Having Kisame on his tail all of the time was not something Itachi particularly relished. Sometimes he wished he could just drive a knife through that fish-faced moron's throat. He cherished what solitude he was rarely given. It was true that they had to work in pairs but Kisame's constant attempts at conversation took him to the edge of his patience. Other Akatsuki members seemed to realize this and therefore decided that he could use a break.
So here he was, all by himself. Kisame had been given a solo assignment and he was free to do whatever he wished for nearly two weeks. He sighed heavily. Their ongoing assignment, Uzumaki Naruto, was a slippery character indeed. It was almost a mystery to him how a kid who was the dead-last of his class would to escape his grasp each and every time. It was like that boy had a sixth sense for danger. Then again, he was the container of a tailed beast.
Sometimes he thought the boy was more trouble than he was worth. Every time Naruto had surpassed his expectations. Every time he was reminded not to underestimate the boy. Akatsuki had warned him to bring Naruto before he grew more powerful than their organization could handle. Even Itachi didn't want him to grow any further, although fighting Naruto at his true strength was still very tempting to him. Now would have been an ideal time to get Naruto, yet he knew the boy was under protection.
He absently walked into a clearing, partially aware of his surroundings. His musings came to an abrupt halt when he felt that he was not alone. He let his gaze wander until it fell upon a girl who sat in that very clearing. His breath caught in his throat and, for the first time, he was taken by surprise. No, she was not the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but she did come fairly close.
Long golden tresses curved 'round her face and her skin was luminous as the ray of sunlight that cut through the canopy and fell upon her. An aura of peace and serenity surrounded her and she looked so fragile that he feared she might shatter if he touched her, as though flesh was formed of the thinnest glass.
This was not what surprised him. What drew his attention were the blades of wind circling her in a small, silent cyclone that he could not sense so far as chakra signatures went. Her very presence pulled him to her, digging claws into his soul and dragging him to her.
He raised a curious eyebrow and knelt before her. Winds moved like sharp blades around her. A stray gust nicked his chin. He observed her pensively, noting absently that her whole being seemed to radiate a strange power. It seemed that nature responded to her, as though she were of demon blood.
For one so delicate, she had a deadly presence. He had never encountered human who could manipulate elements without chakra. It would mean that they could fight without hand seals. He'd have to be careful. There was no knowing what else the girl could do. She could be useful to Akatsuki in fulfilling their goals.
However, if he lifted a finger to her, the winds might well slice it off. Maybe there was some art to counter it. He was about to perform an Earth technique when a soft and assured voice spoke up, "If nature works with me, it works against you."
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Her eyes opened, revealing a vivid cerulean. More interesting were the pupils. Though big and round at first, exposure to light shrank them to slits. This caught Itachi by surprise. So she was a demon. This was definitely a note-worthy find. Few demons revealed themselves to ordinary mortals and far fewer still were found by coincidence in their human guise
He raised a questioning eyebrow at her statement. Her eyes closed, hiding her apprehension from him instantly. It was strange indeed, to see no other tell. Her overall demeanor was calm and cool. Only her eyes disagreed with the general tranquility of her being. They shook frantically, darting in every direction. It gave Itachi the strange impression of another person trapped helplessly beneath her skin, terrified of all it saw. It gave him an uneasy feeling deep in his core. He did not understand this disquieting notion at all, so he just shrugged it off. He blinked and it was gone, bringing him to silently question what he just saw.
"Who are you?" He asked her.
Her brow furrowed briefly and an instant later her eyes snapped open. Then she disappeared with a poof of smoke. His eyes widened in surprise, but narrowed dangerously at what he heard next. From behind him, a very distinct chakra signature immediately appeared on his radar. The sound he heard was also distinct. He knew that sound. He recognized that chakra.
"Rasengan!" She declared, driving the ball of destructive energy square into Itachi's back. He too disappeared with a poof. A shadow clone, eh? She expected as much. She vanished with the wind, leaving behind only an eerie whisper.
