Tada. Here it is. The second part of chapter three. I think this is really well written (since it's not by me by it's by BlackPANDA xD) and I'm pretty sure all of you guys will enjoy it a LOT. This is basically talking about Naruto's past (ish). I know this is quite a bit shorter than the last couple and I just hope that you guys will enjoy them as much as the last one. Kay and thanks for reading. I really appreciate it.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto and this chapter belongs to BlackPANDA xD, not me. As much as I wish I can write like this, I can't so that's just too bad. I guess I'm going to have to deal with it.
-Kaerelie Cecilia, the keeper and guardian of B1aCk RoSE
Chapter 3: Naruto's Story
S-rank missions. Danger was nearly 100%. Most, if not all, shinobis coming back from those near fatal missions came back wounded or exhausted. Recommended for at least three jounin or a team of ANBU.
When Karasu had gotten his first S-rank mission, he really didn't expect to be inconspicuously standing upside down outside a hospital window watching two kids eating ramen like there was no tomorrow.
Suddenly, he was alerted to a high amount of chakra rapidly heading in his charge's direction. His tanto was out in a flash, and Karasu stood there, all muscles tense as chilling, glowing red eyes stared out of the crow mask, searching through the oblivious civilians. After a stiff moment of silence, he relaxed, sheathing his blade just as a white blur landed beside him.
"Karasu," Jiraiya greeted stiffly, crouched upside down beside him.
Karasu felt a small amount of nervous respect as he nodded humbly back at him. Right beside him was the Toad sannin, one of the three legendary sannin of Konoha, the students of the Hokage himself. And right now that sannin was glaring at him openly, sizing him up in the familiar way an overprotective mother glares at the babysitter.
Nerve-wracking.
A small tilt of his head of Jiraiya's head was the only thing he displayed to show his apparent approval. Karasu let out a breath he had been unknowingly holding and Jiraiya chuckled.
"I'm late as it is, there's been an info leak on my… the enemy, and I have to leave," Karasu nodded in understanding. "If Naruto has any plans on being a ninja, give him these scrolls," Jiraiya continued, before handing the ANBU guard 3 medium-sized red scrolls. Karasu saw a small note attached indiscreetly on the largest one, his client's words scrawled on the front.
Karasu lifted his eyes up when he heard the Toad sannin chuckle, and looked into the window just in time to see the ramen the two kids were previously eating accidentally knock down, spilling the semi-hot broth onto the hospital sheets.
He glanced at Jiraiya, seeing him staring intently at the laughing boy with the blue cap, trying and failing to mop the mess up.
"The gaki with the red eyes, keep an eye out for him," Jiraiya said suddenly. "Although I couldn't sense a henge, there's just something… odd about his chakra." he added, a thoughtful look on his face. Karasu nodded again, taking the warning to memory.
"Oh and Karasu," Jiraiya whispered dramatically, his serious eyes staring deep into Itachi's. "Remember, Naruto isn't suppose to know that he has a guard, protect him inconspicuously. I'm counting on you." Jiraiya disappears in a puff of smoke.
It's been a few hours after that day. Karasu was taking his mission seriously. After all, even if he was only protecting the jinchuuriki from random minor villager attacks, it was still his first S-rank mission.
He had already inconspicuously given his client the scrolls, silently dropping it as they were too distracted with the 'ramen contest.' He had watched his client's expression reading the note, going from puzzlement, to shock, and then a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.
Now hidden among the leaves, Itachi watched the two kids, huddling next to each other in the training grounds, whispering suspiciously. Now, if only they were facing this way instead of turning their backs to him, he could read their lips.
Karasu mentally sighs as Kano smacked Naruto on the head. This was going to be a long mission.
Dear Naruto.
I'm sorry but I had to make an emergency leave. Do you remember when you said that I must've had a reason to leave? I do. My old team mate and now S-class missing nin, is doing freak experiments and tests to try and get stronger, and eventually take over Konoha. I'm trying to stop him.
I'm sorry I couldn't say good-bye to your face. Guess your godfather's a real coward. I could say sorry again and again but there's not a lot of room on this napkin I'm writing on.
