What did you do?" Tsunade interrupted, sounding sharper than ever. Orochimaru smiled back and stepped aside.
"Meet me tomorrow noon, at the Temple of the Fallen."
Shizune looked between the two legendary shinobi, but neither tried to attack. They waited until darkness swallowed the two whole and Shizune mentally searched for the nearest bar so Tsunade could drown herself again.
Land of Fire, near the northern border, at the same time~
Itachi let himself marvel at the beauty of the sunset. The gray clouds that had dominated the sky during the day were torn apart by vivid splashes of red and orange at the horizon. The horizon formed an abstract painting.
This side of the country was always his favorite to gaze upon. Th mountains were much closer and the air crisp. As the light grew dim, the cold began to seep under his cloak and into his bones. Itachi shivered and pulled the fabric closer. The cold air burned in his lungs. His feet hurt from walking all day, but he couldn't pause for a break until Kisame did.
The leader had not been pleased with their failure of capturing the Nine-Tailed Fox. Kisame had shrugged and promised to do better. Itachi had spun a needlessly complicated tale on why and how they failed and that it really wasn't their fault.
Now they were tasked with capturing someone else as punishment. A lowly nobleman whose older brothers dabbled in smuggling the highly addictive drug Ni into the capital. They would be more than willing to pay the ransom.
"It's getting late." Kisame spoke after the sun had finally set. "Lets camp here."
Itachi didn't turn, "We need to finish this mission as soon as possible."
Kisame was already huddled underneath a large tree and poked a meager heap of twigs at his feet into a heap. "Set this on fire, please."
Itachi let his feet move closer and grabbed his matchbox. If Shisui could see him now... Itachi would never live this down. An Uchiha in need of matches. His father would have fainted. Nonetheless, with or without chakra, the fire sparked to life and soon cast a bright light on their faces.
"We have all the time in the world." Kisame sat back. "You're young, be a rebel for once."
Itachi gave a thin smile and sat as close to the campfire as his flammable cloak allowed him to. Kisame correctly assumed that Itachi would take the first watch and soon dozed off. Itachi felt around his inner pockets for something to eat, but soon concluded that he only had his medicine and a dry leaf that had gotten stuck somehow.
Rebel, huh. Itachi grew up as the perfect son and heir. Everything he did worked out until it all came crashing down. He should have pretended to be a fool. Played with his classmate, agreed when they wanted to skip class. He definitely should have gone on a proper date with Izumi. Let someone else deal with the politics.
Itachi spend many years on the road. He had grieved, raged, cried until he woke up with a massive headache and burning eyes. For a whole two weeks, right after he left Konoha and went to look for the Akatsuki, Itachi had pretended that the massacre never happened. He managed it, until he found a tiny speck of blood on his clothes.
Rebel.
Itachi had many secrets. One of them, he hoped would be discovered by the right person. The night before the massacre. Just one, tiny moment of bravery. Another one just recently. Acts of rebellion. He imagined them smoldering deep inside Konoha on his darkest days. A secret that could make every sacrifice either go to waste, or finally lead towards a better world.
He had lived a perfect life, 70 years of it in Izumi's Tsukuyomi. Itachi dropped his head on his knees. The price of that jutsu was high, but that one moment had been worth it. Izumi's Tsukuyomi had been a work of art. More than torture and distorting reality, creating the illusion of an amazing life took effort. Hurting is easier than loving, Itachi discovered.
The hilt of his blade poked his abdomen. It reminded him of Kakashi, strapped to the cross. Sometimes, Itachi wondered why they hadn't made Kakashi do it. At the time, Kakashi's reputation exceeded everyone else's. Cold blooded Kakashi, Kakashi of the Sharingan, Friend-killer Kakashi. He could have done it, and then finally retired.
(Itachi knew that retirement had never been an option for the man.)
Under his breath, he began to hum an old lullaby, taught by his mother when he was a child. I definitely went too far with Chi. He had potentially ruined one of Konoha's secret weapons. He hadn't meant to make the illusion last that long. The sudden burst of Sasuke's chakra signature had drawn his attention.
It radiated from Chi's writhing body. The longer the torture went on, the more signatures appeared. Itachi couldn't place them all, he was not a sensor, but Orochimaru's and the Third's chakra made his hair stand on end.
Fascinated, he let the lighting strike harder until an extremely powerful wave of chakra nearly broke his concentration. Chi had gone still, eyes wide and orange. Itachi let the illusion go. She collapsed after spitting her final words. The confession made his head spin.
He didn't know who he pitied more. Her or himself. He knew who he hated the most and had the feeling that Chi felt the same.
Itachi folded his hands and thought of his secret. He looked deep into the fire as it dancing across his vision. Itachi's eyes were almost useless, but they could still see the brightness of the flames.
Amaterasu, let my rebellion be found out. Please.
Another innocent but unfortunate small town in the Land of Fire, that night~
The first wall shattered as Shizune introduced herself to Naruto. She sighed at the noise as rubble flew past their ears. Naruto shrieked and very considerately tried to pull her down to avoid the danger. Shizune didn't have it in her to assure him that she 1. Had endured much worse. 2. Would have loved to get hit by a large piece of drywall at this very moment.
Tsunade chased after Jiraiya, holding her chopsticks in the air as if they were knifes. Jiraiya threw a pancake at her face.
"What is wrong with them?" Naruto yelled over the sound of breaking furniture. Shizune shrugged. All she heard could be summarized in: Jiraiya knew Orochimaru had visited them and could Tsunade please become Hokage now? The destruction of the building seemed more like an afterthought. An exercise the first Team 7 of Konoha had perfected over the decades.
