Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters

"Normal speech"

"Normal thought"

"Demonic speech/or someone extremely pissed off"

"Demonic thought"

Jutsu/technique


The Paths they took.

Chapter 3:

The Fox, the Shark and a Weasel


"Don't be stupid, kid. You'll die."

"Don't make me laugh." Naruto sneered. "TAJUU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto yelled.

The forest was engulfed in smoke as the jutsu took effect. For a moment, it appeared as if the entire forest was on fire as the smoke waned and there was orange and yellow everywhere.

The Shark man gaped, his mouth open, as he saw a brat, barely eleven years old, make close to a thousand clones. 'Very determined thousand clones.' he noticed.

"Tell you what kid." The man said, "If you can move me from this spot, I'll recognize you as a Shinobi. I will not even use my sword either, Deal?" He smirked.

Naruto and all of his orange clones rushed to the man with a loud war cry. The blue man cursed as he jumped higher, there was no way he could fight so many of these clones hand to hand without a scratch. Even if he stopped and destroyed hundreds of clones, a few would get close enough to probably nick him or get in a good hit. Not that the hit would do any damage, but his pride didn't allow him to let himself get hit by an inexperienced brat, wearing orange no less.

"Well, I got to give it to you brat, you are a decent ninja, even if you wear orange." He grinned. "But if you think that you can take me down with a rough strategy like that, you're just plain stupid."

The man formed a series of hand seals, ending at the snake seal. The man then took a deep breath.

"Suiton: Bakusui Shōha!" He yelled as a huge amount of water gushed out of his mouth. The water kept coming until it felt like there was a water fall there, with the man rising with the increasing water. The water kept forming waves upon waves, with the shark man standing at the top, looking like he was riding the wave.

The water just held until the whole jutsu was half as high as the forest, which was pretty high in itself, and then with a mighty roar, released itself. Huge waves of water crashed into the clones in its way. Most of the clones were dispelled by the force with which the attack hit them. The ones that survived were washed away into trees and then dispelled as well. The original Naruto was also amidst them.

He couldn't believe his eyes as he watched hundreds of his clones get washed away. As he watched them dispel, wide eyed, he could imagine them drowning and dying in different ways in the water, almost as if it was happening to him. The clones were also giving him a headache again.

The blue skinned man laughed as Naruto was speechless.

"That's why you need to think before just using brute force, brat." He grinned. "A low level ninja might fall for it, but an elite would only take the game a level higher." said the Shark Man as he stopped his water jutsu and now stood in face to face with the brat.

"Well, I got to give it to you brat, you are a decent Shinobi, even if you wear orange, what does a kid like you doing here alone?" asked the Shark Man.

Naruto was not sure should he tell the truth. No one had really asked him until now what he was doing here. Maybe he should just be honest.

"I left my village, everyone treated me differently for something that wasn't my fault, because… I was born that way, and I was lied my whole life... I simply chose to leave and abandon all the pain, here I can maybe reach my true potential. But to be honest… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do or be, either … in this world." Said Naruto the sadness could be seen in his face.

"You to…" said The Shark Man, he feel like he was looking at himself in a way.

Like him his clan was lowly due to racism and not being useful to his village. This made him like to be alone, he always had that personality that was rejected by others due to racism of being low cost since childhood, his village had the cruelest ninja system in existence.

He was from the Hoshigaki clan which is specialized in water based jutsu and this clan gives them the ability to merge with the Legendary Sword Samehada, one sword of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Naruto's ears caught the words.

"Your village, what is it called?" asked Naruto now wanting to know more about him.

"Kirigakure…" said The Shark Man.

Naruto looked at the hitai-ate, the symbol of the village shone on the metal protector, albeit with a line drawn through it, telling that the man was no longer loyal to the village. "You left your village to… do you miss it?" he asked.

The man snorted at the question. "Not really."

"How come?" asked Naruto

"Cause like you I don't enjoy living in a world of lies," The man said, looking at the boy with a grin.

Naruto stared at the man with confusion. He then imagined the man being lied a lot to.

"Were people mean to you?" asked Naruto.

The man blinked at the question.

