ORIGINAL A/N: Thanks for reaching this point in the story. I plan to redo a few beginning chapters, starting with chapter 7. Let me know which other chapters you think need a revamp. I won't be changing the general flow of the chapter, just adding more details and maybe some unimportant sections.
Revised on 10/14/22
Chapter 9 – To Spare or Kill
Itachi went and retrieved his team, taking a longer time finding them than what was necessary. Currently, his entire team was sitting across from their client. The woman had revealed her name to be Sugio and gave them more details of what they would be guarding. There were seven wagons in total, which seemed excessive for a new Genin team. Itachi didn't doubt his ability, nor did he question his sensei's. However, he didn't think Tenma or Shinko could hold their own in a fight. Yuki-sensei chose the most apparent formation, with Yuki leading point so that he could gauge the skill of any enemies charging towards them. Tenma and Shinko on the left and right, respectively. Finally, Itachi guarded the rear. This seemed like a solid plan. The only problem was that bandits wouldn't charge at them. Bandits would likely try to pick off the last wagon or attack the sides to divide the convoy and create confusion. Their formation didn't matter much because they would unlikely encounter any violence as it was a C-Rank mission. The only problem was that Itachi's gut was telling him otherwise.
After discussing the details of the convoy, they decided to wait until tomorrow to leave as it was getting late. The inn clerk arranged for rooms for everyone and even made them all tea. Bringing his tea into the room, Itachi waited for it to cool before tasting it. Bringing the porcelain dish to his lips, he tipped the small cup up and was immediately rewarded with the wonderous taste of green tea. Itachi had tasted tea before. He was fond of a cup before bed, but this wasn't tea. This was the nectar of gods. He didn't know whether it was due to the specific leaves they used or how they prepare it in the Land of Tea. But for some reason, this tea filled his mouth with indescribable joy. Finishing the cup, Itachi sat it on the stand next to his bed so that he could try and get a good night's rest. Closing his eyes, he drifted away.
The smell of ashes burned his nostrils as the sound of a distant battle filled his ears. Opening his eyes, Itachi saw the ground riddled with the bodies of different villagers he had met. Directly in front of him was the body of the baker, from which he frequently bought bread. Across from him was an academy teacher, Iruka-sensei. Leaning down, he felt the pulse of the nearest body. There was no pulse. He tried another body, but again nothing. Whatever had happened here didn't spare any survivors. Man, woman, citizen, or shinobi fell before this unseen force. Hearing a battle in the distance, Itachi decided to check it out. Maybe he could still save some of the villagers.
Itachi encountered many sights on his way to the ongoing fight, but the most unsettling was the shinobi, who was torn apart into three pieces. His hand was still gripping a kunai, and his arm occasionally twitched, not knowing it had been disconnected from the head. It seemed as if each body was facing him. In an eerie way, he almost felt like he was being watched. Arriving at a clearing, he saw a familiar face in the sea of lifeless bodies. Shisui lay there motionless. Running up to his brother, he checked for a pulse, knowing what he would find by the already blue skin. Blood flowed down from his eye socket as if he was crying blood. Closing his friend's eyes, Itachi began towards the sound of battle once more. This time with even more conviction.
Off in the distance, Itachi could see two figures fighting. The taller, more prominent one was winning. Sprinting towards the fight, Itachi wanted to see what was happening. Looking over its shoulder, the shadowy figure saw him. As a response, it pulled its tanto out of the sheath. Instead of focusing on him, the figure diagonally sliced its opponent, ensuring it hit their chest and stomach. Now that Itachi was closer, he could tell that a girl was fighting against that monster. Pulling out a kunai, he charged at the cloaked figure. Pulling the kunai above his head, Itachi prepared to swing it downwards, striking his unknown enemy. The figure disappeared just before the strike landed. Looking around, it was nowhere to be seen. Hearing a gurgling sound, he looked down at the girl who had been struck down in battle. Another familiar set of eyes met with his; it was Izumi. Her intestines covered the ground as she lay in a slowly forming pool of her own blood. Crouching down to look over her wounds, he tried to figure out a way to stop the bleeding, but there was no way. The cuts were too deep, the damage too severe. Looking up at his friend's face, he cupped her cheek. Using his thumb, he wiped away the blood from her mouth.
Meeting his eyes once more, the raven-haired girl opened her mouth, trying to speak. It took more effort than it should've, but eventually, her voice could be heard, "W..wh..where w..were yo..you?" she questioned. "We….we nee…needed y…you. Th..the v…village…", but before she could finish what she was saying, her head fell back, and her breathing stopped. Finally, Itachi did something he hadn't done in years, he cried.
Itachi woke up in a cold sweat, it wasn't unusual for him to experience nightmares, but this one was especially bad. Moving so that his feet dangled off his bed, he ran his fingers through his slightly wet hair. Ever since he left Konohagakure, the nightmares had been getting worse, to the point where one night, he only managed to get two hours of sleep, even after traveling the entire day prior. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that he was homesick and hated the idea of losing control during the mission. He knew that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight. How could he, with the sight of Izumi's lifeless body seared into the backside of his eyelids?
Standing up, he walked over to the bedroom window. The moon's light was still shining through, and the sun hadn't yet begun to rise. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he closed his eyes and began focusing on his breath. Itachi began to meditate, trying to find some balance before the long road trip back home.
