Kurenai was tired. Not just from the battle, mostly from the stress that she- they- now faced. A thousands scenarios ran through her head, a thousand ways it could all blow up in their faces. She adamantly refused to think what would have happened if Guy hadn't shown up. Her gut twisted when she remembered how Chi and Kakashi were rushed in the ER. Neither had so much as stirred during the entire process.

Asuma had decided to stick around to fill Kakashi's forms first before fetching Ibiki to come take care of his student. His back injury neglected, he Flickered to the T&I building and returned just as fast with the leather clad man. Ibiki was pale, his scars standing out sharper than before. The Jonin had managed to become scarier as a teacher than he had been as an interrogator. Quite the opposite of the rest, who had become softer and more sentimental, even Kakashi.

Guy rushed out the second he was free, not even giving a speech on youth and how his spandex was key to staying hip. His thick eyebrows were furrowed in a frown, his dark eyes steely. He was the only one fast enough to get to Jiraiya on time. No one wanted to be the Jonin responsible for letting Naruto fall into the Akatsuki's hands.

Kurenai watched him go with a sigh. She waved at Asuma and let her feet take her to the Uchiha district. News traveled fast in Konoha and if Sasuke learned that his brother had been so close, there was no telling what would happen. Kurenai knew that Kakashi had tried, in his own convoluted ways, to push Sasuke off the revenge-path but all that work could be destroyed with the mention of Itachi. Kurenai sped up. She kept her eyes and ears open on her walk but no one seemed more agitated than usual.

The high gates of the Uchiha district shone in the afternoon sun as she neared them. There were countless of traps and hidden guards to protect the clan's legacy and heir, but Kurenai burst through them. She may not be on par with Itachi, but she was a Genjutsu mistress for a reason. Within seconds she was perched on the branch of a cherry tree.

A porcelain mask peeked out from behind the leaves of the neighboring tree. It was Crow, one of the more socially competent members of the ANBU. Kurenai signed her name in quick, irritated movements of her hands and the mask emerged completely. A black gloved hand popped out and made a questioning gesture. Kurenai glared at the ANBU until the cop got the hint and slunk away. The district was open to Jonin teachers with permission and definitely open to angry Jonin teachers without permission but with very scary red eyes.

Kurenai dropped to the ground and stood straight, massaging her back. What kind of village let a child live in the same place his entire clan was murdered in? Probably the same village that gave its Jonin mental breakdowns every other day. It had been a while since she had last seen Ibiki and Kakashi not on the verge of committing a felony.

She walked through the streets, trying to merge her faint memories of bustling streets with the current view as she walked on. It was hard to imagine. The lanterns were half gone, some weeds grew along the road and below the scent of jasmine was the hint of iron.

The wind whistled through the empty streets. The houses looked clean and livable, despite the inhabitants having died years ago. The houses in the Uchiha district all looked the same: brown wooden walls and a navy roof. The streets were lined with trees and benches. The Uchiha's died at their peek. The whole district breathed wealth, much like the Hyuuga's. And just like the Hyuuga's, the main family lived in the largest house with a garden.

Kurenai stopped at the edge of the neatly trimmed bush and concealed her presence. The window was open and two chakra signatures were inside. She neared the house and crouched down below the window. A young voice drifted out through the window. It was Sakura, she was speaking softly.

"-hope you like them. My mum made them." It was met with silence. Sakura paused for a moment and started again. "I wanted to thank you for saving me from Gaara back then."

Kurenai wished she had some of the dumpling she could smell from inside. She hadn't eaten in a while.

"It wasn't me. Naruto saved you." Sasuke's voice had an undercurrent of tension.

"But I thought-"

"You thought wrong."

Kurenai winced. Twelve year olds could be so savage. Sakura sighed. It was quiet for a moment.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a wary tone. Kurenai doubted it. If anything, Sasuke hadn't been alright since he was seven years old.

"Hn."

"Sasuke..." Sakura sounded tired. The girl had come a long way from her Academy days.

"I'm fine."

"That's good... I'm glad." Sakura's voice betrayed her smile but Kurenai could sense she wasn't really happy.

"Naruto has gotten strong huh?" she continued in a lighter tone. "He might really become Hokage one day."

Sasuke huffed "He's an idiot... But he's strong." he added quietly.

"You both are." Sakura corrected. "And together we are super strong!"

Kakashi really beat that in them.

"I'm the only one who is still behind..." Sakura sighed, but perked up a little soon after. "I signed up for an apprenticeship with the medical team at the hospital though. I'm going to work hard so that I can support you three!"

Sasuke was quiet for so long, Kurenai wondered if she should step in. In her heart she was doing a victory dance. Sakura was building her own future. The few Genjutsu lessons Kurenai had given her already proved that Sakura just needed a dedicated teacher to blossom into a dangerously skilled kunoichi.

Poor thing got stuck with Hatake 'what is mental health' Kakashi...

"You're not... You already support us." Sasuke's voice made Kurenai freeze.

"Huh?" Sakura said, articulating what Kurenai was feeling.

Sasuke sounded vaguely annoyed. "... You saved us in the Forest of Death. Kept us alive all that time while we were out. You made bombs and medicine."

Kurenai didn't know whether to hug Sasuke or Kakashi out of pure joy. Finally some improvement. Finally some acknowledgment to someone who needed it badly.

"Oh." Sakura replied shyly. "Still, I have a lot of catching up to do. I won't be the one useless member of Team 7." Then in a disbelieving tone. "I can't believe I almost said 'believe it'..."

There was a snort followed a gasp. Kurenai dared a peek inside and saw both Genin sitting on a couch. Sasuke's ears were burning pink while Sakura was facing him with her back towards the window. Sasuke had covered his mouth with his hand, probably without realizing it.

They were frozen for a second before Sakura burst into laughter. Sasuke, much to Kurenai shock, let her and his shoulder relaxed slightly. His eyes were still cloudy but he posture screamed 'embarrassed teen' instead of 'murderous teen'. He quickly lowered his hand.

Kurenai had seen enough. She Flickered away and released the camouflage. Time for some late lunch before checking up on Asuma and the patients.

Somewhere on the road, at the same time~

Naruto looked up at the clouds as they lazily drifted by. He felt sore and his right hand was tingling. Practicing the Rasengan was harder than he thought it would be. He would learn it though, and fast too. Soon I'll surpass that bastard and then I'll become Hokage. He grinned.

