Shinji was not having a good day. The death of the Third Hokage had, besides the grief and pain, caused several mountains worth of paperwork. Ibiki was running around departments, Jonin were entering and exiting the T&I building faster than the guards could count and in the middle were Shinji and Ryuya. Just the two of them, since Chi had not showed up since that day.
Ryuya was collecting and sorting through information coming in from spies and patrolling shinobi, while Shinji was used as a donkey. Her training was put on hold, until this mess was sorted. All day long she ran around carrying documents and mysterious boxes around to hand them to the correct agent or shelf in the archive.
The archive room she was currently in, was so dimly lit, she was mostly relying on her memory and good fortune to navigate. She counted the towering outlines of the cabinets until she reached number 21 and stopped in front of it to drop the box she was carrying on the floor.
The shelf was full and dusty, but she had to make space for one more box. With a grunt, Shinji pushed a large box with scrolls to the back of the shelf to make space for the new one. Her back ached but since Ryuya couldn't do it, she had to. It was good for her muscles, she told herself ever night as her mother rubbed ointment on her back. The boxes were heavy and covered in dust. These things used to be Chi's job. Just her stamina and a dozen or so of her clones and the job would be done before dinner.
They had done it countless times before. Ryuya would bring a dozen different pasties and pies while Shinji sweet talked Chi until she caved and transformed some clones into her teammates. Their hustle went great until one of the clones popped and Ibiki stormed in the forgotten archive room they used for naps. They had to run laps for the rest of the day. Shinji spend most of her laps complaining until Chi hit her head.
Shinji shook her head. Her teammate (former?) had plagued her thoughts since the second exams. At night memories of the gaping wound in Chi's neck kept her awake, but during the day she kept searching for that yellow haori. It was a strange sort of ache in her chest. She knew it showed on her face and in her behavior. Shinji kept twitching and her eyes still went to the empty spot where Chi used to stand, right behind her.
Ryuya didn't show it as much. Shinji suspected her fear stemmed from Chi's performance in the Forest of Death when they encountered the Sand siblings. It only festered and grew from there. After the exams, when Chi was busy training for the final round, Ryuya began hiding. Ibiki saw it, he had confronted her about it, but he got swept up in organizing the protection details of the village.
And I just watched.
Chi noticed. Of course she would. Ryuya spend the first months hiding behind Chi, clinging to her arm and always asking her to walk her home. Now she could barely muster the courage to greet her. Was it the result of the accumulated trauma? The final straw? Shinji still struggled with the memories of that cave. Some nights she saw flashing knifes in her dreams and woke with her face hurting. But they all went through that, and yet only Ryuya snapped.
Sighing, Shinji held her tiny flashlight between her teeth, grabbed the box on the floor besides her and lifted it. There was no use dwelling on the strange and twisted dynamics of her team. She took a deep breath and pushed the box up until one corner got on the shelf. The rough carton scraped against her sweating palms, threatening to slip. With the box leaning against her chest, Shinji took a moment to catch her breath and pushed again. The heavy box slid back smoothly, until a heavy crack sounded and it tipped back. The sound was swallowed by the room.
"No!" Shinji lunged and grabbed the sides, trying to keep the box from further ruining the shelf. Her fingertips burned as she finally stopped it's descend. Gritting her teeth and mentally cursing the cheap wood, she pulled the box back out and stumbled as it fell against her. She let it drop to the floor and wiped the sweat off her brow as she looked at the shelf. Dust flew up in her face, clinging to her damp skin. She scratched her nose and rolled her sleeves down. There was no way she was going to stick her bare arm in a mysterious black hole in a village of paranoid shinobi.
Shinji's frown grew deeper the more she explored the wooden board. The whole bottom was tipped back, but nothing was broken. She ran her fingers over the rough grains until she reached the failing corner. On her tip-toes she could just curl her fingers around the edge and pull. The square popped out easily and Shinji fell back, almost choking on the flashlight.