The last few days were easy and restful for Shisui. It seemed like being promoted to jonin decreased his workload. Most people would be ecstatic, less work, more money, what more could someone want? He had kept up with his training, but currently, he was working on increasing his reserve. He would go out into the training field, and after his physical regimen, he would cast a few chakra-intensive jutsus and be done for the day. That left him with many free hours in the day where he could pursue his hobbies. The problem was he didn't have any hobbies. Ever since he could remember, he had spent his life training; he didn't become a prodigy by not training hard. For that reason, he was currently lying on a rooftop, bored out of his mind passing the time by counting the number of ANBU passing by in the shadows.
"38... 39…" He counted, but before reaching 40, he was overcast by someone's shadow. Looking up was ANBU number 40. Did he count since Shisui hadn't found him but was found by him instead? Who cared? He'd pretend to have known the covert shinobi was approaching. Finally, Shisui sat up, meeting the ANBU's eyes or, rather, mask. "What can I do for you, ANBU-san?"
The following message came in a monotone voice. Shisui wondered how they all did that. Did they practice? Was it a weird jutsu? That would be a waste of chakra. Were all the ANBU massagers just clones of a single ANBU member to make Konoha's military might appear more significant? The ANBU interrupted his thoughts, "20643, Shisui Uchiha?"
"That's me." He grinned. The ANBU handed him a scroll, "Aw, thank you, but unfortunately, I didn't get you anything."
"The Hokage requests your presence." Again, with that monotone voice. With that, the ANBU disappeared. No leaves, no displaced air, no sound. Shisui couldn't even detect a surge of chakra.
Channeling some chakra into the scroll, he opened it. Skimming through the contents, he sighed. It looks like his brief break was over. "No better time than the present, I guess." He mumbled, preparing to make his way over to the Hokage tower. Nothing in the scroll said it was urgent. Maybe he'd stop for a snack first.
Walking down the dirt path, Itachi gazed upon the wagons before him. The mission briefing stated there would be seven wagons but seeing all the wagons lined up was something else entirely. The convoy stretched nearly as far as he could see. And it moved at an infuriatingly slow pace. At this rate, they'd be lucky to reach Konohagakure in two months, let alone two weeks. He knew, realistically, civilians and wagons couldn't move the speed they did in the trees. However, that didn't help his boredom at all. He couldn't train, as he might exhaust himself before a fight. He couldn't read as he needed to focus on the path ahead. All he could do was walk while surveying the area. The worst part was that they weren't likely even to get attacked. The roads through here were generally safe, and any bandits on the road today were likely to get scared away by the sight of shinobi.
He could see Tenma and Shinko from the back of the convoy, but Yuki-Sensei was out of sight. Itachi had spent much time this trip trying to decipher his dream. Izumi introduced him to the theory that every dream has a purpose a meaning. The view was that dreams offered a window into a person's inner desires and conflicts. He borrowed a book from a Yamanaka clan's library, but it only covered the basics. A person could devote their entire life to the topic of dreams and still only scratch the surface. The beginning of the dream was easy to decipher. He missed home. He was worried about the possibility of the village coming under siege while he was away. He might not be able to do much against an invasion, but that didn't make him worry any less. The part of the dream that stumped him was the shadowy figure. What did it represent? Did it serve a purpose beyond signifying an unknown attacker? Why did it turn and look at him before killing Izumi? Why was he unable to catch it? Why was he so helpless? Why was he so weak?
The answers refused to reveal themselves, no matter how much he thought about it. Itachi could feel the beginning of a headache forming. Deciding that he had thought about this topic enough for the day, he dropped it. Looking again at the road before him, he thought this would be a long trip back home.
The convoy came to a halt. Quickly Itachi examined their surroundings. Not seeing any combatants creating a shadow clone, he silently instructed it to receive instructions from Yuki-Sensei. Arriving at the front of the convoy, the clone watched as the wagons were preparing to make camp. There was still at least an hour of daylight. Why would they be setting camp so early?
"Further orders, sensei?" The clone asked.
Looking down upon the boy, "Assist the others with making camp, then we'll discuss patrols tonight." Hearing the order, the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke, relaying the instructions to Itachi.
An hour later, once the camp had been established and dinner served, Itachi and Shinko sat together on a branch. Itachi and Tenma didn't get along, and it would be senseless to have Itachi and himself, the two strongest members patrolling together. Yuki had decided that it would be best to have them patrol in duos since they were dealing with such a large convoy. Yuki decided that Itachi and Shinko would take the first shift while He and Tenma would have the second.
"Do you miss it?" The kunoichi asked. The night was going to be long, and she might as well try and make conversation.
"Konoha?" There wasn't much else the two of them would both miss. Receiving a nod from the older girl. "I think it would be strange if I didn't."
"Good, I thought I was the only one." She sighed in relief. "You always seem so cold and composed. I figured you wouldn't be homesick at all."
Itachi stayed silent, observing the horizon. Shinko didn't think he was going to reply. "I doubt there's a shinobi alive who didn't feel homesick after leaving their village for the first time."
"I guess you're right. It's just," The girl began, "How did you get so strong? I mean, you're younger than Tenma and me, but you could still take us together with ease… How?"
"I focus all my attention each day on training. I have ever since I was young." He explained, "I don't know if you noticed, but I don't have many friends."
"Really?" Shinko was shocked, "But you're so popular. I thought everyone wanted to know you."
