After 4 months you get a long story (over 7790 words), together with my apologies.
And here goes an announcement – from now on the series will be updated irregularly – mainly when I have time to write (sorry, but the real life has seriously been getting in a way with everything recently). So read and enjoy, and savour this moment. And please, feed my muse XD;
Title: Forgotten
Genre: General/Angst
Rating: K+/PG
Characters: Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Itachi (in a way...)
Summary: One day Naruto gets a mysterious package which sender is unknown. Trying to figure out who the sender is, he finds the key to his forgotten memories. A story about the friendship long lost and forgotten.
Warnings: er... How to say it... The story itself is not really spoilerish, even though I admit having used the part of the dialogue from chapter 403 (if you read it, you'll figure out which part is it.) Placed at not really determined time, after the mission on Tenchikyou (the Bridge of Heaven and Earth). If you really want to put it in canon, you know where to place it. The story is kind of related to my other story, What One Might Learn.
Sadly, I do not own Naruto.
The story was brought to you thanks to two songs: If We Hold On Together by Diana Ross and A Bad Dream by Keane.
!! ANOUNCEMENT !! (May 6th, 2009)
It appears that this story has been nominated to the ItaNaru Contest Awards in the category Best One-Shot in Angst/Tragedy and Best WIP in Angst/Tragedy. Whoever you are, you who nominated this story... Thank you :bows: You have my eternal gratitude.
More information about the contest here: http:// community. livejournal. com / itanaru_award /
Forgotten
Ravens are flying around him, surrounding him like a large, oddly-shaped cloud. Their flapping wings make little noise, but the feathers are gently brushing Naruto's skin and hair every time one of them comes closer to him, reminding him that it all is not as unreal as it seems to be. It's not that he's afraid of the ravens – he knows well enough that it's a genjutsu, nothing more – but the one who's created them and brought them into this twisted reality should definitely be feared.
Behind the ravens, Naruto can see Itachi, or rather the form Itachi has taken in that unreal world he has created. The man is hovering above him and his black cloak – or rather that part of it that the Uchiha has decided to keep in his illusion – moves slowly as if moved by gusts of wind. Itachi's pale skin draws a strong – maybe even stronger than usual – contrast with his dark hair and his cloak. There is no emotion on Itachi's face and his eyes gleam with that scary red that only a Sharingan might give them, so Naruto quickly averts his glance, suddenly remembering what other technique could be used on him.
Naruto's jaw tightens and his fists clench when he thinks about how easily he's fallen into this genjutsu. All of sudden anger appears and a glint of determination shines in Naruto's eyes, because there is no way he would just give in and let the man catch him and take to wherever Akatsuki hides.
"I'll say it once more. I only wish to talk with you," Itachi declares, but his words don't seem to convince Naruto, who scowls at Itachi in the reply.
Naruto's mind is focused on finding the way of breaking this illusion and freeing himself from the genjutsu created by the Uchiha. He prepares himself for this inevitable fight and tries to fight back all his hesitance and anxiety and replace them with determination. Once again his eyes turn to Itachi.
Itachi's eyes seem to gleam with a scary light, drawing Naruto's attention to them. Naruto tries to avert his look, because he knows that looking in this Sharingan is something that he definitely should not do under any circumstances. For some reason, however, he loses this fight. He looks into these eyes, gets lost in them and...
Naruto's eyes snap open. He sits abruptly in the bed and looks around, suddenly awoken from his dream. His heart pounds heavily in his chest, as if he ran many miles, and his hands tremble uncontrollably until he finally clutches his fingers on the blanket. It takes him a few seconds to realize that there is no Itachi around and that the whole scene was only a dream. Or maybe calling it a dream is not the best word that could be used here, as it all is a part of his past – something that has already happened and will probably never happen again.
His glance travels to the clock and he squints, trying to see it better. He frowns when his brain, still refusing to fully wake up, is slowly processing the image registered by his eyes.
"Is anybody there?" Suddenly, a voice from behind the door shouts, interrupting Naruto's pondering.
The boy blinks, tilts his head, once again glances at the clock and then a sudden realization comes.
I overslept, damn it!
Quickly he jumps out of the bed and rushes toward the entrance door, his bare feet pounding on the floor. He doesn't even bother to change his pyjamas to some other clothes, but it doesn't matter in a situation like this, especially that he knows who is standing behind the door.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan, I couldn't fall asleep and..." he blurts out while opening the door, but whatever he wanted to say is immediately forgotten when his eyes rest on his visitor.
The person standing in front of him definitely isn't Sakura.
His glance slides over his unexpected visitor – an unknown, young woman having short, dark hair, tanned skin and brown eyes, and wearing some strange uniform-like clothes in a colour of ashes.
