Chapter 8: Run Boy Run
Silently considering a cup of sake when he returned from the mission, the raven haired man paused on his tree branch to take a sip of water.
His missions outside the village were now far and in between, as at 16 years old Itachi was still considered one of the best.
Hired to take care of a ship on the borders of Land of Rivers, a budding A-rank criminal from Suna was hoping to get himself a good business in smuggling humans. Spending the past month and a half undercover, pretending to be a rich and heartless party teen, he couldn't wait to get home to make his younger brother and neighbor dinner. To catch up with how their last year of the Academy was going and then sit down with a book or scroll, the complete opposite of what his character would consider relaxing.
There were numerous activities he had witnessed or participated in that the average shinobi would not be able to handle, though his memories of being a member of Akatsuki made it all seem like twisted child play. Purposely taking missions to compare himself to his future self's memories, the difference was the motive and how innocent the person he was hurting.
The way his fellow shinobi watched him, several assumed the change that passed him was from his clan being murdered when it was in fact, the cruel memories were haunting him. Waking up with a start some mornings, his mangekyou spinning viciously and the word to set the room on fire being on the tip of his tongue, he may have raised his sword against his family but he was not the monster.
He could not deny the slight anxiety that still pooled his stomach.
Individuals that he could recognize without their screams from torture he'd meet in passing, whether they were a missing nin or loyal shinobi, it felt like it was a nail in his coffin though their rather innocent expressions would do little to ease his mind. Feeling as though he could still feel the terror in their bones, he wasn't sure when that would end. It had begun soon after the massacre when he was sent on another mission for the first time since the event, thrown off by the Suna nin he had briefly worked beside. Though he was able to meet Kurama and know Naruto and Sasuke were safe in his paws, the separation during such a critical time in Sasuke's development still had his nerves flare-up and make the mission more difficult.
It was only half a day's travel until he reached Konohagakure. By tomorrow morning however, he will be there to witness Sasuke and Naruto becoming ninja for their village, a step to them becoming stronger.
Watching him from the corner of her eye as she finally finished cleaning the Hokage monument, Naruto felt as if the past 4 years had gone by so fast. It probably helped that the next stressful event was so far from the Uchiha Massacre, and if it wasn't for the glare she had caught from one of her instructors, she would've forgotten her battle to become a genin in the first place.
Knowing of Itachi's return, however, Iruka had offered to buy her Ichariku Ramen for dinner tomorrow after the exams.
The difference between the last time melted something that she didn't realize was there. Last time, she didn't care how long she took because no one was waiting at home. This time, especially since the Uchiha was returning, the conversation was light and Iruka had even stepped in to help.
The blonde couldn't help but turn and give him a high wattage smile, once again taking a drink of his appearance. From a wrinkly elderly man that she continued to prank until his death of old age, seeing him have the energy to chase after her and make her clean up her messes was a breath of fresh air.
Waving goodbye as she began running, the dirty looks she received meant nothing as she got to the rooftops. In the Academy, she was still the troublemaking dead last, only now her pranks were more elaborate and ridiculous, the chases to be caught lasting longer than they ever have before. Sasuke was still the Rookie of the Year, only now in class their arguments remained arguments and after class was out were they able to go toe to toe. Instead of being the one to instigate their rivalry like last time around, she was only considered a worthy opponent for him to the rest of the class when it was pointed out her evasion after pranking was better than anyone's during survival tests.
Her chakra brother was frustrated. He knew she was holding back enough, wasting her time. Insistence on her to stop disgracing herself in the academy only ended when she took advantage of his fear, pointing out that her showing she was becoming stronger would only catch Obito's attention more than being the dead last. Knowing that he didn't get the totally sent out memo on how team assignments went, she couldn't wait to laugh in his face when they landed on the same team.
She knew she was correct anyway - Itachi's report of his bones missing from his apparent grave starting the village and current allies hunt for her future teacher's former teammate. Purposely refusing to focus on the finer details that left her confused and angry, like what was Suna doing exactly to help when they must have already created their alliance with Sound for the incoming invasion, and who must have replaced Itachi's position in the Akatsuki to be Kisame's teammate.
It must be odd for Obito to be accused of something he didn't do, she was just surprised he or Zetsu wasn't sniffing around them to find out why. Kurama had agreed to keep a lookout on his presence, her still not proving herself in his eyes to be encouraged to break the seal and confront her inner darkness. She and the other Naruto were not one person - she had not accomplished or firsthand learn what the other did, or try to convince him properly knowing what they do. It was fair, bitterly fair.
