Well everyone has been more than just a little patient so I made this longer than my usual chapter and hope everyone enjoys it as much as it took me to type. The disclaimer is on the first chapter, I think. So without further a due Here is chapter 4.
Ch 4: Close Enough to Touch
A mummified man stood proudly in a solid black yukata before his private ninja group that unlike the anbu which directly reported to the Hokage, these anbu were a select few who were considered the shadows of the anbu themselves and whose roots could be traced from the founding of Konohagure.
"You called for me, sir" An anbu look alike with a blank mask bowed before a world-weary man whom supported himself on a cane. The upright man rubbed the tip of his cane with his heavily bandaged arm. His single eye beaded in the light as Danzou continued to pull the strings in the ninja world like a master puppeteer.
"Yes, I've been hearing that Kyuubi brat has been cheeky lately for some time now, why don't you get some of the villagers riled up and remind him of his rightful place in society." The minion, in the middle of the semi-circle of masks, closest to him bowed once more and left as effortlessly as he came. The grim lines deepened on the already case-hardened wrinkles on the mummified man's face and his eyebrows crushed together as the man took the cup of tea left on the side coffee table and languidly sipped it as he looked out the tree house made especially for the anbu section called Root that was located deep in the Konoha forest south of the Uchiha Clan and West of the Nara and Akimichi Clans.
"It won't be long before Sarutobi, you fool, are gotten rid of and then I will be the next Hokage and rule Konoha the way it should be ruled for a village of true ninjas." The man spoke out loud as though to say it would bring him closer to taking over Konoha and getting rid of the soft hearted Sandaime.
Elsewhere an anbu could be felt leaping from building to building by hundreds of suspicious abysmal black eyes until the hare anbu landed before a house whose threatening walls were branded with several unmistaken bicolor fans. The ominous mansion was positioned at the very back of the compound and stood protected by all sided in a strategic manner that one would think if this plain field were a chess board this mansion would play the role of king. A bead of sweat hidden by the anbu's mask trickled down to join its friends wetting the neck cover under the ninja's ears. The hare anbu stiffly walked to the gate like a pet going to get castrated and quietly knocked hoping to finish his mission and scram from the forbearing Uchiha Compound.
A small boy of about five years of age blinked up with huge moonless eyes as though trying to absorb every detail of the man with hungry eyes.
"Excuse me for the intrusion, is Uchiha Itachi in?" The hare anbu feeling relieved by being stared at by such a cute version of an Uchiha almost melted, at the boys expression, a smile able to make your heart break shone on the boys face at the mention of his brother's name.
"Sure just wait here, I'll get Aniki!" Sasuke choired as he scrammed down the hallway and took a sharp left right before running off the wall and down the corridor.
"Don't run in the hallway, dear, you'll trip that way." Mikoto called out to his back as she came out of the laundry room. Just as she finished advising him like a good mother, he did just what she was afraid of.
"Wohw!" Sasuke yelled out closing his eyes and readying to land face first when the sound of kunai perforating onto solid wood was heard. In mere seconds Itachi came out of his room wielding eight kunai with attached wire and managed to make an intricate design stopping Sasuke from falling in mid-air and continued sauntering down the pathway without even batting an eye.
"You should be more careful Otouto." Itachi finished his sentence with a poke to his little brother's forehead, as was tradition at least for them.
"I'll be late coming home today." The low timbre of Itachi's voice could be heard resounding in the silent house as Itachi left with the hare anbu.
"Huh. He's just like his father." Mikoto pouted breaking the silence as she set her newly washed load down to help her youngest out of the wires without being cut all the while singing a soft tune and a sweet smile in place.
Naruto's Apartment
"Naruto during the merging process you and I won't be able to use our chakras." Kyuubi flatly stated with a dead serious look in her eyes. Naruto's usually warm looking skin paled to a hue of rice paste as the true meaning behind the statement sank in.
"What day is it?" Naruto rasped as his mind began moving 100 mph (160 kph) in all directions, trying in vain to find a solution to his potential early death.
Kyuubi having finished with the bed began locking the windows and reinforcing the door after using all five locks. It was a tedious procedure for sure but a necessary one should anyone decide to make a late night visit after having a few drinks or an S-class mission. Kyuubi then continued with Naruto's help to set up traps: using tags, pins, senbon needles, kunais, and wire; these traps were basic compared to chakra infused genjutsus but still gave the past Naruto more than enough time to get away. As they both continued to work silently and efficiently Kyuubi spoke careful to not let anything but her back show.
"Happy early birthday, kit" A tear fell down golden brown cheeks. "I stole a cupcake while the baker wasn't looking and found a nearly new candle and liter in the rubbish." Kyuubi declared on a lighter note.
"Thanks Kyuubi-sama. The process during the merging is going to be painful, isn't it?" Before Kyuubi could even open her mouth they both doubled over in a pain so intense that their atoms were literally tearing themselves apart like two magnets of the same polarity. Skin on both Naruto's body ripped to shreds oozing out a pint of blood or more before evaporating leaving no marks on the silk smooth skin.