Naruto stares blankly at the woman, currently frowning at him and seeming somewhat annoyed, and for a short while he wonders how on earth he managed to mistake her voice, somewhat harsh and hoarse, for that of Sakura, which definitely sounds... well... different.
It's then that a few other things occur to him.
First, he's managed to completely forget that it is his free day – the first one in last few, long days – so it wouldn't really matter if he's overslept or not. Second, if not on the mission, Sakura always spends mornings in the hospital, healing and learning, so there is no reason why Sakura should come here at this hour. Third... wait... is there any third here?
"Uzumaki Naruto?"
The train of his thoughts is abruptly disrupted by that sharp voice and Naruto looks at the woman, blinking.
Why does she know my name?
He gives her a somewhat suspicious look, but the woman seems to be completely oblivious to it – or maybe she doesn't really care about it; he can't say – as that annoyed expression on her face has changed to the bored one.
"That's me," he finally answers, still watching her warily. There is no reason why anybody should look for him here, especially somebody whom he hasn't met before. However, some quiet voice in his head whispers that it all might be a part of some plan schemed by Akatsuki or maybe even by his main pursuer, Itachi, even though the man is officially considered missing and they still haven't made sure if he is alive or not.
"Fine. I have a package for you," the woman replies and hands him a small box. "I need your signature here." She gives him something that looks like a notepad and points the place in which Naruto should sign it.
Naruto, still feeling rather dumbfounded, moves his glance from the package to the notepad and then he stares at the woman, his disbelief clearly visible on his face.
"But... I don't know anybody that would like to send me a package," he blurts out finally. "There must be some mistake here."
"There is none." The woman shrugs and points at the package she gave him. "The name and the address are correct, so here you have it. And now just sign the paper – I don't want to spend the whole day here."
All of sudden her facial expression changes and she gives him a look – one look only and not even a glare – but it almost makes Naruto step back, shivering, so he quickly writes his name on the paper.
The woman takes the papers from him, glances at them and smiles cheerfully.
"Have a good day!" she exclaims and disappears with a quiet "puff", leaving stupefied Naruto behind.
He stands in the door for a short while, staring at the place where the woman was standing just a while before.
"What on earth was that?" he mutters and moves his eyes to the package.
He eyes it suspiciously, knitting his brows. Having discovered no direct threat, he enters his apartment, closing the door behind him, and slowly makes his way toward the kitchen, holding the package in his hand. He puts the package on the table and lets it lie there for all this time during which he's pacing around, doing what he does every morning – taking shower, brushing his teeth, dressing, preparing the breakfast, eating it and cleaning the dishes. And for all this time his mind is focused on the package and he keeps darting curious glances at it.
This little thing is like a top of the iceberg – it's only one of many problems he's got so far. With a sigh he leans against the cupboard and looks at the ceiling, once again remembering them all.
First, there is Sasuke and his sudden disappearance. Disappearance – just disappearance – because Naruto is sure that the bastard is alive somewhere over there and will appear sooner or later, safe and sound and obviously making fun of all of them. Second, there is Akatsuki and their constant hunt for him, a Jinchuuriki, and the nine-tailed best sealed in him. And third...
That's right; there is a third thing, too. Naruto bites his lips and knits his brows, thinking about what's added him new worries and, partially, is a reason of his recent problems with falling asleep.
Uchiha... Itachi...
He rubs his forehead and tries to focus his mind on something that would not be related to the older of the Uchiha brothers, but for some reason it appears to be impossible.
He's aware that recently he's been spending much – too much maybe – time on wondering about what Itachi tried to tell him, but no matter how hard he tries, he still can't figure it out. There is something inside of him, however – some hidden determination or curiosity – that makes him try to discover what exactly felt off back then, when he and Itachi met in the forest.
Why this one time, unlike the other times, Itachi didn't do anything to catch Naruto, but talked about Sasuke instead?
Naruto frowns at this sudden thought. No matter how many times he thinks about it, it's not a question he could answer; at least not in the way that would make some sense. Hadn't he known the story of the brothers, he could have thought that Itachi really cared about the boy being the last member of his family and the only other Uchiha left. Itachi, however, is Itachi – the clan slayer and the man that has brought suffering to both, Sasuke and Naruto himself. Why in that case should Itachi care?
"That's right why should he care?" He laughs nervously, but the strange feeling aroused in his heart does not disappear.
"On the other hand... Why should I care so much about what happened there...?" Naruto scowls at the sudden realization. "Shouldn't I do something...? Something that would..."
A scowl on his face turns into a serious expression when he looks around, trying to find something that would occupy his mind and let him not think about Itachi. His glance moves around the kitchen, sliding over the furniture and his belongings and finally it rests on the table and the package. He frowns, once again remembering the way it was delivered.
