Disclaimer: Of all the things I don't own, I think I'd enjoy a sharingan the most… Maybe a byakuugan, either would be cool…

Author's Note: I don't know if the cursed seal actually does this (you'll see what in chapter) but remember this is just fanfiction!

Chapter 12: Revelations

It was a very clear night, the stars glittering clearly over the Hokage monument and reflecting in the water. The town seemed dead, and no lights were on.

That was when Naruto noticed the footfalls behind them…

Now Naruto knew he was never known to be a very intelligent person. But his instinct was an altogether different story, and he'd learned to listen to it. When the animal inside was threatened, it was time to start thinking about what to do. He took a few more minutes to be sure before he said anything to the girls. Before long, Naruto was sure that the sounds were not coming from them, and there was nothing to cause an echo.

"Hinata-chan," He whispered, stepping closer and placing a hand on her back so that he could be sure she was the only one who heard him. "We're being followed."

The girl shivered visibly and swallowed hard. He cautioned her not to change the pace and stayed closer to her than before. She whispered a warning to Hanabi who nodded slightly.

"Should we use byakuugan?" Hanabi asked.

"If you can be discrete about it," Naruto replied and both girls activated the technique. They spent a minute or two searching without turning around.

"Behind us to the right, about fifty feet away and hard to see," Hinata whispered to Naruto.

"Hinata-nee-san," Hanabi sounded worried. "There are two of them… I think one of them is carrying something big…"

"Don't worry you two," Naruto smiled. "I'll take care of you."

There was a sound like the wind, and they suddenly had someone standing in front of them and someone standing behind them. The girls gasped in surprise and Naruto frowned, trying to think of what to do. It was too dark out to make out the faces of those who had ambushed them.

"So this is the kid with the nine-tails?" The one in front of them asked.

XXX

Sasuke continued to run after his cousin but had barely managed to come within arm's length of her. All she had told him was that Naruto and Hinata were in trouble and needed help. Somehow he felt that there was more to it, or maybe she didn't know why she felt it was so dangerous.

But as they got closer, he started to recognize the chakra.

It couldn't be, he thought, waiting until they were closer. But then he felt it pulse again, and he was more convinced that he knew who the trouble was. But why would he come back now? It had been years since he was in Konoha.

And Neko was heading straight for him.

"Neko!" Sasuke yelled and grabbed her. She was jerked to a stop and glared at him angrily. "You can't go, let me go alone."

"They're in trouble! You can't help them alone!" She yelled and tried to pull away. He had an iron lock on her arm, and he wouldn't let her break it. He wouldn't let her face him.

"I'm so sorry Neko…" Sasuke said. When she was about to protest, he punched her in the temple, knocking her out. She fell limply against him, and he felt guilty. Gently laying her against a nearby tree, Sasuke then ran to help his teammate by following the familiar feel of his chakra.

XXX

"What is he talking about, Naruto-kun?" Hinata was worried and Naruto bit his lip. He couldn't tell her that they were apparently looking for him.

"I guess so," the companion replied. The one in front of the three stepped forward slowly, allowing them to make out a black cape with red clouds on it. The larger one behind them chuckled slightly.

"Show your faces, you cowards!" Naruto shouted, not to taunt but rather to let someone out there hear them. Two ninja would not gang up on a pair of genins—knowing what he was—without being some ridiculously high rank.

A young man, probably in his twenties, stepped out of the shadows and Naruto stared in surprise. He had jet black hair and his face looked young except for two lines on his cheeks. But it was the eyes that caused him to stare. Only Sasuke, Kakashi and Neko had those eyes. Who could this guy be? Was it a trick?

"So you know an Uchiha?" the man asked coolly. "I can tell from the surprise in your eyes."

"Can I take the girls?" The dark haired man's companion asked. Naruto chanced a look over his shoulder. The man was huge, looked like he was a creature from the black lagoon, and carried a massive sword. Hinata and Hanabi were both in the typical jyuuken pose, ready to attack.

"We have a job to do, Kisame," the man replied, with the same emotionless tone that he'd used before.

"I think you can handle it," the one called Kisame chuckled again, a truly gruesome sound.

"Leave them alone," Naruto growled and created twenty shadow replications. They surrounded him and the two Hyuuga heiresses. Kisame chuckled again, and that was when Naruto turned around to see half of his replications vanish with a wave of the dark-haired man's arm. The Konoha ninja gasped when the last of the shadow replications were gone. Now their attackers stood side by side and waited for a reaction.

"You didn't think we could do that so quickly, did you?" Kisame grinned horribly down at them. Within seconds the shark-like creature had Hinata by the throat and was lifting her into the air.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled.