Stopping by her own studio apartment and changing out of her paint-covered clothes, she only remembered to knock on her only neighbor's door when he was home. Anko didn't count to her, being on the first floor. Swearing that she could hear another set of footsteps that sounded similar to a herd of people when she least expected it, Itachi's raised eyebrows left her throwing her hands up and getting her mouth washed out with soap.
The jealous look Sasuke gave her was no surprise, clearly wanting to hog more time with him alone.
Grinning at him and his signature apron that she doodled all over, Itachi gave a respectful nod over his shoulder.
"Can you tell me about your mission now, aniki?"
Joining in the pestering until they were seated, she sensed that he skipped over many of the details. After all, becoming involved with the smuggling business was not a boring job, though all it did was remind her of Team 7's first C-rank that was coming in two months. As she expected, his subtle eagerness for them passing the exams soon had become the topic of the conversation.
It was something he would be able to celebrate this time around, and it warmed her heart to know that he was excited for her too. Finding it unnecessary to tell him about Mizuki and the scroll however, when Sasuke returned to his room to study one last time to ease his own worries, she made sure to welcome him home properly. Waiting until the door clicked shut, she jumped over the table and practically tackled Itachi onto the ground.
"I'm sorry, Naruto.. you failed."
It stung more than she realized, tunnel visioning slightly before she dragged her feet out the room. The failing attempt to hide his smirk only told her that it would turn out like last time at least, but it still hurt at the moment.
Walking past Ino whose jaw dropped as she was called in, Naruto couldn't find it in herself to look at Sasuke or Itachi, waiting expectantly for her. The color of gifts in their hands, one a dark blue and the other an orange - she could feel her heart cave. The knowledge that she let them down, two more people who thought they knew that she was going to pass of all people, made the decision to fail hurt that much more.
Jumping to the rooftop and hiding on the other side of the Academy, she could still hear the celebratory noise. Hands fisting at the edge of her tracksuit, tears stubbornly forced their way to the surface.
Footsteps beneath her however revealed Mizuki, a false look of concern once again. Knowing now that he always held a grudge against her, sabotaging some of her education and being rougher than normal in sparring, a spark of anger had bubbled in her. She couldn't see it before but now her vision was clear.
And like before, he offered her to pass the makeup exam.
Raising quickly at the urgent knocking, Itachi opened it in surprise to see the feminine arts teacher from the academy looking hassled and out of breath. Behind him, Sasuke rose from his seat. "Naruto Uzumaki has stolen the forbidden scroll! Hokage-sama has demanded a village search, all active shinobi above chunin are to look for her."
Thanking her as he slipped on his sandals, he deflected Sasuke's question of what the scroll was, told him to stay put, and that he'd return quickly.
Hiding his panic and uncertainty easily, he reached the apartment complex's rooftop quickly and summoned a fleet of crows. All seeking for her familiar blonde tuff or her chakra signature, he found himself 20 minutes later jumping through the trees past the training grounds that led outside the village. In the air, there were three familiar chakra signatures. Unknowing why she would suddenly steal an important scroll and start a village hunt with no explanation to him of all people, he hid his chakra and cautiously approached the clearing where shouting was coming from.
Hidden behind a tree, holding the large scroll tightly to her chest, the future Hokage shook with tears in her eyes.
On the other side of said tree, Iruka was bleeding heavily from a deep wound. High on another trees branch, readying a large throwing star in the injured man's direction, Mizuki cockily announced their deaths.
"Once I take care of you, I will find that demon brat and take care of her! The village will thank me for ridding them of her, just like you would if she hadn't tricked you! She killed your parents, why wouldn't you kill that monster in revenge?"
"She is.. difficult. She's a troublemaker. Has no respect, no filter. But she is not the Kyuubi! She is Naruto Uzumaki, our future Hokage and you will not kill her, not over my dead body!"
"Luckily you will be dead in a minute anyway, don't worry. I would've let you lived if you had joined me!" About to launch himself to block the attack, Itachi paused when Naruto did.
Kunai throwing the star shuriken off course and off into the bushes, she stood before Iruka with the scroll. Blue chakra visibly swirling around her, her anger was easily felt in the air. Her signature tracksuit had the jacket unzipped, flapping wildly as she glared hard at the white-haired man. Black shirt raised to reveal her seal set aflame, he was obviously intimated at the appearance of it. "You will not hurt Iruka-sensei."