"Come to think of it, that woman has to be a shinobi, too," he mutters, coming closer to the table and eyeing the package suspiciously. "Could it be a trap after all?"
He sits down by the table and leans forth, putting his forearms on the table and then resting his chin on them and focusing his eyes on the package. He's sitting like that for a longer while, doing nothing but watching. After some time he slowly moves his hand and lets it rest on the package. His fingers move lazily over the paper in which it's wrapped, as if drawing some invisible patterns on it. Finally, he takes the package in his hands and starts to examine it carefully.
The package is strange;, there is no doubt about it. It's rather small, no bigger than a book, and wrapped in a plain, greyish paper. His own name is written on it in a neat handwriting – easy to read, but, unfortunately, completely unknown to him. For a short while he gazes at it, admiring these elegant, firm lines forming the letters, and wondering what kind of a person the sender could be. He turns the package about and frowns when he realizes that there is no sender's name on it.
"What kind of joke is it?" he mutters, scowling at the package.
Common sense tells him that he should not open something that came from an unknown sender as it could be a trap. Curiosity, however, is much stronger. That quiet voice in his head, whispering that the package should not be opened, is quickly deaden and Naruto, with shaking hands, tears the wrapping apart.
Nothing explodes, the package doesn't turn into anything nasty and Naruto lips curl into a nervous smile when he sees a small carton box and a single card put on the top of it. He takes the card in his hands and reads it.
Don't lose your way.
Naruto blinks and the smile disappears from his face, replaced by a frown.
The note is written with the same handwriting that the address is and it seems to Naruto that the sender should be known to him. Only that, no matter how hard he tries, he still can't think of anybody that would like to send him anything in such a way.
He puts the card on the table, and takes the box. For a while he hesitates if he should open it or not, still feeling somewhat afraid of what might be hidden inside. He turns the box about for some time before he finally makes his decision.
"Curiosity killed the cat..." he mutters with a very serious expression on his face and opens the box. "Satisfaction brought it back. Eeeh?"
Naruto's eyes widen when the contents of the box is finally exposed.
Inside the box, there is one thing only – something that looks like a book in a hardcover.
Naruto looks blankly at the dark cover with no title imprinted on it. With a frown on his face, he reaches forth and touches the book. Tips of his fingers slide across the smooth, leather-like surface for a longer while before he finally takes the book in his hands. The frown does not disappear when he turns the book around, expecting to find something – the title or the author's name maybe – written on it, but he finds nothing. The frown deepens when he opens the book and realizes that his initial assumption was wrong and the thing is not a book, but some kind of a notebook rather.
"What kind of thing is it?" Naruto mumbles finally, leafing through the notebook.
He doesn't need much time to realize that the card, the address on the package and the notes were written by the same hand. Obviously, he can see some difference. Naruto quite quickly notices that the notebook must have been used by the mysterious person for quite a long time as the handwriting on the first pages, even though extremely neat, lacks that elegance which it later displayed.
It's then that for the first time an image of the mysterious sender appears in Naruto's mind. The vision is blurry and Naruto can't see any details as his imagination fails him, but he's sure that the previous owner of this notebook is a man. He imagines a boy, just a few years younger than him, and a smile appears on his face when for a short while he sees that young, dark-haired boy sitting in a neat and tidy room, and writing something in the notebook. The boy is wearing dark clothes and his hair is long and tied in a ponytail on his back. The hair is longer than what ninja usually have, but for some reason it fits him perfectly; Naruto has to admit it. His imagined sender looks somewhat familiar, however, Naruto can't recognize him.
This vision is realistic – maybe even too realistic as it looks almost like some memory – and Naruto's smile disappears, replaced by worry as his "vision" and imagination definitely do not explain who the person might be.
"What kind of a person would send me such a thing?" he whispers, pouting a bit. "If they know my name, they should know me, shouldn't they?"
He eyes the notebook once again. A short while passes and some realization comes – if he is to find any clue, he should read the notes.
He opens the notebook on the first page and starts to read it only to stop after a few seconds.
He squints, turns a few pages and tilts his head. His eyes move from one line to another, he reads the letters, tries to form words from them, but what he reads makes no sense.
"What on earth is this?" he exclaims and scowls. "These notes can't be read!"
He leans back in the chair and glances at the open notebook.
"Why would anybody write it in such a way?" he mumbles. "Why to write something that can't be read?"
He turns his glance to the window and for a short while he watches white clouds moving lazily through the clear, blue sky. A gentle breeze is playing with a thin, white curtain partially covering the open window. A few sunbeams filter shyly through the curtain and start to move through the wooden floor, as if dancing on it. He doesn't really see any of it, however. Lost in his thoughts, he's also unaware of well hearable noise made by birds chirping cheerfully behind the window and people in the street below.