"Stop smiling to yourself, you pervert."

A book landed on his head. Naruto smacked it away and shot up. "Who's the pervert here?"

Jiraiya danced away from Naruto's fists and smacked him again. "Show some respect to your elders, would ya?"

Naruto gave him the stink eye and Jiraiya sighed. He had grabbed his bag again and pointed at the road. "C'mon. I want to sleep in a bed tonight. We're almost there anyway."

"I'm hungry." Naruto said, as a way of agreement. He bend down to grab his backpack and swung it on his shoulder. "Let's go!"

Jiraiya was already a dot on the horizon. Naruto gawked. That bastard!

Muttering curses he picked up from Shinji (there were a lot) under his breath, Naruto sprinted after the Sannin. Body Flicker would work just fine but Naruto didn't feel like controlling his massive chakra reserves again. He caught up with Jiraiya just as the man pulled out his notebook.

An idea popped up and Naruto sped up. As quietly as he could, he launched himself at him with his foot outstretched. Jiraiya whipped around, eyes wide. Naruto grinned but it morphed into a shriek as a Jiraiya's hand closed around his ankle.

"Nice try, kid." Jiraiya laughed and spun on his heel. Naruto flew through the air, landing in a patch of poppies.

By the time Jiraiya arrived at the spot, Naruto was plucking the last of the delicate red leaves from his clothes. He send a glare that could rival an Uchiha's, making the Sannin guffaw because there was a flower stuck behind Naruto's ear.

"That was great!" Jiraiya wiped a tear from his eyes, hiccuping with laughter. "It almost looked like you used the Hiraishin."

No sooner had he said it, or he regretted it. Naruto's blue- Why did they have to be that exact shade of blue? How did Kakashi survive this?- lit up and he jumped. "What's that? Is that another cool jutsu I can learn?"

The Hiraishin and the Rasengan were the two jutsu's Jiraiya would personally teach the kid, if Kakashi didn't. Minato- Sweet, bumbling Minato with that stupid pink apron- had a legacy and Jiraiya would be damned if his only son didn't inherit it. Naruto was practically a carbon copy of his father, with all the personality of his mother.

He rubbed Naruto's bright hair. "The Flying Thunder God Technique is the Fourth Hokage's most famed jutsu. It gave him the nickname 'The Yellow Flash'."

Naruto's eyes went wide at the mention of his hero. Jiraiya swallowed passed the suspicious lump in his throat and nodded. "I'll explain it to you once you get better at sealing."

Naruto looked at the sky as he walked besides him. "Yellow... Was the Fourth Hokage blond?"

"Yep."

"Awesome..." Naruto whispered. If he squinted, Jiraiya could see the sparkles in the kid's aura. He could feel the moment when Naruto turned to him again. "Hey, I know some sealing! I have like tons of seals at home, y'know!"

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? And who taught you those?"

Naruto's smile dimmed and he sulked, kicking a pebble away. Jiraiya waited patiently though worry gnawed at him.

"It was Chi..." Naruto eventually muttered, looking away.

"Chi?" Jiraiya had heard of her. The last one to be with the Third Hokage. His old teacher had died fighting his student. Jiraiya had a special bottle of sake in his bag to drink with Tsunade. It would be the only thing they could do to mourn the death of their sensei.

Jiraiya knew that he was lucky, they all were, that Hiruzen had lived for as long as he had. Still, there was that nagging voice demanding just one more year. Maybe until his grandson had graduated the Academy. Or until he was surrounded by his loved ones, in a time of peace and certainty. At least until Jiraiya could be there.

At least not by the hand of his student.

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed. "She taught me all these seals to keep me from pulling pranks y'know."

"Oh, how does she know them?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

Naruto's eyes were dark. "Her gran was an Uzumaki. She forced Chi to learn them all before she passed away. Chi has this creepy memory y'know."

Jiraiya's eyebrow had disappeared in his hairline at the mention of Chi's grandmother. Another Uzumaki was right here and didn't bother to meet Kushina? He filed the tidbit away for another time. He would personally go and interrogate Chi if he had to. Scratch that, he was going to interrogate her anyway. The history of the infamous clan had too many holes.

"She's a good friend then?" He wiggled his eyebrows. Naruto flushed and jumped away.

"What? Ew! She's just..." he faltered, undoubtedly remembering the Third's demise. Jiraiya sighed and patted the boy's shoulder with more force than needed.

"So you got rejected huh?" he murmured. "Happens to the best of us."

Naruto pushed his hand away with a shudder. "Shut up pervert!"

"Then what is she?"

"She was my friend..." Naruto muttered. "My first friend."

Jiraiya waited. He had never seen Naruto so downtrodden before. They walked on in silence until Naruto gathered his courage and cleared his throat.

"But I can't forgive her even if she is my first friend y'know!" He burst. Naruto's eyes were glossy. "She-she just stood there and watched the old man die! She didn't fight. She let that Orochimaru bastard get away!"

Jiraiya stopped walking. Naruto turned to face him. His jaw was set stubbornly but his fists were shaking. He took some shivering breaths and looked up. "I can't forgive her for letting him die."

Jiraiya shook his head with a sigh. "Naruto, even if she wanted to, Chi would not be able to defeat Orochimaru. He's too strong for any of you. And the reason you're so hurt is because you know that too."

Naruto inhaled sharply, but bit back his reply. Jiraiya's big hand landed on his head, ruffling the blond hair. "Chi is still your friend and I bet she's hurting as much as you are. Don't leave her, she needs you."

"But gramps..." Naruto sniffed, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

Jiraiya's eyes softened. "Sensei knew what he was doing. I bet he died in peace. Orochimaru, wherever he is, is licking his wounds in a dark, slimy cave right now. It's important that you accept what happened and move on. Letting go doesn't mean you forget him, you know?"

Naruto nodded, unable to speak. Jiraiya patted his head one more time and continued to walk. "C'mon, let's get some ramen at our inn!"

Naruto wiped his eyes and grinned, running after the Sannin. In his head he had already planned his return. He would drag Chi out of her home and to Ichiraku for a giant bowl of ramen and talk until she forgave him. It worked every time.

Konoha hospital, later that day~

Sakura and Sasuke hadn't known what to expect when they left to deliver dumplings to Kakashi, but finding their sensei in a coma was not it. They stood at the end of the bed, unable to tear their gaze away from Kakashi's closed eyes. Sasuke was pale. Sakura had dropped the box in her hands and it laid forgotten on the ground.