She quickly looked around. There was no one visible and her senses told her the nearest agent was all the way at 'B', while she was as 'U'. She swallowed and got up, immediately looking in the gaping hole.
The square revealed a hidden layer filled with scrolls and stacks of paper, covered in a layer of dust. It was only the dim white of the fan that confirmed what she saw. The seal of the Uchiha clan looked up at her from the center, dull and scratched. Shinji's heart hammered in her chest.
Ibiki had spend most of his time telling them that in real life there was no time to gape and be shocked so Shinji pulled the gloves from her back-pocket. They had to wear them because some of the documents were too old to handle without protection.
The first scroll she lifted, rustled loudly, making her hold her breath. No one came. She opened it and faced a photo clipped to the first page. When she held it in the small light, she saw a family of four. Two young boys of different ages and their parents. The youngest boy was barely two and in the arms of the older boy, who looked more weary than he should have. The back of the photograph had a single sentence:
'Fugaku Uchiha, Mikoto Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha.'
Shinji exhaled sharply, mind zeroing in on the little version of her classmate. The kid was smiling at his brother. Her throat was dry as sandpaper. The most she had ever seen Sasuke smile was when Naruto stepped on a landmine. Even that was a bare twitch at the corner of his mouth. This tiny creature had his lips spread wide, revealing plenty of missing teeth. His eyes were crescents and his cheeks chubby.
The other agent was moving.
Blinking hard, Shinji unrolled the scroll and began to memorize the texts.
Minutes later, when the black haired agent arrived at 'U', he found nothing but a harried Genin struggling tie her hair back. She smiled but her eyes were on the ground. The agent blinked and walked passed her.
The bar, evening~
"I don't know," Asuma peered over Iruka's shoulder to look at the schedule, "it looks like a headache."
Genma scoffed, "Don't you have that Nara kid? He's like the easiest of the bunch."
Kurenai winced as Asuma's expression crumpled. He slammed a fist down on the table and cried out. "He became a Chuunin! I only have the two brats left!"
Asuma, the respectable son of the late Third Hokage, accomplished Jonin and rare wind-type specialist, burst out in tears. Genma looked at the teacher in horror. Kurenai gestured at the bottles on the table and then at Anko, who had been spiking drinks at random. Asuma dropped his head on the table in misery.
Iruka glanced at them with thinly veiled disdain before turning back to his paper. The top read 'Shinobi preparation camp! Genin and new Chuunin welcome'. Below he had sketched out a schedule and he was pondering the final 'fun' activity.
"How about Kakashi's bells?" Ibiki offered.
"If the kids still can't work together at this stage, they never will. It would just end in bloodshed." Iruka waved his hand. Ibiki sighed and put his head on the table besides Asuma. Kurenai winced again but Iruka either didn't care or Ibiki had once again ended up on Iruka's bad side.
Anko opened another beer bottle, spitting the cap out. "I just think you're wasting your time. Look at us, we never had a camp and we're all alive!"
Kurenai privately thought that Anko's life could end with her next sentence, judging by the tick in Iruka's jaw.
"If a war does happen, we won't be there to guide them anymore. This camp is important." Iruka said slowly, tapping his pencil on the empty spot of his calendar. The other spots were filled in with activities such as hunting, camouflage, fighting and team building exercises. He had considered a special course on dealing with Naruto but once he started thinking about the various quirks of the other students, he gave up.
"War, huh?" Ibiki sighed against the table. "We've almost come a full circle."
The quiet murmuring in the bar came to a halt when Guy's distinct voice became audible from outside. Genma looked at the door with hope shimmering in his eyes. Even Hayate, covered in bandages and paler than paper, stopped his hourly coughing session to look up. Ibiki ordered more vodka.
"You think he's back to normal?" Anko took a swig of her beer. She was referring to the last few times Guy had let go of his strict diet and gotten drunk beyond comprehension. It always ended with tears, spandex and the Jonin absolutely desperate to cheer him up.