"Why was it written in such a way?" he repeats and scratches his head.
Ninja should never allow anybody to read their private notes.
Naruto flinches at this sudden thought which popped up in his mind out of nowhere. His eyes move slowly to the table and the book lying on it and a new question appears. Could it be that the one who sent him the notebook is a ninja as well? In that case... Were the notes coded by their author?
A wide grin spreads across his face when he thinks about the challenge awaiting him. Quickly he stands up, goes to the cupboard and grabs a pencil and a piece of paper lying on it. Then he sits down by the table again.
"Let's see it again..." Naruto's eyes shine with enthusiasm when he utters the words.
This enthusiasm, however, as well as his smile start to fade after a few minutes as, despite his multiple tries and efforts, he can't break the code.
"Oh... screw it!" he exclaims after another failure and scowls at the notebook and his own notes made on the piece of paper. "Why should anybody send me something that I can't even read?!"
He looks helplessly at his notes, tapping nervously on the table. He's already used all the codes he's learnt and the idea of asking somebody for help seems to be more and more appealing with every second that passes. However, he's not ready to give up, not yet.
His eyes focus on the notebook and the text and something happens. A sudden thought or realization comes, and Naruto remembers one more code he learnt so long time ago that he can't even tell when exactly it happened. The code is easy – too easy in Naruto's opinion as it's all about replacing letters – and the idea that the mysterious person could use that code seems to be almost impossible, but he decides to try it anyway.
He uses it on the first sentence and blinks, because the code seems to work. Quickly he decodes one more sentence and another and after a short while he's able to read the whole paragraph. He glances at his notes and a smile appears on his face again.
He tries to read some other page and another and to his relief he discovers that it was written with using the same code. He giggles, feeling rather proud of himself, because finally he is able to read the notebook without asking anybody for help.
He's so excited about his little discovery that his initial aim – finding out who the sender and the author of the notebook is – is almost forgotten. He turns a few pages and starts to read the notes in the notebook. Unfortunately, the text is about genjutsu, so he only takes a brief look at it, wincing. Genjutsu related techniques have never been his strong point and they never will, so he sees no point in reading about them.
The next page he opens seems to be promising; Naruto smiles when he sees quite a long passage about some technique improving speed. Taking into consideration how fast Sasuke seemed to be last time they both met, a technique like this one would be more than useful and Naruto makes a mental note to try it out later, after reading the passage carefully.
He focuses on reading, with some surprise and contentment realizing that the previous owner of the notebook did a great job here – the notes give a lot of additional information, explaining miscellaneous aspects of the technique and pointing its strong and weak points. He shakes his head in amazement, quickly gaining some respect and admiration for the author who turned that simple notebook into a kind of a handbook. There is a short while when he regrets having just few teachers like the person who wrote down the notes – people who are able to explain even the most difficult things in the easiest way – but the thought quickly disappears and once again he focuses his mind on reading.
And then, on a new page he finds something that once again brings a wide smile to his face.
"Oh, man..." He blinks as if it was hard to believe in what he sees. "Somehow I get a feeling that we would get along well!" he exclaims after finding the passage explaining techniques related to using clones and this newly discovered connection between him and that mysterious person makes him rather happy.
With a smile, he reads the passage carefully, focusing entirely on the activity, and he almost misses a gentle knock on the door. The knocking can be heard again and Naruto turns his head to the door, wondering if he should answer it or not, as at the moment the notebook seems to be more interesting than meeting anybody.
"I know that you're there, Naruto." Sakura's sharp voice cuts through his ponderings. "And believe me that you want to open the door."
Naruto shudders at the threat clearly hearable in her voice and rushes to open the door. Once the door is unlocked, it immediately is pushed inside and Naruto needs to jump back in order to avoid being hit by it. When he looks at the door again, he sees Sakura standing in them, with her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan." He laughs nervously seeing the look on her face – the look that definitely would scare everyone. "I was reading..."
She eyes him searchingly, with her brows knitted, and pouts her lips.
"Reading, you say?" She fixes her eyes on Naruto as if trying to see if what Naruto said is true or not. "Not trying to... hide?"
Naruto flinches.
"Of course not," he quickly denies and smiles forcefully, deciding that it would be better not to mention what he thought when he first heard the knocking. "I was focused on the book, that's all."
"On the book, you say..." Sakura repeats, pouting her lips. And then, in a blink of the eye, her attitude changes. "Okay then."
She smiles at him cheerfully, and for a short while Naruto thinks that her sudden mood swings are definitely the most terrifying thing in the world.
"I was around, so I thought I could pop by..." she chirps cheerfully and comes closer to Naruto, handing him a little pack with some cake.