Naruto looked thoroughly displeased. He rolled his sleeves up and glared at the two legendary shinobi. "I'll stop them."
Shizune's heart stopped. She lunged, "Wait, no-!"
Naruto tackled Tsunade from behind but ended up in an awkward back-hug. Tsunade reached behind her and pulled him off as if he was nothing more than a piece of tape stuck to her clothes. Naruto, to his credit, still looked angry.
"Just come with us already!" he shouted in her face. "We just need you to fill in until I become Hokage!"
Tonton whined in Shizune's arms. She soothed her, mourning the little boy.
"Get out of here!" Tsunade yelled back like the mature adult she was.
"Not without you!" Naruto insisted, unperturbed by the fact that he still dangled in the air by the collar of his shirt.
"Not happening!"
Jiraiya anxiously looked between Tsunade and Naruto.
"Well, then-" Naruto thought frantically before perking up with what had to be a terrible idea, "I'll beat you and drag you home!"
Shizune wondered if Naruto preferred a white or orange coffin. The boy went flying and another wall shattered.
"Jiraiya!" Tsunade snapped. Her teammate squeaked and eyed her warily. Tsunade pointed at Naruto.
"Get your kid out of here before he gets seriously hurt!"
"You threw him through a wall." Jiraiya stammered incredulously. Tsunade ignored him because Naruto had stumbled out of the ruins and swayed to face her again. Shizune began to think of her eulogy.
How about, 'I told him not to do it and now here we are.' ?
"Hey old lady!" Naruto shouted, fire flashing in his eyes. "My friends are hurt and they need you to save them. We wouldn't be here if there was anyone else who could do it. So get over yourself and come with us!"
"Get over myself?!" Tsunade roared. Her chakra burst the floor. Naruto flinched.
"You know nothing about me," Tsunade breathed heavily, "so don't come and tell me to get over it. I've seen villages like this die in front of me. I'm not going to witness another one."
Silence followed that statement. Naruto seemed to search for the right words. He never got to say anything because the owner of the restaurant arrived. The fat, sweaty man waddled up to them and gave them a stern look.
"I suppose you honorable shinobi, who take our taxes for walking the dogs of rich folks, are going to pay for all of this damage?" he said, thin black eyebrow raised. He looked very confident but a tiny drop of sweat down his brow betrayed him.
Shizune reached in her pouch and counted the coins. They could pay for one wall to be fixed. With duct tape.
"Don't tell me I have to call your bosses." The owner threatened. The shinobi sans Tsunade shifted. Even Naruto knew how bad that would end. Shinobi had what some brave civilians called 'their neck on a very short leash' and a single mistake could end with them dangling limply from the end of it.
Naruto glanced at Jiraiya and caught the man trying to melt with the shadows. They were in trouble.
They needed a hero.
"We got the money." he blurted and immediately felt all his blood rush to his face. He had exactly four coins in his wallet and he couldn't count on Jiraiya. The old man lost money faster than he and Chi did when they went for ramen.
"You do?" The owner snapped. Everyone looked at him. Naruto straightened his shoulders, wondering what Kakashi would do in this situation. My Body-Flicker isn't fast enough...
"Well-" Naruto started, realizing that the man expected him to hand over a A-rank mission reward just like that. An idea popped in his head and since neither Chi or Sakura were here to stop him, Naruto puffed his chest out. "Not yet, but I can win you double the amount in an hour!"
"Excuse me?" Multiple voices replied in confusion. Naruto ignored them. His heart was racing, his confidence was growing, he could do this.
"There's a casino nearby right? I can go there, play a little, and boom! Enough money to rebuild this whole place!"
Jiraiya actually flinched and Tonton snorted anxiously. Tsunade turned to him, slow and threatening.
"You what?" she demanded.
Naruto flashed an award-winning at her and turned to Jiraiya, "Oi Pervy-Sage, let's go!"
"Wait, Naruto-" Jiraiya scrambled to grab the boy's arm before he turned away, "How do you know how to gamble?"
A thousand different scenarios went through the adults' heads. Even the restaurant owner looked a little disturbed. Naruto huffed and shrugged himself free.
"Chi and I used to go all the time. It's fun!" he recounted with a grin.
At least her name didn't put him in a depressed mood anymore, Jiraiya thought. Naruto nodded proudly to himself, presumably remembering his victories.
"The people there are really drunk and stupid, so we would go there and prank 'em." his eyes glinted, "One day, Chi found some lady who had a lot of little blue thingies in her bag. She always put them in her drinks after she ate. So we stole it one day and tried it ourselves."
At this point, none of the adults were breathing. Some unfortunate civilians peeked around the corner, eager to hear the end of this story. Naruto relished in the attention.
"Turns out, that stuff makes you poop a lot." he sighed theatrically before giving a smile that reminded Jiraiya too much of a fox, "So we put a lot of those in the drinks of the super-duper rich people!"
He clearly expected an applause. When that didn't happened, Naruto coughed and hurriedly concluded his tale, "A-anyway, that's how I learned to gamble. Pretty cool huh?"
Tsunade stormed away first, muttering something about the Third being a turd and Mito having an aneurysm. The rest just... stood there in growing awkwardness.
Naruto looked at the remaining adults, "So, are we going to go?"
Jiraiya sighed, and put a hand on his shoulder, "I guess we have no choice. But let me do the gambling, alright?"