"Nah," he said as he recalled certain memories of his past. Ones that always seemed to have him isolated from others during missions. "We just couldn't really talk to one another." he noticed the boy was lost at his answer. "When you're different from everyone, they tend to make you an outcast. And, well, I was too different from them..." said The Shark Man.

"So people in your village didn't like talking to you?" asked Naruto.

"I guess not." said The man.

"Well... I like talking to you." said Naruto.

The man shifted his weight slightly, feeling uncomfortable with the boy's comment. He really didn't know what to do or say, this boy had a very similar past to his.

"Let me tell you an interesting bit of trivia, one that should make you see how this world works and how people work..." The man said, standing tall before the boy. "Sharks start out as eggs but incubate and hatch in the womb."

Naruto blinked.

"Sometimes the number of pups is less than the number of eggs that were fertilized. Do you know why?" asked The Shark Man.

Naruto's nose scrunched up as he tried to think of an answer.

"Cannibalism," The man's eyes grew dark with delight, making the boy take a step back. "The pups start eating each other within the mother's womb the moment they hatch."

Naruto gulped at the mental image before The man continued.

"They start killing their siblings the moment they enter the world, viewing everything they see as nothing more than prey. You and me may be the same right now, but…" The man grinned at the boy, showing those sharp teeth of his. "Be careful of everyone... including me…"

Naruto frowned at the warning, but he thought there was something off in the man's words.

"But…" the Naruto mumbled, catching the man's attention. "We... we aren't fish…" Naruto pointed out. He thought it was weird how the man was trying to compare them to sharks. Maybe the man thought he was a shark based off his looks? Either way Naruto couldn't see themselves as any kind of fish.

The Shark Man observed the blond silently, deep in thought. The boy's comment was so naïve, and yet…it reminded him of his partner's words.

Before he could say more a new figure appeared, also wearing the similarly designed cloak.

"Kisame." The newcomer said softly to The Shark Man. "You said you were going to relieve yourself. Why is it that I find you playing with a kid?"

'Kisame' turned to the newcomer. "Ah, Itachi-san. I really was peeing when this orange brat caught my eye. I just came to investigate, the brat and we had a little chat, this boy is very similar to the two of us." Said Kisame as he saw the boy like him understand that they lived in a world full of lies.

'Itachi-san' turned to look at the blonde, his eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing out of the village, Uzumaki-kun?"

Naruto was shocked at the mention of his name.

Naruto stiffened and entered defensive stances while Kisame turned to his partner in surprise. "You know this brat?" He asked.

Naruto glanced at the new comer's hitai-ate. His eyes widened as the symbol of the leaf village shone on the metal protector, albeit with a same line drawn through it, telling 'Itachi san' was no longer loyal to Konoha.

"Who is this brat, Itachi-san?" Kisame asked, curious. For Itachi to know this brat's name, he couldn't be a drifter.

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto. The last I saw him was in the leaf village, before I left." Itachi said, the expression on his face not change at all.

Naruto had a confused look on his face, his eyes almost slits as he frowned, trying to remember this man. "Who are you?" asked Naruto.

Itachi's expression did not change as he stared at the boy.

"You do seem familiar, but I can't place you." Naruto continued, his face still a picture of confusion.

"This man here is Uchiha Itachi." Kisame clapped Itachi's back.

Very slowly, Itachi turned to face his partner.

"Sorry." Kisame said, not sounding sorry at all.

Itachi turned to face Naruto again.

"You didn't answer my question, Uzumaki-kun."

There was a short silence. It was broken by Naruto pounding his fist into his hand, his eyes wide.

"Now I remember, I saw you in the village." Said Naruto as a small gust of wind flew by them as all stayed silent.

Kisame face palmed and Itachi gave Naruto an odd look.

"No shit, brat." Kisame snapped. "He just said he saw you in the leaf village. It means you would have seen him at some point too."

"So what?" Naruto defended himself. "I never said he was my friend or anything. I just-" Naruto stopped as he looked at Itachi again. "That's right," he continued, "You look like Sasuke-teme." He pointed his finger at Itachi accusingly.

Kisame's eyebrows went up. If he had learned anything since he was a partner with Uchicha, it was that any mention of his dead clan or still alive brother only ended up him going all moody and emo.

