Konoha's Red Princess
Disclaimer I do not own Naruto or the creative rights or the characters!
One:
It was early sunrise in Konoha, Naru sat upon the great stone faces watching the sun come up on the Yondaime's head.
She shivered as the cold breeze brushed over her, enjoying a quiet morning before the village below awakened.
Her straight crimson hair gently blowing behind her. Naru knew that the ANBU that the Saidaime assigned to watch over her was in the trees.
"Weasel I know you're there come on out." Naru said gently.
Itachi froze at being sensed. He was sure he had masked his chakra. He came out of the shadow of the trees.
"How did you sense me? I masked my chakra." Itachi asked in his monosyllabic way.
"I could feel your emotions palpating rapidly, you're grieving. I am sorry for your loss," Naru said gently.
Itachi sighed quietly before replying: "It's okay, nobody was to know."
His cousin Shisui had commited suicide to protect the clan from the Elders of the Village.
Naru and Itachi fell into a comfortable silence and continued watching the sunrise over the desolate village.
After the Sun came up Naru asked softly: "Weasel would you like breakfast? I was thinking Pancakes."
Itachi hummed in approval as Naru got to her feet, gently extending a hand to her ANBU guard, both body flickering back to her cosy apartment.
Her elder brother, Kakashi, was out on an ANBU mission as 'Hound' for a week, so she had the apartment to herself.
She strode to the Kitchen and pulled out a pan and spatula. Then retrieved eggs and milk from the fridge, before rummaging in the pantry for the flour and sunflower oil. She then got a bowl from the cupboard.
Itachi watched as she strode around the kitchen, he could feel a weakened chakra signature and asked curiously: "Who has been here Naru? there is a weakened chakra signature." Naru simply said
"Kakashi, my elder brother is out on an Anbu mission for the week he left last night," Naru said simply.
She started to hum a song quietly as she made breakfast filling the small apartment with noise. When breakfast was nearly ready, Naru asked Itachi to set the table, then wash his hands before eating. It reminded him of when he was younger, his mother, Mikoto, humming in the kitchen making breakfast whilst his father Fugaku, dealt with clan matters. A small smile graced his face for a mere moment, he couldn't reminisce whilst on duty, he was tasked by the Hokage to protect Naru.
Naru flipped the pancake with a satisfying hiss when it landed in the pan. Naru walked over to the table.
She used the spatula to slide the pancakes on the plates. Grabbed a small pot of sugar, honey and a bottle of lemon juice and set them in the middle of the table. They sat at the table and quietly said "Itadakimasu."
Naru politely looked away; she knew that ANBU wasn't supposed to reveal who they were beneath the mask.
They sat in comfortable silence eating their shared meal. Once finished, Itachi picked up the plates and strode over to the sink to wash up as repayment for providing him with food.
"Weasel you don't have to do that," Naru protested.
"It's the least that I can do," he replied in a flat monotone.
Naru sighed. "If that's what you want to do, I have the Academy in an hour's time, you'll need to leave shortly."
Itachi nodded in understanding and finished washing up the plates and put them on the rack to dry. He body flickered quietly out of her apartment, and sat on the rooftop opposite of the apartment complex.
Naru got her clothes out of her wardrobe and grabbed her towel for a shower. She scooped up her things and brought them over to the bathroom. She had a quick warm shower. After she got out, she dried off and changed into her outfit she'd chosen. She sat at her vanity in her bedroom, and picked up her silver plated hair brush that Kakashi got her as a birthday present when she was nine. She hummed and brushed her soft crimson hair then parted it into two sections and put them into two buns either side of her head with two golden pins securing its place, offsetting her hair.
Today was the day of the graduation test at the Academy. She was nervous but ecstatic about it. She gathered up her storage scrolls she made, and her lunch. She put on her black ankle boots and left locking up her apartment to head to the Uchiha compound to meet up with her friend, Sasuke.
Itachi had quietly followed her to the Uchiha compound.
It was her first time there without Kakashi, Fugaku the clan head disliked her due to her status for being Jinjuhriki she took a nervous breath hoping Fugaku wasn't there.