Later that night, Jiraiya and Tsunade were sitting in front of a yakisoba stall. Naruto and Shizune had disappeared to the roof and were gazing at the stars.
Tsunade downed another shot of sake. Jiraiya peered up at her. His head felt heavy and the arm supporting it wobbled dangerously.
"You're paying for this. I already paid for the restaurant even though you destroyed it..." he mumbled. They drank the sake he had lugged around since the funeral. Cheap but strong, just like they used to drink as a team, after missions.
"He's a lot like Nawaki." Tsunade twirled the last drop in her cup.
"Who?" Jiraiya looked up, "Naruto?"
Tsunade nodded listlessly. Jiraiya hummed, half-contemplating if he should be drinking that last bit of sake, and half-remembering Tsunade's late little brother. "He was cute."
Tsunade agreed wordlessly. "I miss him, so much." Tears gathered in her eyes. Old wounds that never truly closed. Jiraiya had a few of his own.
"Him and Dan. I miss them." She slammed her cup down, "I miss them so damn much."
Jiraiya nodded, "I know..."
Tsunade stared at him through her drunken haze, "You miss your students?"
"Every day." Jiraiya confirmed, feeling a lump in his throat. "Those kids deserved to live, more than I do. Minato had a family. And now his only son doesn't even know-"
Tsunade poured them another shot. They drank in silence. Jiraiya pushed himself to sit straighter.
"I still wouldn't bring them back." he stated, "They died with pride, I'm sure of it. Bringing them back for my own satisfaction... That would be selfish."
Tsunade glared at him, "I'm aware, you moron. Don't underestimate me, I've seen and accepted more death than any of you."
Jiraiya closed his eyes and leaned back. "Don't say that."
He heard her huff, "Oh please. It's true. If you had accepted Minato's death, his kid wouldn't be a pro at gambling now."
Jiraiya didn't respond. He let his mind fill with the memories of blond hair and kind eyes.
On the roof, Naruto and Shizune were talking about Tsunade. Shizune tried her best to explain all the achievements and why Tsunade refused to come with them. Naruto didn't seem to fully understand.
"So?" he said again, "She shouldn't give up!"
"It's not giving up." Shizune grimaced, "It's more like... Ah! Being tired. Lady Tsunade is tired."
"Tired of death?" Naruto blinked. "But, why?"
Shizune shrugged a bit desperately, "She's seen a lot, lost a lot of people. At some point it just becomes enough."
Naruto thought for a long moment. "So, like, Sasuke will get tired too?"
Oh boy.
Shizune coughed. She knew about the boy. Naruto had told her all about him and how he planned to defeat 'that bastard' before the conversation turned to Tsunade.
"I- I guess it's possible." she carefully replied. "He went through a lot of pain and trauma. At some point, it becomes too much."
"I guess I can't really understand." Naruto mumbled, laying down on the roof. "I've never had anyone, so I never lost anyone. Except for the old man, but I didn't see him that often."
"You have Chi, right?" Shizune kept the pity out of her voice. Naruto didn't look too upset. He just stated a fact.
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, but we haven't seen each other in forever. We got super busy with our teams and all, and the last time I saw her... Well, I got really mad at her and she just kind of ran away. But once we're back, I'll make it up to her. Believe it!"
"That's nice," Shizune smiled. "How are your other friends doing?"
Naruto grinned, "Well, Kiba is a bit of a dummy, but Shikamaru is really smart. He is also super lazy, like worse than Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi's reputation had shifted over the years to the point where Shizune sometimes wondered what the requirements for ANBU actually were.
"Sakura is great!" Naruto perked up, "She's got all these really cool books and she knows a lot. Like more than Iruka-sensei, I think. But don't tell him that. She's a pretty bad cook but she's really into poisons now, so she can't mess that up."
Yes she can. But Shizune's interest was piqued. Poisons were her specialty. This girl could become her apprentice. Finally, someone else to deal with Tsunade. Call Shizune selfish, but she had spend her childhood and most of her adulthood as personal assistant to one of the most foul-tempered shinobi in the wide world. She deserved her own minion.
"I'm hungry." Naruto declared suddenly. He pointed at a large neon-lit sign across the street. "I want that. It smells sooo good."
Shizune peered at the sign and frowned, "You want... chicken feet?"
"Does that say 'feet'?" Naruto scrambled up to get a better look. "Ahw man, I thought it was just chicken."
"Didn't you read the whole sign?" Shizune asked curiously. She had a feeling but didn't want it to be true. If she ended up being correct, then Shizune would drag Tsunade to Konoha in person.
Naruto blushed and looked away, "Well, I'm not that good at reading."
Knew it.
"That's okay!" Shizune immediately smiled, "I can teach you!"
Naruto's nose crinkled, "No thanks, reading is boring... The only books I like are the ones from Chi's library because they have really cool drawings."
"Drawings of what?" Shizune wondered.
"Seals!" Naruto began excitedly.
Oh boy.
Whatever the boy started to talk about blew right passed her. That single word bounced around her head. It connected the words 'Uzumaki' with 'Seals' and 'disaster' and offered her a nice distant memory of one infamous redhead who had managed to teach a whole class of fresh Genin a seal that would explode at the lightest touch.
That was it. Shizune had to get Tsunade to come to Konoha.