"Being a prodigy isn't as good as it sounds. Not many people in our classes take it seriously. They would rather spend time attending birthday parties and lunches than train."
"We should probably check the perimeter," Shinko told him, tired of the awkward silence.
Shisui was waiting outside the Hokage's office. Throughout his career, he rarely had meetings with the village leader. When he was promoted to chunin, the Hokage was the one who handed him his vest, but that was with a group of other shinobi. He was again in the office when he was promoted to jonin. Although smaller, there was still a group of other shinobi. He didn't know what to expect. Was his Jonin rank going to be revoked? Had him not taking a mission in the past few days caused a red flag?
"The Hokage will see you now." The overworked secretary instructed.
Walking in, he took a headcount of the room. There was the Hokage, of course, two ANBU, and another jonin. One of the two was the ANBU who had delivered the message to him earlier, Hound.
"Hokage-sama," He addressed his leader with a bow. "You requested my presence?"
"Ah yes, Shisui." The older man looked up from his desk, "Although, I do remember asking for you a while ago."
Shisui scratched his head, "Yeah, sorry about that. I stopped for some ramen. I figured if the meeting were urgent, ANBU Hound would've let me know."
"I see," The older shinobi grinned behind his hat, "Well, next time an ANBU passes a mission scroll, it's generally urgent."
A bashful Shisui said, "Of course, Hokage-sama."
"Now that we are all here, we can start on the mission briefing." Their commander began, "We've received an indication that a group of missing-nin has taken control of a small town in the Land of Rivers. Since the group mainly consists of ex-leaf shinobi, we were asked to send in a group to deal with the threat."
"Will there be any other teams in the area?" The other jonin in the room asked.
"Yes, a two-man jonin squad has already infiltrated the town. They're posing as civilians and will meet with us on the outskirts of the town." Hound stepped in, answering the question. "We will need to leave immediately so we can get there before the missing-nin have time to move."
"Thank you, Hound," The Third Hokage praised, "As you have probably noticed, ANBU Hound will be leading this mission. Make no mistake. This is an A-rank mission. There will be fighting with enemy shinobi. Be sure to stock up well and take every precaution."
"I expect to see each of you by the south gate in an hour." As he said that, Hound seemed to focus on Shisui. "Be prepared for a long trip. We will be moving for at least eighteen hours before we rest."
"I think that covers the briefing. You are all dismissed. Except for you, Hound, I wish to speak to you about one more thing." After the other shinobi left the office, the Hokage proceeded. "I want a full assessment of Shisui's skill and potential for the ANBU program. I wish to know if he is a potential candidate for recruiting into ANBU."
"Of course, Hokage-sama." Hound had fallen to one knee after the others had left, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"
"No, that will be all." The commander dismissed his subordinate.
They had been traveling for about five days and were back in the land of fire. It had been an uneventful trip up until this point. Tenma raised some false alarms when he heard some rabbits in the bushes. Overall, though, they had yet to encounter any threats. People often believed merchants hired shinobi due to the risk of being robbed by bandits. However, they were hired to deal with any danger, whether natural orders such as a bear or wolves or malicious groups such as a group of bandits. Some groups even pay for the shinobi to hunt and gather food during exceptionally long trips.
They were approaching a quiet crossroads. No other activity could be seen, which struck Itachi as odd because it was bristling with life when they passed through here over a week ago, and now, there was nothing. Maybe it was just the time of day, but something felt off. Glancing ahead, he saw Tenma in his usual relaxed position with his hand behind his head, and Shinko walked with her arm by her sides, looking slightly towards the ground. They didn't seem to be alarmed. He must've still been on edge from his dream. Itachi wished that he could see Yuki. If his sensei sensed something, he'd know it wasn't a result of his nightmare.
Catching movement in his peripheral vision, Itachi looked right to see a bandit in full charge. The bandit seemed to pay little attention to him, probably thinking he was just a merchant's kid. Reaching down into his pouch Itachi pulled out two kunai. Throwing the kunai, he struck his target. The man fell, unable to walk with a kunai sticking out of both thighs. This must've gained the attention of the other bandits because he saw two more men running toward him.
Getting into a defensive stance, Itachi prepared himself to fight. He knew he didn't stand a chance in a battle of strength. He would need to strike fast and accurately. Kicking the first man in the back of his knee resulted in a thud as his body dropped. The noise alerted his team up ahead. He watched as Tenma ran back to assist, and Shinko ran forward to alert their sensei. Feeling a sharp pain in his head, Itachi realized that the other bandit had taken his moment of distraction to hit him on the side of his head. He underestimated his opponent. After recovering from his temporary daze, Itachi saw the bandit helping his friend up.
The two men circled the boy, trying to decide their next move. The one motioned the other to go on the offensive. Itachi leaped towards the man who had struck him, kicking him in the diaphragm. Staggering back, the gruff-looking man coughed while trying to regain his balance. Itachi used this moment to kick him in the back of the knee. Taking advantage of the fallen man Itachi pulled out a kunai and reached around the man. He sliced from ear to ear in one swift movement, just as Shisui taught him. The man fell foreword, gurgling on his own blood. Itachi didn't have time to think about it. He still had one more opponent left.
Turning to face his opponent Itachi saw the last bandit, shocked by the display of violence. "You killed my friend, you little brat." The man screamed as he charged at Itachi in anger.