Asuma looked at them with pity. He had just left the hospital when he ran into the two. They didn't know where their teacher lived, which was honestly typical of the paranoid Jonin, and asked Asuma. Now here they were. Wondering if their teacher would ever wake up. Asuma sighed and put a hand on the thin shoulders.

"I need to report to the Commander. Stay here, alright?" he said quietly, eying the ANBU stationed along the walls. Neither Genin reacted. Asuma sighed again and left, fingers already reaching for a cigarette. If Kakashi doesn't wake up, I will get Ino to get in his mind and nag him awake. Bastard... He huffed as he exited the hospital for the second time.

In the hospital room, Sakura and Sasuke were still staring at their sensei. Eventually, Sasuke snapped out of it and spoke, still not looking away. "Who did this?"

It was a quiet question but the tone promised vengeance. Sakura gave him a sideways look through her gathering tears. No one responded. Sasuke clenched his fists. Kakashi can't die. I'll kill whoever did this to him!

No one replied. Sasuke took a deep breath, prepared to shout when the window opened with a bang. A shinobi dressed in the standard uniform jumped inside. His face was flushed and his eyes wide with excitement. "Is it true?"

The ANBU started, sensing impending doom to befall them. The man continued before anyone could slap a hand on his mouth. "Did Itachi Uchiha really defeat Hatake-san?"

The nearest ANBU vaulted over Kakashi's bed and tackled the man to the ground. Sakura's eyes went wide and she whipped her head to Sasuke. "Itachi... Your brother?" she whispered in shock.

It took about two seconds for Sasuke to react. His eyes burned with rage and his Sharingan activated. For a second he couldn't breathe. His mind showed him Kakashi on a wooden floor, blood pouring out of a slash across his back. Itachi's shadowed figure behind him. Sasuke spun around and bolted out of the room. The ANBU who held the intruder down, groaned.

Sakura send one last look at Kakashi and ran out of the room. Sasuke was already down the hall, near the stairs. Sakura bit her lip and forced her chakra in her legs, pushing her faster. Her heart raced in her chest as countless scenarios ran through her mind. The two fell over the staircases, skidded around corners until they burst in the fresh air outside.

Sasuke stopped in front of the doors, debating which direction to turn to, when Sakura arrived and wrapped her arms around him in a back hug. "Where are you going?" she panted.

Sasuke yanked at her arms but she refused to budge. "Let me go!" he growled, "That man is there! I'm going to kill him!"

"You don't even know where he is!" Sakura cried, feeling her arms give out little by little. Sasuke kicked back and send her crashing against the ground. He paused, a flash of guilt stabbing in his chest. That kick was strong enough to bruise her ribs. Sakura coughed and gasped for air but got up faster than he expected. Her green eyes shone.

"This isn't like you! You're letting your emotions rule!" she shouted.

Sasuke snarled at her "You don't even know me!"

"I do!" she yelled back. "I know you better than you think because I'm your friend! I've watched you and Naruto and sensei so many times. I know you and I won't let you go fight him alone!"

That made him freeze, breath stopping in his throat. His eyes faded back to black. Sakura stood, still bend over from the kick to her gut, but her jaw was set. "You can't fight him in this state. Even I could defeat you right now!"

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke shot back, anger flaring up again. "Let's do this then!"

He charged at her. Sakura's eyes widened briefly before narrowing. She brought her arm up to block his fist but it didn't connect. Sasuke felt a tug at his collar and suddenly he was swinging in the air. Sakura's arm was twisted behind her back and she was forced down on her knees.

"What the hell-" Sasuke choked out, voice disappearing when Ibiki's hard gaze met his. The torture expert gave them both a dangerous look before letting them go. Sasuke landed on shaky knees and immediately went to Sakura's side. She got up slowly and turned to face Ibiki.

"This is the last thing this village needs."

They both flinched at Ibiki's low tone. Sakura swallowed and grabbed Sasuke's wrist, their fight forgotten. Sasuke shuffled closer to her under the heavy gaze. Under different circumstances they would have noticed Ibiki's disheveled look and the tired lines in his face. All they saw at the moment was a pissed off Jonin who made S-rank criminals weep for a living.

"What are you two fighting about?" Said Jonin asked, still in that cold tone.

Sasuke let his gaze drop to his feet. "Kakashi's injured... My brother..." He almost murmured. Ibiki's presence was particularly heavy today.

"Kakashi?" Ibiki repeated. Sasuke nodded but Ibiki had a different intention. "That's Kakashi-sensei to you, brat."

Sasuke hunched his shoulders and nodded. Sakura squeezed his hand and decided to speak up.

"Kakashi-sensei is injured. We found out that it was It- Sasuke's brother who did it and..." she trailed off, unsure how to explain the barely there plan.

"You thought you two could go and fight him?" Ibiki's voice dripped with venom. He crossed his arms. "Two Genin against Itachi Uchiha."

Sasuke and Sakura shrunk, ears red. Even through the anger that clouded his mind, Sasuke felt ashamed. He wasn't strong enough. His Sharingan was barely mature enough and he could only use the chidori a few times a day before collapsing. He bit his lip hard.

"Do you want to know what the consequences of that fight would be?" Ibiki suddenly asked. His voice was rough.

Sasuke's head snapped up, mind already connecting the dots. A Genin went against Itachi? His mind showed an image of Itachi and a blond head matted with blood. He choked on air. Besides him, Sakura had had the same vision. Tears jumped in her eyes as all the blood drained from her face. Ibiki looked at them with a strange expression. It was caught between grief, fondness and jealousy?

He turned around, heavy coat whipping through the air. "Follow me."

The two stumbled over their feet to turn and obey him. Sakura's knees were scraped but she barely felt the stinging as they made their ways back into the white hallways. At some point Sasuke had intertwined their fingers and held on to her like a lifeline. Every step took forever and by the time they had reached the heavily guarded restricted area, Sakura's knees were shaking.

Ibiki waved at the guards and the doors opened. He led the Genin to a door near the end of the hallway. The only sounds were faint beeping of machines and the trembling breaths Sakura and Sasuke took. When Ibiki opened the door, Sasuke was tempted to run. Sakura turned out to be braver as she stepped inside immediately, dragging him along.

In the bed was no Naruto. Sakura's eyes went wide when she saw Chi's figure underneath the white blanket. Relief flooded her veins, quickly beaten down by guilt. Judging by the torrent of emotions on Sasuke's face, he felt the same. Still holding each other, they walked forward and peered at Chi's pale face.

