Chapter Three: Frontlines

Note: To be honest, I have mixed feelings about Itachi. So even though this chapter may have some parallels with what Itachi experienced, there is still some difference, and this difference is extremely significant for the later parts of the story.

Also, what do you guys want to happen with Itachi? I am still undecided about what I should do with him and Sasuke, because the two of them are important figures for the Uchiha massacre that may or may not occur in my story.

Warnings: AU Universe. Some OOC.

Ever since Zero had met Kaname in mid-July, the two of them spent an immeasurable amount of time together; training, learning or teaching each other new tricks or skills they had learnt, talking about books they had recently read. Zero loved this time the most. He had never really interacted with anyone much, other than his parents, and the few rare chances that he had spent time with other children, ended with them calling him 'arrogant' and 'stuck up'. Zero didn't get why they thought of him as such, because he didn't believe he was better than them. Not to mention, every time Zero said something, the other children would all stare at him. It was a bit weird, even though Zero didn't think he had said anything weird. Maybe it was because he wasn't interested in playing the games they played, or maybe it was his looks? Zero mused. His silver hair and lavender eyes were quite unusual in Konoha, after all.

Zero felt really happy that he had met Kaname, because he finally had someone that he could interact and talk naturally with. It was only when he was with Kaname, that Zero could feel what it was like to have a friend. It wasn't like he was lonely, because Zero was fine with reading books by himself, but having someone you could talk and confide with, someone you could trust, really made things different. Both Zero and Kaname constantly pushed each other past their limits when they were training together, in order to become stronger, as the two of them shared the same opinions and desires about war, shinobi, and peace. So it wasn't a surprise that Zero thought of Kaname as his lifelong friend, and he was sure that Kaname felt the same for him too. Though the both of them did not yet know any jutsus, they were both highly proficient at the basics – shurikenjutsu, taijutsu, and chakra control.

Before Zero knew it, close to a month had already passed since he started to spend his free times with Kaname. July had come to an end, it was now August. It was exactly ten days after Zero had celebrated his third birthday on August 14th, when he experienced and learnt true horror, true cruelty. Zero could still remember the early dawn of that day clearly, the start of a nightmare that would plague him for days and years to come, a sight that would forever change his life as a shinobi.

"Zero." Yukine spoke up from his head at the head of the table, causing Zero to look up at him. Zero was his son, his pride, and he really did not want to do this, but he had no choice. "Finish your breakfast quickly and then go prepare. You will be coming along with me to the frontlines."

Zero dropped his chopsticks in shock. "Father…" He couldn't say anything else; he didn't know what to say, how he was supposed to act. Zero didn't want to see the action going on in the frontlines, didn't want to actually see that horror, because hearing about it was already enough for him. But…if it was what his father wished for him to do…he would… His mother's harsh voice broke him out of his heavy thoughts, "Yukine! What are you thinking!? Zero's barely three years old, the frontlines of the Third Great Shinobi War is no place for him!" she protested.

"It is an order from the Elders." His father responded curtly. "In a couple of years, Zero will enter the Academy and become a ninja. By going to the frontlines, Zero will know and learn the reality of Shinobi, of the world he is going to step in. There is nothing I can do."

"Yukine…" Shizuka said softly, she understood why, but she didn't want to understand it. Zero, her son, was only three; he was way too young to see war…

Zero closed his eyes briefly, before opening them again. "I understand, Father. If it is the wish of the Elders, then I have no reason to refuse. I will go prepare immediately." Seeing his father give a brief nod of acknowledgment, Zero stood up from his seat and left, heading to his room to get ready.

Zero and his father headed out; their destination is Tsuno, located on the border between Iwagakure and Konohagakure.

Jumping from one tree branch to another, Zero didn't know how long he and his father had been travelling. But he guessed with the fatigue he was starting to feel from constantly pumping chakra through his legs, it had been at least two to three hours. Uneasiness and fear made their way through his body, before Zero pushed them aside harshly. He had a job to do. There was no time for him to hesitate or think.