"We'll never find out if you keep blabbing." Kurenai shoved the bottle in Anko's mouth, making her gag and choke.
Genma send Kurenai an appreciating smile.
The door opened wide and slammed against the wall on either side. There was a gust of wind that made everyone pause, and suddenly Kakashi's annoying book was tapping on the bar. Guy's green spandex suit squeaked as the other man put his hands on his hips, shaking his head.
"Soju please, he's paying." Kakashi pointed besides him.
Guy lifted a finger "Add one water, please."
Iruka leaned back on his chair, twisting to look at the newcomers. "Did Kakashi defeat you again?"
Guy nodded but the bartender brought his water before he could start his ballad.
"I'm organizing a training camp for the kids." Iruka waved them over.
Kakashi took his bottle and went to look at the schedule. He mostly ignoring the explanation narrated by Genma and Iruka, and sat on the nearest chair.
"Nice plan." He opened his book and began to read.
Iruka fought the primal urge to strangle him and turned to Guy. "How are you doing?"
Guy nodded, rolling his shoulders back. He looked better than before, Iruka thought. Right after Neji's defeat, and after the battle that followed, Guy spend most of his days in the hospital or the bar. He split his time between Rock Lee and Neji and it began to wear on him.
"I've been well, though still can't defeat my hip friend over there." Guy pointed at the offender. "Lee is recovering steadily. He can almost walk again."
Kurenai sighed in relief. Guy frowned and stared deep in his glass as if it would provide him answers. "Neji however, he's changed. I wasn't there when he woke up, since I was on duty, but when I saw him... It's like a whole new boy. Still angry though."
"I think that's just is personality." Genma quipped. Guy huffed but didn't disagree. "Apparently his uncle spoke to him and they sorted some things out between them. Neji won't tell me what and contacting the Hyuuga clan is out of the question."
Kurenai nodded "Yes, they like to keep it all private. Hinata won't tell me everything either. It's too deeply ingrained-"
The shinobi paused when Kurenai shot up in her seat. Her deep red eyes narrowed on the door and her left hand shot out to whack Asuma out of his stupor. "A Genin is running towards us."
She glanced at Ibiki "It's one of yours, but I can't tell which one. Your kids have that weird undercurrent to their chakra."
It was as if she had sucked the air out of the room. Ibiki was sober in a second, clenching his jaw and concentrating on the door. He knew what she meant with 'undercurrent'. It was Chi's chakra that gave Shinji and Ryuya a boost though it didn't quite mix with their own chakra.
"What are we supposed to do if it's her?" Genma said.
Anko shrugged "Drag her to therapy-Ow!" She held her head and glared at Ibiki who had kicked her chair against the wall.
"We'll need to see if it actually is Chi or not." he grumbled.
Seconds ticked by and with it Ibiki's hope of Chi bursting through the door faded. He slumped in his chair, rubbing a hand over his head. "Chi would've been here by now."
Ryuya was slow but Shinji was just too lazy to hurry. Sure enough, the door opened and Ryuya ran in. Panting, she looked around until she located Ibiki and then stormed towards him. Ibiki got up and caught the girl before she tripped.
"Sensei! You need-" she gasped, "You need to come right away! It's bad!"
Her face was flushed. Ibiki pushed her in his chair and lifted her chin. "Easy. Breath first, then tell me."
Ryuya swatted his hands away and immediately jumped up again. "There is no time! Please!"
Sensing that she was completely serious, Ibiki looked at the group around them. Kurenai waved "Go, let us know if something bad is happening."
Ibiki nodded and grabbed his student's shoulder. With a 'pop' they were both gone. The remaining group shifted uneasily.
Iruka stared at the empty spot.
"Something bad?"
Kurenai rolled her eyes and ordered more drinks.