Ibiki watched them but looked away quickly. The naked concern and worry on their faces made his stomach clench. Sakura exhaled.

"What happened? I've never- I've never seen Chi like this." Her eyes went over the countless machines and tubes.

C'mon Ibiki. You're a Jonin, act like it!

"It's worse than it looks." Ibiki walked to the end of Chi's bed, refusing to let his eyes linger. "She's in a coma and all this fancy equipment is to keep her body functioning and give the nutrition she needs. There is nothing else they can do."

Sakura frowned "But, why is there no blood?"

Sasuke gave her an odd look. Ibiki bit through his shock and smiled

"Good observation. Blood transfusions don't actually work on her. Her veins work differently."

That was largely a lie. They didn't give her any blood because they were afraid of the consequences. Sure, nothing could happen, or Chi could wake up and go on a rampage because the blood was loaded with the wrong chakra or something. They still weren't sure about the how's and why's when it came to the Ketsueki. Back when the clan was thriving, there were medics among them who treated their clansmen. Now even their books were missing from the archives, though admittedly no one had expected the theoretically immortal clan to be reduced to a single Genin.

On the other hand, Ibiki was truthful about her veins. Chi had almost double the amount of veins found in a regular body. It was a vast network that spread in her body without rhyme or reason. A thin layer of broad and flat veins ran close underneath her skin, while thick and sturdy variations grew over her organs. He swallowed. The doctor leading the surgery had privately told him that Chi was missing all of her reproductive organs. Ibiki didn't know how to tell her yet, though he suspected she already knew. It explained why she had been so puzzled about Ryuya and Shinji starting their periods.

The doctors had also found new veins growing and expanding the network. Any attempts to pierce a vein was met with a jolt of chakra and another branch growing out. The current needles were hollow senbon invented by the Second Hokage and could withstand chakra. This all had probably something to do with Chi's chakra pathway system being merged with her veins. It was a study on its own.

"What did he do?" Sasuke looked at Ibiki.

Ibiki sighed. "Are you familiar with the Tsukuyomi?"

Until three hours ago, Ibiki hadn't been. Sasuke clearly was more knowledgeable, judging by the rapid paling of his face. Ibiki nodded at a chair behind the two. Sakura got the hint and hooked her leg around it to drag it near. She gently pushed him in it. He still held her hand, Ibiki noted.

"Kakashi got hit with the same. Both collapsed almost instantly." Ibiki scratched at a scar at the back of his neck." There is no guessing when either will wake up. Until then... We'll have to wait."

"Jiraiya-sama... He left with Naruto to find Tsunade Senju of the Sannin." Sakura said quietly. "She's the best medic in the world. She can save them, right?"

Ibiki gave her a long look. The little pink-haired girl was no longer a shrill kid with a crush and a romanticized view of the shinobi life. Her edges were sharper, her nerves more frayed and her stance was beginning to look like a lurking predator, ready to pounce and slaughter any enemy. Ibiki nodded slowly "If anyone can, it's her."

The room was getting too warm. Ibiki kept himself from squirming but he did move towards the door. "I need to go somewhere, but I need you two to stay and guard Chi. Understood?"

Somewhere in the training all Jonin went through before they were allowed to have a Genin squad, he was taught that phrases like 'Can you do that for me?' and 'Can I trust you with that?' worked miracles on students. It also helped them grow as a person. Team 11 had never even heard those words from him. Ibiki put them through ANBU levels of training and expectations. He didn't even wait for Sakura and Sasuke to nod, he simply swept out of the door and started down the hallway.

In the room, Sasuke had finally loosened his grip on Sakura's hand, letting his hand drop on his knee. Sakura tried to look unaware and pulled another chair close to sit in. Sasuke's frown from their Academy days was back again. Sakura pulled at the edge of her dress. In silence, the two listened to Chi's faint breathing and the steady beep of the machines.

Sakura dared a glance at her teammate, heart still racing from her earlier outburst. She had never actually yelled at her crush like this before. Sure, she had scolded him alongside Naruto whenever the two had their dumb competitions. She had also whacked his head when he got too cocky in the Land of Waves against Haku though they both pretended it had never happened. Yelling, declaring herself his friend and practically offering to go with him to fight Itachi Uchiha... Now that was something she could only blame on Naruto's influence mixed with her fraying sanity due to Kakashi's general being.

Sasuke looked angry. He usually did but right now he looked like the very air had insulted him. She could tell that it was Ibiki's glare and Kakashi being in a coma a few rooms further, that kept the boy in the room. Sakura swallowed. It was time to be brave.

"Sasuke." She began, registering his attention through the blood rushing through her ears. "We- we need to investigate. Make a plan, maybe with Shikamaru, before we confront It- him..."

Sasuke tensed at the aborted name. His dark eyes roved over her, trying to find clues of anything. Sakura met his eyes and refused to budge. Something in Sasuke's expression broke and he looked at his hands. "It's my burden... Not yours..."

Sakura whacked him. "Idiot." she hisses as he looks up with wide and disbelieving eyes. I did it again! "We're a team. It's our problem. We'll train and get stronger and then all four of us will join you to fight Itachi."

"You can't." Sasuke snapped though his voice lacked strength. "You can't- I can't... Not you too-" He got up and bolted for the door.

Sakura felt rage fill her chest. Her chakra, smooth and precise, rushed to meet her command. She lunged forward and delivered a neat strike to the base of his neck. A shudder went through Sasuke's body before he fell sideways. Sakura let him hit the floor out of petty revenge and then went to sit on his chest. His face was almost comical in his surprise.

"Told you I could take you on." Sakura poked a finger in his chest, enjoying how he flinched slightly."I've studied pressure points." She got up and dragged him back to his chair. Once he was seated again, Sakura leaned on Chi's bed, right in front of him.

"Tell me everything."

"About?" Sasuke managed to grit out. His muscles were paralyzed.

Sakura almost rolled her eyes. "The massacre. Your brother. Tell me. We need all the information in order to make a plan."

When Sasuke refused to speak, instead looking away with glassy eyes, she leaned closer. "Sasuke, you can trust me. Please. This will help you."

He took a breath, closer to tears than she had ever seen him before. "Itachi- He killed them..." His voice broke.