True to his prediction, Itachi's mood dipped. On the outside, there was no change in expression There were tiny things that Kisame had picked up that let him read Itachi sometimes.

It seemed that Naruto could also. He lowered his finger as his expression changed to worry. "I'm sorry." He said.

Itachi said nothing, but in a swirl of wind, he was gone.

"Did I say something wrong?" Naruto asked Kisame.

Kisame shook his head. "It's a sore topic, brat...Eh-? That's right, you wouldn't know me, would you?" Kisame heaved the sword onto his shoulder. "I am Hoshigaki Kisame, wielder of the great sword Samehada."

Naruto stared at the colossus weapon; it was double his size. He was curious as to why the sword was all bandaged up and he could swear he had heard hisses coming from underneath the fabric before.

He got close to the sword, reaching to touch it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kisame warned.

"Why" asked Naruto

"Unless you want Samehada's scales to cut your hand open." Replayed Kisame.

"Samehada…?" Naruto slowly repeated before putting the pieces together. "Your sword has a name…?"

"And it can hear you too," Kisame patted the sword who made a strange hissing sound.

"Cool…" said Naruto unsure how to answer.

Kisame found a nice, flat rock and sat down on it. Naruto followed his example and found place to sit as well.

"It seems you aren't as pouty as before." said Kisame.

Naruto looked at him with a smile on his face "That's cause, I realized something."

"What?" asked Kisame.

"You're just like me." said Naruto

Kisame raised an eyebrow, never expecting such comment from the child.

"We are different from everyone else," Naruto said, straightening up. "We both want to live in a world or place without lies... That's why you left your village, right? Cause you don't like lies?" asked Naruto.

Kisame said nothing.

"I'm happy to know I'm not the only one who knows what loneliness is... and that we can help each other." Naruto admitted.

"You really believe that makes us the same?" Kisame questioned.

"And maybe because… we're alone in this world." said Naruto then looked with his bright blue eyes to see Kisame simply staring at him in silence.

Naruto hoped he didn't say anything wrong. "Well… we were alone in the past… but… now we have each other," he said with a bright grin of his own.

There was a foreign sensation deep in Kisame's frigid chest. At first it felt too hot that made him almost wince, but it quickly settled down to a more-gentle warm tug.

In the past Kisame was broken to and went on with his Philosophy that the life was meaningless and that you can't trust others then yourself.

The guilt of killing his own comrades never left and that was what made him to become someone who sees no value in life and considered himself worthless. He got lost in the mist, his's life has made him feel inhuman.

Kisame looked away, his face unresponsive with any visible emotions.

His eyes shifted to the forest as he heard rustling of leaves in forest. He stared for a little while and before he had the chance to check out the source of the noise, Naruto's stomach let out a huge rumble.

He turned back to Naruto who had a hand on his stomach, frowning deeply at his body for showing weakness.

"Let me show you how to catch fish, night is approaching." Kisame said.

Naruto's eyes brightened up.

He was surprised at how Kisame didn't mock his thoughts.

Was Kisame's willingness to teach him how to fish an invitation to get closer to him?

He was not sure but that didn't stop him as he decided to follow him.

Before leaving he got a memory from where his clone dispelled and now he know where his clone had hidden his backpack and the giant Scroll.

As he was following Kisame, Naruto notice that Kisame was lost in his thoughts.

They both went dismissing the earlier noise as nothing more but from a passing animal.

'A world without lies…' Kisame could hear the masked man's voice in his mind, reminding him of what he was fighting for. 'I will free you from the pain of falsehood. I will make a place for you.'

"Tell me brat, have you ever wished to live in a world where there is no sadness… no war, no chaos, no lies… and the dead are even alive…" asked Kisame.

Naruto stood confuse a little not being sure for a moment. "Yes I guess… but is this even possible?" he asked.

"Maybe one day… but until then there is a long way to go." Replayed Kisame.

Kisame didn't fully wanted to reveal too much but if the kid continued to live and survive in this world long enough he may be able to be part of this perfect world or even help them create it.