T&I building, Ibiki's office~
Shinji was waiting for them, pacing in front of his desk. Ibiki walked around his desk and sat down, pulling the new file on top towards him. Ryuya looked at him anxiously.
"What's this?" Ibiki said, pretending he didn't recognize the red clouds printed on the front. Dread build inside him.
"The Akatsuki is coming here." Ryuya blurted out.
There was a ringing in his ears. His heart pounded in his chest. Why, he wanted to ask Ryuya, but she wouldn't know the answer. The Akatsuki would come to his village, right when it was at it lowest. The kids would be at the front along with the adults. Ibiki swallowed hard and nodded.
"Do we have any identification on them?"
Ryuya grew even paler, if that was possible. Her blue were wide and glossy in the harsh light overhead. Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper.
"Two men. One is called Kisame Hoshigaki and-" she choked. Ibiki felt his insides go cold as he matched the name to the face. He gestured for Ryuya to continue. She gulped.
"The other... It shouldn't be possible, but it's- it's Itachi Uchiha."
There was a thud as Shinji fell against her desk. Ibiki stared at her mutely. There were a thousand thoughts running through his mind but none o f them stuck.
"Sensei, I thought they were all gone except for Sasuke..." Ryuya whispered, twisting her shirt in between her hands.
Ibiki forced himself out of his stupor and shook his head. "No, Itachi was the one who massacred his clan and he fled."
Ryuya gasped and grabbed the edge of the desk for support. Ibiki felt some sensation in his limbs again and got up. "Both of you will go home now. Get some sleep and meet me here at 7 am tomorrow."
Shinji moved first. Whether she realized the gravity of the situation or she was just too scared, she didn't speak at all. Grabbing Ryuya's hand, she nodded at her teacher and dragged the other girl out of the room.
Ibiki didn't move until he could sense them leaving the building. Finally, he let out his breathe and slumped, allowing himself a moment of calm before the inevitable storm. It was late, he still had alcohol running through his veins, one of his students was MIA and his other two were scared.
Just another Tuesday...
Ibiki wiped his expression clean, tucked the file in his inner pocket and left his office without a second glance.
Outer border of the Forest of Death, a few hours later~
Itachi came to a halt in front of the massive wrought iron fence that stretched far to both sides. Kisame stretched his neck and whistled.
"Nice work here. This place must have some real messed up things."
Itachi's hand hovered over the rough iron. He spoke, lost in thought. "Orochimaru set most of his creations free here."
Kisame came to stand besides him, lowering his massive sword. "So, do we knock or just make our own door?"
Itachi shook his head. "We go over. This fence is here for a good reason."
He took the lead and jumped, elegant as a swan, right over the fence. Kisame huffed.
"You're no fun." He said as he followed suit.
They landed on soft ground, overgrown with rotten branches and the few flowers that could find sunlight at the edge of the forest. It would be dawn in just an hour, but the forest was pitch black. They walked in silence, Kisame straining his eyes to see something. Itachi didn't speak, didn't show any indication that he knew where they were going, and Kisame knew that asking would not work.
After a few minutes he spotted a dot of light in the distance. It danced between the trees. The light gave his eyes the relief they needed. It didn't fade, but only grew stronger.
"Don't follow any lights here." Itachi's monotone voice shook Kisame from his trance. "Nothing can be trusted here."
Kisame scowled but wandered closer to Itachi's signature. "Does anyone even come here?"
"Some even live here."
"You're joking." Kisame could smell rotting flesh and mold, amplified by the heat and humidity. Anyone living here must either be completely insane or without any sense of smell.
"The Ketsueki clan lives here. They killed most of Orochimaru's creatures too." Itachi said quietly.
"Weren't they that crazy bunch that got murdered?" Kisame remembered. "Most of them, at least."
Itachi hummed in confirmation but didn't feel pressed to continue. Kisame rolled his eyes at his partner but refused to give into his curiosity again. They walked on in silence until Itachi stopped.