Itachi wasn't sure what to think. There was no chakra in the air when he first saw so it couldn't have been a transformation or an illusion. Either of those would require a constant use of chakra to maintain, something he hadn't sensed until just now. That was a real living body he had seen that radiated Naruto's distinct essence; Wind-nature with a hint of Fire. He didn't have time to pick apart what was going on however. There came another attack. She was behind him, though not for long. Itachi never missed a beat, quickly switching their places and pinning her to the ground.
He looked straight into her eyes and she hastily looked away. He knew she feared his sharingan. He casually grasped her chin to make her look into his eyes. Leaning forward he whispered to her, "I know who you are. You cannot hide from me, no matter what you do to yourself." He did not miss the shudder that coursed through her body and smirked. He brushed his lips lightly against hers and murmured against hers, "I will be back for you," and suddenly he came apart right before her eyes, scattering into a murder of ravens.
"What… the fuck… was that? Violated! I feel violated! That bastard had just kissed me! Gah, disgusting!" she swore. Shuddering a little she ran a shaky hand through her hair and closed her eyes. There was something new in Itachi's eyes that unnerved her; something that she had never seen before. It was something far more dangerous than the threat of death, something that was worst than death for her.
What the hell's wrong with those Uchiha? She signed and shook her head. Her confusion was only deepened when she found herself looking into a pair of inhumanly deep, golden eyes.
"B-bro! You're back… early?" The demon raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes.
"What wrong little one?" It was clear to the Kyuubi that something was off.
She shook her head and rubbed her temples vigorously, "Nothing. Just tired is all."
The Kyuubi frowned. Naruto had a tendency to lock down if something was bothering her. She would clam up and not say a word to anyone. Her facade did not let anyone in and he was certainly no exception to that. He was even more insecure now that he could not see what happened to her or what she was doing at all times. He waited silently for Naruto to compose herself. "You realize that you can tell..." he drifted off when a peculiar scent reached his nose, his eyes narrowed at the familiar aura that lingered in the air and he growled.
It was the smell of Uchiha's wicked chakra. He could never forget that aura and scent. The missing-nin Itachi was among the greatest threats to Naruto's existence. He looked at Naruto. "What did he say? Did he recognize you?"
Naruto clenched her fists tight, the knuckles verging on white. "Not at first, but when he asked me my name, I attacked him. Then he did recognize me. When I was going in for my second hit, he grabbed me and… and…
The Kyuubi's eyes darkened. What had he done to her? "Tell me what he did to you, Naruto." Said the demon, his voice alarmingly calm.
"He… kissed me. The bastard kissed me! I wanna kick his ass for that, damnit!" She glowered.
While the Kyuubi didn't like the sound of that, he admitted that it could have been far worse. Still, he made a mental note to thoroughly explain the concept of "boundaries and consequence" next time he met the arrogant little brat.
"Where the fuck does he get off acting like that? Are the Uchiha brothers both gay or what?" The Kyuubi looked at the white-faced blonde with an expression of mild amusement.
"Naruto… You're female now. You of all people should remember the more exaggerated reactions from those you subjected to your 'perverted' Ninjutsu in the past. It's natural for males to react that way. Just know that I will not tolerate it for your sake and if I can prevent it, I will. Now come. I will take you to your team's meeting spot."
Naruto nodded and stood to her feet. The Kyuubi muttered something under his breath and in a moment Naruto was a male.
As they walked toward their destination, the Kyuubi eyed his charge appraisingly.
"What progress have you made in your meditation training?"
"A little bit. I got the wind to shield me today. When… Itachi came onto me, a stray gust made a small cut on him. But later, the wind didn't seems to think of him as a threat and so didn't hurt him anymore. I had to resort to my Rasengan."
