Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

Notes: This is the rewrite of Chapter 2!!! I've really been slacking haven't I? I hope this chapter sounds better and makes more sense then it did before. Actually, I hope that people notice that it's up in the first place...haha

Chapter Two

In all truth, I just wanted to go home. The mission we were on was lasting much much longer than expected. All we were supposed to do was bring back some jail escapees. Sandaime decided he wanted this to "be a learning experience for the younger ninja". That meant that Itachi and I were stuck in a large group with a mixture of each class.

Our group consisted of Itachi and I (two ANBU), Koryu (Jounin), Hayate and Akira (Chuunin--who were actually the same age as me), and Tasuku, Takashi, and Aki (Genin--a year younger than I). Because we had a huge group of clueless ninja, the mission had lasted two whole days when if it had just been the old Team 4, it would have been finished in two hours.

Itachi looked at the group and noticed the Genin were starting to fall behind again, "Break time," he said in frustration.

"But we just took a break!" Hayate growled angrily.

I glared at him, "What the Leader says, goes, it would seem as if you never learned teamwork or respect." He didn't answer me, just stared at me defiantly. That drove me over the edge.

Pulling out a kunai I stepped toward him, his eyes widened visibly, I disappeared in a split second and appeared behind him, the kunai angled toward his neck, "This is what happens in a real battle," I hissed into his ear, I could sense him tensing up, "Not one of your kiddy battles."

"Kirei!" The moment I turned to look over my shoulder, I was pulled back. "There's no time for this," he said, wrapping his arms around my body, "Just settle down, alright?"

Relaxing slightly, I shook my head and apologized. I closed my eyes and looked away, this was getting so out of control.

Itachi loosened his arms from around me and stepped away to check on the Genin before getting ready to go again, the only problem was Hayate piped up again.

"So this is what happens on real battles?! Missions with the amazing ANBU? You're kidding!" he laughed to himself.

I could see Itachi's eyes go red in a split second, his Sharingan appearing, "Hayate…" he started. In a split second, Itachi held him up in the air by his shirt, "Don't even get me started," he hissed, throwing him aside.

I ran to Itachi's side, touching his arm anxiously, "Stop," I said softly, turning him around to face him. I kept my voice calm and steady, which was the exact opposite of how I was feeling, "We have a mission to complete, being co-leader I'm telling you we do not have time for this." The Sharingan left his eyes, and I turned to the rest of the group, "Let's go."

Surprisingly everyone nodded and followed my lead as I jumped into the trees. As Itachi caught up with me, I thought I saw an angry look on his face, I wasn't sure what to think.

After a few minutes Itachi stopped and silently motioned for the rest of us to stop as well. Looking down through the leaves, I could make out three figures resting below us.

"Do you think we lost them?" one of them asked.

What kind of idiots spoke so loud when they were on the run?

I hear a slight snort, "Of course, I mean what the Sandaime thinking?! Sending a bunch of kids after us…"

"I know!" the third one said, "We escaped from a prison, which we were sent to for murder, what makes him think a bunch of little kids could stop us?"

"What morons…" the second voice said again.

Itachi looked at us, and nodded. It was time to us the strategy we had been working on earlier.

It was going to be a basic Taijutsu only attack. Itachi had decided that it would be easiest this way, especially since the attack would be eight versus three.

The Genin climbed higher into the trees which looked below on the escapees. The Chuunin darted off to the east, Koryu-kun went west, Itachi jumped north, and I took south. Now…all we did was look to Itachi and wait for his count.

He raised his hand, and the three Genin jumped from the trees, landing on their feet surrounding the escapees.

"What the hell?!" I heard one of them yell.

The first one to talk…was the first to go. The Genin suddenly attacked him. Another one stepped toward them, the Chuunin and Jounin went after him. The last guy…he was mine. Itachi finished them all.

I had to concentrate now, on my guy, not the other fights around me. I jumped and landing in front of the guy, he was sure to be the strongest. I ducked at the punch he was aiming for my head, then did a swing kick trying to knock him over. He was too big.

He raised his leg to kick me, right as it came in contact with my face, I grabbed it, and swung it to my right, pulling him off balance. He fell to the ground, and I elbowed him in the nose. He was underestimating me. I wouldn't allow it. I quickly completed the hand seal and shouted "Dark Hearted Destruc--"

Itachi pushed me away and thrust his head over the man's head knocking him hard into the ground. Knocking him out…

"Why did you cut in?!" I shouted.

Itachi didn't answer me, he only glanced around at the rest of the team members and nodded at them to start getting ready to leave.

--

"Excellent job," the Sandaime said as we brought him the escapees, he looked satisfied, though I could tell he was tired and disappointed with the amount of time we had taken to complete the mission. When we were released, Itachi walked me home, his presence presented a different type a feeling. I couldn't identify it, and it scared me.

The walk home was utterly silent, a sick feeling in my stomach overwhelmed me. A bad feeling. It was tearing me apart inside.

We stopped in front of my house and Itachi embraced me, his breath was warm near my ear as he whispered, "Don't come outside tonight until 3 o'clock, meet me on your balcony then, but stay inside until that time." In a split second he was gone, his absence was replaced by that feeling in my stomach once again. I didn't even want to think about it.