Kisame wished they could just get out of this forest because the undeniable scent of blood was getting on his nerves. Memories of his less than clean life resurfaced faster than he could push them down again. He glanced at Itachi's outline and sighed. They weren't moving any time soon.
Without warning, Itachi lit a beacon. The sudden orange light made Kisame see spots. "Damn it, Itachi. Couldn't you have lit that earlier?"
He swore the other man's lips turned up for a second. Itachi pointed ahead. They were standing near a wooden, red painted door. The whole thing was embraced by the forest. Branches, veins and plants crawled up on either side and far up and around the door.
"This is the Ketsueki district. That's the entrance."
"Wait, we're going in? Why?" Kisame peered at the tiny oval door and wondered how he was going to fit through there.
"I need to check on something." With that, Itachi pushed the door open. The hinges let out the loudest creak Kisame had ever witnessed, as it slowly revealed the other side. More darkness there. Kisame sighed and followed Itachi through the opening.
"Don't let anything distract you. Just stay close to me." Itachi warned. Kisame scoffed and straightened his spine inside the clan's grounds. The overwhelming scent of iron. It was enough to make him gag.
Itachi pulled his collar over his nose and quickly made his way to one of the identical houses. Mildly horrified and impressed, Kisame hurried after him. In the light of the beacon, he saw tracks on the ground. They were old and half gone but some went deeper than others.
Footprints, long deep lines and coin sized circles were pressed in the muddy ground. They all led to a dark shape in what looked like the center of the district. Kisame doubted Itachi would let him explore. He wasn't that keen on it either. The whole place gave him shivers. Samehada didn't seem too enthusiastic either.
They reached a fairly large house and Kisame hissed in warning when he saw the open window. Itachi waved his hand away. "It's empty. Look around, no one is here."
"But someone was here and they can come back." Kisame tightened his hold on Samehada.
Itachi was already sticking his head through the window. "It's just a Genin. Don't tell me that scares you."
"How the hell do you know it's a Genin?" Kisame had once fought a Jonin from the Ketsueki clan. That fight is still one of the most disturbing, fascinating and disgusting fights he had ever experienced. He had won of course, but at the cost of his appetite for liver.
Itachi rocked back on his heels and turned to look at him. "This is her room."
His curiosity getting the best of him, Kisame almost shoved Itachi aside to look in the room. Sure enough, it was a girl's bedroom. A girl obsessed with weapons and not so talented at cleaning, but still a girl. He looked over at opened wardrobe, the unmade loft bed and the dust covering the desk. There was a couch underneath her bed and it was littered with scraps of paper and instant noodle cups.
"How do you know it's a girl?" Kisama twisted his neck to look up at the ceiling. He half expected a ten year old looking down on him like a demonic spider, but the ceiling was plain.
"Wardrobe." Itachi's reply came. "Girl's clothes."
Kisame decided that he had seen enough and looked back at Itachi. "What now?"
For the first time since he had met the man, Kisame could confirm that he saw the deep, intense sadness reflecting in Itachi's black eyes. It was gone within a second but it had been there. Itachi followed the tracks on the ground with his eyes.
"Now we continue with our task."
Ketsueki district, dawn~
Chi fell more than she landed on the ground. Her chest heaved and she laid flat on her back, staring up at the pale blue sky. Hair and dust stuck to her face and neck but she made no move to wipe either off. She was sweating all over and her scrapes and cuts stung. She swallowed and pushed herself up. Her muscles strained against the tight bandages but she couldn't take them off. Her hands were shaking anyway.
The Forest was quiet. Her clan's district even more so. With a grunt she got up from the ground. A flash of blinding colors threw her balance off and she stumbled, clutching her head. Cold sweat gathered at the back of her neck. A voice, a distant echo of a memory that was not hers, whispered in her ear. She rubbed her temples and opened her eyes again, determined to make it to her room.