"I came home one day and found- I found everyone-" he swallowed painfully. Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, trying to match her breathing with Chi. Sasuke continued. "I found Itachi with our parents... He told me that he wanted to test his strength."

Just like that, Sasuke began to speak. His story was warbled and all over the place but Sakura listened. She absorbed the pieces and slotted them in the right order in her mind. Sasuke talked about the Genjutsu, the Tsukuyomi that Itachi put him under. About the promise of hate and vengeance. He spoke and she listened until they both felt sick and spent.

By the end of it, there were tears running down Sasuke's cheek. Sakura didn't comment on them, too busy keeping her own tears at bay. This wasn't about her. Helping Sasuke was now her mission and Shinobi rule no. 25 told her not to cry on a mission. Her stomach churned and she clenched her fists.

It took both of them a few seconds to realize the beeping had become irregular. Sakura jumped off the bed and turned. Sasuke got up too and they both looked at Chi's opened eyes. Her eyes were dark, a deep muddy brown and clearly unfocused. Her dry lips parted.

"Mother..." she croaked. Sakura and Sasuke stiffened.

"Mother..." Chi repeated. A tear escaped her eyes. "I- Sorry..." She choked on air and Sakura jolted, rushing forward to move some of the tubes to allow Chi to breathe. Sasuke hovered at her side. Chi's eyes found him and widened. He froze. Her thin and bruised arm emerged from underneath her blanket, shaking badly. She pointed at him weakly. "Don't b'lieve 'em... Don't. B'lieve."

"What?" Sasuke snapped. He wasn't about to get lectured by the most disturbed Genin of his year. Lucky for him, Chi's arm dropped again and her eyes fell shut. Sakura tucked her back in and turned to him. Her eyes went to the door and she almost fell down. Sasuke whirled around, Sharingan activated.

Shinji leaned on the door frame, looking as tired as Ibiki. Her eyes were red and trained on Chi. She stepped further into the room after a moment, carrying a stack of papers. The door was shut behind her. She set the papers on the little drawer beside the bed.

"You're lucky there are sound suppressors here." Shinji mumbled, carefully wiping a stray hair from Chi's cheek. "The ANBU would throw you in a cell for that."

The other two tensed. Sakura cursed inwardly. Shinji smiled wearily at her. "You didn't know because they're doing their jobs right. But none of them want to be in this room. Too many bad memories get brought up around her." She gestured at Chi and made a vague gesture in the air.

"She's right, you know." She suddenly looked at Sasuke. "Don't believe them, Itachi or anyone about the massacre."

The temperature dropped. Sakura gaped at her. Shinji's eyes were sharp despite the dark bags underneath them. "I've read stuff you two don't have access to. This is not the place to speak about them, but we can speak somewhere else."

For a second it looked like Sasuke might fight her, but the tension drained from his shoulders to be replaced with a heavy weight. He nodded. "Fine..."

"And promise us that you won't turn your back on the village or us." Shinji added, looking like she had spend days fighting with Team Guy. Sasuke frowned but at Sakura's fearful look, he relented. "Why would I?"

Shinji sighed. "Not everything is as it seems. Sometimes it's best to be ignorant."

Sasuke's eyes widened, remembering Chi saying the same thing when she randomly appeared during his training. "Who told you that?" he heard himself say.

Shinji gave him an odd look. "Ibiki-sensei did, obviously. We're students of an interrogator and torturer. We learn and see stuff you can't even imagine. We need to be ready."

Sakura's eyes went back to Chi. Shinji followed her gaze and smiled sadly. "Chi was always more prepared than us."

She took a deep, shivering breath. Her eyes were misty. "Sakura... Our team- My team... I don't know anymore. It's getting worse everyday." Her breath caught and Sakura could see her wrestle her emotions down. Shinji wiped her eyes and looked up. "I brought my reports with me so I guess we can wait until they kick us out."

Sakura swallowed her words and nodded. Sasuke took that as a sign to fall back in the chair and soon all three were occupied with themselves. Shinji wrote in a corner. Sakura tried to decipher the numbers on the equipment and Sasuke was lost in thought.

There was a knock on the door and Inoichi, Ibiki and Kurenai, flanked by some masked personnel walked in. Shinji turned white and shot up, standing ramrod straight. Sakura and Sasuke got up after her, looking confused. Ibiki didn't look shocked at seeing Shinji, having sensed her before he entered, but he did send her a heavy look. Shinji gulped and gathered her stuff. The Jonin greeted them curtly. The Genin bowed.

"Kids, time to leave." Inoichi said kindly. The Genin gathered mutely, reluctant to leave Chi alone with them.

"What are you going to do?" Sakura asked, looking at Chi's still figure.

Inoichi smiled at her. "Go to Ino, dear. She's terribly bored. All of you can go there." He nodded at the other two. Sakura's chakra flared but she wrestled it down.

Kurenai nodded encouraging. "It's alright, I promise." Her gaze didn't falter when she looked at Sasuke but he tensed anyway. "Go now."

Sasuke scowled but Shinji pushed them out of the door after a brief signal with her fingers. Ibiki nodded back and turned away. The door closed behind Sakura and the Jonin felt their chakra signatures leave. They were distressed and filled with anxiety. Inoichi grimaced and decided to get this over with.

Kurenai positioned herself near the door and crossed her arms. Ibiki stood at the end of Chi's bed. Inoichi sat closest, pulling the chair closer. "Please catch me if I do fall over." He tried to joke but it fell flat.

"Right then." He aimed his hands at Chi's head. "Time to see what really happened."

Kurenai's jaw clenched. Ibiki looked at her and prayed that she was wrong. He had run into her just as he reached the bar. Her eyes were sharp and her lips thin. She had grabbed him and he had followed on instinct. In a quiet alley, surrounded by dizzying layers of Genjutsu, she told him what happened. The knowledge that a eight year old was capable of a massacre settled like a cold weight in his stomach.

If Chi had actually murdered her clan then... He didn't know what he would do. What could they do? Chi was still a Genin and loyal to the Hokage. Besides, Ibiki knew for sure that the rest of the village didn't even mind as much as they did when the Uchiha were murdered. Both clans had developed a bad name in their later years but the Uchiha was home to the powerful Sharingan and everyone liked the late Shishui and Obito, two exceptions in a clan of stoic and cold people.

The Ketsueki's reputation served as a double edged sword. On one hand the enemies thought twice before entering the village. On the other hand the villagers did the same before approaching a member. The image of Chi's mother flashed through his head. Ibiki stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Inoichi took a deep breath and gathered his chakra.