'His future will sure be interesting. Maybe I convince him to buy other clothes which are not so orange, I do wonder how he will get along with Itachi-san.' thought Kisame as the two made their way to a river.


Night


After Kisame and Naruto caught some fish they went to make a campfire.

Naruto looked at the fire and was not sure what would happen the next day.

Kisame decided to break the silence and ask " And, what are you thinking brat?"

"As I said back then I'm not sure where to go or what to do other then training since I left my village." said Naruto.

"You could, you know, come with us, if you'd like." Kisame said, not looking at the boy.

Naruto was looking at Kisame, with widened eyes.

Kisame turned to look at Naruto, his face serious. "Well?"

Naruto straightened, his face a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Why?"

"Well, why not? I get pretty bored travelling alone, and I guess so do you." said Kisame.

"Wouldn't your partner mind?" Naruto asked, thinking slowly.

Kisame didn't answer immediately. "I don't think so." He mused. "Although he is a difficult man, he is also a bit of a lone wolf. But I could use the company." He yawned. "As long as we do our missions, the organization doesn't need to know. But we'd probably leave you behind when we go for those missions, as they are really dangerous, so it doesn't really matter."

There was no harm in accepting, although Naruto would have to think more first. "I wouldn't mind to come with you two." Said Naruto.

Kisame nodded and then grinned. "You know, you remind me a little of me and Itachi-san." He chuckled.

"Huh?" Naruto raised his eyebrows.

"You know I find you interesting." Kisame scratched his jaw.

it was impossible not to find the blonde interesting. He was made up of contradictions.

'Always smiling, yet in pain. Full of hate and love at the same time.' thought Kisame.


After seeing Naruto and mentioning his clan Itachi has been thinking what to do now, he still didn't like the mention of his family. His reputation usually scared people to even avoid looking him in the eye, let alone talk.

In the Akatsuki, members tended to leave each other's past alone.

Orochimaru before his sudden departure from the group had not mentioned Konoha, let alone the Uchiha clan.

Kisame had once mentioned them at the time they had been assigned as partners when he had observed that both men were similar in the fact that they had killed their village members. After that, it seemed that Kisame had picked up on the fact that it was a touchy subject and had never brought it up again.

One of the reasons he liked Kisame was that the man understood that Itachi was used to being alone & silent and that he preferred it that way.

To have the blonde mention his brother so casually unnerved him. Ever since he had left, he had wondered whether he had made the right choice.

Naruto was here, outside the Konoha and he needed to find how and why.

Itachi wondered if it was a sign of good luck or bad luck that he encountered him.

A memory from his past made him wonder this.

(Flashback)

A man ... a dark man.

Itachi couldn't exactly put into words just what was dark about this man. Basically, everything about him was dark.

"Are you Uchiha Itachi?" the man asked, looking down on him. The right side of his face was covered by bandages. He was clad in black, but his arm from his left shoulder was exposed, revealing the white robe he wore underneath.

His left eye alone glared at Itachi. "I see ..."

Unflinchingly, Itachi met the gaze of the man clouded in a sinister aura.

"You are the bearer of bad luck."

"Bad luck?"

"They call chaos, those lines," the man said, pointing at the lines running from Itachi's eyes down his cheeks. "Chaos will follow you throughout your life."

'Chaos will follow you throughout your life.' The words the man left lingering in the air became sharp thorns and pierced Itachi's heart.

(Flashback end)

All he could do for now was to return and learn more.


Later on he had found Kisame and Naruto who made a campfire and decided to join them without saying a word.

Naruto and Kisame saw that Itachi had sat down beside them.

"I am sorry." Said Naruto then after a little silence he continued "You felt sad by what I said."

Naruto glanced at the man. Contrary to people's beliefs, he wasn't totally blind to his surroundings. Some things, like pain and loneliness, he picked up very easily.

It may have been because he was so familiar with those emotions and the way people dealt with them that he could spot them when even seasoned ninja couldn't. When this man had arrived, Naruto hadn't really paid attention to him, being distracted by Kisame, but after he had mentioned Sasuke, he had noticed the minute flash of pain in the man's eyes. Naruto did not like to see others in the same pain he had to go through.