It was a game she played these days. Every night, she would go out and not return until dawn. Chi grinned as she wiped another bead of sweat away. Her hands up to her elbows were brown with dried blood and dirt. It was another successful night. Another step to completely purge her system.
Her opened window was just to her left, but her senses forced her to come to a halt. Chi stood and took a deep breath. Aside from the usual iron and sweet rotting scent, there were traces of new ones. Salt and... Sasuke?
Her mother had always told her that Uchiha smelled like their rice. It was expensive and pure white, so of course that clan would almost exclusively eat it. Chi frowned. There was absolutely no way Sasuke could have entered the clan. She walked closer and spotted two new pair of footprints. They were from shinobi because the prints were only visible near her window where they had probably stood still for a while.
Chi took another deep breath and her vision blacked out. Two pair of red eyes stared at her until she blinked and her vision returned. Chi rubbed her stomach and turned around. Her logical brain told her that she needed to rest, but it was drowned out by the part that was looking for a fight. Chi's hands itched with the desire to fight someone much stronger than her. Someone like Zabuza or Haku. Even better: Tobirama or Orochimaru. She wanted to go all out, use all the chakra and blood she had and fight. She wouldn't last but that was the point.
Chi sniffed the air again.
If it wasn't Sasuke... Chi grinned. It's him!
She took another step and Flickered away.
A café on the road, early morning~
Jiraiya had to admit: the kid could eat. He watched as Naruto inhaled his fourth cup of noodles and immediately ordered one more. Should I tell him that he's the one paying?
Jiraiya grinned and finished his sandwich. He didn't even like sandwiches that much but the lady who sold it was absolutely gorgeous and watching her assemble it made it all worth it. He wiped his fingers, tossed the tissue and got up.
"That's your last one. We need to get back on the road again."
Naruto scowled at him as he attacked his new bowl. "So impatient."
Jiraiya leaned on his elbow, looking at the boy. If he squinted, he could see Minato right in front of him. If he tilted his head so that the sun hit his eyes, he could hear Kushina. He huffed quietly, even twelve year after their deaths he could get emotional over them. Naruto was a blend of his parents but he didn't even know it. According to Kakashi, he knew about the fox but believed that he was just an unfortunate orphan picked in the heat of the moment by Minato.
You've done much right sensei, but you could've at least done this bit better.
Jiraiya scratched at a burned circle on the wooden table. The bitter taste of guilt made him scan the menu for a drink. During the battle he had been out of the village, searching for leads on the Akatsuki. When he returned, his teacher was gone and the village wounded. Not to mention Orochimaru killing their teacher and then fleeing.
Tsunade is going to kill me just for that.
"Oi Pervy Sage!" Naruto waved his hand in Jiraiya's face. "I'm finished. Let's go!"
Jiraiya pushed him aside and blinked. The kid was indeed finished with his giant meal. He got up and massaged his back. "Did you pay?"
Naruto's eyes went wide as saucers. "Oi, I don't have money! You pay, you're my guardian or whatever."
"Who told you that?" Jiraiya asked, amused.
"Kashi sensei."
Oh? A nickname?
"Well, he was wrong. You're paying." Jiraiya pointed at the cashier, ignoring the indignant spluttering. "Hurry up, I've got a nice jutsu to teach you.
They were outside within seconds. Jiraiya looked down at the short boy and smirked. The unspoken question radiated off Naruto. "You want to know the name of this new, super-duper, awesome and deadly jutsu?"
Naruto nodded, eyes wide and practically drooling. Jiraiya leaned closer for dramatic effect.
"Rasengan."
Tea shop in Konoha, noon~
Kurenai didn't know what true danger felt like until the two cloaked figures entered the little shop. She glanced at Asuma, pretending to flirt. He smiled and nodded briefly, folding his arms to get closer to his blades.
Kurenai inspected the figures through their reflection in her ring. Their chakra signatures were off the chart. The taller one carried a massive blade while the other one looked too familiar in a wrong way. She send Asuma a long look. He bit his lip and leaned closer.