Included with this note are ninja scrolls for taijutsu, and basic ninjutsu/genjutsu theories along with 3000 ryo. If you are anything like your father, you'd want to be a ninja. Good luck.
Here's the important part: Naruto, you have a bloodline. It is one of the most dangerous I've ever seen so I want you to train with it. Train so you wouldn't accidentally kill someone. Yes, that happens. I'm researching as to how you have one, but right now, I'm guessing it's through the Uzumaki clan, on your mother's side. Until then, do not tell ANYONE you have a bloodline, except for those you really trust. A bloodline this powerful could cause the third shinobi war. I hope you understand.
Lo-er,
See you kid, Jiraiya.
Naruto felt a small smile form on his face. It was a strange feeling, to actually have a guardian looking after him, even if through a letter. Not that he didn't like it.
Suddenly, the meaning of those hit him like a jackhammer. He had a bloodline. This had to explain the strange voices and the floating sword in his mind. It explained the way he had, one day, wanted to cut an apple but didn't have a knife. Frowning in frustration, he was shocked when the apple suddenly split cleanly in half like as if an invisible blade had sliced right through it.
An invisible blade….? Wait, what the hell?
"Uhh, Naruto-kun? Are you okay?" Kano questioned, repeatedly poking Naruto's shocked face.
Naruto hesitated. He had known Kano for one day. Could he tell him the secret? He was only 5, toddlers were known to babble a lot.
But was he really five? Naruto recalled the many conversations with the little blue hat wearing kid. The way he had described the villagers beating him up was so… gruesome. Despite his bubbly appearance, Kano uses grammar beyond his years.
Wait, there was one thing he could do. After that night, he had woken up seeing a swirl of colors around him. It took him a while to adjust, and longer to learn that he could turn the strange vision off. He had to flinch when Jiraiya poked his head into his room, the dizzying swirl of dark green, yellow, blue, and black-grey. Recalling emotions of anxiousness, relief, and guilt nearly made him sick.
There was only one explanation for this: he could 'see'people's emotional auras. What was the word for this... An empath? But... If he could use that sense to look into Kano's aura, he might see if he was trustworthy enough.
Kano looked at Naruto in confusion as he squinted back at him, his eyes slowly smoldering as black red wisps covered his eyes.
Yellow… Happiness. Kano seemed really happy to be hanging out with him. A light silver grey…. Naruto mentally smiled. Loyalty, Kano really wanted to be Naruto's friend, and had already grown attached to him.
Naruto's eyes furrowed as he saw another color swirling rapidly in the middle of Kano's aura. He dug deeper, trying to spot it among the other colors. Finally reaching it, Naruto gaped in shock. Black.
Smoke, everywhere. It blinded my already blurry vision, but I didn't care. I was leaping though the trees…. I was so close.So close… I had to make it in time.One leap later, I arrived in a clearing. Trees were toppled down, mercifully hiding the many corpses lying underneath. The evil, bloodthirsty miasma of a red chakra hung heavily over the area, nearly buckling my knees.Exhausted eyes darted upwards. A single ninja, the last among the one hundred dead reinforcements, bravely trying to defend the village. I lifted my head and saw it.Nine tails, swirling unconsciously behind it. The orange fur, cloaked with the same demon red chakra; menacing, and foul. The head of an ominous fox with long ears, and a bloodthirsty grin. I stared grimly into the red eyes, the pupils slitted like a cat.
The grin widened."Ho-"
"NARUTO!"
The blonde blinked, as the real world came crashing down around his ears. His heart raced, what was that? What did he just see?
"Uh, yeah, Kano-chan?" Naruto said absentmindedly, trying to clear his head.
Kano shivered. "Do NOT call me Kano-chan!" he said fiercely, trying to look intimidating, but only managing to look cute. Naruto smiled. Whatever that was, it didn't matter.
"Kano-ch, I mean, Kano-k… You know what, can I call just call you Kano?" Naruto said in exasperation.
Kano smiled under his cap, though it turned out more like a grimace. "Okay, as long as you don't space out while I'm talking." he huffed.