Inside Chi's mind-scape~

It was a library. Somehow it didn't work with the image he had of Chi. If he had been completely honest, he had expected her clan's district or an ominous castle set on a high cliff. Inoichi carefully stepped closer to one of the towering shelves lined in front of him. The ground was burgundy, almost like a carpet. The ceiling was high and the walls were shrouded in fog. The shelves were a deep amber shade. Thick books lined them.

Ino told me Chi had an eidetic memory but I never imaged an actual library.

Inoichi stepped away and went to far left shelf. The atmosphere was cold and quiet. There was a hint of killer intent in the air, growing stronger as he neared the thick gray fog. Inoichi turned away and faced the books. The spines were blank. The shelves weren't all that long but the fog made it hard to guess where the mind scape ended. For all he knew it was an illusion. Some severely disturbed minds had build their own defense mechanisms. Kakashi's Make Out Paradise with dogs instead of humans came to his mind and he shuddered.

His fingers trailed the books. They all felt solid. He stopped at a small pale book in a peachy shade. Inoichi pulled and the book fell out. He opened it. At the exact time, the shelves fell into the ground. The light left abruptly. Inoichi held his breath.

"Chi-chan." A voice echoed and Inoichi whirled around. The fog turned bright white and formed shapes. The face of a young man, vaguely familiar, became visible. A giant hand reached out, holding a shape. "Say aaah!"

A child's voice replied. "Aaaahh!" The shape disappeared. "Thank you!"

The man smiled. His hair fell around his face in unruly curls. Inoichi memorized his face and looked at the book still in his hands. The pages were scrawled in ink. Inoichi closed the book and the fog cleared. The shelves were back. He put the book back.

Which one is next? There were rows and rows of books. He turned and looked a the other side. Inoichi scratched his head in frustration. He'd need at least four others to go through all this.

"Her memory is amazing, isn't it?" A voice spoke behind him. Inoichi whipped around, hand going to his weapon's pouch. A woman sat on top of the shelf. Her red, silky kimono was held together with a long navy ribbon. Dark,straight hair flew up as she jumped down. Her pearly white skin shone with unnatural light. She was barefoot and looked like an angel. Golden eyes looked at him, dotted with red. She looked very familiar. "Usually it's a lot messier." she twirled her hand.

"Hanako-san." He sighed, already feeling dread build in the back of his mind. Chi's mother was infamous for many reasons, most of them being her tendency to kill at random.

She smiled at him. "My Chi-chan grew up nicely, didn't she?"

Inoichi nodded, hiding his emotions. "How are you here?"

Hanako traced the spine of a thick red book. "We're all here, Inoichi-san. That is the curse of our clan."

"What curse?" He asked. His hand was still in his pouch. It wouldn't do to damage Chi's mind but he couldn't let this projection of Hanako attack him. His mind played her words back. His mouth went dry. "What do you mean 'we'?"

Hanako exhaled slowly and began to walk towards the fog. "Follow me."

Inoichi gritted his teeth but complied. He shot a longing look at the books and all the memories they contained. Maybe after whatever Chi's mother was trying to show him. As if she heard him, she turned her head to look at him. "These books contain her entire life. It would take you almost thirteen years to watch them all."

"If her memory is that good, how come she was second last in the academy?" he asked curiously.

Hanako laughed, a sound like marbles. "Unless the curriculum has changed, just memorizing without understanding is pointless. Besides, she had to comb through all of this to get to the right page. Impossible, don't you think?"

Inoichi had to agree. While Chi's memory had taken him by surprise during his evaluation of her, he quickly came to realize that she struggled to understand his questions and apply the same information to different situations. All this data and no filter of method to use it. What a pity.

They stepped into the fog. If it wasn't for his legs moving, Inoichi would've thought he was standing still. The gray mass clung to him and moved sluggishly. Hanako's red kimono was like a beacon ahead of him. The fog parted after what felt like ages and they entered another room, this time without bookshelves.

They looked out into a void, with tendrils of smoke catching a faraway light. The floor was dark gray and fractured into plates. Each plate waited at the border. Inoichi followed Hanako on a large and older one, as evident by the scratches and marks. With a jolt the plate began to move and they floated in the air. It was bizarre.

They went higher in the dimly lit room and Inoichi saw various other plates moving suspended at various heights. He squinted. Dark figures sat on each. Hanako pointed above their heads. "The new ones are there."

"New ones?" Inoichi echoed, just as a figure looking just like Shinji appeared. Another one, smaller and fragile, waved at him. A huge figure stood a bit further away, aura intimidating even from afar.

Hanoko laughed. "Yes, us old ones are at the bottom. The new ones are closer to Chi-chan's consciousness." Her smiled dropped a little. "The longer we are here, the less she notices us."

Inoichi's mind raced. The light from above grew brighter. He looked around before freezing on a familiar face. "Hayate?!"

The perpetually sick Jonin saluted him. "Hi!"

Inoichi gaped at him as they rose above his head. He grabbed Hanako's shoulder, ignoring how solid and cold she was. "Wait! I need to talk to him!"

Gracefully, she shrugged his hand off. "I think there is someone way more interesting."

Pale, Inoichi stared at her. She smiled back and pointed ahead. "Look there for example. Isn't that your daughter?"

His head snapped to that direction so fast he felt a stab of pain. There was a group of plates huddled together. Sure enough, Ino's blonde hair caught his eyes. Inoichi's heart was in his throat. "Ino!" he shouted.

His daughter's lookalike turned and huffed. Sakura was beside her, peering at him curiously. Surrounding them were the rookies of this year, he realized as their platform rose again. Pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

A monstrous roar sounded from underneath them, a horribly familiar chakra signature drifting up. All thoughts were forgotten. Inoichi felt his knees buckle. "Is-is that-?"

They both looked down. Far below them, the fog was deep orange. The light flickered. Hanako nodded and leaned back. "Naruto-chan brought a guest."

Inoichi felt faint. Hanano pointed again. "There! That's the one."

The Third Hokage sat cross-legged on his plate, dressed in full battle gear. Inoichi felt his jaw drop. Hiruzen nodded quietly and got up to walk closer. He looked... like a ghost. Unlike Ino and Hayate, The Third Hokage looked translucent. Hanako bowed deeply. "Hokage-sama. Once again my deepest apologies-"

"Please," Hiruzen waved, "it was my choice and his fault." he glared at a spot behind them.