"You think you can defeat me alone, demon?"
Folding her hands together for nothing, hidden from her true sensei, she shouted her signature jutsu - finally completing the technique sealless unknowing to Iruka.
"Kage no bunshin!"
A poof had filled the clearing, thousands of Naruto's summoned into existence. Hanging off the trees upside down and along the trunks, knuckles were cracked and their glares only intensified. The ones that had appeared beside him were surprised even though they quickly turned their attention back to the traitorous chunin when the original released a battle cry. Abandoned with the scroll, the tanned man watched with amazement as the sea of orange descended on a man, shouts and the sound of skin on skin echoing the clearing for a long while.
Only one Naruto remained behind, watching him from the corner of its eye.
Feeling his stomach unsettle slightly as the realization hit him - she wanted her graduation to remain the same. Wondering how she actually became a genin then, Mizuki was painfully tied up by the original blonde when the army had dispersed. Not paying attention to the injured as she took care of a traitor, said hurt man had risen from his spot at the tree's base.
"Naruto, come here."
Giving one last kick to Muziki's stomach, she quickly spun and practically bounced to Iruka. "Close your eyes."
Removing her goggles and replacing them with the headband, when she was told to open her eyes, Itachi closed his own as he listened to the happy shouts when she flung herself at him, the reminder of his open wound quickly sending them out of the clearing and in the direction of the village. Turning to the clone that was watching him, he couldn't help but ask. "Why did you want this to turn out the same?"
Shrugging, it gave a soft smile. "I guess boss wanted to take care of the traitor and to remember that Iruka still loved her, even with how things changed so far."
"Ah." Nodding in understanding, he and the clone approached the beaten man. Watching him flinch at their arrival, he manhandled him before turning to the clone. "Would she admit that herself to me later?" Wondering as she had repeatedly closed her door when he attempted to know her inner thoughts on reliving her life from before roughly the same, the knowledge he could hound the clones on why was good to know.
"Nope!" Popping the p, it pointed a finger and laughed at him. Raising an eyebrow at the different personalities, it snorted and stuck its tongue out. "Boss wants you to focus on Sasuke. She can handle herself, ya know? Or she thinks she can, 'cause she did last time around."
Understanding once more, he watched the clone tease the soon to be prisoner before it paused and looked him up and down. "Yes?" He asked.
"Ya know, cause my creator some trouble. It's boring that you're so nice all the time damnit!"
It was as if all the snark, pettiness, and the bored prankster would reveal itself in her clones, them uncaring of too many consequences as they were going to pop away anyways. Still left at a loss on what kind of trouble, he adjusted the traitor on his shoulder and started to make his way to the village. Not hearing a pop or footsteps following, he cocked an eyebrow when he turned his head.
Head tilted, an out of place half grin graced its lips. Eyes lowered before a disturbed and panicked look took over as it made eye contact, it popped immediately when Itachi understood what it meant by trouble.
It appeared she had an inner pervert as well, he mused. Knowing her future senseis, he couldn't say he was too surprised.
Later after turning Mizuki into the Hokage, he returned home to a sleeping Sasuke on the couch. Book playing a balancing act on his lap, the Uchiha head gently plucked it and returned it to its shelf. With a special holder for it to be displayed on, it was one of their mother's many diaries, the years thankfully well before Sasuke was even born and therefore a safe and thoughtful gift. Turning the lamp off and settling a blanket over his brother, he quickly entered the hallway once more with Naruto's own gift in hand. Knocking on his neighbor's door, the muffled permission had him observing her.
Hair remaining spiky, it reaching her shoulders in a wild and untamable mess. It reminded him of the Fourth Hokage, only a feminine and childish face hid under the golden mane. The headband placed on her forehead before was now in her hands, her caressing the engraved symbol. Tired eyes stared at it, her slouched position at the edge of her bed with her sandals beside her, he could only picture the 16 year old that attempted to face him one on one before he hid Shisui's eye within her.
"My clones need to shut up," she mused to him with half a grin. Nodding once as he sat at her kitchen table, she sighed and crossed her legs. "Do you know why they're so.. weird compared to last time? Why they act so differently?"
"I think it's because they do not care to hide what they're thinking or feeling. They will disappear and not suffer the consequences of talking about their feelings, unlike you," he replied simply. Watching her scowl and not become surprised, he assumed she came to the same conclusion as him. "Why did you fail the exam?"