Konoha, Nara shed, the following morning~
Shinji had gone back to the Archives and brought evidence that the files were legit. At least, that's what she told him that morning to get him out of his bed. If she had been from a clan, his mother would have marched over to her parents to arrange their marriage. No one from the entire clan, nay, the entire village had ever witnessed a Nara move this quickly right after waking up.
They rushed out faster than the deers did during the annual visit from the civilian school. The two didn't stop running until they reached the den, which Shikamaru fumbled to unlock quickly. Once the door popped open, Shinji pushed him inside.
"You-" she began out of breath, in her hand was a piece of paper, "You've got to believe me now!"
Shikamaru snatched the paper out of her hand and held it in the meager rays of sunlight that entered through a gap in the wooden boards. The paper looked old, and folded over and over again. Two corners stuck together and he carefully pulled them apart. Shinji waited impatiently.
The writing had faded at the parts where the author's pen had clearly run out of ink. The writing looked vaguely familiar but that could be blamed on how little characteristics it had. It could have been typed if machines could be lazy.
"What the hell?" Shikamaru read it again.
"Believe me now?" Shinji said excitedly. Shikamaru looked up, befuddled.
"This is about crayfish!"
Shinji's eyes rolled up so far, he would not have been surprised she saw her own brain melt. He looked back at the paper again. He couldn't figure out if it was written in code or it was just the Uchiha's craving seafood.
"If food made anyone innocent, the Akamichi clan would never have any convicts and yet here we are." According to his father, at least four of the famed clan were imprisoned for destroying restaurants after being called fat.
"It's code, you dumb pineapple-head!" Shinji snapped. "Can't you tell? Why would I bring you a grocery list?"
"Then what does it mean?" Shikamaru shot back, feeling equally stressed.
Shinji tapped on the ground with her foot, "It means that there some people in here that have brought the Uchiha clan down!"
She tapped on the message, "See, 'crayfish' stands for 'Person of Interest'. The part about them not having enough meat means they are bad ones, and the rough sea stands for the village. It's super simple!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "When you know the key, it is."
He handed the paper back, "How does this prove anything?"
"It's not written by an Uchiha." Shinji flapped her hands, "This is a new note too, it just looks old because it's been damaged but the ink is new! It's a new brand, I tested it in our labs just now."
"So someone recently placed this note?" Shikamaru said slowly, "And not an Uchiha, but someone else on the side of the Uchihas?"
"I found it hidden in a corner. And it's not just someone..." The intensity in Shinji's eyes made him step back. "It's Kakashi-sensei."
Shikamaru felt dizzy for the rest of the day.
He didn't even see Kiba until Akamaru bit his hand. With a jolt, Shikamaru dropped his chopsticks. They slipped down the bowl, into the broth, along with his plans of a quiet day. Kiba plopped down opposite him and leaned closer.
"I got to tell you something." he whispered in his rough voice.
Puberty. Shikamaru realized in horror. It's like a virus, infecting us all. He could see the appeal of living with the monks until this phase was over.
"What." he replied with an annoyed glare.
Kiba leaned even closer. "I went to this place, and there were a lot of things there. And I smelled something bad. Like super bad. Like cats in a place were only dogs are allowed."
Why did everyone decide to speak in code today? Shikamaru clenched his fists on the table. Since when does Kiba even know code?
"Speak- No, write it down clearly." he gritted out. Kiba's eyes opened wide. He grabbed Shikamaru's napkin and accepted the pen the latter fished out of his pocket. Kiba began to scribble down, uncaring if the pen tore into the thin paper. Shikamaru watched with baited breath.
"Done!"
At long last, he could hold the napkin up and read what Kiba had discovered. Shikamaru squinted and felt his stomach lurch for the second time that day.
'We went to Uchiha graves. I smelled a strange scent. Strangers have been there. Hinata discovered missing bodies and eyes. Shino's bugs confirm'
Kiba waited expectantly, eyes shifting to the cooling bowl of ramen every now and then. Akamaru yipped, jolting Shikamaru out of his doom-thinking. Shikamaru gave a deep groan and pushed his ruined lunch aside to drop his head on the table. The world became easier if he remained unaware of its rotations.
Uchiha compound, same time~
Earthquake.
A world-shattering disaster. Shaking to the very core. Wondering what would come crashing down first.
Hoping it would stop soon.
At this point, Sasuke just wanted the noise in his head to quiet down. He stared at the wall. The wooden grains- stained – swam in front of his eyes. They looked like little rivers- blood- trailing down the wall and pouring into the darker wood of the floor.
His family's graves were desecrated. Their eyes stolen. Bodies replaced. The memory made him sick. His father would have been ashamed of him. He would have been cast out of the clan. How could he ever face them in the afterlife?
If only the Third hadn't convinced him to stop cleaning their graves. Sasuke paused.
Did he know?
Did the Third Hokage know about everything? Or did the Third take the eyes and bodies for... What? He didn't use the Sharingan. Maybe to preserve the genes? He had no right. He could have prevented the massacre.
Why do I care about that old man? It couldn't have been him. No shinobi worth their salt would take away a weapon as powerful as the Sharingan and then not use it.
No.
Itachi. The traitor. The murderer. The one who killed their parents, and everyone in the district. He robbed their graves too. No one else could have.
Itachi. The famed heir. Doted on by their father and mother. By Sasuke.
Sasuke loved him even when Itachi had killed the first person, blissfully unaware and running back to their home. He had loved him right up until he woke up in the hospital and saw the grim faces of the Hokage and the Jonin Commander.
In that moment, Sasuke understood hatred.
Itachi must have understood it for longer. Why else would he leave Sasuke alive? Mercy?