The three of them sat in silence for a while. Itachi knew it wouldn't last.

A whole minute passed before the blonde's patience finally snapped.

"Are you mad at me?" Naruto peered at Itachi's face. It was as expressionless as it had been when he had arrived.

"No." Itachi assured him, He knew the blonde wouldn't keep quiet, so he switched the conversation to something that interested him. At least get some information while the blonde talked. "What are you doing out here, outside the village?"

Naruto took some seconds before responding with almost the same words he told Kisame.

"I left my village, everyone treated me differently for something that wasn't my fault, because… I was born that way, and I was lied my whole life... I simply chose to leave and abandon all the pain, here I can maybe reach my true potential. But to be honest… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be or be doing in this world." Said Naruto.

When locking at the blonde's eyes, Itachi could see he was lost. The same way Kisame was lost in the mist and in abyss.

Taking a deep breath Naruto continued "At the academy I was in I couldn't use the Bunshin no Jutsu and I was not allowed to pass. But after an instructor tricked me into stealing something, telling me it was a chance to pass the exams but later I found out I was fooled and the instructor tried to take my own life, I defeated him with Kage Bushin no jutsu I learned that night from a scroll and then I chose to leave and become a real Shinobi without having anyone to stop me or hold me back from my potential, and since then I trained to became stronger and that all I guess." Finished Naruto.

"Oh that right when we fought, you had a scroll and backpack before." Said Kisame.

"Oh yes I send a clone to hide them somewhere close by, I think they should be okay until tomorrow." said Naruto.

Itachi listened to the boy's tale in silence. He wanted to point out that the Hokage wouldn't have let an incident like this occur ever again but stopped himself, not only because Kisame was there but he didn't want to explain his reasons to the boy.

And the boy could also perform a powerful technique at such a young age already?

He started to grow curious of the boy's skills but decided to leave it for the next day.

"Well as I said back then you can come with us if you don't have something better to do then training." Said Kisame.

"Yes… maybe we can fight again tomorrow, I's nice to have someone to spar with…" said Naruto hoping to take his rematch.

"Sure just don't forgot what I told you and try to think more before sending all those Kage Bushin at once." Said Kisame.

While Kisame and Naruto continued their conversation Itachi sat quietly in his own thoughts.

Naruto said he had seen Itachi before in the village but it look like Naruto didn't fully remembered him as Itachi did.

(Flashback)

A loud piercing voice penetrated Itachi's ears on his way home after a mission.

In front of Itachi's field of vision, who had stopped his feet instinctively, there was a small park.

It was already a late hour, it was evening. The sun had set at west long ago, and everything near him had begun being wrapped in a very dim light.

The boy who had burst into laughter before was standing on a swing. In the direction he was looking to, there were three human silhouettes running away.

Maybe they were his friends.

"You guys are no match for Uzumaki Naruto-sama dattebayo!" the boy of the swing yelled.

The human figures were leaving while talking to each other without even turning around towards the boy for some reason.

The boy, who had called himself Naruto while staring at the three figures that looked in good terms, sat on the swing looking lonely.

To all appearance, the words of before were just a bluff.

After the boy gave off his name, Itachi recognised him.

There wasn't a single person in the village that didn't know Uzumaki Naruto.

The boy in front of his eyes was involved in the Nine-Tails attack that had terrified the villagers. He was the child in whose body the Nine-Tails was dwelling. Whenever he walked a road, everyone lowered their voices. There was just one person that didn't know that the Nine-Tails was dwelling in his body.

Naruto himself.

It had been sealed in his body before he could even be aware of the calamity of the village, and lived while being feared by everyone.

Naruto didn't understand why he was being tyrannised by everyone. Both his parents were not in this world anymore. There was no one to pour their unconditional love into him.

For some reason, Itachi turned his steps towards the park. He calmly walked towards the swing, that was rocking feebly and sat next to Uzumaki Naruto.

"Whoa!" Noticing that Itachi had appeared all of a sudden, Naruto almost fell off the swing in surprise. Thrashing his arms and legs confusedly beyond necessity, he remained in the swing somehow, and threw a suspicious look towards Itachi. "Don't frighten me like that 'ttebayo!"