Inoichi turned and choked on spit. Orochimaru without his arms, grinned back. His tongue flicked out. Anger flared and Inoichi had to restrain himself. He was here for a mission. "What is this place?" he demanded.

Hiruzen smiled serenely. "These are all the people that live inside Chi. We're born from the hundred drops of blood-" "Or more" Hanako murmured "Chi has taken from us. Though as you can see, I faded a bit."

"It's because she didn't take much blood from you before you were sealed away." Hanako supplied. "My blood and that of my clan is still in the district and Chi-chan already took a large amount at first. Everyone else here is still alive and still supplying chakra."

Inoichi took a breath, trying to concentrate. "So every time Chi drinks blood, that person manifests in her mind and does... What?"

Orochimaru answered him with a grin "We live, of course. Through her, we survive."

Inoichi swallowed and quickly looked away from the Sannin. He glanced at Hanako "So, Chi did commit the massacre?"

Her smile faded. "Yes, when she was a child. My father-in-law convinced her to do it. Chi-chan was always easily convinced by him..."

Another group of plates drifted up and Hanako's eyes went wide. "Oh my darlings!" She rushed forward with a cry and stopped dangerously close to the edge. There was another roar from below. Hanako waved at the small kids seated on each platform. "Asami-chan, Ryo-chan!"

Inoichi came closer. The Third's platform came to a halt besides them. The kids were very young and looked a lot like Chi. One of them, Ryo, had bright red hair in the same messy curls Chi had. The other had brown hair. They waved at Hanako with grubby hands.

"Who are they?" Inoichi asked.

Hanako sighed wistfully. "My oldest children. Chi-chan killed them when she was just nine months old."

Before Inoichi could react to that, she continued. "She couldn't help it, she was just a baby but I was so angry at her. I almost killed her myself afterwards but my dear stopped me."

"How?" Inoichi managed to say.

"You've heard of my clan's bloodline, yes? Well, we all have our own innate talent and specialize when we get older. I suppose Chi-chan was simply born to kill, because her ability allows her to force the blood out of her surroundings and absorb it through her body. You can find more in the books, I'm sure. Especially since they've all been returned now."

"Returned?" Inochi parroted, unable to process all that information at the same time. His mind was reeling and so much made sense now. It also meant that they had a lot of research to do but he'd gladly make that the problem of a Nara.

"There were a few books missing and everything was laying around in heaps." Hanako answered as if it was obvious. "But then Chi-chan went to sleep and I suddenly found them again. We cleaned the library for her, Kosuke-kun and I."

"Who?"

"Her cousin." She smiled. "She loved him so much, my Chi-chan."

"Inoichi-san." Hiruzen said, jarring him out of his thoughts. "Maybe it's time for you to go now. Come back another time if you can and need."

Inoichi nodded dumbly. The platform began to drop and he remembered to bow just in time. Hanako laughed besides him while the Third Hokage smiled down at him.

"I'll drop you in the library and then you can leave. It's better that way, I think. Less far down." Hanako said, oblivious to the emotional turmoil Inochi was going through.

The way back was fast and this time he could recognize all of the rookies of that year, the oldest Sand sibling, Ibiki and and Zabuza Momochi what the hell-before they reached their point of take off. They went through the fog and Inoichi breathed out in relief when he stepped on the red ground again. Hanako looked at him expectantly.

"Thank you, Hanako-san." he bowed lightly.

She smiled and now he finally realized why he felt so unnerved every time. A thin scar ran from the corners of her lips to her ears on either side. "You're always welcome, Inoichi-san."

Inoichi let his jutsu go.

Shinji's bedroom, that evening~

Shinji blew on the ink impatiently. The note was small and only had one coded line, but Jiraiya would understand it. Theodore waited in front of her, busying himself with cleaning his brown feathers. The owl summon had grown a bit and his claws were beginning to dig in the wood.

Deciding that the letters would remain legible, Shinji folded the note and handed it to Theodore, who swallowed it whole. He burped and hopped on the window-sill.

"Try not to be too gross about it, alright?" Shinji warned him. "He's is a Sannin."

"Yes, yes." Theodore did the owl-equivalent of rolling his eyes and spread his wings. "I'll be respectful and deliver this message in perfect state. I promise."

Shinji smacked his beak. Owl puberty was a pain to deal with. She almost missed the clumsy, hyperactive little version who could barely lift a chestnut. "Get going then."

Theodore huffed and turned with more dramatics than strictly needed. He stretched his wings and then dove down. Shinji watched him curve up towards the sky and rapidly grow smaller until he was no more than a pinprick on the horizon.

"He's gotten fast." Ryuya said behind her.

Shinji had sensed her arrival and only nodded. "They grow up fast."

Ryuya smiled as she came to stand besides her. "You sound like Asuma-sensei."

Their own sensei would sooner swallow a poisoned kunai than give Shikaku and Inoichi any more material to tease him about. Shinji returned the smile, happy to pretend all was well between them. Ryuya leaned outside and took a deep breath. The fresh breeze played with her hair.

Shinji looked at her for a long minute before deciding to speak. "I discovered something."

Despite sensing the seriousness of the topic, Ryuya only nodded vaguely. It irked Shinji, and she had to swallow back a nasty retort. Snapping at her classmates and team had become a habit these days. Even Ino was hesitant to talk to her.

"It's about Sasuke."

Ryuya turned slowly. "What about him?"

Biting her lip, Shinji looked around and spread her senses beyond her house. They would never be completely alone but at least here in her own soberly decorated room, they had some privacy. Regardless, Shinji pushed Ryuya back and closed her window. She didn't draw her curtains and the evening sun created a halo on the wooden floor.

"The massacre." Shinji crossed her arms. "I have reasons to believe it's not all that it seems."

Ryuya's expression was still infuriatingly calm, despite the spike of her chakra. Shinji decided to blame it on her spy-lessons. Ryuya had been spending most days learning with Owl and others in the spy department.

"How do you know?" Ryuya asked.

Shinji swallowed and was suddenly unable to look at her. "I may have come across some hidden files in the Archives when I was running an errand."

"Did you tell sensei?"

Shinji scowled, looking around as Ibiki might pop up from behind her rice-paper screen in the corner. "Of course not! I haven't told anyone."