As if.
If Itachi expected Sasuke to be grateful for letting him live, he didn't know his 'foolish little brother' at all. Itachi could have brought world peace, he could have prevented a war, Sasuke would still never forgive him.
"Sasuke-?"
He twisted around. Sakura -pale, gaunt, why did she cry?- held a little parcel wrapped in cloth up and tilted her head. Her pink hair was growing out again, but she had tied the front in a loose bun. Her sweater fell over her shorts in a way that made him wonder if she stopped eating again.
She shouldn't be here. Sasuke could feel the heat in his chest. It could burst, he could burst. She couldn't understand him. She had parents. She had family. She never came home to find bodies in the street.
"Get out."
Sakura shook her head and put the lunch-box down. "I wanted to train together today. Are you up for it?"
"Out." he repeated.
Sakura's eyes stared at him blankly. No pity, no sadness, just a hollow pair of green eyes. Shinobi can't show emotion during a mission. Those classes had really paid off.
"Sasuke, you need to eat." Sakura looked to the dinner table in the next room, through the open door. There were at least three unopened lunch-boxes there, he knew. "You've been training without any fuel."
"Why do you care?" Sasuke bit out. "Why are you here?"
She didn't look offended, only tired. "Because I'm your friend-"
He scoffed, "Since when?"
A flash of hurt. She hid it well. "Sasuke, eat. You have to."
"Why?" he questioned, getting to his feet slowly, "Because that's how you get paid?"
"What-?" Sakura began to frown. She realized something. Sasuke's Sharingan memorized her expression.
"Taking care of the Uchiha." he taunted, "How did your fight with Ino over this mission go? Did you two knock each other out again?"
Sakura's face began to turn red. Her fists clenched at her side, but she didn't attack. Yet.
"This isn't a mission, Sasuke." she bit out. "I'm here because I care."
"Liar!" Sasuke's Killer Intent burst out. Sakura gasped and stepped back.
"You are all liars!" Sasuke grabbed the nearest thing he could find and hurled it at her. The bronze incense holder hit the wall over her head. Sakura stared at him from her crouched position near the floor.
Sasuke lunged forward, bringing his fist down at her. Sakura jumped away and stood against the wall. Her hands were up.
"Sasuke. Stop."
He shouldn't be fighting in his family's prayer room. He brought his hands together.
Itachi shouldn't have killed their clan.
No one should have robbed their family's graves.
The Chidori crackled to life before he knew it. Sakura's eyes went wide. Her lips parted in a scream but no one heard it. Sasuke jumped blindly.
Sakura's instinct took over and she dove aside, covering her head with her arms. The Chidori grazed her back as it hit the wall.
Wood exploded.
Sasuke flew in the air. Dark striped splinters flew away. The wood groaned. The Chidori hissed and crackled. Drops of blood sprayed on his face. His heart skipped a beat.
He landed face first in the next room, sliding over the unpolished floor. His hand smacked down. When he finally came to a halt, his face felt like it had been set on fire. He had definitely bruised his arm. None of it compared to the damage the jutsu had done to his house.
Coughing up splinters and dust, he got up to his knees and looked around in a daze. The Chidori left a trail of destruction behind him. The floor was torn open. Cracks traveled up all the way to the ceiling, where one of the lamps had burst apart. He could look straight into the dining room from his position. His ears were ringing, but at last he had his peace and quiet.
Until he heard a groan and a muttered curse. He crawled to the source with numb legs. The floor resembled a minefield. The wall had opened like a grotesque, gaping wound with sharp edges. Behind it, a flash of pink appeared.
Sakura just got to her feet when Sasuke grabbed her arm. Their eyes met. Sasuke's Sharingan spun wildly. Sakura gave him a fearful look and began to stumble to the dining room. Without a word, he supported her, feeling his heart sink when his hand touched a damp spot on her shirt. Her muscles were tense, ready to jump if he showed signs of another attack.
In the dining room, they inspected the damage. Sakura pulled her sweater away from her injury. The back of her shirt had burned black and exposed her skin. Thin, jagged cuts ran over her back, bleeding slowly. Sasuke stared at them, feeling guilt rise up.
"Water." Sakura mumbled, trying to steady herself on the chair. Sasuke snapped up. She gave him a brief glance before looking away.
"Water," she repeated, "and some towels."
Sasuke nodded and went to grab the towels from the bathroom. His hands found the drawer automatically. He avoided the mirror. Back in the kitchen he put the towels on the table. He quickly filled up a pitcher with water and put it next to the towels.
Sakura took one and dampened it. Then she looked at Sasuke. "Help me."
Sasuke nodded mechanically and took the offered towel. She turned her back to him. The wounds weren't deep or dangerous. They just looked terrible. Her shirt was ruined even more when Sasuke had to cut it open to stop it from chafing. Her bra had luckily survived the ordeal. Sakura kept her composure remarkably well, only hissing when he reached the deepest part of the cuts.
Just as the wounds were clean, Sasuke's legs gave out. He landed on the floor in an undignified heap. Sakura towered above him. All he could see were the red lines on her pale skin and the pink stains on his own hands.
Hot tears began to roll over his cheeks in shame. The chair scraped over the floor. Sasuke lowered his head. He barely noticed Sakura coming to sit besides him and grabbing his hand.
"Let's not train today." she said weakly. He didn't bother nodding. He heard her sigh and shift closer, cursing at the wounds on her back.