"The kid was right." he whispered.
Kurenai nodded. Her eyes flicked to the side when the door opened and the one duo that should not have come here, entered. She glared at Kakashi as he pushed Sasuke ahead of him. Asuma swore under his breath.
No choice then. Kurenai sighed and lifted her hand to signal Kakashi. "Guy went that way!" She pointed to the left. "Near the market."
"Huh?" Sasuke said, frowning. Asuma's eye twitched when he saw the duo perk up. There was no way Kakashi hadn't seen the cloaks in the corner. Come on man. Please!
Kakashi, true to his reputation, switched instantly and steered the confused Sasuke around. "Thanks!"
The two were gone before anyone could blink. Kurenai felt her heartbeat pick up when the smaller one of the cloaked duo turned slowly to look at her. She didn't spare him a glance, instead gesturing for Asuma to get up. They put their money down and slowly walked out of the shop.
"Where to?" Asuma breathed in her ear. Kurenai nodded to the right.
"The bridge near the Nara compound."
"Let's hope those lazy bastards are awake this time."
They took off. Just two seconds later, the two signatures began to follow them. They landed on the little stream that outlined the forest. Kurenai and Asuma braced themselves as the two figures joined them. It became quiet.
"No introduction?" Kurenai asked, raising her eyebrows. Much to her surprise, the cloaks opened and the straw hats were removed. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Itachi Uchiha..." Asuma sighed. "What on earth brings you back?"
Kurenai glanced at the other man. "I've seen you too, in my bingo book. Kisame Hoshigaki, the Monster of the Hidden Mist."
"Well, good." Kisame grinned. "Then you'll know you'll die today."
"Will you at least tell us why you're here?" Asuma sighed. "It was such a nice day."
"That is none of your concern." Itachi suddenly said, startling all three of them. "Don't get in our way."
Kurenai rolled her shoulders. "Well, that won't do."
The water behind her burst open and massive tentacles emerged from the stream. A squid the size of a building flew out of the water, planting it's tentacles around them on the ground. Kisame's eyes bugged out. Asuma winced.
"It was too sunny anyway." Kurenai shrugged, as black ink began to rain down on them. The ink formed a fog, thick and heavy, swallowing them whole. Just before the whole world turned black, Kurenai spotted Itachi's eyes looking at her. The Sharingan was spinning already.
Damn it.
"Get ready, Asuma." she whispered before sending a prayer. "This can't be our last day."
"Wasn't planning on it." Came his reply, though he was already invisible.
The ink was absolute for everyone except Kurenai. She pulled out her kunai and jumped. Except she never got off the ground. A thick, sticky mass attached itself to her ankle. The fog grew thicker. She swore.
Too late!
An arm curled around her shoulders and a kunai pressed against her throat. She knew who it was before he even spoke.
"Impressive." Itachi said.
"Even to an Uchiha?" Kurenai asked, not willing to intimidated.
"Yes." he replied. He moved his arm back, presumably to stab her, but an arm grabbed his sleeve. Hashirama stepped out of the fog, pulling Itachi away. Kurenai moved away just as poor Hashirama got impaled with a dozen blades.
"That was rude." She commented and evaporated in a cloud of petals.
Itachi exhaled slowly and dismissed the entire genjutsu. The ink was gone in a second, revealing a squinting Asuma and Kisame pushing back and forth with their weapons. The sudden light made Asuma falter and he got thrown back. His back hit a tree and he fell down in a heap.
A tree began to sprout right in the middle of the stream, blocking Kisame. Kurenai's arm grew out of a branch and she shot towards Kisame holding a kunai. Kisame jumped back and Itachi appeared in front of her just as her upper body emerged from the trunk. The branches twisted and wrapped around Kurenai's neck. Her hands flew up but the illusion remained. Itachi straightened his back, calm as ever.