"Okay, because I gotta tell you a secret," Naruto said seriously, beckoning Kano to come closer. Intrigued, Kano complied, plopping down beside him. Taking a deep breath, Naruto whispered in his ear. "Well, I have a bloodline."
Kano's childlike eyes widened significantly. He opened his mouth to say something, but Naruto quickly covered it with a hand, making Kano mock-glare at him.
"It's supposed to be a secret," Naruto said seriously, shaking a finger at him. "Can you keep it?" Kano nodded, excitement gleaming in his red eyes.
The second Naruto's hand came away from Kano's mouth, he blurted out, "Can you tell me about it?"
Naruto complied, an uncharacteristic thoughtful look on his face. "I don't know a lot, but I'll tell you what I DO know. I can create invisible blades, and use it like kunai. When I do that, my eyes turn into dark red color. Also, I obtain another sense, like sight or smell, only I see the emotional auras of people."
Kano gaped in awe at his friend. "That's so cool! Is that why we're at the training grounds, to train?" Naruto nodded and Kano paused, a confused expression on his face.
"Wait, does that mean you want to be a ninja?" Kano questioned.
Naruto nodded, a painfully wide grin on his face. "I'm going to be Hokage one day." he stated proudly.
Kano nodded. "But why?" Caught off guard, Naruto paused before answering. That was the thing with Kano, sometimes he didn't react the way you would expect.
"I want to be Hokage so that people would finally recognize me! So that they would fina-ITAI!"
Kano had smacked him on the head, an uncharacteristic serious expression on his face. "That is a childish dream." He stated. "Being Hokage just for that reason is selfish. A Hokage is chosen, yes, for his power, but also for his selflessness. He has the responsibility to look after the entire village. To look after them, protect them.Just like the f-fourth… Like the fourth Hokage, who sacrificed his life for the safety of his village! Are you willing to do the same thing in the future?"
Naruto was silent for a moment, struck dumb by Kano's accusations. Now that he thought about it, was his dream really that childish? Was he being selfish, wanting to be Hokage just for some respect?
Was he willing to protect the same people who rejected his entire existence?
Naruto hesitated, before nodding. An unreadable emotion formed in Kano's bright red eyes, before he smiled suddenly, and said, "Well, Naruto-kun, then I'll help you."
It was a strange sight, Itachi reasoned, seeing a 5 year old instructing a kid older than him on ninja training. The two friends have reached a sort of silent agreement, Kano would train Naruto and in return he would swallow his pride for following someone 2 years younger than him. The boy pushed him, making him do laps rivaling Gai's amount, even on standard shinobi training like tree climbing and water walking.
When Naruto asked how the hell Kano had known these things, he just vaguely replied, "Kaa-san taught me,"
The excuse was so unlikely, even Naruto knew it was a lie. He knew that Kano was lying for a reason, though, so didn't push it. Itachi on the other hand, became even more suspicious but without solid proof, he couldn't really do anything.
A few weeks later, Naruto had, with the help of his new 'sensei' mastered tree climbing and water walking, being able to do it like it was second nature.
"Okay!" Kano declared, after Naruto had done 30 laps around Konoha. Exhausted, and sprawled out on the ground, he gave a weak glare towards his grinning friend. Said friend gave him a thumbs up similar to Maito Gai's, handing him some water.
"We worked on your endurance, and your chakra control, so now I think we can finally work on your," Kano paused, before crouching low, his eyes darting around before stage-whispering, "bloodline limit."
"Riight," Naruto replied sarcastically, gaining his breathe as he staggered upright. In a split second, he concentrated his chakra into his eyes, and the clear blue turned into a dead dark red, glowing in an otherworldly gleam.
Naruto nodded to Kano, and the next second, Kano began flinging multiple banana cream pies in the air, and Naruto's eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated. Suddenly, two of the seven pies in the air sliced clean in half, the others being hit only on the tips or not at all. Gritting his teeth, Naruto waved an arm upwards, and the last pie exploded in a rip of cream and tinfoil before he plopped down onto the ground in exhaustion.