Naruto stares at her, somewhat stunned.
"You know, Sakura, usually people say that they are worried," a calm voice coming from the door adds and Sakura flinches hearing the words. She gives the newcomer a murderous look, but at least this one time she doesn't try to punch him and only murmurs something under her breath.
Naruto has to pursue his lips in order not to burst out laughing. Quickly he turns to his other teammate.
"Hello, Naruto." Sai appears in the door. His lips curve slightly, forming something that could be call a smile. "Sorry for the intrusion."
"I don't mind," Naruto declares and smiles at both. "Come in and feel at home."
He rushes to the kitchen, followed by Sakura. He's bustling around preparing something to drink and Sakura is slicing the cake. After a few seconds Sai joins them and sits down by table. Sakura finishes slicing the cake, puts it on the plates and takes it to the table while Naruto is pouring some juice to glasses.
"Is it what you read?" Sakura asks all of sudden.
He turns to her, at first not really sure what she is asking about.
Sakura's standing by the table, looking at the notebook about which he managed to forgot for a while, and her fingers move around it as if she wanted to touch the cover, but she couldn't.
"Yeah..." Naruto admits, handing her the glass and giving the other one to Sai. "I got it in the mail today."
"In the mail?" Sakura sips her juice and cocks her eyebrow, exchanging looks with Sai. "Who sent it?"
"How can I know?" Naruto pouts in the answer. "It wasn't written on the package."
Having heard the words, Sai gives Naruto a strange look. Sakura chokes on the juice she's drinking and coughs for a while long enough to bring concerned expressions to Naruto's and Sai's faces. The latter even stands up, ready to offer a friendly pat on her back, but, seeing the look she casts him, he quickly resigns from the idea and sits down by table.
"Naruto..." Sakura utters slowly when she's finally able to speak again; her voice is suspiciously calm. "You got some suspicious package and you just... opened it like that?"
"Yeah..." Naruto looks at her blankly and scratches his head. "But nothing happened, so it's okay, isn't it?"
"It's not okay," she drawls, frowning. "It could have been... it might be a trap."
"C'mon, Sakura-chan." Naruto pouts. "Nothing happened. Besides, it's a book only. Actually a notebook. What kind of a trap might be hidden in it?"
"Actually, it could be a trap." Sai joins the conversation all of sadden, making both, Naruto and Sakura gape at him.
Sai, still sitting by the table, is holding the notebook in his hand and glancing at them with a serious expression on his face. "Somebody could put a poison in it or a drug or some other nasty stuff, you know. You never can be sure until you check it... However, it's not the case here I think." He finishes the thought quickly, seeing a bit panicked expression on Naruto's paled face and the angered you-are-not-helping-here glare that Sakura gives him.
"Don't worry, Naruto, if there had been a poison in the notebook, you'd be dead already," Sakura states, trying to sound reassuringly, and gives Sai a warning look, which at least this time is properly interpreted by him, as he says nothing more. "Can I take a look at the notebook?"
Naruto, somewhat reassured, nods and Sai gives Sakura the notebook. She browses through it and with every page turned the frown on her face deepens. She casts Sai a questioning look, and in the response Sai barely noticeably shakes his head. She turns a few more pages and gives Naruto an unreadable look.
"Can you read it?" she asks quietly.
"Sure," Naruto declares grinning, "but it gave me some hard time before I realized what code had been used there."
Sakura and Sai exchange their looks again.
"What is written here?" she inquires.
"Erm... You can't read it?" Naruto gapes at her.
"I can't. And neither can Sai apparently." Sakura answers after a short while. Neither she nor Sai mention what seems to be obvious now – the notebook and its contents is meant for Naruto and Naruto only, so maybe there is no hidden ill intention here. "So... what is it about?"
Naruto looks at her, stunned. He didn't expect such a thing to happen.
"About ninja techniques," he finally explains. "Like some genjutsu or some strange jutsu increasing one's speed." His face brightens when he remembers what else he found there. "And clones. Oh man, can you believe it? The person must be my soulmate!"
Sakura only nods in the reply, not really sure what else could be said here. She returns the book to Naruto and intends to sit down next to Sai when she notices a piece of paper lying in front of the latter.
"What's that?" She takes the paper in her hands.
"A drawing." Sai replies. "It was in the notebook."
"What? I haven't seen it." Naruto frowns and stands next to Sakura. Now they both look at the drawing.
The drawing is simple – just a few curved lines forming a long, slender body with a tile as long as the creature on the paper and a snake with which the creature seems to be fighting.
"What on earth..." Sakura mutters.
"Weasel," Sai replies and shrugs.