"I see what you mean by not being able to use chakra." Naruto cynically laughed to the already unconscious younger self laying limp and worn like a ragged doll left out in the dumpster before following suite.
Konoha Tower
Two fully clad anbu strutted their way up to the Hokage's office, during rush hour, paying no heed to paser-byers as it seemed they had the ability to create their own pathway in between the crowd. The Sandaime having waited for them at the entrance to his office chuckled as they came into ears shot.
"It would seem that you're more popular than the Hokage himself." The Hokage eyed the quickly closing waves of people that had moments ago parted for these two anbu that now stood before him.
"Never Hokage-sama." The two upright ninjas responded without hesitations and then bowed deeply in apology and once more in greeting. The Sandaime completely dismissing their apology by waving them into the room once seated he stared at the captain anbu and vice-captain anbu with a goofy faraway look on his face. Several minutes passed by before the hare anbu started sweating again and broke the silent staring contest.
"Um… Hokage-sama?" The Sandaime blinked several times in surprise and then nervously laughed while looking everywhere in the room except for the hare anbu that had enough stress to last a week and Uchiha Itachi's famous can't read what I'm thinking stare.
"Sorry about that boys, that one just snuck up on me there." The Sandaime lamely excused his behavior. Then he asked the vice-captain leave while he explained the details of the mission. Having already forgotten the incident the hare anbu professionally excused him-self then poofed out of the office. As soon as the vice-captain left the room the Hokage seemed to get older before the anbu captain's eyes. Uchiha Itachi's eyes sparkled with new interest at the sudden change in atmosphere but of course any onlooker wouldn't be able to tell any change his blank black eyes that peered though the captain's mask.
"Hai, Hokage-sama?" A soothing tone rebounded off the walls giving the Hokage the needed push to say what was causing him so much discomfort, although not without much reluctance, three broken brushes and a defeated look across his face.
"Please take off your mask, wolf-san. I want to be able to look at your face when speaking to you about this volunteer mission." Itachi robotically removed his white and red swirled porcelain mask. Feeling a bit calmer now that he could look into the eyes of the Uchiha clan's stepping stone.
"You don't have to take this mission but you're the only one that I would trust with this person that I view as my own grandson." The Hokage paused to receive an answer from the stoic Uchiha. Lifeless eyes gazed back at him for what seemed hours, but were actually a few moments, before he gave a small nod in his acquiescence of the mission.
"You wish me to protect Uzumaki during the fire festival like the years before." Itachi nonchalantly replied to the Hokage's query, however instead of receiving the usual pat on the back and many thank you's along with the long chat about wishing for people to understand each other even if it meant he lost his position and title he received another mayhaps even deeper look of pleading than he had ever seen.
"Yes, please, protect him during the fire festival like you usually do, but this time I'm asking more which is why this next part of the mission concerning Naruto-kun will be volunteer. Sigh. I need you to protect Naruto-kun until he is able to protect himself from the average citizen and low-ranking ninjas. This will be a long term S-class mission and you won't be able to tell anyone that you are on this mission for your own protection, of course." Entailed the withered Sandaime towards the still emotionless doll standing in front of him.
"I accept, Hokage-sama." The refined voice of a hardened ninja replied without thought or question.
"It won't be too much for you?" The Sandaime incredulously asked still unable to believe that Itachi would willingly accept such a task but then again he was different from the others. Itachi sensing his disbelief nodded once to confirm his claim dispelling all of the godfather's apprehensions. Finally believing the raven haired youth that stood poise before him couldn't help but shed a few tears at how relieved and happy he was of the Uchiha's acceptance. Now he could sleep easily at night without thinking he had failed his student's final wish.
"Oh, one more thing, Itachi could you leave this present for Naruto-kun tomorrow?" The Sandaime beamed like a child on Christmas Day.
Black nylon gloves reached for the all too comfortable mask that hung impatiently on loose fitting hips, and as though needing the mask to breath once more quickly replaced one mask for another. Not bothering to reply he took the carefully wrapped orange box with red swirls into his cape and poofed out of the Hokage's office before the Hokage could even bat an eye, completely missing the saddened look that ran across the Sandaime's face as he looked out the window after his shadow.
Footsteps lighter than flower blossoms falling on water seemed to glide by rooftop to rooftop until a certain dusky haired youth happened to land in the apartment that was given to Uzumaki by the Sandaime.
'Something is wrong!'
Like a shadow Itachi wrapped around the evergreen tree that grew alongside Uzumaki's bedroom window. Upon looking in what he saw disgusted him beyond any previous work or anything his clan had done so far. Some of his own teammates were stabbing a man, that looked similar to the one in his dream, who was holding Uzumaki-san and they both seemed in need of a medical nin. Before he knew it he was staring straight into the young man's electric blue eyes that just begged to be protected, wanted, and loved.