Currently watching the curious duo was Karasu, or Itachi, a slightly bemused expression on his face behind his crow mask, as he watched their antics. He thought about a certain girl that he trained with. Naruto's eyes… They were just like the girl's… Reiko's. Where exactly did those pies come from? Unfortunately, five aerial projectiles coming his way in an agonizing slow motion broke his thoughts.
With horror, he realized that the aerial projectiles were the remaining banana cream pies in the air, and secondly, he was currently crouching on a large thicket of bushes, the dead leaves underneath him, and the large leaves above him preventing him from moving without alerting his client to his position. Jiraiya's stern talk flashed in his mind.
... He was screwed.
Karasu shut his eyes as 5 banana cream pies splattered on his face.
Naruto and Kano sniggered at the faint splat of pie heard from afar. It began a few days ago when Naruto was testing his new vision when he saw an aura from the trees behind him. It was his bodyguard. Sandaime oji-san had told him that he had a bodyguard, since Jiraiya couldn't look after him. Kano and Naruto were slightly annoyed and curious that he hasn't shown his face yet, and were determined to bring him out. Plus, Naruto hasn't ever tried to throw a pie in an ANBU's face before.
In short, they had known he was there in from the beginning.
A few more banana cream pies later, a small bird came, swooping around the duo before landing on Kano's head. Unperturbed, Kano happily stroked its golden brown feathers, before taking a small scroll from its beak.
Kano frowned as he read it. Suddenly, he snapped the scroll back into place, giving it back to the bird, who gave a quick nod before flying away.
"Sorry, Naruto!" Kano apologized, scratching the back of his head. "Kaa-san is expecting me back home." He paused before whispering in Naruto's ear. "Good luck on Guard-san."
Kano straightened up quickly. "See you later, Naruto!" He turned his head towards Karasu in the trees, as he ran off. "BYE GUARD-SAN!"
They… knew?
"Oh and Karasu," Jiraiya whispered dramatically, his serious eyes staring deep into Itachi's. "Remember, Naruto isn't suppose to know that he has a guard, protect him inconspicuously. I'm counting on you." Jiraiya disappears in a puff of smoke.
Oh, he was pissed.
It was night time and Naruto was bored. Kano had taught him the beginning katas of a taijutsu called Dance of the Dragon Child, which relied on a small frame and quick reflexes, speed, and endurance. Luckily Naruto had all of those requirements.
Training wasn't supposed to be boring. Going through the first form, he gained speed as he got used to it but he just wasn't into it.
He stopped for a breather, looking up at the sky out the window. It was raining, and the quiet patter of the rain hitting the rooftops was the only sound heard through the house. After being with a chatty person like Kano, the silence afterwards, something he used to be accustomed to, seemed so lonely.
Lost in his thoughts, Naruto made some ramen, slurping the noodles absentmindedly. The rain outside seemed to be growing steadier, until it literally pounded against the roof.
His thoughts strayed to his guard, probably sitting on a tree outside, in the rain.
"Guard-san, do you want to come inside?" Naruto called curiously out the window, sticking his head out into the downpour. There was silence.
He didn't know why he just snapped, but as he heard no reply, a tick mark appeared on his forehead. Naruto slammed open the door, and stormed outside, sitting on a log outside in the rain.
"Hey, Guard-san," Naruto grinned largely, despite the cold clawing at him. "If you don't come out here, I'm going to stay out here… But hey, aren't you supposed to take care of me?"
Karasu's eyes twitched as he watched the child waiting stubbornly outside in the rain. He'll play his game….
After over four hours, Itachi was beginning to become worried. Naruto hasn't moved from his spot. How curious was his client? His stubbornness could rival his otouto's. With that thought, a small hidden smile formed behind the emotionless mask he wore. It quickly disappeared as soon as it came.
Naruto sneezed, his teeth chattering as he glared up at the green-ish grey aura in the woods. He slowly got up, aware of the painful numbness in his legs.
"I'm going to stay out here forever until you get here, dattebayo!" Naruto called out energetically. Suddenly, he staggered as his knees buckled under him. Naruto grimaced as he realized he was soon losing consciousness.
"Good-bye cruel world," Naruto whispered sarcastically. The last thing he felt before succumbing to the darkness was a pair of arms holding him up.