As they got closer to the border, Zero could hear the sounds of fighting from the far distance, the shouts and screams filled with agony and pain, the familiar clattering of metal hitting metal. Zero stopped on the edge of a cliff, as told by his father, and fixed his gaze below. Bodies and bodies piling on top of each other, the smell of blood penetrating through the air, the explosions that made the earth tremble. "This…this is the Great Shinobi War." Zero murmured softly. He didn't understand…just what was the point? Why did people kill other people? Why did this have to happen?

Even after the sounds of fighting stopped, after there was just smoke and silence left in the air, Zero stood at the same spot. Trying to understand, pondering. Hearing a rustling to the left, Zero turned his towards the noise.

"Wa-t-er, water," a rough and drained voice pleaded. Running towards the voice, while taking out a water bottle sealed in his side pocket, Zero hurriedly opened the bottle and helped the older shinobi drink it. Gulping the water down vigorously until satisfied, "thanks," the older shinobi said. Suddenly, the ninja tools that Zero had attached to the side of his leg caught the shinobi's eyes, and the older shinobi abruptly sprung to life, with a kunai already drawn out and charged towards him. The moment Zero caught the slight widening of the shinobi's eyes, he had swiftly grabbed a kunai out of his holster and held it ready, but he made no other signs of movement; if possible, Zero didn't want to kill the elder shinobi, even if he was a ninja from Iwagakure. Without warning, three ice senbons suddenly pierced the older shinobi, and he fell down paralyzed, but still alive.

"Zero," his father's voice sounded from behind. "Deliver the finishing blow, Zero."

"The finishing blow? But…he's not…there's no reason…" Zero trailed off, shocked and confused, as to why even more deaths had to occur today.

His father placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke sternly, "Listen, Zero. This is war. This violence is the ultimate reality and truth of a shinobi. Even if you do not want to, even if you must steel your heart, you must kill this shinobi, in order to attain peace, to protect the Konoha and its king."

Hearing his father's words, Zero takes a deep breath, hardens his heart, and with a smooth slice, he slit the Iwa shinobi's throat with his kunai.

'For the sake of peace. One who endures to protect Konoha and the king. That is a true shinobi.' Zero thinks.

XXXXXX

Ever since Zero had come back from the frontlines, he had approached his daily trainings with a new vigour. He pushed himself harder and harder, faster and faster, and often didn't stop until he collapsed on the forest ground in exhaustion.

It's not enough, Zero realises. He needs to work harder, do better, in order to fulfill his obligation, his duty.

Sending chakra to his legs again, Zero jumps up and flipped upside down, brandishing three kunais in both of his hands and throws them. Immediately, he takes out two more kunais, while still in the air and flings them. Flipping over to land in a crouch on the ground, Zero automatically sends chakra through his legs to cushion his landing. Standing up, Zero takes a look at the targets. The later thrown two kunais both re-directed one kunai each, and all eight kunai thrown have hit the centre. Readjusting his footing, Zero prepares himself to repeat what he just did, when he hears someone calling his name. Turning his head, Zero sees Kaname standing on the edge of the training ground, a soft smile directed towards him as usual. Zero feels like something burst in him, made him unable to stop the tears he had locked away, once he meets Kaname's gentle smile and eyes.

"Kaname," Zero weakly says, with tears flowing silently down his face.

"Zero? What's wrong?" Kaname hurries to Zero's side, and gently places a hand on his cheek, worry clear in his eyes and actions. "Are you okay?"

Zero doesn't say anything; he only buried his face in Kaname's chest, sobs wracking his body. Kaname tightened his arms around Zero's small trembling body, not saying anything as his clothes were soaked with Zero's tears. A few minutes passed before Zero was able to calm down, and he slowly lifted his head up from Kaname's chest. Kaname carefully wiped away the last of tears on Zero's face, "have you calmed down?"

"Yes…I'm sorry, and thank you Kaname." Zero replies.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?"

Zero shakes his head, reaching for Kaname's hand and holding it. "I…my father brought me to the frontlines a few days ago."