Naruto nods in the reply – now that Sai mentioned it, he can recognize the vermin in the picture. The word, however, seems to evoke some memories, something that has been long forgotten. It's almost there – at the edge of his subconsciousness and memory, coming closer with every second that passes. He frowns and stiffens, but the memory doesn't appear.
Sakura's reaction is different. Having heard Sai's comment, she tosses her head and glares at Sai. "Didn't I tell you not to mention his name?" she hisses and quickly glances at Naruto.
"A vermin, Sakura." Sai gives her a blank look. "That's what I meant."
Sakura gapes at him and her cheeks slowly turn red.
Naruto moves his glance from Sai to Sakura. He should have known that Sakura will try to protect him in her own way and not mentioning anything related to the Uchihas is obviously a part of it. He sighs, intending to assure Sakura that he's fine with the names and that actually he finds the situation funny – oh man, who would have suspected that Sakura would wrongly interpret the words – but then something unexpected happens.
(– "I still think that it's unfair that you know my name, but I don't know yours!" Naruto exclaims and, pouting, he glances at the young ANBU standing in front of him. Not that he really believes that the ANBU will tell him his name, but it costs nothing to ask.
The ANBU stands still, he doesn't move any muscle, so it's impossible to say what his reaction to the question is. Is he angry? Surprised? Indifferent? Naruto can't say and once again he regrets that the ANBU's face is hidden behind the mask and that he can't see it. Maybe if he could see the face, he could say something about what the other boy is thinking at the moment.
Seconds pass one by another and slowly Naruto loses his hope for getting the answer. He saddens and looks away, intending to say good-bye to the boy and go away.
"Itachi." The man says all of sudden and Naruto almost flinches hearing his voice.
Naruto blinks and looks around searching for said weasel. Having seen none, he scowls at the man. Really... Was it necessary to use such tricks on him instead of refusing to tell him the name?
"Making fun of me?" He frowns. "I can't see any weasel here."
"It's my name, silly." The ANBU explains in a flat voice.
"Oh..."Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Naruto loses his ability to speak for a short while. "I didn't... Sorry."
His cheeks slowly turn red when he thinks about the faux pas having been made, but who could have expected that the ANBU would share the name as some vermin? Besides, what kind of parents would name their child in this way?
"Never mind." Itachi – "Remember, it's not the ANBU; it's Itachi. His name is Itachi," Naruto reminds himself – waves his hand and Naruto is almost sure that the other boy smiles under the mask –)
Naruto blinks and looks around, abruptly brought to reality from... that's right... From what exactly? Lost in his thoughts, he merely notes that Sai and Sakura are still arguing about something. He frowns. He doesn't remember any situation like the one he just saw, so it couldn't be his memory, could it? Did he really know any Itachi? Even if he did, that Itachi could not be him, right? He shakes his head, trying to stop the thoughts and ignore what he saw, but the memory of that vision does not disappear.
He stares blankly at the notebook he holds in his hands and suddenly he remembers something. He stands up and rushes to his room. He passes Sai and Sakura, ignoring the looks they give him.
"Sorry, I have to check something," he mumbles and leaves them both in the kitchen.
In his room he goes directly to the cabinet. He pulls out the drawer and shifts through the papers he keeps there until he finally finds what he's been looking for – a small piece of paper with a few words written on it.
Never resign from your dreams.
He stares at the note with his eyes wide open.
It can't be. It is simply impossible.
Quickly, he opens the notebook with shaking hands. He puts the paper with the note on the first page and starts to compare the handwriting on both. His eyes are moving from one line to another, following all the words written, all the letter shapes, and the longer he looks at the page, the more sure he is that the note and the stuff in the notebook were written by the same hand.
"It can't be..." he mutters.
No, it can and it was. A quiet voice in his head adds after a short while.
Now he has no doubts that it all happened years ago and that what he saw is a part of his memories; the memories that are coming back to him as if finally freed from the ties binding them until now.
(– "Why are you doing it, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asks all of sudden. "Why are you trying so hard?"
Naruto glances at the other boy and ponders on the answer for a while. "I try, because I want my dream to come true," he finally declares with a very serious expression on his face.
Itachi moves slightly, as if these words reminded him about something.
"What is your dream then?" Itachi inquires, tilting his head.
Looking at him, Naruto does regret that the other boy's face is hidden behind that ANBU mask, as there is no way that he could check Itachi's reaction to his words. Will Itachi laugh at him after hearing them?
"My dream," Naruto pauses and takes a deep breath. "My dream is to make other people notice me and recognize me. And I'll do it, believe it! I'll be Hokage one day even if others claim otherwise!" –)
"How... How can it be?" he whispers, still not being able to believe in what he has just discovered. "For all this time... For all these years..."