Switching his kunai into a reverse grip, Itachi ran towards the more prominent man. Ducking below the first swing, Itachi created a shallow slice along his ribs. Ducking beneath another swing, he dropped low, cutting the man's achilles tendon. With the inability to stand on one foot, the bandit dropped to one knee. The bandits had come woefully underprepared to face shinobi. Looking up to where his teammates stood, Itachi saw three bodies surrounded by forming puddles of blood. Above two bodies stood an alert Yuki, cleaning off his kunai on the fallen bandit's clothes. Over the third body stood a shaking Tenma and Shinko. Both had probably witnessed their first death, one of which killed their first enemy.
That reminded the Uchiha. He had just taken his first life as well. He always thought it would feel different, but instead, he felt empty. Did that make him cold? He always knew he'd have to take life as a shinobi, it wasn't a surprise, but at the same time, it felt that he didn't care. He ended a life, yet it was just part of the mission, no different than the two bandits that he knocked unconscious. His muscle memory kicked in, and he did the only thing he could to restrain his opponent. Maybe he was just in shock. Perhaps the feelings would come to him once they were back on the road.
As instructed, Shisui met with his team at the south gate. As it was in the Hokage's office, there were two ANBU, Hound and Eagle, and another jonin, a Nara if Shisui's observation was correct.
"Everyone ready?" Eagle asked. After receiving a nod from the other three shinobi, "All right then, move out." He was likely second in command; ANBU generally outranked jonin.
The group traveled through the tree as a single machine, not making a sound. As they ran, Shisui allowed his mind to wander. The team makeup made sense. They were infiltrating a town. What better member to have than ANBU? They specialized in stealth. Even with two ANBU, they needed someone who could help them overcome the number disadvantage; that was where the Nara served his purpose. Everyone knew the Nara clan specialized in strategy. He could quickly help them divide and conquer.
Then there was him. What purpose did he serve? He hadn't trained extensively in stealth like the ANBU and didn't excel in tactics like the Nara. He didn't possess a ton of raw power that could turn the tides of battle. The only reason he could think of for sending him would be to test his skills, but for what? The Hokage wouldn't give him a team while he was this young, would he? The only other reason he could think of is if the Hokage wanted him to join ANBU, but was he at that skill level yet? That's what this mission was meant to figure out. He could see it now. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, decked out in full ANBU gear. What mask would he get? Hopefully, something cool like Lion or Tiger; maybe he'd get Wolf! He refocused his mind on the mission at hand. He might only have one shot at proving himself.
Over twenty-four hours passed before they reached the town's outskirts. Hound and Eagle decided to try and gather a bit more information before they launched the attack. Shisui and the Nara were meeting up with their contact. Only a couple of minutes after their separation did the two jonin reach the agreed upon meeting point. Closing his eyes, Shisui activated his Sharingan. He didn't want to miss any detail of their interaction.
A mysterious man appeared out from behind a bush, "I take it you two are my backup? I thought they were sending a four-man squad."
Something seemed off about the man. He didn't seem paranoid enough. If you were a shinobi in enemy land, you always kept an eye on your surroundings, but his posture was relaxed. Shisui had a gut feeling that this man was up to no good, and one thing he learned as a shinobi, always trust your gut. "Yeah, just us. The Hokage figured a four-man squad would be overkill since there were already two jonin here." If he was wrong, he could explain himself later.
The Nara must've also picked up on the cues because he didn't correct Shisui, "What about your partner? Wasn't he supposed to be here as well?"
"He stayed back in the town to observe the enemies' movements." The fellow leaf shinobi told them. "Follow me. I'll lead you to where we're stationed. We can form a battle strategy there."
The two of them followed as he led them through the back alleys of the town and to an apartment complex. He led them up to the fourth floor and entered the door at the end of the hallway. The room was empty, except for a map of the city on the coffee table. Something was off. Shisui could see the faint residue of blood between the floor's cracks. The blood was fresh, and whoever cleaned it up must have been in a hurry.
"Didn't you say your partner would be here?" Shisui asked, his hand reaching for a kunai.
"He'll be here in a bit. Most of the enemy-nin are residing in the building across the street. He's likely to be there." The unnamed leaf shinobi explained.
"How many enemies have you counted?" The Nara asked, a strategy already forming in his head. "Have you encountered any yet?"
"Not yet. We were waiting for you to arrive. We counted around seven missing-nin, all around B-rank or lower."
Shisui subtly circled around the backside of the jonin. His hand rested on the handle of his kunai. "Your partner's not coming, is he?" The look of shock on the jonin's face said it all. Shisui withdrew his weapon in one swift movement, placing the blade on his fellow shinobi's throat.
Careful not to move anything except his mouth, "What gave me away?"
"The blood. I noticed it when we entered the room." Shisui knew he had to give a little to get a little, and he had a few questions. "Your partner, is he still alive?"
"Unfortunately, very few survive a direct stab in the back." He smirked.
Before he could ask another question, the room was filled with six other shinobi. "Drop the kunai, and we'll let you live." It was a simple command from the leader of the group.
Shisui debated his options. If they were B-rank, he'd have difficulty fighting two, let alone three. He couldn't speak for the skill of the Nara, but he assumed it was likely the same. He only had one option, surrender. Pushing one last time hard enough to break skin, Shisui dropped his weapon. The kunai fell to the floor with a clank.
"Tie them up, an Uchiha can go for good money on the market." The leader of the group instructed.