Except for Sakura and Sasuke and maybe Chi if she had been lucid enough. Guilt rose like acid in her throat but she pushed it down. One of the lessons Ibiki had drilled into them was to not share dangerous information with more people than necessary. Ryuya had a future of dealing with sensitive information and alter egos. This tidbit of information could get extracted from her at some point so it was best that she never learned about it. Still, it made Shinji feel horrible.

Ryuya let it sink in for a moment. "What did the files say?"

Shinji walked over to her bed and flopped down on her back. A second later she felt the bed dip besides her and looked to her side. Ryuya was patiently waiting for her to continue. Shinji cleared her throat.

"Well, most of it was redacted, but it had reports on Sasuke's family. His older brother Itachi was the killer but he was also some sort of super-genius. The bits I could read from his profile showed him as the kindest and softest shinobi ever."

Shinji sighed. "He joined the academy at six, became ANBU at eleven. I think he served with Kakashi-sensei. Itachi even made it to captain... It's ridiculous, can you imagine a six year old fighting along adults?"

It was quiet for a moment, both girls deep in thought. Shinji couldn't stop thinking about the photograph of the family. Both Sasuke and Itachi looked so soft and innocent. She had a hard time believing that he would kill his parents and traumatize his younger brother a few years later.

"So, maybe he just snapped? Couldn't take it anymore?" Ryuya offered at last. The vision of her young siblings and cousins uniform burned in her mind's eye.

"Maybe..." It wasn't that. The file had stated an infiltration mission assigned to Itachi to spy on his own clan. Rumors of a coup. All heavily coded but she had memorized it and worked on them at home. She scrubbed her face. "Kakashi-sensei was ANBU too, really early. He grew up in war and was a Jonin at our age I think. Ibiki sensei has been tortured and has tortured people for ages and he's barely thirty. How come they didn't snap?"

The elephant in the room was heavy. Ironically, Ryuya was the one to bring it up. "Chi snapped. Not like Itachi, but she's gone nuts."

Shinji got up to glare at Ryuya. "You need to stop that. She's our teammate and friend."

Ryuya's blue eyes were like ice. "She needs therapy, Shinji. At this rate she'll kill us all."

Shinji narrowed her eyes at her. The room became much too warm for her. She lifted a finger and poked Ryuya's head. "You say she snapped, but Chi has always been like that. She always switches from calm to brutal in fights. We saw it at the academy and we saw it during the Chuunin exams. That fight with Temari was shocking, yes, but it's not like Gaara didn't crush Lee's leg without blinking! This is part of our life now."

"That's easy for a torturer in training to say!" Ryuya shot back and Shinji flinched. Undeterred, Ryuya continued. "You spend all day finding new ways to hurt people and I've heard you laugh about it. What's wrong with you?"

"I'm a shinobi!" Shinji ground out, heart hammering in her chest. "We chose this life, Ryuya. One day you will be killing and eating food with the same hands. Besides, aren't you becoming a spy? Do you even know what that means?"

Ryuya opened her mouth to retort, but a knock at the window stopped her. On pure instinct, Shinji threw a kunai at it. Both girls looked up and saw a bone-white mask staring in. The ANBU didn't even flinch as the weapon fell back on the ground. Shinji scowled, cursing Konoha's ultra-thick windows designed for civilians who didn't want to get caught in a shinobi battle while they were sleeping.

The ANBU pointed at Ryuya, so she got up and opened the window.

"Say goodbye." The ANBU said, which really spoke volumes about the entire Cops and why Inoichi couldn't physically be left alone with one agent for more than an hour.

Shinji did little more than roll her eyes but Ryuya paled a shade. "What do you mean?"

The ANBU replied in an even tone, as if it was mean to be obvious. "You're requested by Owl. You are going on a mission. Say goodbye to your teammates."

"Oh..." Ryuya uttered, taken aback.

"Hey Hawk-san?" Shinji called from her bed. The ANBU looked at her. Shinji gave him her most unimpressed stare. "Next time, start with that."

The ANBU managed to exclude a sense of utter bafflement. Shinji got up and patted Ryuya's shoulder. Fight or not, goodbyes were always on friendly terms in case they turned into farewells.

"Stay safe." she told her. Ryuya nodded and for the very first time, Shinji thought that perhaps Ryuya was just not meant for this life. Nonetheless, she watched as Ryuya climbed out the window and followed Hawk into the falling darkness.

Hotel room, same time~

Naruto had his arms folded under his head and his legs dangled from the bed. The room they rented had blank walls and and blue sheets. It was boring. Jiraiya had gone out for either 'research' or finding a lead to their target.

Pervy-sage really trained the Fourth? He frowned, trying to compare the drooling giant with the legend who defeated the Fox. Naruto grimaced, dropping one hand on his stomach. The seal was there. In response to his touch, a weight like a hot stone began to shape inside of him. He retracted his hand.

Maybe he knows why he did it. Naruto sighed and turned on his side, staring blankly at the window. Perhaps the Fourth had disliked him. Maybe Naruto's parents had been criminals. There had to be a reason why the legendary Hokage would seal a demon in a baby. Naruto blinked against the wetness in his eyes.

His gaze focused on the glass. His body froze. A pair of large, round eyes stared at him. Naruto got up slowly, grabbing blindly for his discarded weapon's pouch on the bed. Clutching a kunai, he stepped closer.

It was an owl. A large, brown owl with giant orange wheels for eyes. The owl rapped on the window with its large beak. It lifted a huge claw with black talons, showing a scroll attached to his leg. Naruto gulped but got the message.

The owl waited patiently as Naruto opened the window. Gracefully, he stepped inside, claws curling over the window-sill.

"You Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto nodded, staring at the summon in awe. "Who the hell are you?"

"Theodore, I'm an owl summon of Shinji Lee and I have a message for Jiraiya of the Sannin." Theodore puffed his feathers out. His head turned around to look in the room, eyes narrowing when the target was not there.

"Oh" Naruto gaped. They stared at each other until a knock on the door broke through the silence. "That's probably him, y'know."

He shuffled to the door and opened it without looking. Theodore's eyes grew wide and a high sound escaped his beak. Naruto's head whipped around.

A dark figure stood in the doorway. A dark cloak, pattern barely visible in the dark hallway, led up to a pale face.

Red.

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat when his eyes met the glowing red of the Sharingan. His first thought was Sasuke, but he was too short. Kakashi was his next thought, but he only had one Sharingan. It was the owl who knew the name.

"That's Itachi Uchiha."