"Sasuke, I can't understand how you feel, and I never will." she took a breath, "But I will be there for you. I will help you because I care. That's what teammates are for. We'll take it easy, just step by step, until..."
She stopped there. Sasuke looked at her. He nodded quietly and got up. With one hand he wiped his tears and with the other he reached for Sakura.
"Let's go see sensei." he mumbled, "Someone there can heal your back. I'll give you a shirt."
Sakura smiled and nodded, grabbing his hand.
Village Hidden in the Sand, late afternoon~
Turns out, the weirdo had entered the Land of Wind. Owl decided to extend their stay for one more night, ordering Ryuya to send a message back to base with the news. It had been four hours since Owl left to find the Jashinist and two hours since Aki informed her about the Ketsueki waiting at the gate. One of Aki's daughters that had stayed behind to search the surrounding areas had encountered the man.
Hoping not to meet Shin again, Ryuya set off. Owl wouldn't be back until the next morning anyway. The little passage under the gate had remained untouched. Ryuya neared it casually, waiting for the right moment to 'drop' her hairpin and crawl through the tunnel.
"I hope you do not mean to inform our shadow about this secret?" Aki asked in that dry tone Inoichi had warned her about.
Ryuya clenched her jaw, trying to fight the blush on her cheeks and steered away. The main gate remained a bit tricky for her. Even in disguise, the guards were sorely tempted to make her stay on the side she came from. As the first of the many armored shinobi protecting the entrance became visible, Ryuya's palms grew sweaty.
"Eight o'clock!" Aki hissed suddenly.
Ryuya did her best to slowly turn around, but could do very little to hide her panic when she saw Shin's grinning face. He leaned against the red wall, hidden by the shadow and his sand-colored shawl. His eyes matched the wall, and stared unabashedly at her. No one gave them a second glance.
Ryuya gulped and walked over. Up close, Shin towered over her. His grin went from creepy to downright terrifying. He looked down at her. Ryuya took a step back and tried to stop her shivers when again only his eyes moved. His lips were frozen in that teeth-baring smile.
"Did you miss us, Missy?"
"Eh-" Ryuya stammered, "Yes?"
Shin huffed and turned away, "Follow me quietly."
He walked to one of the many stalls lined against the wall, similar to the outer side, and held the flap of the white cotton canvas open for her. Ryuya hurriedly followed him. Without another word, Shin walked all the way to the back, carelessly shoving the racks of colorful shawls aside until he reached the bare wall.
And then he stepped in.
Ryuya blinked. The red clay looked very solid to her. She came closer. Just as her hand reached over, another hand emerged from the wall and grabbed her. A muffled yelp, a weirdly cool sensation and a bright light later, and Ryuya stood on the other side of the great wall.
Kosuke and Shin looked down at her. Kosuke gave her a warm smile, "Hello again, Mai-san."
The fear seeped out of Ryuya, only to be replaced with tension that made her break out in cold sweat even in the desert. They stood in one of the generic white tents that crowded the gate.
"Kosuke-san-" she blurted, "what are you doing here?"
He gave her a smile that had no business making Ryuya's heart flutter like that. She swallowed and smiled back.
"I was hoping you would visit us again." he said.
Convenient, since Ryuya had spend most of her spare time thinking up excuses to do just that. She nodded eagerly. Kosuke rewarded her with another warm smile and soon the three shinobi stepped out in the blistering sun. Shin thankfully decided to scout ahead and left them behind without another glance.
Kosuke looked at Ryuya, studying her expression as she stared at Shin's back. His lips twisted, "He is not as bad as he makes himself look." he said ruefully.
Ryuya flushed, averting her eyes. The scarf she wore around her head provided some cover from Kosuke's eyes.
"I- I'm just-" her excuse dried up on her lips. Shin scared her more than Ibiki did during their first meeting. Ibiki was big and stern. His glare could skin wolves and his voice was a defense mechanism on its own. However, Ibiki's grim demeanor felt genuine, as opposed to Shin's perpetual grin that was definitely forced.
Kosuke didn't look offended, "We all have different ways of accepting this current lifestyle. Some are young enough to adapt and already think of themselves as nomadic shinobi. Others, like Shin, still remember the good days of the clan in the village. It's hard to let go of those memories."
Ryuya had not been aware of the Ketsueki-clan having 'good' days. Most of the clan-history they were taught in the Academy involved important members and any special functions they fulfilled. The juicy details and jutsu's were reserved for the clan-members alone. Civilian kids like Ryuya learned very little about clans.
"Can you tell me about your clan?" she asked, looking up at Kosuke.
He looked at her in surprise and Ryuya felt a little bad for him. Chi refused to tell them about her clan, claiming that she only knew as much they were taught in the Academy. There were few books in the library about the clan, and most of them were damaged.
"Well," Kosuke began hesitantly, "there isn't much history. Our ancestors only left us scrolls about jutsu and our bloodline."
"Did no one tell you stories?" Ryuya frowned. From what Ino had proudly told them, each clan had a huge library filled with artifacts, stories and instructions left behind by the previous generations. As clan-heir, it was her duty to learn all about them.
Kosuke shrugged, "Not really. We're not raised like that. Our parents just kind of left us to raise ourselves."
Ryuya stared at him in disbelief. Kosuke laughed but his eyes were distant, "It's hard to raise kids that still have to learn to control their ability. Don't forget, kids are literally their parent's flesh and blood. You can't really raise a child once it realizes that it can control you."
That made an awful lot of sense. Power needed to be controlled, and kids still had to learn that.