Wiping the small trail of blood off his neck, "What about the other one?"
"Kill him, just be sure not to make a mess this time."
Picking up the kunai Shisui had discarded, the traitorous shinobi squatted above the restrained jonin. Whispering something Shisui couldn't hear before plunging the knife into the elder jonin's stomach. Shisui listened to the sound of tearing flesh before everything blacked out.
Hound was glad he decided to split the group in two. Their contact betrayed them. Watching from a rooftop, he watched as the two jonin were jumped and the one killed. Another teammate of his dead. He couldn't think about that now, he was on a mission, and there was still one more teammate he could save. The two ANBU needed to wait until the group split up. They could probably take the seven shinobi in that room, but it would be messy, and they'd be lucky if they made it out.
Signaling Eagle, he informed his subordinate of the plan. The two would follow until the shinobi guarding the Uchiha broke off from the group. They would then eliminate the guards. Killing two guards and retrieving the third fighter would allow them to even the odds. Hound was a skilled fighter, but there was a limit to how many shinobi he could take simultaneously.
As predicted, two guards separated from the leading group with their prisoner. "Follow main group. Directive observe. Don't engage." Hound signaled his subordinate. Receiving an affirmation from Eagle, the two broke apart, each following their perspective group.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Hound was careful not to make a sound. He knew the ramifications if the guards heard he was following them. They'd kill their prisoner immediately. The best thing you could do was kill your prisoner and hopefully cripple your enemy's power, if only a little bit. Every shinobi knew that you never used an enemy shinobi as a hostage. They were too disposable by their village.
Eventually, the guards stopped outside an empty shack. After placing their prisoner inside, one guard waited outside while the other kept an eye on the prisoner. Hound stayed until the guard exposed his back to him. Dropping down, Hound pulled out a kunai. In one swift, practiced movement, Hound wrapped his arm around the enemy shinobi using the tip of his kunai to penetrate the enemy's suprasternal notch and, with it, his trachea. The enemy shinobi dropped to the ground, unable to breathe or scream. It was always startling to new ANBU recruits how silent a kill could be, but with his experience, he was used to it.
Itachi had tied up the bandits and bandaged their wounds. One of the two was unconscious but still breathing. Noticing that everything had died down, Sugio peeked out of her wagon in the rear. Satisfied with the dead bandits, she began talking with Yuki, as he was the team leader.
Walking over to Itachi, she was shocked to see the three bandits alive. "Why are they still breathing?" She hissed, "Kill them like their friends."
Stepping in front of the bandits, "No. The mission directive was to protect the convoy. They're harmless to you now."
Sugio couldn't believe what she was hearing. They worked for her, and she wanted the bandits dead, "I wasn't asking." She exclaimed. Noticing that Itachi wasn't moving to follow her order, she sighed, "Fine, if you don't have the guts, then give me one of your knives, and I'll do it myself."
Itachi just closed his eyes, "These bandits are under my protection. As I said, they won't be harming you any further."
The only thing that infuriated Sugio more than being disobeyed was being threatened. "Bruat" she screamed, calling for her henchman.
The big man he had seen earlier peeked up. Walking over to where they were standing, he looked at Sugio, "Yes, Ma'am?"
"Kill these two bandits." She ordered the goliath of a man. She thought to herself. Let's see what the boy does now.
The giant of a man seemed to debate it for a moment before deciding to obey her. Stepping forwards, he pulled a knife from a pouch on his side. Itachi simply placed a hand on the man, transferring some of his chakra into the giant.
"Don't forget who you work for, you big idiot!" She yelled at Bruat.
"He can't hear you." The boy calmly said. Seeing the confused look on her face, "I placed him under a Genjutsu." Realizing that she probably didn't have any experience talking with shinobi, the boy continued, "Think of it sort of like a trance. I control what he sees, hears, and feels."
Realizing she wouldn't win the battle, she turned away, "Your Hokage will hear about this!" She yelled as she made her way back to her wagon.
Releasing his touch from the bigger man, the man fell out of his genjutsu. Looking a bit confused, he looked around. Seeing that Sugio was no longer there, he followed her into the wagon, forgetting about his orders.
Turning to face the bandits, "Somebody should come down this path in the next few days. They'll release you." Leaking as much killing intent as he could, he glared at them, "I suggest you straighten up; the next group of shinobi you encounter won't be as merciful." Turning back towards the convoy, he ran to catch up with them. He might have a small mess to deal with back in the village, but at least he could prevent the deaths of two individuals.
Seeing the village gates, Itachi was filled with both excitement and dread. He didn't know how the Hokage would react to his refusal to kill the bandits and, in so doing, defy the contract holder. He knew that he would be forced to kill as a shinobi, but he would choose to spare a life rather than kill any opportunity he got. He had to have his own values; if he couldn't respect himself, how could he expect others. If the Hokage couldn't accept that, Itachi was willing to turn in his Hitai-ate.
Stepping up to the village gate, he watched Yuki-Sensei give his identification number and the mission scroll. After a couple of further questions, the chunin allowed them access to the village. Walking through the streets, Itachi felt the breeze flow through his hair. It was getting dark, and as a result, the temperature had cooled down significantly. They were headed for the Hokage's tower to report in and collect their pay. Sugio was with them as she still wished to report his misdeeds to the Hokage, but the rest of the convoy had split off since they were in the protection of the village wall.
