X|X.
Kakashi felt waves of blinding red wash past him. The warm colors overpowering his senses completely; the illusions of Rin, Minato-sensei, and Obito appearing right before his eyes. The sight itself was painful enough to look at, reminding the young man of times of old. Falling into the hands of the Uchiha was tempting, the gift far more than anything money could ever pay for.
After all, he had his family back again. A blonde man who resembled his late father maybe not physically, but they both had too good of a heart. A brash boy who was like a little brother in a lot of ways. From his flat out obnoxious silliness and also his will to become even stronger than Kakashi himself. And perhaps...even a friend.
As for Rin...she was so sweet, bold, and too kind for her own good. More than anyone else had ever been in his lonely life. If anything, she of all people didn't deserve all of these hardships of pain and suffering. But alas, she chose this road of life. If the shinobi world wasn't so cruel, so heartless, then maybe - just maybe - her life could've been spared. He sighed, it would do him no good to feel any more pain. His life was already full of it; what with his allies dying left and right. It was best not to grow too attached to others, otherwise it would only hurt him in the end.
He wouldn't let his sensei's son die. Not now, at least.
And because of that miniscule fact...he couldn't succumb to the Genjutsu just yet. Under his mask, he pulled out his Sharingan eye. Only then did the redness dissipate; his eyes clearing the vision of darkness like a light to the dark. At the Akatsuki camp, all of the members there looked aghast at the display of overwhelming power unleashed upon them. Itachi stared down at him with wide eyes. 'How...can it be possible? He deflected my Genjutsu with his Mangekyou Sharingan...'
'I underestimated the Hatake yet again.' Itachi admitted to himself. But what what would happen now? It's not like he could kill him right here, right now. "Well done, Sharingan-user." He confessed, circling around him like a predator to it's prey. "You saw through my Genjutsu so easily. A small feat almost unheard of; I'm impressed." Kakashi eyes his surroundings, stunned. He was no longer tied up at the pole with Naruto...this was his chance of freedom. In fact, now that he saw it clearly, a fire shield was wrapped all around him. Light emitted from whatever that shell was; alarming both Kakashi and the members to an extent. The jounin figured the Akatsuki had something to do with this..
When Kakashi blinked up at the Uchiha, Itachi saw a fire flicker in his eyes.
"Let go of Naruto, Itachi! You are already under high scrutiny of Konoha. Once they save him, you will stay away." The jounin spat out like acid. "Must I repeat myself once again?" The Uchiha yawned. "He is a valuable Nine Tails...one of the Jinchuuriki we need for the plans of the Akatsuki. He is vital to our forces. As for you?" Itachi placed his foot on Kakashi's arm with the force that no human could endure. Then again, Kakashi was no simple villager; he was a shinobi.
His arm had twisted, and a searing white pain flashed through his eyes. "Unngh!" Kakashi gritted his teeth painfully. With superhuman speed, Itachi had kicked him in the crotch, to which he doubled over on the ground. It was then that Itachi had his hands on his throats, practically choking him. The missing nin's eyes were blank and glassy, as if he had done this a thousand times before. Somehow, Kakashi did not doubt it for a second. "We have no use for you...though I'm sure once we kill you we will want the eyes for the taking." A glint shimmered in the Uchiha's black eyes. Stepping away, he had turned to gaze at the campfire beside them. "Burning you alive like those mythical stories of witches' black magic dying with them...fitting, isn't it? That's your fate."
The jounin feared for his safety, but only for a moment. Naruto's life mattered much more.
'They only see him as an object of destruction!' Kakashi thought, power building up inside of him. He could feel his chakra at it's climax, ready to strike at any given moment. 'It's like he's not even human in their eyes.' Once he released the pressure, a force field of electricity burst throughout the camp. Everyone (excluding Naruto) were put under a paralysis.