"How?" Kurenai choked out.
"These eyes..." Itachi said slowly, drawing a kunai. "Your illusions are no match for them."
From behind him, Kisame grinned and launched himself at Asuma who was just getting back to his feet. Samehada drew a circle in the air, spikes appearing all over the blade, and cut clean through the tree Asuma was leaning against just a second ago.
The man in question ducked and stepped forward. He pivoted on his heel, swinging his fist in an arc. The movement send a gust of wind that cut through the tree that trapped Kurenai. Kisame twisted, intending to bring Samehada down behind him, but Asuma was already in the air. Kurenai freed herself and barely avoided Itachi's attack. She jumped back and landed near Asuma.
Both Konoha Jonin stood back to back as the two Akatsuki members approached them from either side. This was it. Their last stance. Kurenai could not have asked for a better partner to die with. She lowered her stance, lifting her kunai.
"Enough!"
Asuma never thought he'd say this, but he could kiss Kakashi. The gray-haired man pushed his colleagues away from the center of the fight until he stood between them and both Akatsuki members. His headband was up, Sharingan spinning as he turned around. Kurenai allowed herself a spark of hope.
"Captain." Kakashi said, looking at Itachi. "It's been a while."
Itachi exhaled "Captain. It has."
Kisame frowned as he walked near Itachi. "What's happening here?"
"Tradition." Kakashi offered vaguely, before turning back to Itachi. "Why-"
Itachi looked straight into his eyes. His Sharingan began to spin. Kakashi's breath hitched. Kurenai gave Itachi's eyes a second look and squinted. They didn't look like an ordinary Sharingan. Her instincts as member of the Protect Kakashi Squad kicked in and she and immediately jumped between them, turning to Kakashi. Asuma send a kunai flying towards Itachi, who stepped aside to avoid it.
"Kakashi!" Kurenai grabbed his shoulders, fully aware that the other man might kill her purely on instinct. "Kakashi!" She shook him.
Kakashi's eyes focused on her for a second and then he toppled forward. Kurenai wrapped an arm around his waist and let him lean on her.
"Kakashi!" Asuma called over his shoulder. "What happened?"
"You're still standing." Itachi observed. "That's impressive. Not many would remain standing after three days of torture."
"What are you talking about?" Asuma demanded.
"Tsukuyomi." Itachi replied. "The most powerful Genjutsu there is. Exclusive to the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"The what-"
"Itachi." Kakashi took a shivering breath, knees buckling, but he lifted his head. "Why are you here? Why now?"
Itachi almost seemed to slouch, but his voice remained infuriatingly toneless. "We're here for Uzumaki."
As anyone could've predicted, that name ignited a fire in Kakashi's eyes. He pushed himself to stand straight. Kurenai tightened her grip on his waist. "Naruto."
Itachi nodded. Kisame grinned and slung Samehada on his shoulder. "That kid is pretty special huh?"
Kakashi gritted his teeth.
"Have you ever heard of the Akatsuki?" Jiraiya asked him over a glass of wine. Kakashi, impatiently waiting to have his Icha Icha copy signed, sighed.
"I see it every morning."
Jiraiya scowled at him. "Not that, you brat. I meant the organization."
"Then no."
"Well, now you'll know. They are a group of rogue nin. All S-class or higher. Orochimaru joined them too."
Kakashi took a moment to process that information. "That can't be good."
"It's bad. It's why I'll be taking Naruto with me for some one-on-one training."
Kakashi couldn't disagree of course, but the wine was no longer as sweet.
Asuma stood right in front of Kakashi. "Time for this to end."
Kakashi stepped forward, grabbing his shoulder as support. Kurenai pushed him further up, to save whatever reputation Kakashi had left.
"You want Naruto..." Kakashi began. "The Akatsuki must know then."
He looked up and this time even Kisame had to admit he was caught off guard by the intensity of Kakashi's eyes. "You want the power of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."