Karasu silently carried his client back into the house. He was really light, abnormally so. And deathly cold, Karasu thought, feeling a bit of concern. After drying him off and tucking him firmly into the blankets, Karasu just stared blankly at his now snoring client.
Of all the missions he had, it's been a long while since he had a babysitting mission, and that was way before when he was a genin. He really didn't have any idea of what he was suppose to do in this situation.
Karasu noticed a soaked bandage on his arm, and slowly removed it, expecting a wound. Staring at the scar, an unfamiliar emotion welled up inside Itachi. Sympathy. An emotion Karasu had always squashed, removing it to the furthest corners of his mind. Yet, this child had made then reappear again.
"Demon…" Karasu whispered, tracing the scar numbly. "How are you still alive?"
Suddenly, Karasu heard music, above near the rooftops. Slightly wary, Karasu went to investigate, but what he saw was not what he expected.
Sure, Taichi-san had reported an enigma musician coming on top of Naruto's apartment to play songs, but he really didn't expect it to be true. Yet, here he was, strumming his guitar despite the rain pouring down his guitar and clothes. Karasu could see wet strands of hair poking out from under his black hood, but it was too dark to see the color.
"Sharingan," Karasu whispered, and red eyes glowed from beneath the crow mask, staring at the man's frame. Nothing unusual, some off color marks on his limbs, but that could've passed as an old battle wound or skin disease.
Not one to be willingly in the rain, Karasu went back inside, not noticing the blue eyes staring at his retreating back.
"…Do you have what we seek?"
It was darkness, everywhere. Naruto looked around frantically, searching for the voice. "What are you looking for?" Naruto asked in confusion.
All the voices laughed quietly, as if that was a stupid question. They all spoke together, "Don't act innocent, Child… We are looking for-"
Naruto wakes up to sun rays glaring on his face through the curtain windows. He groans at the headache he has. Maybe staying out in the rain wasn't such a good idea…
Suddenly, a looming mask appears in front of him, making him yelp in surprise. The… creepy masked man silently handed him some porridge, before retreating towards a chair beside him.
Naruto sweat dropped, looking at the man and at the bowl in his hand, and then back again. He dipped his finger in the porridge warily and tasted it. It was warm and had a slight cinnamon taste to it.
Touched, Naruto happily eats the still warm porridge, giving random glances to the person sitting on the chair, silently staring at him. The man was wearing the uniform of the ANBU elite, and his mask portrayed the face of a grotesque crow. Raven black hair poked out from beneath the mask. He tries to feel his aura, but it was hard to find. He felt slight… amusement?
"Guard-san?" Naruto questioned warily. The man nodded stiffly, still staring at him.
"What's with the mask? I mean, do you get to choose what kind you get, because it's really creepy."
Silence.
"Uh, thanks for the porridge, anyway!"
Silence.
"… Your hair is really straight and long. Are you a girl or a guy?"
Twitch. Silence.
"Er… what's this lumpy stuff in here?"
Silence. "Cauliflower."
Naruto's ears perked up. Success! He has spoken!
"What's your name, ne?" Naruto pressed, bravely staring into the dark eyes beneath the mask.
The guard tilted his head a little to the side, as if contemplating the question. There was silence for a brief second, before he answered.
"Karasu,"
The next day, as Naruto and Kano began training again, Karasu looked over the pair on the roof in plain view, clearly not wanting another pie in the face.
After Kano congratulated Naruto on revealing the identity of the guard, they both began pouring over some of the scrolls Jiraiya had left. Naruto had already read the scrolls on ninjutsu theory and they were trying to decipher the barely legible words on the taijutsu scrolls. The scrolls had looked like they had been squashed, stomped on, and basically worse for wear, and combined with Jiraiya's already messy handwriting, they were hard pressed on trying to learn from it.
They come across a taijutsu called the Golden Dragon style, an improved style of the Dance of the Dragon Child which Naruto was already learning. Kano unfortunately was not familiar with the style, which was a surprise, since he knew a lot of taijutsu styles.
"Er… Naruto, does this say 'pat me,'?" Kano asked, eyes furrowed in concentration as he stared at the scrolls, his face a centimeter away from the scroll itself.