'I - I can't believe it!' Kakashi's hands were shaking as he stood up from the remains of the campout. Their bodies were electrocuting; only fatal if they weren't as powerful as him. Hatake cursed himself for not killing them sooner, but this would do for now. 'I knocked them out, but not for too long...' He faced his student with concern, crouching down close to him. 'Naruto, I'll come back for you, with all of Konoha behind me. I swear to you!' He reached out a hand to brush a stray strand of blonde hair. 'Good luck...' Kakashi planted a kiss on the blonde's forehead and left in a flurry of speed.
XXX
"Show it to me," the hokage demanded one night.
Naruto reluctantly rolled up his sleeve to show the many cuts and scars along his wrist. If possible, Hiruzen's frown deepened. The smoking pipe went forgotten. "Who hurt you again?" he asked carefully, with barely suppressed emotion.
"T - the villagers. They hate me, remember?" Naruto says, his voice trembling slightly. His eyes were downcast, looking down at his sandals as they continued their stroll. The boy was holding his hand as they were walking through the streets of the Village Hidden In The Leaves. And he was only five. Five years of age and being beaten because of what he was. Simply unjust. "A - and no one wants me at the orphanage. No m - mama, no p - papa."
"You are strong, my boy," Hiruzen says evenly, "you will live. Someday, the storms will subside. By then, you'll be a formidable shinobi." Smiling softly, he ruffled his hair playfully. The blonde pouted cutely, and blushed. "Y - you really think so?"
"I know so," Hiruzen says, "only time will tell."
"Now, how about that bowl of ramen you wanted?" the hokage asked, as they neared the Ichiraku restaurant. Naruto's smile widened and his eyes lit up at the mention of his favorite food."Ooo! Oh, yeah! Buy me seconds!" Not being able to say no to those baby doll eyes, he passed the ryo to Ayame and Teuchi who both laughed full of smiles at the blonde.
XXX
Hiruzen sighed, looking outside the window of his office. The moon was still high up in the sky with foreboding clouds around it.
'I hope he is alright, wherever he is...' He thinks solemnly, hands grasped behind his back. 'I imagine that boy is training long and hard for the Chunin Exams. He sure is something else.'
He then turned to look inside his crystal ball, and saw - to his dismay - one of his jounin on the run. Kakashi Hatake was jumping branch to branch on treetops clad in Akatsuki robes for whatever reason. What disturbed him to no end was how he seemed to be in a chase. But from what, exactly? 'What could he be up to this time?' He asked himself curiously, eyes glued on the magical ball hungrily.
But then he disappeared in a POOF! of smoke, leaving the hokage to his thoughts. Standing stock still, he felt a chill in the air, sending shivers down his spine. "Orochimaru," he replied calmly, without even turning around to see the subject in question.
"Old man." The snake sannin smirks, stabbing him from behind without warning.
"Nighty night~!"
"Sakura? Sakura?" A voice called out at the dead of night. She remembered waking up abruptly from her dream, sensing a lot of chakra waves from outside. As a ninja, she could sense them a miles away. Feeling that much at this hour was why she decided to investigate in the first place. And apparently she wasn't the only one, oh no. Masses of people were murmuring in hushed voices on the streets. Some of them hustling in search parties with lanterns to find the source(s) of the commotion.
Ino pushed through the crowds of people dressed all in black. 'What's the occasion?' She thought to herself, her head looking around at all the people. She was about to take a turn to the main village area, but was blocked by a group of men. "Buzz off, kiddo." One of the ANBU shooed her away, but she stayed in place stubbornly. "Funeral is for ROOT and ANBU only. No shinobi or villagers allowed. Hokage's orders."
"H - Hey! What's going on?" She snapped angrily, teeth clenched. She tried to peek past their shoulders but they shoved her away. "Reports came in; Konoha called." They replied after a long-suffering sigh. "Our hokage died tonight. We're working on finding a replacement as we speak."
"What d'you mean he's...dead?" She asked, mouth agape. 'No way...there's just no way.' She shook her head, disbelieving it. "Supposedly, a few witnesses watched as Orochimaru-sama slit his throat from behind. His head was severed off completely, like a chicken with it's head cut off." Ino scrunched her face in disgust, sticking her tongue out. She did NOT need that mental image. 'Would it be a far stretch to think that he wasn't alone? I mean, he did come from the Sound, didn't he?' She placed a hand under her chin in contemplation, and widened her eyes once the truth had hit her. Of course! It was right under her nose this whole time!