"But then how did you learn to control your ability?" What is your ability? Ryuya suddenly needed to know.
Kosuke looked at the horizon. His skin was glossy with sweat, and his eyes were a muddy red shade. "Experimenting mostly. And we did get some lessons by members that were far removed from us."
He didn't elaborate, and Ryuya didn't ask. It felt like an intrusion. The history of his clan clearly affected Kosuke in a bad way and pissing off her guide in this desert would not be the smartest move.
The Ketsueki were supposedly an old clan that had lived in the Forest of Death before it was given its name and infamous reputation. The story goes that when the Uchiha and Senju formed this village, they went into the Forest to scout the area. They ran into the clan and the Ketsueki defended their home with violence. The Uchiha wanted them gone, the Senju weren't sure how. It had been Tobirama Senju who decided to keep them alive and include them in the village.
The Ketsueki agreed easily and a treaty was signed as prove. They just wanted to live in their forest. The issue was soon forgotten when Madara decided to give up his lasts shreds of sanity and the rest became common knowledge to everyone in Konoha.
As they picked up their pace, Ryuya began form new questions in her mind. Where there any outsiders other than Chi's Uzumaki grandmother, married into the clan? Who where they and what happened to them?
How many different abilities existed? How many were as dangerous as Chi's? Ryuya shuddered at the thought of a group of Ketsueki who could use Extract. No one would be safe.
She froze.
How many people were attacked by the Ketsueki? They needed to get blood from somewhere. The chances of civilians or shinobi willingly donated blood to a clan that could use it to control them were next to none. It had to be either by force, or the blood of a dead person. Was this all part of the treaty they signed?
She needed to look at the treaty. In any case, Tobirama had probably not counted on the clan to be massacred by one of their own.
Another question wormed in her mind. She grabbed at it before it faded away. Her steps faltered and she tried really hard not to look at Kosuke again.
How did Sai manage to freeze everyone?
At the time there would have been outsiders and their kids in the clan. Babies perhaps. Did they give their blood to their Elder? How many Elders were there in the clan and why did no one stop him?
Why were they killed?
Ryuya barely noticed Aki's tapping until the spider decided to stick one of her hairy legs in Ryuya's ear. Ryuya snapped up, biting her tongue hard to stop her scream.
"We've arrived. He's been telling you how the other members want to meet you." Aki informed her icily.
Ryuya plastered on a smile and tried to listen to Kosuke's story. He pointed in the distance, where absolutely nothing looked different. They kept walking towards the invisible landmark until Kosuke stopped and brought his hands together.
Ryuya tensed. The horizon began to shudder and a gently wave of chakra, the view parted like two curtains being pulled aside.
"Genjutsu." Kosuke proudly explained. Ryuya's eyes went wide as dinner plates as he pulled her inside. The curtain closed behind them, showing the empty desert. Kosuke went ahead, greeting the emerging members.
The settlement had not changed since the last time Ryuya had visited. This time though, there were some kids playing outside. They each held the end of a piece of rope and ran in circles, laughing and yelling. The purpose seemed to be to get the man in the middle to turn along as he held the ends to all the ropes.
Ryuya stopped midway in her step. The blind man that had pretended to be asleep the other time laughed out loud as the combined strength of five kids didn't even make him budge. They looked so carefree.
The man lifted his arms with what had to be chakra, and all five kids spun in the air. He turned a couple of times before letting them down again. The kids screamed in joy and fell to the ground panting.
A young woman holding a young child in her arms, came up to the man and put a hand on his shoulder. Ryuya watched with a smile as the man whirled around and embraced the two with dramatic gestures.
"They are lovely, right?" Kosuke spoke up beside her.
Ryuya couldn't keep her eyes away and nodded. The young family looked adorable. "They look so happy."
Kosuke rolled his eyes but his tone was fond, "Oh they are. So incredibly happy. He never leaves an opportunity to let me know just how happy he is."
A giggle escaped her. Ryuya slapped a hand on her lips, glancing up at him. "Sounds terrible."
"He is." Came the dry retort.
"That's rude." said another voice.
Ryuya jumped in the air, holding out a kunai before she even registered who had spoken. Kosuke sighed but looked amused. The blind man beside him looked giddy. The woman with the child behind them looked exasperated.
"How-?" Ryuya gasped, relaxing her stance a little.
"You're not the only one with tricks. " the blind man said cheerfully. Ryuya had the feeling that he would have winked if he had his eyes.
"You're a shinobi?" Ryuya tried to replace the disbelief in her tone with amazement. The two man shared a... look and grinned.
"Well of course!" The man exclaimed. He struck a pose, flexing his wiry muscles, "Can't you tell from my striking arms and shoulder?"
He lifted his leg, grabbing his thigh with both hands, "Or these rock-hard legs?"
"We're all shinobi here." Kosuke whispered while the man continued posing. Ryuya's lips formed an 'O'.
"But how did he do that?" she asked, following his example of ignoring the man's antics.
"He's an expert of the Body-Flicker." Kosuke explained.
Body-Flicker? She had seen even Naruto use that jutsu. Not as fast as this man, but still.
"So he's a Genin?" Ryuya concluded.
Kosuke snorted. The man snapped to Ryuya.
"A- a Genin?" he stammered incredulously.
Ryuya turned another shade of red, bowing, "Sorry!"
"Oh no," Kosuke said straight-faced, "Now you've insulted him."
The man nodded intently. Ryuya shrunk.