The Kyuubi frowned as he got to the underlying point. "He came to you without malicious intent? Without threat?" Naruto bit her lip and nodded. She knew the Kyuubi wanted her to elaborate, but she didn't so he let it pass. The Kyuubi looked at the sky. "I didn't think you would be able to connect with the elements as easily as us. But wind was the first to respond, meaning it is your natural element. I want you to continue meditating and trying to summon earth. Later on we will together summon fire and water. Lightning is the simplest, so we'll do that for a while this afternoon." Naruto nodded.
"Hey, Bro, I forgot to ask; how was your first day at work?" The Kyuubi just nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I'd rather train you. Nothing entertaining as of yet."
Naruto kept smiling. "Well, ya say that now! Later on when you get more exciting missions, you'll get bored of home."
The Kyuubi chuckled, making Naruto pout. "You needn't worry, little one. Teaching you is far more fulfilling for me."
Naruto crossed her arms and huffed. "Don't I get a better name than 'little one'? I'm old enough to make my own!"
The Kyuubi chuckled as he tightened his grip on her shoulders. "Fine. Suggest a name you like. You may be the first child who chooses their own name." Naruto looked up at her guardian. "No, I meant my own kid! I wanted a better nickname, but I guess a new name might be good. I have a whole new body. I might as well start fresh."
Naruto looked pensive. As they approached Naruto's curious looking teammates the Kyuubi spoke up. "You have a lot of time to decide, Naruto."
Naruto only nodded.
When she turned to gaze upon her teammates, her smile turned into a frown. The Kyuubi noticed this and turned to look them. The Uchiha brat looked at Naruto with glacial eyes, but the Kyuubi could see something hidden in them. Something akin to... regret? Envy? He couldn't quite tell. Shaking his thoughts away, he turned to look down at Naruto as she walked ahead and leaned against the bridge. The Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. He could sense the tension in the air. Naruto's shoulder's were stiff. A flickering a gaze at Sasuke and Sakura, then back at Naruto only heightened the feeling. He was about to speak when Sasuke beat him to it, "Are you always going to be late, Loser?"
Naruto didn't even spare so much as a sideways glance. It made the Kyuubi strangely proud that she was able to control herself to such an extent. He ruffled her hair fondly and directed a sharp gaze at the Uchiha child.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
Sakura too looked like she had the same question on her mind. The Kyuubi scowled at the insolent tone the boy used. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Sakura tensed a little. However, Naruto chose to speak for him.
"Uzumaki Ryu, my older brother. I'd be careful with how you talk around him."
Sasuke snorted, but kept silent. He looked at 'Ryu' suspiciously before redirecting his gaze to Naruto. "What the hell is wrong with you these days? You're acting more retarded than usual."
Naruto cracked open her eyes and focused them on Sasuke. The Kyuubi watched in amusement as winds revolved discretely around Naruto, responding to her anger, even if Naruto herself did not know it. She looked steadily into Sasuke's eyes. " So why are you complaining, bastard?"
"Yo!" Sasuke's retort was cut short by Kakashi. The Jounin sighed at the tense atmosphere but himself tensed at the sight of the Kyuubi calmly observing Sasuke, disapproval clear in his eyes. "Uzumaki-san, if you don't mind me asking. Why are you here?"
The bijuu shrugged. "I was training Naruto and thought I'd drop him off, maybe take the opportunity to meet his teammates. What are your plans for today, Kakashi? Are there any missions?"
The Jounin shook his head and said, "No, no missions unfortunately. The Hokage thinks that this team deserves rest. I was thinking of training them. You are welcome to join us if you're available." Kyuubi looked at Naruto and the girl-disguised-as-a-boy nodded a little.
Smirking, he nodded to Kakashi. "Well, lets see how well you teach your students."
Kakashi was grateful that the Kyuubi had decided to join. He was still worried about Sasuke and Naruto was not helping by giving him a cold shoulder. She did not realize the full extent of her control. She did not see that she had a certain power over him; the power to change his views.