'Wait! Sakura mentioned some visitor from the Sound a few days back.' She recalled, a girl with red hair and glasses popping into the forefront of her mind. 'Don't tell me it was...!'
XXX
As Ino and Sakura were watering the plants in their greenhouse, the younger of the two removing her gardening gloves. "Hey, Ino? Mind if I tell you something?" Sakura asked out of the blue, eyes trained on the little droplets plopping off the plant's leaves. "Sure. Go ahead." The blonde says without a second thought. Whatever she had to say, she was all ears.
"Maybe you don't know about this, but...I've heard from the Konoha gate ANBU that the hokage is letting in another foreigner outside of the village. We don't really know much about her...but she's supposedly a skilled sensory type. Anyway, I'm going to be her tour guide for the day! Isn't that amazing?" She squeaked excitedly, green eyes lighting up like a thousand lights; stunning her fellow kunoichi for a second.
Ino blinked, her mind slowly digesting the information before feeling her boiling hot rage build up. 'Her? And another girl? No way! Doesn't she realize her best friend is right here.' Ino crossed her arms, and glaring at nothing in particular. "It's not that weird!" Sakura laughed it off, seeing the baffled look on the Yamanaka's face. "'Sides, it's just a visit. It's not like it's anything long lasting."
'Ugh, when has she ever been so wise?' The blonde asked to herself, mouth agape. 'It's almost like I'm talking to an elderly woman...Geez, that's the weirdest thing I've ever thought of!'
"Pfft...Whatever." Ino huffed. "Go flock off to some stranger for all I care. While you're off having fun, I'M going do cool things like practice my jutsus, thank you very much." Sensing the haughtiness in her best friend's voice, Sakura knew something was up. "Ino...are you jealous?" Haruno knew she had struck the jackpot when a flabbergasted expression overshadowed her friend's face. "Me? Jealous? Of course not, what do you expect?" Ino looks away with a 'hmph!'. "That's a stupid assumption to make. I don't care about you being with some... with some low life. Go have fun." The blonde waves a dismissive hand, looking away.
"Well, she's going to come here whether you like it or not, Ino - Pig." Sakura says matter of factly. "Oh, but I do hope she'll get along with Naruto and Sasuke-kun...that's what I'm worried about."
"Of course she will, Miss Forehead!" Ino says with a smile gracing on her lips. "You're one of the best girls in the village. Next to me, of course." She propped an arm around Sakura casually, and smirked devilishly."Oh, stop it, you pig!" What followed after was a fight of giggles, both of them laughing and calling it a night.
XXX
Ino sighed to herself. 'I'll never forget that night, THAT's for sure. Not when she's like a sister to me.'
'Moreover, it just goes to show that this is all just a ploy.' Of course. She should've known, from the moment she locked eyes with the stranger that she was just some spy. Ino facepalmed, when she realized this a little too late. "Ok, tell me where they are!" She shouted, opening her arms. The two men exchanged glances.
"Listen, little lady. Kids like you shouldn't be wandering around at this time of night. Especially when we are already on the search for the legendary third ninja himself."
"No!" She crossed her arms with an arrogant smirk. "Not if I can help it! I wanna know what's goin' on!" She walked up to them and jabbed a finger in their chest. A feat no small ninja could complete, but then again, she wasn't just some normal ninja. Activating her mind's powers, she saw into their minds by performing her clan's jutsu.
The two froze up.
"Look, maybe it doesn't matter to you, but my friend is with them. Trust me, I know!" She says honestly, her eyes downcast. "She means a lot to me...and I can't bear to see someone like her die. So...please..." She begged, her eyes closed, expecting to be rejected yet again. A moment passed and she chanced a look. "Oh, alright. Normally something like this isn't permitted, but...this is just an exception. But, just this once! Now, as long as you don't report us associating with you on duty. Just...whatever you do, don't get caught."
