Chapter 4

I left a little early for the training grounds to take a look at the village. It was in pretty good shape so far. The villagers must have been working their tails off doing repairs. Thought glad I wouldn't have much in the way of construction. The guard was minimal and Lady Tsunada was right they didn't have anyone to spare for anything. Everyone seemed to be doing as much as they could manage at one time. There was a ninja I walked past carrying a stack of paper almost as tall as he was and trying to read what looked like battle strategies making marks on it with a pen held in his teeth as he wobbled along.

Pretty peaceful place though. I almost envy Itachi for growing up here. I thought of how my family used to live. Mostly in a small cluster of houses they built themselves in the middle of a dense wood. It wasn't too bad but this was a real home. A village to call your own and protect with your life. That was what I had wanted all those years ago.


"Well Sorin what is it?" The eldest of our clan, Kiada, spoke to me in his raspy old voice that still retained some of his old authority.
"Well I..." my mouth was so dry but I had made my decision that morning I would make my request, I swallowed an started again, "I want to join a village of my own."
"You wish to do what child?" the old woman next to Kiada, Ana, asked in her light kind tone like I was asking why chakra was so important.
"I want to join a real village ma'am. I am strong enough and I want to be of use not just learn the jutsus for nothing."
"You aren't learning for nothing dear you are a great tribute to our clan. We would not have learned this much without you. You are the most important resource to our clan."
"A resource is that all I am? I want to do something with my life and help protect what matters to me-"
"Quiet Sorin." Kiada interrupted firmly, "You will do as you are told and learn the jutsu without complaint. It is far too dangerous to let you out of our sight especially if you plan to use your jutsu elsewhere. We saved your life to make you the strongest of our clan you should be more grateful. Now mind your tongue and get back to training."
"All I want is to join a village. Why is that so wrong?" I shouted at them.
"Because you are still dangerous. We don't yet know what the
effect the jutsus will have on your body. It could take over your body or turn on you. There are too many unexplored avenues to let you go now."
My hands were balled in fists and I was shaking with rage. How could this old man sit there and take away my choices. I was not some experiment. That sick old man. I was only eight but I was far stronger than he or any of our clan. How dare he oppose me.


I blocked out the memory as my hand twitched over the kunai holder strapped to my leg brushing my mother's kunai. That had been the day I had killed them that had been the moment I had become so angry I used the jutsu against them. All I had wanted was to be part of something, be important. I didn't want to be their lab rat. I wanted to live the life of a shinobi and Itachi had granted me my wish.

My hand moved to the photo in my pocket touching its comforting edge. It brought back memories of fighting practice, long hours of training, and those few short times when he touched me ever so briefly...

This distracted me making me wonder what he was doing now. If he was thinking about me too. He was probably waiting, like he always did, for me to report back. He was easy to count on for that. He would wait and he would be there to help if I needed it again, all to gain his power. Maybe one day he would do it just for... but that was a foolish thing to hope for. Itachi just wanted power nothing more. My fantasies could wander as far as they liked but it wouldn't be realistic. I was a tool nothing more to him, if I died he wouldn't even change face would just dismiss it and go on after more power. That was the reality even if I wished it wasn't.

He trusted me thought that was something he had asked me to do something for him that was both dangerous and intriguing. It was so natural to remember I felt I had literally fell back in time.


I was sitting on a branch on the opposite side as Itachi, playing idly with my mother's kunai. Itachi was sitting on the branch around the other side that was just a little lower than mine putting his head level with mine. He was looking off into the distance at who knows what.
"I heard what you did to your brother and Kakashi. Using the Tsukuyomi on them was pretty cruel even for you." my voice was colored with amusement because I knew how it felt to have that used against you.
"Perhaps but it was necessary. Sasuke's rage is blind and he can not see a counter attack when it comes he needs Kakashi wasn't teaching him well enough."
"Still it's hard to believe either of them thought they could beat you." I tossed the kunai up and caught it on the tip of my finger then flipped it catching it on the ring and started spinning it.
"Sorin I need you to do something for me on your mission, " I stopped twirling the kunai and held it still to indicate I was listening, "My brother needs teaching and I think you would be very well suited for it."
"What? Why would I be well suited to teach him? I can only use my element techniques thanks to my clan and those are way too much for the average shinobi to use. Even you have trouble with them."
"Teach him what you think he can handle he can use chidori now it will not be long before he gets his mongekiyo sharingan. This will prepare him."
"If you wish Itachi" I said his name with a little more tenderness than I had intended to allow.

Now I had to do what he asked of me.