Once again the pain he felt all these years ago – the pain related to losing a friend who disappeared without any word one day – is back. Naruto winces feeling its sharp stab. A single tear flows down his cheek, but he doesn't even notice it.
Shocked by the truth just having been revealed, he lets his hands fall along his body and his mind – his traitorous mind – brings some other memories back.
(– "Is there really nothing that you truly want?" Naruto shakes his head, because it seems unbelievable to him that there might be people that live not having a real aim in their lives.
"There is no..." Itachi starts uttering the phrase only to stop after a while. "No... in fact I want..."
There is some hesitation in his voice and Naruto is ready to bet that Itachi is frowning right now, finally realizing how close to discovering his own dream he is.
"I want... peace and freedom..." Itachi continues slowly, yet he doesn't seem to be aware that he is actually saying it aloud. "I want ability to make my own choices... and to be seen as myself..." –)
Naruto shakes his head as if trying to get rid of the memory that has suddenly appeared in his mind. Unfortunately, not only it doesn't disappear, but it also brings some mixed and barely identifiable feelings.
"Dreams?" he drawls. "You must be kidding me... Itachi..."
He scowls at the notebook and the piece of paper in his hands, involuntarily clutching his fingers on them.
It's impossible that his Itachi – the person who volunteered to teach him all these years ago and who became his mentor and his friend – could be the same Itachi that destroyed Sasuke's life and hunted for him, Naruto, together with Akatsuki. There is no way that that person could be the same man. There is... no way...?
(– "Would you be able to stop him... even if it meant to kill Sasuke?" Itachi inquires and his eyes focus on Naruto.
For some reason Naruto feels entrapped. Not only has he already been caught in that genjutsu, but now he can't even free himself from the sharp look of these eyes.
Damn it! I won't let him defeat me – not in such a way!
Naruto bites his lips and decides to do his best while fighting the man.
"Can you choose between Konoha and Sasuke?" Itachi continues the thought after a short while.
Naruto eyes widen when he hears Itachi speak. Shall he be surprised by the question? He can't tell. These words, however... These words... They make him feel uneasy and there is something strange about them – something weird – and not really fitting the situation they are in. The answer, however, is obvious and Naruto doesn't hesitate even for a second to say what should be said.
"I'd protect the village and stop Sasuke without killing him!" he declares and gapes seeing that Itachi smiles at him –)
Naruto blinks at this memory, feeling somewhat confused. Itachi who hunted for the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki would have never said such words, but... the words were said. Only that they fitted more the boy he had known long time ago than Itachi who stood there in front of him.
Slowly his mind starts to process the information and finally he begins to notice connections between things that seemed to be completely unrelated not so long time ago. His mind, however, still refuses to accept the conclusion to which they lead and Naruto focuses on finding something that would prove him wrong.
The name... How many boys sharing the same name and being about the same age that his friend and Itachi were could there be? Not that many probably. Obviously that name could be fake, but was it really? And didn't his Itachi mention once that he had a brother? Naruto winces.
He glances at the notebook, remembering the techniques described in it. Could he attribute them to Itachi? Itachi is fast, no doubt about it, and Naruto winces again, remembering how many times he's been caught in his genjutsu. What about clones? Naruto frowns, trying to remember something more from their meetings. Has Itachi ever used clones? A ray of hope shines for a few seconds only, as soon he remembers that Itachi indeed used clones at least once.
He scowls, seeing how each argument brought confirms his suspicions instead of allaying them. His glance once again rests on the note.
The note... How did he know that it was Itachi that had written it? With some effort he tries to recall this particular memory and he bites his lips, focused on remembering the past. He knew it, because...
"A few days before that day he taught me a simple code..." Naruto eyes widen at this revelation. "The same code that was used in the notebook. And it happened a few days before... that day." Naruto pales, finally remembering the date.
Only a day or two later the kids at the academy started to gossip about Sasuke's family having been slaughtered...
"Itachi I knew and Itachi I later met..." he whispers, his eyes wide open in a shock, "are the same person...? But how is it possible to change so much?"
An image of young Itachi – a calm, serious and caring boy who, unlike the other villagers, didn't particularly mind that Naruto was a Kyuubi's container – blends in his mind with older Itachi – a man that still is calm and serious, but who also seems to be ruthless and has that strange aura of solitude and loneliness around him.
His glance once again moves to the notebook. For a short while he wonders what he should do about this thing now, knowing who wrote it and who sent it to him, and wondering if it poses a direct threat or not.
"Naruto... are you okay?" A quiet voice coming from behind his back brings him back to reality.
"Ah sorry, Sakura-chan..." he mutters, his voice still shaking a bit, and turns to her.