"Will do." Ino stepped past them and glanced a look back to them. "Thank you." She says with sincerity and leaving. As they watched her run from afar, they smiled serenely, seeing a little of themselves in her.
"That girl sure is somethin' else, eh, Arin?"
"Damn right."
"N - Neji..." Hinata squeaked in her sleep, sweating profusely from her spot. Sitting upright, she pants and shivers, awaking her cousin from beside her. Hands on her shoulders, he looks at her in concern. "What is wrong? Is it a nightmare again?" The Hyuga shakes her head. "No, not that. S - something doesn't feel right. It's scary!" She yelped, sweat pouring down from her forehead. Neji's pale eyes glare down at her, but he knows she isn't lying. He tenses up once he feels an unusual amount of chakra in the atmosphere. Standing up, he hoists the small girl into his arms. "C'mon. I can feel it, too." They slide the paper doors and sneak out of the house before their elders wake up.
As he leaps off into the rooftops outside, he activates his Byakugan and sees up to five meters ahead of him. What unfolds before them is a strange sight. Taking a step back, he is unprepared to see as many people as he did. Hinata audibly gulps, her teeth chattering. "It's cold..." she hiccups into her sleeve, and sneezes. "A-A-ACHOOOOO!" She sniffles, voice nasally, "S-Sorry, Neji-san..."
"No, it's fine. Hinata-chan, stay with me here. I'm going to get to the bottom of this." He mumbles, landing softly in padded footsteps. Peering past the darkness, his eyes widen.
'What is the meaning of this?' Most of the blocks around the neighborhood are blocked off completely by ANBU or ROOT guards. Even so, there were a lot of villagers gathering in groups, chattering in low voices. He eavesdrops in on one of them, keeping a distance. "...Oh, yes, indeed. It is quite dangerous how the guards let slip of such a vile man. It's deeply disturbing..." One pregnant woman fans herself, skin ghostly pale. "Shh! Not so loud..." An elderly man shushes her, looking around worriedly. "You don't want the children to hear of this..."
"Well, we must devise a plan. This map alone isn't enough to track down Orochimaru, one of the most legendary ninjas of all time. He could be anywhere!" The strategist argues from the group, "Anyone got any ideas?"
"Our best course of action is to split up into factions," A veteran ANBU counters, "we can't let this man get away with the death of the hokage. We know he is somewhere within these perameters. Formation one, take to the south of the village. Formation two, to the north. I'll scout east and west in search of the missing children. If I don't return with them in one piece...assume the worst."
"Aye, aye," the captains of the squads saluted, marching off to separate directions.
Hinata tugged on Neji's sleeve lightly. "Neji-san, we should go..." She pleaded, looking into his eyes. "No, something is amiss." He looks away from her, stepping away from them before they caught sight of him and to gather his thoughts. Seeing two ANBU walking their way, he speaks up with his cousin in his arms.
"You there! What's going on here?" One of them looked disgruntled, and spat in his face, shoving him away with the good side of his spear. "Back off, Hyuga. We're currently on the lookout for Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and..." they paused, "... Uzumaki Naruto. Until the coast is clear, you will stay safe in your homes, got it? Report to us if you see them." They walked away in the opposite direction they had come, sending a glare their way.
Neji turned to Hinata, who was shaking like a leaf.
"N - Naruto-kun is...missing?!"
"I see you've come at last." Danzo says coolly, placing a china tea cup down carefully between the two of them. Steam wavers around the room, and the wooden boards creak under them. "Hmph." Sasuke stepped out of the shadows, sitting opposite of him. His cloak was tossed aside, clad in only his black outfit now to camouflage in with his surroundings. "I suppose you want something from me. You've come all this way from Konoha for something, correct?"
And he wasn't wrong. Sasuke did want something.
"I need to know the power to true strength." Seeing him raise a brow and sip his cup, he added in, "Kakashi only taught me about the basics...nothing more than that. Even then I couldn't bear it all by myself. I've left my own team, so...tell me. Please." Looking up at him imploringly, he was not expecting such a display of objection.
"I'm afraid I cannot, not when I see that there's something troubling you."