The privacy seals in the Hokage's office must be efficient, Itachi thought to himself. If those seals could block out the noise of that woman, then they could block out anything. The one-word description of Sugio would be loud. Sugio had gone into the office only moments prior, and he still hadn't heard a peep.
Itachi was relieved to be back home. Initially, he had been excited to get a C-Rank mission, but it wasn't as great as he thought. Itachi didn't know how much Yuki-sensei knew about what happened back with the bandits, but he figured that he must've known at least a bit about it since he was the team leader. Waiting for the Hokage to call them in, Itachi closed his eyes; he was tired. Not only had he been on the road the past three weeks, but he had nightmares almost every night, making it impossible for him to sleep longer than three or four hours.
Fifteen minutes later, a frustrated-looking Sugio left the office, and from inside, he could hear the Hokage call for his team. One by one, they entered his office, beginning with Yuki and ending with Shinko.
The older man began the conversation, "Yuki, I'm glad to see your team made it back unharmed. It seems their first C-rank mission was largely a success."
Yuki bowed, "Thank you, Hokage. We were blessed with safe travel."
"I heard you ran into a bit of trouble when you came across a group of bandits." Their leader said, looking at Itachi, causing him to stiffen under his watchful gaze.
Looking a bit cocky, "It was nothing more than a few minor bandits, nothing my team and I couldn't handle." The jonin said with a grin.
"So, I heard," The older man said, crossing his fingers in front of his mouth. "I want a report from each of you filed by tomorrow morning. If that is all you need from me, you're dismissed." As they began to exit, the Hokage looked up from his hat, "Except for you Itachi, I need to see you for a moment."
Turning around, the young boy faced his leader, "Yes, Hokage?" he questioned.
A slight grin formed on his face, "I heard there was a bit of an argument over a group of bandits. Sit, tell me about it."
The guards had brought him to a shack and hung his arms above his head. This was a common tactic since it tired the prisoner's arms and made it more difficult for them to escape over time. That meant he needed to come up with a way to escape now. There was a guard in the shack with him, which meant he needed to find a way to neutralize him. It had to be quick and quiet. He had already been searched and his tools taken. He could get the guard to look him in the eye, trapping him in a genjutsu. However, he'd doubt the guard would be that stupid. He would need to think of another plan.
Shisui's hands were hung on a hook, meaning he could swing his arms over the arc with enough momentum. However, the guard would notice. He wouldn't have access to his arms or weapons, and he must kill an enemy who had access to both. That seemed doable. The tricky part was doing it before the other guard entered the room. The only chance he had was if he killed the guards individually.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind. As he released his breath, he activated his Sharingan. Finally, he swung back, then forward with his legs. With the momentum generated by this action, he lifted his arms above the hook. Before his feet even touched the ground, Shisui was positioning his body to strike. The guard's reaction time was faster than Shisui predicted. In one moment, he was sitting down, reviewing a bingo book. The next moment, he had a weapon in his hand, preparing to swing down. Bringing his restraints above his head, Shisui caught the weapon. Bringing his hands together, he locked the weapon in place. With a twist of his wrists, he disarmed his opponent, sending the weapon flying.
Swinging his leg around, Shisui attempted to hit his opponent in the back of the leg. The guard lifted his leg up to block the strike with his shin. The block was successful. The guard used his greater size to push Shisui against the wall. Bringing Shisui's arms up, the guard positioned his restraints across his throat. Moving his arms against the wall, the guard began to choke the Uchiha. Black spots started forming in his sight, and Shisui began to black out. If he blacked out, he wouldn't get this opportunity again. The guard lifted his knee, driving it into Shisui's ribs. He could feel his ribs crack but not break. Before the darkness overtook him, the guard released his grip, falling backward.
Falling to the ground, Shisui began gasping for air. His burning lungs filled with the cold air in the room. Shisui couldn't stop himself from coughing. His body was attempting to remove the obstruction blocking air to his lungs. When he could look up, the guard was dead, with Hound standing over the enemy shinobi's body. The ANBU threw something toward him. Shisui caught the object before examining it. It was the guard's kunai holster. Standing up, Shisui attached the kunai holder to his leg.
Wiping the spit with the back of his hand, "How many hostiles remain?"
"Last I saw, there were five remaining." There was the monotone voice again, "I left Eagle to monitor their movements."
"Alright, we better not keep him waiting," Shisui started acting as if he wasn't facing the wrong side of death only moments ago.
The two shinobi left with Shisui mimicking Hound's movements. It took a moment before the two shinobi found Eagle, but eventually, they landed beside him. The Uchiha watched as Konoha's special forces exchanged messages through quick signals. Activating his sharingan, Shisui approached the edge of the rooftop. He investigated the building across the alley.
"Do we know why we were betrayed yet?" Shisui asked the jonin's betrayal, still fresh in his memory.
"After observing them, I concluded it was for a quick payday," Eagle explained, no sorrow in his voice, speaking like you would about the weather.
Hitting his fist to the ground, "Dammit! How could we lose two good shinobi over money?"
"The more experience you get, the more you'll realize the shinobi world revolves around money," Eagle explained.
"Enough of that." Hound interrupted the conversation. "We still have a mission to complete. The plan is simple. Eagle and I will take out the guards positioned at the east door. We'll use the noise to draw the enemies into the street. Try and minimalize collateral damage to the surrounding buildings. Understand?"