Naru knocked on the door with a nervous breathing and then Mikoto opened it. Realising who it was she gave the girl a smile.
"Hello Uchiha-Sama, I am here to pick up Sasuke," Naru said politely.
"Please call me Aunt Mikoto. I knew your mother," Mikoto replied.
Naru let out a calm breath relaxing her rigid body.
Naru's eyes widened in surprise.
"You have your fathers face, but your hair and eyes are from your mother," Mikoto said as an afterthought.
Naru smiled feeling excited to find out more about her mother and replied softly.
"Thank you, it means a lot."
Mikoto beamed.
"Sasuke, your friend is here," Mikoto called.
Sasuke nodded after he gulped down his water in the Kitchen and said,
"Yes mum, I will be there in a minute."
He got up and got his pack and walked to the front door.
"you're early Naru."
"It's graduation day. It pays to be early, that way Iruka-sensei will not be angry," Naru replied.
They both set off after saying goodbye. Itachi watched silently.
ANBU Cat flickered behind him.
"Itachi the Hokage wants to see you."
He body flickered into the Hokage's office, Hiruzen looked up, "Itachi thank you for coming diligently," he said.
Itachi nodded.
"Why am I here Hokage-Sama?" Itachi enquired curiously in a flat monotone.
"Please remove your mask Itachi," commanded Hiruzen.
Itachi removed his mask from his face.
"Itachi, I am demoting you from ANBU, I am asking you to become a Jonin-sensei," Hiruzen said.
Itachi's face flickered with conflicting emotions, confusion, anger, fright, and curiosity all in a mere moment, but his face hardened with a final resolve
"I am honoured Hokage-Sama, who will be in my team?," Itachi enquired flatly.
Hiruzen sighed and sat back further in his chair. "Uzumaki Naru, Uchiha Sasuke and Umino Sai," replied Hiruzen after making up his mind.
"Your doujutsu is vital to the village, Itachi, train him well and the other two," Hiruzen requested.
He passed him the files with their information to him. "You'll meet your team in an hour's time," Hiruzen informed him, his tone holding no arguments.
Itachi body flickered back to the Uchiha compound. "Mother, where is Father?" Itachi enquired.
"In his office dear," Mikoto replied from the Kitchen.
Itachi knocked on his fathers office door with a deep breath.
"Come in son," Fugaku responded looking down at his scroll.
"Father, Hokage-Sama has asked me to become a Jonin-sensei and have Sasuke on my team," Itachi said, knelt down bowing out of respect.
"That is an interesting development, what else did he say," enquired Fugaku almost urgently.
"Hokage-Sama has said our visual jutsu is vital to the village and to train him well," Itachi informed his father
"Very well, report to me Sasuke's training, keep me informed," replied Fugaku
"Yes father," replied Itachi as he got up and bowed to his father leaving his office.
Itachi found a Jonin flack jacket on his pillow awaiting for him it was now time to read the file.
Meanwhile at the Academy Naru and Sasuke were waiting for the test anxiously sat in there seats, Iruka walked calmly into the room and called "Uzumaki Naru." she released a breath she was holding in and followed quietly.
"Good luck Naru, your test begins now," said Iruka
Naru nodded. "Thank you Iruka-sensei," Naru replied
"Henge no jutsu," said Iruka
Naru Henged into Iruka.
"Good now Kimawari," said Iruka
Naru dispelled the henge and left Iruka in her place and sat on the chair Iruka was sat on and then did the jutsu again.
"Good now Kage bushin," said Iruka
"May I do a different jutsu I have to much chakra for a regular clone jutsu?," asked Naru
Iruka nodded and motioned for her to continue.
"Shadow clone Jutsu," Naru said and five clones of her appeared in the room.
"Good, well done Naru, you pass!," said Iruka enthusiastically and gave her a hitai-ate.
Naru beamed proudly as she was now Genin of Konohagakure. Hiruzen beamed proudly watching from his crystal ball his pseudo-granddaughter was now a Genin.