XXX

Neji sat upright, eyes wide open and his breathing rapid. He yelled for a nurse in a sense of panic, feeling suddenly helpless. One of them came over to him and made him lay back down before he hurt himself. Neji grumbled the whole time and finally convinced the woman to leave him alone and get Tsunade. She seemed happy to have a reason to go.

That could not have been a dream, it just was not possible. But it just felt so real. He cautiously raised a hand to his forehead and felt for the mark. It was hot; which usually meant that either Hinata or Hanabi needed help.

That man with the black hair… Why had he looked so much like Sasuke?

XXX

Kakashi was watching Tsunade with mild interest as she contemplated the idea of revealing her heritage to Neko. Yes, her mother had been a Neko. Tsunade had spent several years learning that technique that allowed her to foresee necessary things. It kept her calm during relations with other countries, and it helped when a crisis was near. But it was far from perfect. The choices made always affected the future, and so when she developed the advanced sight she found that it was not as much help as one would have thought. She had not seen this disaster coming; she had only felt the instinct that something would go wrong. That was why she had sent Team Gai.

"I doubt it would help her, she would be better off learning alone," Tsunade said, more to herself than to Kakashi.

"But she would appreciate it all the same," Kakashi pointed out. He watched with a raised eyebrow as Tsunade's gaze went blank, and he frowned when she started to sway in her place. "Tsunade-sama?"

"We've got trouble again," Tsunade turned and left the room abruptly. A nurse appeared and babbled about Hyuuga Neji needing to see her, but stopped once the Hokage brushed past.

XXX

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto had yelled and immediately produced two more clones to help him form a rasengan. He charged at the sharkman, attack ready, and was about to make contact.

"N-Nar..uto…Duck," Hinata managed to gasp. Naruto looked up at the last minute and saw that giant sword coming down upon him. He tried to bring up the rasengan in defense, but the sword fell faster than he moved.

"Naruto!" Hanabi yelled and was about to run for him when—

Someone jumped in and shoved Naruto out of the way. Naruto landed on his butt with a thud and his rescuer rolled away to safety.

Itachi said nothing and watched as his brother breathed heavily in anger and did nothing to help his teammate stand.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke yelled at his closest relative.

"It's no concern of yours," Itachi finally answered. Sasuke's face hardened into a glare and he made no reply. "Have you grown at all brother? You're still acting so rashly."

"You're one to talk; you're the one who killed them. All of them," Sasuke replied then looked over at Hinata squirm in Kisame's grip. "Let her go, she has nothing to do with this."

"Neither do you," Itachi answered for Kisame. Before anyone could see it, Itachi had Sasuke pinned against a tree. "Why are you so weak?..."

Sasuke grunted and Naruto was torn. Help Hinata or help Sasuke? Both were in bad spots, and both were his friends… He looked up at Hinata again and noticed the color of her face. Naruto jumped up into the trees and formulated a quick plan to try and save her again. Sasuke was strong, and was able to use his hands if needed.

"It is because you lack…" Itachi continued. "…Hatred."

"I hate you…" Sasuke managed to say and Itachi barely reacted.

"Even so, perhaps I should do now what I should have done then…" Sasuke could feel the tip of the kunai against his neck. It was cold, and sharp. Sasuke closed his eyes, bracing for it. These past few years were torment, all because of this man. Now this same man was going to end it all. Should he be angry or grateful?

Sasuke's eyes shot open when the weight pressed against him was torn away. Itachi sat several feet away, looking angry and stunned, and Neko slowly stood up in between her cousins. She held several kunai in each hand and looked slightly over her shoulder at Sasuke.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," Her tone drippedwith anger before she turned back to the task at hand. Itachi had gotten to his feet by now. He stared at her in wonder, probably wondering why any female with skills like hers would bother saving Sasuke.

"And just who are you?" Itachi demanded, sounding annoyed. She stared back at him with hate in her eyes, and heard Sasuke come up and stand next to her.

"Go help Naruto and Hinata," Sasuke ordered.

"No, this is where I should be," She said, never looking away.

"Answer me, kunoichi," His eyes almost seemed to darken. She had already noted that he had sharingan, meaning that this had to be the Uchiha Itachi. Her cousin. Someone who would have killed her parents had he been given the chance.

Kakashi and Tsunade had told her that she now had mangekyou sharingan, which looks like a red and black pinwheel when it uses the tsukiyomi, an illusionary attack. His sharingan had grown darker, and she noted that he was probably about to attack her with it. So Neko closed her eyes and activated her own sharingan, allowing him to see just what kind if a ninja he was dealing with.