"I'm pretty sure that's a k, not a p…" Naruto replied doubtfully, snatching the scroll and glaring at it as well.
Tired of their constant chattering, Karasu decided to give them a nudge in the right direction.
"The word says kata," Karasu drawled from the rooftops, reading the words using his sharingan. "The scroll is referring to the first kata of the Golden Dragon style, by positioning your feet one behind the…" Karasu faltered.
Kano and Naruto gaped at him simultaneously, looking at Karasu in a sudden light. "Karasu-sempai…. Can you teach us…?"
Karasu blinks. It was one thing to be asked to teach a taijutsu. It was another to teach it to five and seven year olds. He was ANBU, he wasn't supposed to teach them anything, only guard Naruto. That's it.
Was it because of their puppy-dog eyed looks so similar to Sasuke's, or the fact that he did not like being pestered? Whatever the reason, Itachi had no idea why he answered what he did.
"… Fine,"
In one of his training session, Naruto met a girl. He was actually just practicing when he felt a new presence in the nearby bush. He told her to come out and found out that the intruder was just a five-year-old girl who was already an ANBU. Moreover, she had the same eyes as he did.
They decided to train together and soon, they became fast friends. She told Naruto and Kano that she never had friends in her age since everyone in ANBU was all much older than her. The closest friend she had was Naruto's guard, Karasu-san and she thought of Karasu-san as her nii-san.
Training with Kano, the girl who told them her name was Reiko, and Karasu-san, Naruto could feel himself get stronger by days. He loved the feeling of getting stronger.
ONE YEAR LATER
Naruto was about to enter his first day at the academy. Although Naruto had reached a sort of growth spurt, Kano, although six years old, looked no different in a year, still wearing that same blue cap.
Ever since Karasu has been guarding Naruto, attacks on him, accidental or not, were slim to none, and the rage of the ANBU Crow became feared among the kyuubi haters, to his satisfaction. All people threatening to do harm to Naruto were sent to the hospital with two broken arms, a shaved head, and an injured pride.
Itachi had no idea how, but they managed to crack his mask a little. A feat supposedly impossible except for Sasuke and possibly, actually probably, Reiko. It was Naruto's special ability, after all, to touch the hearts of everyone he met, even Itachi.
Karasu had even laughed once, when Kano had dyed Naruto's hair pink. It had shocked himself, and although it was only a quiet chuckle that lasted for a brief second, he had laughed.
Naruto was strong, that was for sure. Itachi had only told Naruto a few tips, but he had absorbed techniques and directions like a sponge. He was fast approaching high genin level, even a low chunin.
Naruto had a dead aim, courtesy of the special dojutsu training Kano had him under. Naruto could manipulate ten blades simultaneously. He had managed to master the blades enough to have a low chunin level speed. The blades could only exist five meters away from Naruto, but the range was slowly increasing.
In return, Naruto had taken off his mask when he was around them. It wasn't a physical mask, more of a mental one. Karasu was shocked that under the supposed obnoxious and overly cheerful mask, was a mature and mellow child with a sarcastic tongue. It was mind blowing.
Kano had looked royally pissed after Naruto had nervously explained that he showed it in public so much that it became second nature to wear it near people.
Kano had literally stormed off to a nearby training ground, and Naruto and Karasu sweat dropped when loud explosions were heard from that area.
"Sorry," Naruto had said to Karasu, an uneasy expression on his face. Karasu shook his head, before flicking Naruto on the forehead.
"You shouldn't be," Karasu replied shortly, and walked off to his apartment. "When Kano comes back, tell him that we're having ramen for dinner."
Naruto smirked in amusement, though relief showed in his eyes. Rubbing his forehead, he walked casually off to in the Kano's direction.
"Oi, Kano-chan, you done killing the trees yet?"
"NO!" called out a fuming voice from the trees. "AND STOP CALLING ME KANO-CHAN!" Naruto rolled his eyes.
As Karasu read a magazine, waiting for the water to boil, and Kano vented his anger, one thought stayed in their mind.
Naruto had entrusted his secret to them, and they weren't going to make Naruto regret that.