She's standing in the door, resting her hand on the frame. She's looking at him and doesn't even try to hide the fact that she's worried about him. Behind her, there is also Sai and, although there is no emotion visible on his face, there is something about the look of his dark eyes that tells him that Sai is also worried. Well... in a way.
Sakura stares at Naruto for a while before she finally averts her look.
"I'm sorry," she mutters, her voice barely hearable. "I didn't want to upset you mentioning any of... the Uchihas." Her voice quivers a bit, like every time she says that name and remembers the boy who used to be their friend.
Naruto stares at her for a while, saying no word.
"You know, it's not that it is your fault, Sakura-chan," he finally whispers, not looking at her. "I'd have remembered it sooner or later..."
"Remembered what?" Sakura blinks in confusion, but Naruto doesn't continue the thought.
Behind her back Sai shifts and stands next to Sakura, but she and Naruto makes no move. The whole room sinks into silence, but none of them tries to speak again, even though that silence and the whole situation start to be somewhat awkward.
Naruto moves his eyes to the floor and clutches his fingers on the notebook, thinking about the discovery he has made.
"Sakura-chan..." Naruto utters. "You read that files from Tsunade-baachan archives, didn't you? Was there anything about Itachi being an ANBU?"
It's not that he really needs to hear it – actually, he's almost sure that he's known the answer already – but, for some reason which he couldn't explain, he wants these words to be said.
A confused expression appears on Sakura's face as the question makes no sense to her. The question, however, seems to make some sense to Sai, as Naruto notices that the other boy casts him a thoughtful glance, before the emotion disappears from his face and his eyes again.
"He was," Sakura finally admits. "But what do you need this knowledge for?"
Naruto nods hearing the words; no surprise here, just like he expected.
"What for... I wonder," Naruto whispers, rubbing the cover of the notebook and still fighting with his mixed feelings.
"Listen, Sakura-chan... Let's say that there is a person that you know well, or at least you think you know them well. Then one day that person leaves without any word of farewell and some time later you find out that the person did something terribly wrong and keeps doing other things... bad things." Naruto pauses, not really sure what else should be said. "Then that person is back and it seems that they want to hurt you, but in the end you get something from this person. Something... precious, something that makes you stronger. What would you think about this person?"
Sakura's eyes widen and a helpless look appears on her face. She hangs her head, not really sure what to say.
"Was this person a good friend?" Sai asks all of sudden and they both look at him in surprise.
"Err... I think you could say that..." Naruto ponders on the thought for a while.
"Then..." Sai replies, "I'd think that maybe that person had a reason for doing things in such a way."
Greatly surprised, Naruto stares at Sai. Not being able to answer, he thinks about Sai's words.
Reason... Could it be that Itachi indeed had a reason?
Once again he recalls memories of those old days. Itachi in his ANBU gear, standing next to him and showing him how to throw a kunai... Itachi teaching him the code... Itachi talking about his brother – the only person that seemed to treat Itachi in a normal way... And finally Itachi finding him in the inn and... Naruto frowns. Wasn't there something off that time, too? If Itachi really wanted to catch him back then, why didn't he knock him down immediately and take with him unconscious, but talked so much instead, partially revealing Akatsuki intention? What did Itachi really want back then?
"A reason...?" he murmurs and moves his eyes to Sai, as if looking for confirmation of his thoughts. He must have had some reason back then.
"Well... yes, some reason." Sai gives him a casual glance. "At least that's what books say." He shrugs.
Having heard such a reply, Naruto and Sakura gape at him with blank expressions on their faces as the statement is somewhat absurd taking into consideration the situation and definitely Sai-like at the same moment.
"Sai... you..." Sakura utters finally, pretending to be angry, but her lips curve in a weak smile, as Sai, with his ridiculous statement, managed to achieve something that was her aim as well.
Her gaze turns to Naruto and with some relief she notices that his mood has significantly improved – he doesn't seem to be so lost anymore and there is a gleam of determination if his eyes. He smiles gently and his hands don't clutch so desperately on the notebook anymore.
Slowly he paces toward the cabinet and puts the book on it. One more time his fingers brush the cover before he turns to Sakura and Sai.
"Thanks," Naruto says, grinning at them. "To you both."
They smile back at him and go back to the kitchen.
He follows them slowly, but something stops him. Suddenly a quiet sound comes from the open window and he turns in its direction immediately, but there is nothing there – only the curtain moved by gentle gusts of the wind and... Naruto squints. Was it his imagination only or did he really see a small, black bird there for a while?
A gentle smile appears on his face.
Thanks... To you all.
He turns back and leaves the room as well.
THE END
Please, feed my muse :)
A/N:
1. "Itachi" means "weasel" in Japanese (just in case you didn't know).
2. Naruto couldn't recognize Itachi as his old friend, because he'd never seen him without the ANBU mask.
See you next time!