"There is only one punishment I can think of." The man sighed gravely. Ryuya felt her breath stutter. I'm dead. So dead. Soooo dead.
"Tea, brewed by myself!" The man announced.
Someone screamed. Ryuya blinked.
"Good luck, Mai-san." Kosuke nudged her towards the man. Ryuya turned to him with wide eyes, as a new kind of fear struck her. Kosuke waved at her as the blind man grabbed her arms and began to drag her to his tent.
"Wait-" Ryuya finally found her voice, "Kosuke-san!"
He gave her a pitying smile but didn't move. The man's hands were rough and big, completely wrapped around her biceps. The woman and child looked at her. The woman shook her head.
"He's dumb, but you'll survive." she said solemnly.
"Sara if you weren't my wife-" The man started, not pausing in his kidnapping. Ryuya's yelp of alarm muffled whatever he wanted to tell his wife.
The woman, Sara, turned away. The baby waved a grubby hand at them over her mother's shoulder. Ryuya watched helplessly as Sara brought the child to another tent, where a bunch of other kids entered along.
Ryuya strained her neck to keep looking, but the man dragged her in one of the tents and the blue canvas blocked her view.
"Don't go anywhere." he warned her before letting her go. Ryuya stumbled to balance herself on the carpet that flowed on top of the soft sand. Her feet sank in, but not as much as the man did. He was tall, probably as tall as Asuma, but didn't look heavy.
"Have a seat, Mai-san."
Ryuya obeyed, sitting in a corner that looked a bit cooler than the rest. The sand shifted under the carpet again. His hands moved without hesitation. The little make-shift kitchen looked more like a collection of rusted metal than anything else. There were a few small pots and pans, a portable gas stove.
A few metal flasks were stacked to one side, a large gas bottle tilted to the side on the other end. The man poured water in one pan and heated it up on the stove. From underneath a large pot, he produced a small wooden box and began to add various leafs and dried peels from the box into the pan.
He sat down beside it, looking content. Ryuya realized she had been staring at him the whole time.
"So Mai-san," he began, "how is Konoha doing?"
Ryuya looked up. Her mind was devoid of memories of the town she had lived in her whole life. The silence went on. The man waited patiently, though his smile began to falter. Ryuya turned beet red.
"Eh." she said lamely, "Konoha is alright."
Hokage is dead! Teachers are stressed. Chi is injured.
"We are... waiting for the results of the Chuunin Exams." Ryuya said hesitantly. "I'm not passing, but some of my classmates are, so..."
The man's face scrunched up, "Chuunin Exams? Wait- You are a Genin? They really send a Genin out here?"
Feeling the need to defend her village, Ryuya sat a bit straighter, "Well, there is no one else to do it. Everyone is super busy with defending the village-" Whoops.
Aki's leg dug into her collarbone. Ryuya accepted the punishment. If Ibiki or Owl had been here, she might have become a rogue-nin to avoid their wrath.
The man crossed his arms. The water began to bubble beside him. A strange, grassy scent rose from the pot, reminding Ryuya of the scent of wheat. What is he brewing?
"Who is busy?" he laughed a bit disbelievingly, "Internal affairs are what the Police Force is for."
"Yeah but they were all Uchiha-" Aki pinched her neck with her pincers. Ryuya bit her tongue hard enough to taste blood. A cold rush went through her as she identified the confusion and indignation on the man's face. Could it be that he didn't know about the Uchiha massacre?
The man's frown grew deeper, "I know. Is there something happening with the Uchiha clan?"
This wasn't possible. The Ketsueki were massacred a year after the Uchiha's. They all should have been aware. Aki crawled closer to her ear.
"He looks familiar." she whispered. Ryuya wanted to get sick. He did look familiar, and not in a way like the others.
"Tell me." The water was boiling, but the man didn't look away. His closed eyes looked just as threatening as the Ketsueki's yellow irises. Or like him...
"The- " Ryuya began, thinking furiously. Aki didn't stop her. "The Uchiha clan-"
She was panting now. Sweat dripped down her neck, but she pushed through. This had to be done. "There are only two left of the clan."
"What?" The man said after processing that. Hot water rained on his bare arms.
"The Uchiha-clan is gone..." Ryuya squeaked, "Just Sasuke and- and I-Itachi."
The color drained out of the man's face. He sat in silence, frozen like a statue. The pan began to tremble with the force of the boiling tea. Ryuya crawled near and turned the stove off. Just as she went to grab the handle of the pan, he clutched her arm.
"Who did it?" he asked in a low tone. Ryuya swallowed with difficulty, sitting down right in front of him on her knees.
"Itachi." she whispered, "He killed everyone except Sasuke."
Even his lips had lost their color. "Does- does anyone else know?"
Ryuya couldn't stop the incredulous laugh that bubbled up, "Everyone does. We have a memorial day for the clan."
"What happened to Itachi?" he asked with some difficulty.
Ryuya grimaced, "He became a missing-nin. He's working for a bad organization now."
If anything, his expression turned darker. He let her arm go and folded his hands in his lap. He wore a narrow silver ring around his finger. Hands that had seen battle. Ryuya felt stupid for assuming he was a Genin earlier. She stared at him, inspecting and memorizing his face.
"What is your name?" she blurted after a moment.
"Akiko." he replied quietly.
Aki made a small clicking noise. Ryuya hunched her shoulders.
"What is your real name?" she almost breathed.
The man turned his head to her. His lips formed a thin line.
"My name, is Shisui. Shisui Uchiha."