Without knowing it streaks of fire and sunlight flew past him and for a moment he was memorized by the beauty and warmth though it lasted only a split second. Then the darkness enveloped him once more. Returning to automatic behavior he took care of his comrades without so much as a whiff of his chakra or self to let anyone know that he had been there to help the Kyuubi brat, then followed the fleeting ray of warmth lightly scented of spices, herbs, and sandalwood. District G4, Downtown District, Market District, District T18, and side of Uchiha District all fazed in and out of view as he continued to follow the elusive beacon of light with the answers to his unasked and undeveloped questions. Finally in view Itachi carefully closed in him.
"Stay away!" The stranger called out behind him as a visible tremble went through out his whole body before falling from the branch that he last stood on. A black blob vaulted the last few meters and caught the two right a hairs width away from hitting the ground. Still carrying his precious al'bet suspicious cargo the wolf anbu strode to the same lake as was in his dream the night before. Each step he took a little more of his uniform became drenched in blood, whose blood he wasn't sure, but he needed to find a good place to lay them down on before he did a methodical check of all the damage that had been done and find out just who the mysterious person was that would attempt to protect the Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha, the most hated person in all Konohagure, with his own life.
Once at the log leaded fingers dislodged the unconscious Uzumaki from similarly rice paste skin drenched in a mixture of blood clots and blood ooze that didn't seem to have a beginning or end. Three blood-curdling tomes swirled within abysmal black orbs giving them a sinisterly cold appeal to the usually dull black eyes that peered through the wolf mask he still wore. The Sharingan began to spin faster by command of its owner and master forcing itself to reveal any and all secrets which the two still unconscious but visibly in pain Naruto's held.
'Nothing.' For all the pomp and circumstance the Uchiha's held for their treasured eyes even Itachi the child prodigy could not enter into the mind of the Neo-Naruto. All he knew now was that in fact he had met the young man before and that what he believed to have been a dream was most obviously incorrect and that placed him on edge even if no one but him could tell let alone see his reaction.
Automatic hands stretched out from endless ebony sleeves only to be encased with equally black gloves as they started the arduous task of healing. Yet still his mind wondered:
'Why do they look so similar yet different? Uzumaki-kun is an only child so he can't be related to him, right? There is no advanced jutsu on him either but the chakra and body is responding in similar ways.'
A hand, that was all it took to make the anbu captain's lips slightly slacken and eyes briefly glow with life, but not just any hand could shock an Uchiha let alone the eldest son of the head of the Uchiha clan out of his lifeless mask except for his own hand. A hand that had without permission and most definitely out of systematic order reached out and combed through silken tresses and to make matters more shocking that fiendish, warmth-seeking, beauty-loving hand ended up tracing pale rose tinted lips stained only with its own blood. A sigh (of relief?) escaped those teasingly blissful lips. Equally as suddenly the same hand pulled away retrieving into the crevices of the ebony cloak that engulfed his person. No sooner did the hand retreat than Itachi jumped full force into the lake willingly allowing him-self to sink to the very bottom.
Slight ripples repossessed Itachi from his self-induced meditation. Instinct was all that drove him now. Instinct caused him to create a barrier that surrounded the area without any Uchiha catching scent of it. Instinct caused him to leap out of the lake. Instinct caused him to follow the new blood trail but those lips, that hair, those eyes, his fiendish hand, and his promise to Sarutobi is what made him shake (on the inside of course) with fear and heart (also on the inside) tremble with dread. All for the sake of finding who (which one?) he wasn't sure, nor did he care, he just reacted. So he ran beyond his limit, leaped beyond his limit, and saw beyond his limit, because nothing else mattered.
Waves of chakra crashed into him dragging him along with the tide. Trees hundreds of year old flew like fallen leaves in winter while the waves intensified in quantity and strength but he continued forward continuously reinforcing the force field so no one would interfere or notice. Finally it stopped. Exhausted the young Uchiha walked the last few steps before sliding down the crater and seeing with blood streaming eyes the last fragments of the young man with maple-red streaked hair disintegrate before him as he wisphered to the wind a secret he would never know because that was the day and moment he lost the light in his eyes. A battered mini-Naruto, now with maple-red tipped hair, stared at Itachi as though remembering or obtaining something important only to lose something equally if not more important at this ultramarine blue eyes could only roll back returning to the lonely darkness. Itachi too sank to his knees only to get up again as soon as he fell. Too worried about being found out he gathered Sarutobi's precious treasure, chibi-Naruto, and fled to the only place no one not even an Uchiha would think to look, his room.
Konoha Tower, hidden Hokage chamber
"Sigh. I'm getting to old for this." The Sandaime muttered to himself as he put away his crystal ball being as he has seen all that needed to be seen and walked out massaging the lower part of his back with the back of his hand as he always did when he was tired of the days work.