It was lunch time at Konoha academy, as Itachi watched Naruto chatting energetically with Haruno Sakura, a plain girl from a civilian family. Suddenly, he spotted a purple haired girl spying at the two from behind a tree, a bright blush on her slightly sad face. Hyuuga Hinata, spying on his client. An amused smile formed on Karasu's face, hidden behind the mask. Somebody has a secret admirer.
LATER THAT DAY
"Itachi-nii? You've been so busy! Are we still having the shuriken practice later?"
Itachi looked up as he pulled off his sandals, and smiled at the hopeful expression on Sasuke's face.
"Sorry, Sasuke. I have an important mission that requires me to be away for most of the time…" Itachi faltered, seeing Sasuke's downcast expression. "I guess a few hours wouldn't hurt, though." he relented.
Sasuke smiles happily. "Arigato, Itachi-nii! I've been loads better, I've been practicing a lot and a lot!"
Itachi laughs softly before heading towards his room. Sasuke watches his nii-san with a happy smile. Lately, his nii-san has been more cheerful, and he actually laughed more. Nii-san never used to do that before. Nii-sanwas an old grumpy pants with the face of a statue, especiallywhen Tou-san was around.
Itachi was just opening his bedroom door, when he was alerted to a presence behind him.
"Good morning, ANBU-san." Itachi greeted politely, turning around to face the ANBU. He unconsciously tensed at seeing the man. Although his mask was at the side of his head, the man's face was emotionless as a robot. Itachi immediately recognized him as a ROOT member. Unlike the ANBU, ROOT members were taken from birth, and the ninja rules were pounded into their heads the moment they could talk. It was an empty existence. "What brings you to the Uchiha residence?"
"Danzou-sama immediately requests your presence, Uchiha-san."
Itachi nodded automatically, hiding the sudden loud beating of his heart, before following the ROOT member.
It was hours later, when a drenched Itachi opened the front door to his house. Lightning illuminated the dark night outside, briefly revealing the many raindrops and downcast clouds.
As soon as he opened the door, he was tackled by a small blue-black blur.
The 'blue-black blur' glowered at Itachi, an accusing scowl on his face. "Itachi-nii!" Sasuke said in a hurt voice. "Where were you today? Did you forget your promise to help me with shuri..ken…. Itachi-nii?
Sasuke's previous annoyance melted at the sight of his brother.
Itachi slowly pried Sasuke off him, before collapsing against the door, his head resting on his knees. Long black bangs, the tips dripping from the rain, partially covered his dark eyes, which were staring blankly at the floor.
"Itachi-nii?" Sasuke asked softly, crouching down in front of his older brother. "…Itachi-nii?"
"…Sasuke," Itachi said slowly in a hoarse voice, looking up at him.
Sasuke was scared. Itachi sounded really sad, but he didn't look hurt. There wasn't any blood on him, and he didn't seem sick or anything…
"It's late.. You should get to bed.." Itachi said indifferently.
His eyes told a different story, as they appeared to be struggling with something. Itachi bit his lip. Itachi moved so fast, Sasuke could only widen his eyes, as Itachi's folded around him, holding him so tightly, like he would never let go. A voice whispered repeatedly into his ear, and Sasuke felt tears in his eyes hearing the building anguish in his older brother's voice.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
"Nii-san…?" Sasuke said, his voice breaking at the end.
Itachi quickly let go, his bangs hiding his face as he got up from the floor.
Suddenly, he smiled down at Sasuke, running a hand through his wet hair. "Sorry otouto, I forgot. Maybe we can do it tomorrow, okay?"
He poked Sasuke on the forehead, before walking past him. Sasuke watched silently as his older brother walked up the stairs.
"What's wrong, Itachi-nii?" he whispered in a worried tone.
Yes, Itachi was just informed of his 'new mission,' those stupid Konoha bastards.
I hope you enjoyed it and just so you know, THIS CHAPTER BELONGS TO BLACKPANDA XD! At least most of it. :) Kay and I hope you guys find the strength to wait for and read the next chapter.
REVIEW!
-Kaerelie Cecilia, the Queen of B1aCk RoSE