"Well I took care of a traitor again, got to get a reason to know about Kurama without gettin' anyone in trouble, and I got my headband back," she said with a small smile. Showing off the well-loved but clearly used headband, he was surprised while she continued. "The other Naruto had this headband all her life, and I dunno.. if we are supposed to be on a path of some kind to stop that scratch in the sky, then I need to do what she did. I need to know who my loved ones are, and I got to know who to protect them from, how to win and how careful I gotta be 'cause they can still end up hurt if I forget the little details. I - I almost forgot that Mizuki was a traitor, who killed his teammates before becoming my teacher."
The intensity of her stare made him almost uncomfortable, him not being in that position. His other life was full of criminal acts, the chance of coming across those he had hurt is nearly impossible.
"I can and will take care of myself, Itachi. But thank you, for being here. For helping where you can," Staring ahead and refusing to look at him, she jutted her lip out as her eyes and cheeks turned red in her fight against tears. Embarrassed to accept his help for some peculiar reason, he abandoned the kitchen table and sat beside her instead. Unsure on what response would be appropriate, he only slid the orange gift bag to her to open. Folding his hands on his lap as she nearly lept at it, he felt the need to explain when she held the item up.
"My necklace is cosmetic, a gift from Shisui as I had appreciated the necklace his father had once worn. Mine was specially made, a knock off I still wear for him. That one however, I found in the belongings of Shisui after his suicide. I wasn't sure what to do with it, until now." Pointing at the middle loop that would rest perfectly between her collar bones, he flipped it around to show the engraving he had placed. "Shisui's eye is here, rather than underneath your tongue this time."
Eyes widened as she softly ran her hands along the jewelry, flipping the hollowed circles around and finding the fine scratches of battles long past and a fiddled part that had weakened against the heat it had once faced, she swallowed loudly. "H - How did Shisui's dad die?"
"He was long dead before the massacre, a loyal shinobi underneath Tobirama Senju despite still being so young. He never did get to meet Shisui, dying before he knew he was on the way." Brushing her hair back, ready to see her wear it, her breath hitched as she tried making him take the gift back. Back in the bag and shoved into his arms, he quickly took it out and had her hair in his hands while it dangled in front of her face. It went unspoken that she didn't think she deserved it once more, and he readjusted his grip at her wince. "You may have not told me about how today went and will not tell me about other events for one reason or another, but you still deserve it. I cannot trust anyone more than I trust you. You're not my Hokage as of yet if that is still your dream, but I will always owe you mynd follow you."
Watching her shoulders relax, Itachi released her and quickly did it up. Sitting beside her once more and observing her appearance, she rolled her shoulders and looked down at it.
"I - I'm sorry I haven't been honest, about how this is all bothering me." Bringing her knees to her chest, he nodded. At least with him, he had someone to follow. She only had the demon in her gut to ask for advice and help on, pride and her outliving him by 76 years trying to convince her on why to be quiet.
"I cannot pretend to understand, but I believe I'm the only one you can talk to about it other than Kurama. My other self was a criminal that committed atrocious acts against the nations, it's odd to wake up and be preparing breakfast for my loved ones in a village I know I was once the monster of." Head perking up and facing him, he gave her a long look. "You have your path laid before you, steps you must take once more. It is a different type of exhaustion, to be walking yourself through each scenario and to be constantly waiting for the next thing, knowing its already going on in the shadows."
He wasn't surprised when her head found itself underneath his chin, the large hug normally reserved for his homecomings after long missions. Gently resting his hand on the back of her spiky mane, he could barely understand her as her face was pressed against his shirt.
"You do get it then, how hard it can be and how I'm so fuckin' - it's all too much." Nodding against her hair, he felt her hands find his shirt and grabbed it tightly. "Y-You're the only one, who I can turn to and I'm so scared that it'll push you away if I just run my motormouth nonstop."
All she needed was someone to be there, Itachi knew. The Seventh Hokage needed someone to lean on sometimes, rather than being the one holding the world on her shoulders always.
"You cannot push me away, is all you need to tell yourself. I am here for you as I am here for Sasuke."
Shaking in his arms, it was hours full of sobs and tripping over her words to explain how tired she was, how much it had hurt to fail the exam when she knew she could pass, and how exhausting it was to be reliving the other Naruto's life at night, waking up to feel as though she had fought those battles herself.
He refused to let her go, besides for her to readjust her head to hear her more clearly. When she had fallen asleep finally, he waited until she was deep within her dreams to place her upon her bed and to tuck her in.