I opened the door only to find my entire family sitting in front of the TV, they glanced at me as I closed the door but neither of my parents moved to come toward me, only my younger sister, Ryuu. She smiled widely and jumped off the couch to greet me.

She was starting in the Ninja Academy next week, so she was excited and always jumping around. It could have also been because she was eight-years-old too. "How did your mission go, Kirei?!" she asked, jumping in circles around me.

"Fine," I replied in a strained voice, trying to give her a smile. "It's a bit late though, I want to go to bed."

"What do you mean it's late?" my sister whined, "It's only 8:30, can't we play ninja?" She gave me those puppy dog eyes. My mom gave me them too. I closed my eyes in frustration and shook my head. "I haven't slept in three days, I am tired, I'm going to bed and I'm NOT playing ninja with you," I snapped and ran up the stairs. My body started to give away as I reached my room. I threw my door open and collapsed on my bed. The sleep instantly overcame me…

--

A clasp of lightning sounded in the distance. My eyes flickered open. I rolled over, and faced my alarm clock, 2:55 it read…Itachi said to be outside at Three. I got out of bed slowly, and grabbed one of the extra blankets from the edge of my bed, and walked outside to my balcony.

I took a seat on one of the few chairs around the small table outside, and I waited. It wasn't necessarily cold outside but I felt more safe with the blanket wrapped around me. My mom always told me that it was insecurity issues, but I didn't think that was the deal tonight, something--that feeling, it was bugging me again…

There was another clasp of lightning, and Itachi finally stood before me. "Itachi!" I gasped, standing up quickly. My blanket fell to the ground. He grabbed my hand, and led me inside of my room.

He quickly went to my closet, and pulled out my traveling bag, and tossed it at me. I caught it, and confusion overcame me. "Pack all your necessities. We won't be coming back for a long time."

"W-why? What about my Mom or Dad? Or Ryuu? What am I supposed to tell them?! Where are we even going?!" I felt a tear fall down my cheek.

"You don't have to worry about that," he said, he pulled out a kunai stained with crimson blood. I choked. My throat constricted.

"W-what did you do?" I managed to cough out.

A smile that I didn't recognize appeared on his face. "They're gone. I had to test my strength. Why do I have to tell everyone this?"

"But…what did you do?!" I screeched.

"I killed them. All of them. The Uchiha clan is pathetic. The Moeru clan is just as pathetic. If not more."

My eyes widened. "No…not everybody. Not my family. Y-you didn't." Tears stung my eyes. I ran to the door. "Mom! Dad!! Ryuu! Get up!!"

I kicked Ryuu's door across the hall, and it fell. I ran to her bed. Red stained the once white sheets. Ryuu's face showed pure shock, her eyes remained wide open. Her neck had been slit, and it had left her blonde hair a bloody red. "Ryuu…" I whispered quietly.

I was pulled back. My back hit the wall. Blood trickled down my forehead.

Itachi threw my bag at me again, "We have to get going. If we don't leave soon they'll find us. If you decide not to come, I'll kill you."

"Where is the Itachi I know?! The Itachi I love?!" I cried in a whisper, staring up at the ceiling.

"He disappeared a long time ago…" Itachi said, grabbing the neck of my shirt, and pulling me into the air. "Now. Are you coming with me? Or dying with your family?"

I looked away from his face and to the ground. The punch to my stomach came unnoticeably. I coughed up blood, and Itachi dropped to the ground. I was too weak to defend myself…to protect those dear to me, to save the one I loved. Why wasn't I strong enough? Why couldn't I be stronger?

"I…I'll come…" I replied softly, even if it is…only because you're my last love in this world…

--

Days had passed…without much talk. All we did was travel from village to village…killing. Destroying. I was still in so much shock. This wasn't possible. This was just another one of Sandaime's missions, or better yet, a dream. It was a dream. But dreams couldn't be like this…dreams were happy and wonderful. This was a terrible nightmare gone wrong.

It had been almost a month now, of nothing my killing. My hands felt forever staining with the crimson red blood I had come to see every few days.

We had set up camp in the forest, I unrolled my sleeping bag from my pack, Itachi did the same.

"Do you regret coming with me, Kirei-chan?" he asked. I hadn't heard a voice like this from him since we were in Konoha. Finally the old Itachi had returned.

"What I regret most…is not being strong enough to prevent all of this from happening," I responded.

He nodded, "I do regret putting you through this hell. But, I still love you. I couldn't kill you, even if I thought I had to. So, instead you had to come with me."

I smiled slightly. Then, I heard something. Footsteps in the distance.

Itachi heard them too, you could tell by the way he cocked his head slightly to one side. He didn't do anything, he was planning on just letting whoever it was come.

"So," the voice said. The voice was cold, chilling, and nerve-wrecking. "Here we have the two young deserters of Konoha, Uchiha Itachi and Moeru Kirei."

I'm working on the next chapter as we speak (...or as I speak...)

God I have been such a slacker this year.