Both shinobi nodded. With all three shinobi on the same page, the two ANBU vanished to begin the plan. Shisui watched the guards, waiting for his moment to contribute. Moving so fast his sharingan could barely keep up, the two ANBU dropped behind the guards. One guard fell to a kunai strike to the kidney, and the other died as his lungs filled with blood. Both kills were messy. Both kills were loud. Just as Hound predicted, the remaining three shinobi ran outside. Shisui was on the street before the enemies could leave the building. Eagle and Hound already engaged with their targets, leaving one shinobi for Shisui.
The two shinobi squared each other up. Shisui gathered as much detail about his opponent as his sharingan could pick up. The older man seemed to favor his left leg. Based on his age, it was likely an injury he sustained from the last great war. That would be just the advantage Shisui needed. Usually, he'd rely on the body flicker technique, but that required a lot of open space. He also couldn't rely on his fire jutsu; they were too destructive, and he was supposed to keep building damage minimal. This was going to be a taijutsu fight.
As Shisui ran towards his opponent, the missing-nin began running through hand signs. He picked up enough signs to know his opponent was preparing to launch a fire jutsu. As he ran, Shisui went through hand signs, designing his own jutsu. As his opponent launched his fire jutsu, so did Shisui cast a wind jutsu. Now, usually, this would be counterintuitive. When the wind hit the fire, it launched into the air, accelerating the flames as they rose. A bright light filled the sky before the fire was extinguished.
The two shinobi were too close to try another jutsu fight, so instead, they began with taijutsu. Their taijutsu skills were evenly matched. His cracked ribs severely limited Shisui's movements. If not for his injury, he'd probably be able to gain the upper hand. Shisui swept low with his kunai causing the older shinobi to leap up. Knowing that he would be affected by the land, Shisui prepared himself to strike then.
When he landed, Shisui grabbed him by the back of the head, forcing the missing-nin to meet his gaze. The fight was over once their gazes met. Shisui used that moment to cast a genjutsu, making it appear like he was stabbed in the leg. The enemy dropped his weapon, trying to apply pressure to the wound. Shisui used the opportunity to penetrate his opponent's liver. He would bleed out before he realized the illusion.
Glancing behind him, he saw Hound and Eagle finishing with their opponents. His sharingan caught sight of some movement on the rooftop, along with the glint of two kunai in the air. The kunai was moving towards Hound. Shisui reached for his throwing stars but found nothing. Since his body flicker technique was faster than kunai, Shisui held the ram sign.
With speed more significant than the Mangekō sharingan could perceive, Shisui appeared before the airborne weapons. Grabbing the two weapons by their handles, Shisui dropped to the ground. Hearing the sound, Hound turned to face the sound.
"There is another assailant on the roof," Shisui informed the ANBU.
"Eagle, head off. Uchiha, tend to your injuries." Hound ordered. Eagle ran to comply with the order.
"There's nothing I can do about my ribs at the moment." He chuckled, causing pain in his ribs.
Leaving the Hokage's tower, the sun had finally set, and the moon was beginning to rise in the sky. Itachi had imagined that the conversation would go entirely differently. Not only had the Third encouraged him to keep this trait, and he also told him that he respected him. Not many people would've been able to make that decision at this young age. He decided to head back home and get some rest so that he could be back up nice and early to catch up on his training.
Seeing a bolt of black moving towards him, he barely had enough time to turn towards it before he was struck to the ground. Looking up, he saw the familiar face of his friend, except she wasn't smiling, and there were tears in her eyes.
Leaning down, Izumi hugged her friend, "I'm so sorry." She whispered to him, but what was she sorry about? What happened?
After Izumi stood up, she helped Itachi up as well, looking at his friend. "Do you want to talk over something to eat? I'm starving." The boy asked. Truthfully, he wasn't hungry; he had more than enough at their last stop to fill him for the night. But his friend looked distressed, and he thought maybe getting her mind off from it might help.
Receiving a nod from his friend, he was glad to see the makings of a smile on her lips. She was upset by whatever had happened, and before Itachi could help her, he needed to figure out what was wrong.
After they swept the town, Hound decided that they would rest in the town before heading back to the village. The town's folk were more than happy to provide food and lodging for the town's saviors. At first, Shisui felt like he was burdening them, but eventually, he realized that he had saved their lives even if he was just doing his job.
After resting, the trio returned to the village with their dead teammate's body in a scroll. It took considerably longer since they weren't traveling at such a grueling pace. When they arrived, Hound briefly talked to the gate guard before he waved them inside.
"Eagle, I want you to take this to the morgue." Hound handed him the body scroll that contained Nara's remains. "Uchiha, I want you to head to the hospital and have your ribs checked out. I'll debrief with the Hokage. I expect a written report by tomorrow."
"I hate the hospital." Shisui wined but obeyed his superior's orders anyway.
As he stated, Hound went to the Hokage's tower. When he arrived in his commander's office, Hound bowed down on one knee. "Hokage-sama, the mission was successful."
"Ah, Kakashi. Why don't you remove your mask? It's only us in here." The village leader suggested.
Hesitantly Hound reached up and grabbed his mask, removing it from his face. Behind the cover was a boy only a few years older than Shisui, probably 17 or 18. He had spiky white hair and wore a different mask that covered only the bottom half of his face.