"What!? Why would he do that!?" Kaname angrily asks, making Zero start in surprise. Kaname takes a deep breath and calms himself down. "I apologize, but I never saw Yukine-san as a person who would take a three year old out to the frontlines."

"It's not father's fault." Zero responded, while smiling gently. "It was orders from the Elders, there wasn't anything he could do."

"Zero." Kaname softly says. He doesn't know how to comfort Zero, how to get rid of the look Zero has in his eyes – the look that shows that Zero has experienced war, experienced, lived, and seen the horror of the world. But Kaname still wants to try. Even if he cannot relate totally with Zero, because he hasn't seen war first-hand, Kaname knows the pain of losing something important. "Zero, when my parents died, I felt lost. I didn't get why so many people, including my parents had to kill and die. Why there had to be war. But at the same time, I found my resolve. It was through the loss of my parents that I realized the importance of other things – protecting Konoha and the innocence of other children; so that they wouldn't need to know what it felt like, to lose their precious people."

Zero can't help but feel relief and companionship when he hears what Kaname tells him; to know that Kaname also shared the same ideals as him, and would follow and struggle with him, in this war-torn shinobi world. "Me too. I think so too. A true shinobi is one who endures to protect Konoha and the King." Zero smiles and laughs softly; he should have guessed that Kaname would feel the same as him.

Zero stood up, conviction filling his face, "Let's train."

XXXXXX

Time passed quickly, with Zero spending his days either making desserts and helping out his mother at Rose Blossom Bakery, or training and learning new skills with Kaname. August had ended and it was now almost October, the start of the Autumn season.

Almost two months had passed since Zero returned from the frontlines, and he was finally starting to get over what he had seen. He no longer woke up in the middle of the night dreaming of blood and fighting, and he stopped seeing the face of the Iwa shinobi he killed then. But near the middle of October, something happened that greatly altered Zero's life; Zero and his mother received word from the Hokage, that Senju Yukine had been killed in action.

The days after the death of his father passed extremely slowly, yet quickly for Zero. When Zero first heard the fact that his father had died, he felt numb. It was like the life in his body had suddenly all been drained out, that there was nothing left in Zero's body. He didn't cry, he didn't feel anything, he just continued helping out at the Bakery and training with Kaname like usual. It wasn't until three days after, that Zero finally broke down. All it took was a simple 'Cry. You can cry if you want to. It's okay,' from Kaname, and Zero collapsed, tears flowing silently down his face even though he made no sound, as now he knew pain – the pain of losing something important.

After breaking down in front of Kaname, Zero felt better. He talked, comforted, and helped out his mother with arranging the funeral for his father. Zero could see that the death of his father had greatly shocked and affected his mother, despite how normal she tried to act. To the both of them, Senju Yukine was an immovable mountain; someone who couldn't be killed even if you killed him. But at the same time, they both knew that Senju Yukine had died an honourable death; his father had undoubtedly saved a lot of lives in return for his death. According to the Hokage, Senju Yukine had sacrificed his life in order to take down the Yonbi and Gobi, as well as two full battalions of Iwa shinobi. His father's actions had given Konoha the key to winning and ending the war, in a much better condition than the other villages.

The funeral for Senju Yukine, along with the other Konoha shinobis that had died, such as Uchiha Obito, whose sacrifice gave way to the destruction of Kannabi Bridge, was held on October 20th. Zero was surprised to see how many people turned up and paid their respects to his father. He didn't think so many people knew his father, but then again, he could count on one hand the number of people that knew about Zero and his mother, so it wasn't that surprising that Zero was unaware about how famous Senju Yukine actually was. His father's actions, along with the destruction of Kannabi Bridge by the team of the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato, had turned the tide of the Third Great Shinobi War.

Skirmishes were dying down, and about one month later, on November 17th, a cease-fire was finally signed by Konoha and the other villages. Everyone in the village rejoiced; even the ones that had lost friends, families, or precious people to the war were glad.

The Third Great Shinobi War was finally over.

Zero didn't think he could be any happier.

Please give me your thoughts and comments about my story ~~