But then, who could blame her? As he looked over his shoulder at the Kyuubi and Naruto he realized that he had never seen that smile on her face, that smile was small, yet it was real. He was unsure what to think. On one hand she was opening up to the Nine-tails and on the other hand she closing herself from others, especially Sasuke. He sighed and looked at Sasuke, who was glancing at Naruto and the Kyuubi every now and then, suspicion evident in his eyes. Sakura seemed uneasy too. Kakashi shook his head and smiled ruefully under his mask
Sasuke closed his eyes and concentrated. He didn't want to think about any of this. He flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder and looked up to see Naruto's proclaimed brother. "Gaki, do you have any idea who and what I really am? What has happened here?"
Sasuke looked irritably nonplussed. "Do I really want to know?"
"That is not a question that I can answer for you. You are the cause of much grief to many people. I hope your destiny will redeem and liberate you, because your arrogant attitude will not." The Kyuubi said.
"I… I don't want to know, honestly. It's too much weight for me to carry and it really isn't my problem what's happened. All that matters is… what happens now." He said, clenching his fists with world-weary resolve.
The Kyuubi nodded at this. "You are right. Now is important, but it is not all that matters. Knowledge is the most powerful weapon anyone alive can wield, especially a warrior like yourself. By limiting your vision to yourself, you miss the subtleties of the world unfolding right before your eyes. For one whose family was made famous for their relative omniscience, you are all but blind. How pitiful."
His eyes were narrowed coldly, looking down upon Sasuke. It was infuriating! "Hey, fuck you! What do you want me to do? I screwed up and I made the wrong to follow my goddamn destiny. Should I crawl under a rock in disgrace? Should I kill myself? What the fuck do you want me to do, huh?"
"I want you to set things right. When you make a mistake, you repair the damage done to the best of your abilities. Any responsible adult will tell you the same. Or, if you like, you can remain a child all your life. Run, run, run… far, far away where the Sun never shines. Cling to your life and live in an unsightly way. Fill your heart with hate and throw it all away for your 'destiny.' It won't matter to me either way. Naruto is my only concern. Your choices are your own. We can only pray that when it comes to Naruto, you make the right choices. If not, may the Divine have mercy on your soul because I surely will not."
For the briefest moment, everything disappeared and Sasuke was transported to a night long ago, one he sorely wished to forget. Before him stood his brother, staring down at him with no remorse in his eyes.
"Run, run… and cling to life. Live in an unsightly way and let the hate consume you. Only then will you become as I have. Only then will you be able to kill me…"
His eyes warped hideously into the shape of the Managekyou Sharingan and then, as quickly as it had begun, the vision ended. The cruel eyes of his forsaken brother were replaced by those of Naruto's brother, and for the first time, Sasuke noticed… they were the same.
Sasuke immediately shut his eyes and buried his face in his palms. No, their words had not been identical, but they were close enough. Now he couldn't get the image out of his head. His brother just wouldn't leave him the fuck alone, would he? Furthermore, who the hell was this new "brother" of Naruto's who appeared out of nowhere and just started fucking with his head? He didn't like the vibe he got off this guy. He seemed… evil, somehow. And he could see right through this guy's coercion. This wasn't for him or even for any kind of greater good. This was about Naruto. And while Sasuke would admit that he probably owned the loser an apology, he was not particularly keen to follow through. Naruto didn't seem to be in a place to accept his sentiments rationally and this "Uzumaki Ryu" made him suspicious. Nevertheless, he relented.
"Alright, what do you want me to do then?" He asked, weary of the answer he might receive.
"I want you to open your true eyes and tell me what you see." Said the Kyuubi.
Sasuke understood what Ryu meant, despite the vague wording. He activated his Sharingan and looked around him. He was shocked cold by what he saw.
No, there's… just no way this can be real. His eyes grew wide.
"I assure you, Uchiha-boy," said the demon, "it is."