"Before we debrief the mission, tell me, in your opinion, as an ANBU captain, is Shisui Uchiha fit to be a member of the ANBU?"
The newly named Kakashi thought for a moment, "Throughout the mission, he showed he was resourceful, observant, and a quick study. I believe Shisui Uchiha will make a good candidate for ANBU."
"I'll file the necessary paperwork immediately." The village leader stated. "Now, begin with your mission debrief."
Izumi had heard that Itachi would be arriving today. However, it seemed like he had already come, based on the women gossiping in the marketplace. Running to the gate to meet him, she was disappointed to see that he had indeed already arrived an hour ago.
Running up to the chunin guarding the entrance, she asked, "Has team 2 already arrived?"
Looking down at the sign-in sheet in his hands, he nodded, "Yes, they're heading for the Hokage's tower right now."
"Thank you," she yelled back at him since she began running after hearing the word Hokage.
Maybe if she was fast enough, she could meet up with Itachi at the Hokage tower. Arriving at the tower, she was excited to see Yuki-Sensei exiting the tower. Slowly, she saw Tenma, followed by Shinko, exit the building, but Itachi had yet to leave. What could have happened to him? Did he get injured? Was he at the hospital? Did he die?! Pacing back and forth, she almost didn't notice when he finally did exit. She ran towards her friend, probably a little too fast. Itachi didn't notice in time, so instead of catching her hug, he fell to the ground when her body weight collided with him.
Wrapping him in a hug, she whispered to him, "I'm so sorry." He'd have to accept her apology. It was all just a misunderstanding, anyway. She could've sworn she felt Itachi briefly wrap his arms around her before releasing. It may have been brief, but it was there. Noticing their awkward position, she stood up, a bit of red filling her cheeks.
Helping her friend up, he seemed to think for a moment before opening his mouth, "Do you want to talk over something to eat? I'm starving."
He must've forgiven her. Why else would he invite her to go with him? The tears had stopped, and she felt something that she hadn't felt in the past couple of weeks, happiness.
They were having dinner at a restaurant local to the Uchiha compound when they heard the news. Shisui had been injured. They heard it from the police stopping in for a coffee. It was big news in the compound when one of their prodigies got wounded. Paying for their food, the two young shinobi left the restaurant with one destination in mind, the hospital. It didn't take long for them to get there, but once they arrived, it took a while for anyone to tell them what was happening. They tried asking the nurse up front, but she insisted that Shisui wasn't there. Later they found a med-nin, but again they insisted that they hadn't treated an Uchiha and that they didn't have any Joe Doe.
The two Uchiha waited in the lobby for what seemed like hours. If Shisui was in rough enough shape, they might've postponed until after surgery to log it in their system. However, even after an hour, the nurses insisted on Shisui not being there. Finally, the two decided it would be better to check back at Shisui's house. If he wasn't injured, he'd be there; if he was, his parents would know.
On their walk back to the compound, "You never told me how your mission went."
The stoic Uchiha kept it brief, "It was successful." He was always better at listening to Shisui's mission stories than telling his own.
Gently swatting his shoulder, "I knew that." She laughed, "But how did it go? Were you nervous? Scared?" Gasping, "Did you get your first kill?"
Itachi just turned to her and gave her that look that made you question everything. "I'd tell you, but unfortunately, active shinobi cannot share mission details with academy students." He knew it was just an excuse. No one would care if he shared the details of a C-rank mission with a student graduating in a few years.
"Fine," Izumi squinted her eyes, "Be that way."
"Looks like you made it back to the village in one piece." Came the familiar voice of Shisui, "Those bandits didn't prove to be too much for ya?" He jumped down from the fence post he was on.
"You had to fight bandits?!" Izumi questioned before realizing the object of their search, "Shisui!" She yelled, running over to hug him. "We heard you were in the hospital."
Shisui tensed from the sudden force against his now bruised ribs. "I was, broken ribs." He said, hoping Izumi would catch on.
Luckily for him, she did. I bashful Izumi let go, "Sorry. We looked for you at the hospital, but they said you weren't there."
Nervously he scratched the back of his head. "That's because, officially, I wasn't."
Itachi understood the meaning behind those words. It wasn't common knowledge, but most people realized that shinobi was injured during a special ops ANBU mission and never went to the hospital. How could there be a hospital record if the injury they received happened during a mission that 'never' took place?
"What do you mean? Did you not actually go to the hospital?" Izumi questioned, concerned for her friend.
The trio walked back to the compound together, talking about everything and nothing simultaneously. They were just enjoying each other's company.
Chapter Words: 9,128
Story Words: 41,937
ORIGINAL A/N: Thanks for reading another chapter of this tale. Sorry guys, I'm not great on fight scenes, but I'm working on them. I know, I'm not even close to the end of this story, but another idea popped into my head. Tell me what you think about it;
Minato Namikaze is the definition of genius. He began using his chakra at five and excelled from there. Everything changed for him once he rescued the red-haired angel, but what if he hadn't? What if Kushina had never moved to Konohagakure? Would he still be the same ninja he was today?
The description needs lots of work, but basically, it's a story about what if Minato and Kushina never got together, how would things be different? Who different would they become?
A/N: I promised to go through chapter 11 by today in the comments; however, this chapter added a lot of new content, and I think it will take a bit longer to get to chapter 11. The ANBU outfits are slightly different than cannon, but you'll learn more about that later, and yay Kakashi.