"Sorry."

"Err, who are you?" asked Naruto as he stared at him with round eyes.

Itachi turned his eyes right towards him while rocking the swing. "It doesn't matter who I am."

"I mustn't talk with strangers, my mum...»

"You haven't one." Itachi said, and Naruto put his right hand behind his head expressing a smile that looked like an embarrassed grin.

"You know that too?"

"Uzumaki Naruto is famous for being a mischievous brat."

"Am I that much of a celebrity?"

"In some way."

"He he he..."

Without catching Itachi's irony, Naruto smiled happily.

"Your friends ran away."

"Guys like those who don't understand my pranks aren't my friends 'ttebayo."

Naruto's voice was awfully cheerful. It seemed that he was behaving frantically cheerfully not to show his loneliness.

Everybody knew Naruto's true identity.

The Nine-Tails attack towards the village had left deep scars even now. Even the Uchiha clan, which was suspected of having manipulated the Nine-Tails, still couldn't escape from the effects of the attack.

Itachi himself had sustained many times a defamation without having being responsible because of that incident. Maybe he was the only person in this village that came in contact with that boy, in whose body the main cause of it was dwelling.

Naruto was the biggest victim of the Nine-Tails incident, so to speak.

The details of the Nine-Tails attack were top secret in the village. The truth had been hidden into the darkness, only Naruto was left.

Naruto was part of the darkness of the village.

The village consisted of while sacrificing existences like Naruto.

A member of the upper reaches had sealed that calamity inside Naruto, diverted people's dissatisfaction by persecuting the Uchiha clan, and kept pulling the strings of the village deftly.

To hide their own darkness by generating intentionally other darkness...

And the truth was that also Itachi was part of the village's darkness. Because the Anbu was the true darkness of the village.

"Young mister!"

"Nh?"

Naruto was staring at him with big round eyes.

"You fell silent all of a sudden, are you alright?" Naruto asked with upturned eyes, looking worried.

"I'm okay."

"Good."

"It's almost time to go back home."

"Since there's no one to go back home with..." Naruto acted though, turning the corners of his mouth down.

"Well then, I'll go back home."

"Eeh!" Naruto looked exaggeratedly surprised to Itachi, who had stood up.

"Good luck."

Itachi thought that those words he spat out could hardly help him. However, Naruto rubbed his nose with a finger while grinning out loud, looking happy. Then he jumped vigorously from the swing, and pointed his index at Itachi standing straight.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'll become Hokage one day dattebayo!"

"Really, Hokage..."

A fire was lit in Itachi's chest.

Even if he was burdened by the darkness of the village, that boy hadn't resigned himself to his destiny. Without holding a grudge towards the village, without hating people, he had faith in his dream with honest eyes.

"I hope you will."

"Of course I will 'ttebayo. I'll better keep that in mind until that time, young mister."

Giving him a smile in reply, Itachi turned his back on Naruto, and walked away.

The stars were sparkling in the whole sky.

(Flashback end)

It seems the boy like him had probably lose hope in ever becoming Hokage, just like he had to sacrifice his dream for a greater good.

Naruto was lost in the Mist the same way Kisame used to be.

Naruto had already fallen asleep and Kisame to, which mean Kisame had already made some Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu to protect the place until tomorrow.


Author Notes (warning: potential spoilers)

Here is another chapter.

I took time to reread it some time to make sure is ok as I can't guarantee my writing skills are perfect.

And I don't want to mess up this remake of the story.

In this chapter I added two flashbacks from Itachi's Novel.

The novel is canon, as in C-Canon. It doesn't affect the continuity of the series and fills gaps where explanations are necessary. They are not as canon as the manga or the episodes that are adapted from the manga (fillers not included). However, since they don't retcon or affect the continuity, they are canon.


Naruto's current jutsu at the moment:

Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu

Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu

Kokuangyo no Jutsu

Transformation Technique

Variations: Harem no Jutsu


Jutsu/Technique:

Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu = Multiple Shadow Clone Technique

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu = Shadow Clone Technique

Bunshin no Jutsu = Clone Technique

Suiton: Bakusui Shōha = Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave

Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu = Water Clone Technique