"You are lost." He replied, seeing Sasuke's torn face. The boy perked up with wide eyes. Danzo chuckled. "I knew it... You still don't know whether or not to stay with your team. Believe me, I know."
"Despite that, you attacked one of your teammates and ultimately failed, leaving him to the hands of the enemy. Now, he's out there somewhere. Waiting for you."
"How'd you know about that...?" Sasuke asked, aghast. Danzo simply nodded and continued his monologue.
"Now is not the time to learn the truth about your brother. And, when the time comes, you will save both him and Naruto from their fate. But, there are more pressing matters at hand. Such as you." Danzo turned to face him, peering into his eyes, as if seeing through his soul. The Uchiha cleared his throat, finding his voice again. "I wasn't strong enough against him," Sasuke argued bitterly, "It was like everything I had trained to become stronger was all for nothing. My whole life I waited for that moment...to finally avenge my family. Naruto was still kidnapped with or without me... I was useless yet again." He gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes. "I need guidance, Danzo." He stressed. To any normal person, he would've seemed like an emotional brat. But, even the old man could see the underlying tones of sadness. The Uchiha was truly broken without his ray of sunshine. For that, he reconsidered his choices.
"It is not in my place to tell you what or what not to do. But, know this. There is a cursed man out there in this world who has the key to ultimate power. With him, he carries the Sword of Kusanagi, a blade wielded only by the best of the best. Those who obtain it are said to carry the legendary strength of the sannin himself. Of course, it is a rumor, so I do not know if it's true. If you so wish, you can seek him out." Sasuke's eyes widened. He knew this man from his dream. The one who promised him power at a price. Seeing the look on the pretty boy's face, the older man knew he had struck a nerve.
"I suppose you know the tales of Orochimaru, then. He is one of the three legendary ninjas of his time. If you seek his power, then you must fall into darkness... In the process, you might lose your little hope in humanity and become a monster of your former self."
"I don't care. Where is he?" Sasuke growled, desire hinting in his voice. The old man chuckled. "He is somewhere within the depths of the Sound. But...are you sure about all this? The path you walk on is of pain and loss; you're willing to sacrifice your loved ones in the process. Not only that, but yourself, as well."
"Whatever it takes," the brat says simply. "I've already gotten this far. What's one more thing?"
The Uchiha made to stand up and leave, but Danzo slapped him with the end of his cane. The Uchiha's back arched painfully. "What was that for?" Sasuke's snapped, eyes twitching angrily, a vein popping off his forehead. "Ah, ah, ah. Not yet." Danzo scolded. "...As I said. That is only if you seek power, but you will be all alone. In that loneliness, you will lose yourself. The only thing that would matter to you was the death of Itachi Uchiha by your hand."
"Your brother wouldn't want you to do this," Danzo warned, and something in his voice was sincere. "What would he want me to do, then? Kill the dobe for his own pleasure?"
"Alas, that is a tale for another time...Don't go into this blindly," The old man cautioned, wagging a finger as if scolding a child. The Uchiha brat nodded, and then turned to face the window. "Naruto..." Sasuke murmured, looking outside at the rain, the only ambience filling the quietness of the room.
"What about him?" Danzo raised a questioning eyebrow at the boy. "The Akatsuki has him..." Sasuke clenched his hand into fists. "I know Orochimaru is part of the Akatsuki, so it's only a matter of time before I join him. And I will be with them from here on out, so...how will I save him all by myself? I'd just look like a traitor in their eyes."
"You won't be saving him if you capture the tailed beasts!" Danzo laughed. "Unless you want him to die, dear boy?"
A heavy silence set between them.
"I'm going." The black-haired boy says suddenly, leaving the hut. With one last look, he says, "I had my fair share of wisdom, thanks."
"This is a map of where you need to go. Stay out of sight. Good luck." Danzo stands up and hands an old and worn parchment over to him. Watching the boy leave, the old man sighs to himself. 'What a pity...' Danzo unravelled his arm wraps so that his Sharingan eyes opened. 'Once you die, your eyes will be all mine...'
