DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE IDEAS OR CHARACTERS FROM NARUTO
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(A/N): Hey, everyone! Thanks for reading… Hope you've enjoyed the story thus far… I've been kind of stuck on where to go with the last chapter, so it's been tough getting this one together. Not to mention real life's been quite a drag.
On another note, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM is welcome. Please, do not be cruel without giving a reason and at least have the decency to tell me what I did wrong & how to fix it.
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Thought
"Memories of what other people said"
"Speech"
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Ch. 4: Fated Meetings, Dreams, & a New Purpose
Looking down at the mysterious child, Itachi quickly checked the boy's vitals. He's alive, but all of this blood… These wounds were meant to kill, but… They're healing?! Perhaps, a blood-limit? I've never heard of one like this, but it's a possibility. The trail of blood is from the village… He must have been attacked by that passing mob, but why?
Carefully, the young teen lifted the blood-soaked child and quickly made his way down the mountains, maneuvering in the shadows and staying out of site. This child needs medical care, but that mob will make it difficult… and the hospital is too far… I should be near some of the training grounds... Hn, 32? It's just on the outskirts of the village and pretty isolated… It will do…
Slowing down, Itachi glanced about warily before stopping near a stream. After laying the child down, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a first aid kit and began tending to the wounds.
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Obito could feel his body burning, throbbing from his wounds, yet at the same time he felt the pain gradually receding into nothingness. His consciousness returning, the boy kept himself from groaning as he felt the presence of another person beside him. Someone's found me! Ok, ok, calm down… Shit! I've shifted… Oh man, they probably think I'm some poor Uchiha kid that got mixed up in that riot…
Taking a quick peek through his lidded eyes, Obito barely kept himself from gasping and cursing out loud. Crap! The Uchiha crest… He'd know I'm not from the clan… So, what do I do?! Ok, think, think, think… His back's turned right now, so maybe… I'll shift! Just a little so I don't look too much like some unknown relative of his…
"You're awake," Itachi stated blandly from the stream as he finished wringing the cloth of water and blood, causing Obito to twitch in surprise, "I found you up by Hokage Mountains. Who are you?"
Turning to face the child, the shinobi was surprised to meet a pair of bright, blue eyes where he had been expecting the dark, black eyes of the Uchiha. Taking a closer look at the injured boy, Itachi noted that the child had thicker, spikier hair than the Uchiha and that the boy's skin, while considerably pale, was not quite as light as that of an Uchiha.
"I'm… Y-Yuichi," the boy stuttered, terror evident in his narrow eyes, which Itachi noted were shaped like an Uchiha's despite their unusual coloring, "W-who are you?"
"The one that rescued you," the shinobi answered, as he began wrapping the wounds on Yuichi's arms, "Most of these wounds were meant to kill you, but they've healed rather quickly. What clan are you from, Yuichi-kun?"
"C-clan? What do you mean?" Yuichi asked warily, "I-I'm an orphan… I d-don't have a clan… Why do you ask?"
"You have incredible healing powers, possibly a blood-limit," Itachi stated, "It's possible you may be from some sort of Shinobi clan, however I've never heard of any with such powers. Tell me, why were you attacked?"
Crap! Okay, the best way to lie with out getting caught is not to lie at all… So, partial and twisted truths are my best bet… Yuichi thought as he slowly, and hesitantly answered, "I-I don't really know why, but… People, don't like me… They call me a… a Monster…"
Itachi's eyes narrowed in contemplation. To be so cruel to a child... One with an unknown bloodline… Maybe…
"Where are you from?" He asked, "There are only a few places I can think of that would look down upon kekkei genkai like this."
"I-I don't know w-where I'm from, b-but I've been living in Konoha for a while." Yuichi answered nervously. I'm not lying, I never knew my parents, so I don't know where I'm from…
"I see," Itachi murmured thoughtfully. In Konoha? The people here admire blood-limits, why would they attack this child? Unless, it's something else… But the child has no family and he's clueless about his kekkei-genkai… There has to be another reason…
"Last night was the Kyuubi festival. There was a mob. Did you get mixed up in that?" the older boy asked.
"Y-yes," Yuichi replied, tears streaming down his scratched, dirty face, "I didn't want to, but they were going through the place I lived and I got pulled into it. I got away b-but…"
"It's alright," Itachi stated, having heard enough, "The mob's calmed down and it should be safe now. Would you like me to take you to the hospital?"
"N-no, I think I'm alright now," Yuichi answered, pointing to the light pink lines that were, hours ago, deep gashes, "It probably won't even scar. I-I should probably get going soon. I think my care-taker is going to get worried. I should be able to get home fine. Thank you for helping me."
Nodding slightly, Itachi turned around to wash off the bloodied cloth he had been using to clean the boy's wounds. He paused when he heard Yuichi stand up and ask, "Ano, shinobi-san? W-what is your name? You never told me and I… I'd like to know who rescued me…"
"Uchiha Itachi," he answered before standing and asking, "Where do you live? I'll take you home"
"N-No, Uchiha-san. M-My home isn't too far from here and I can make it on my own," Yuichi answered shakily as he hastily began walking into the slowly lightening forest, "I better go now. T-Thank you."
Itachi was about to catch up to the boy when he noticed something odd. Eyes narrowing, Itachi's mind raced at the boy's sudden disappearance. That boy… I can't see him anymore… and his chakra signature, it's gone… He's young, but… Could he be a shinobi? Perhaps a nuke-nin? But, I'm sure he's related to my clan. The resemblance is overwhelming and… Obito… I'd better report this to the Hokage.
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Rushing back to his apartment, Yuichi shifted back into his true form, Naruto. There he quickly grabbed an old pair of clothes and changed into them. Oh man, that was Itachi… Kami-sama, he's grown up so much… I wonder how he's doing… Maybe I can ask sensei next time I see him, after all, he is a god so he should know… Sandaime will be looking for me… I'd better see him…
Sighing, Naruto gave one last baleful glance at his trashed apartment before hurriedly sneaking off towards the Hokage's tower via rooftops, treetops, and alleyways. Having reached the building, he noticed the guards were busy talking and quietly climbed along the side of the tower, slipping into an empty room through a small window, carelessly left open. Glancing about, Naruto was disappointed to see a large group of Chuunin down the hallway. Alright, I just need to get to Ojii-san's office… I could reach the stairs from here, but if those chuunin see me… Damn it, what the hell am I supposed to do?! If I shift, I'll have a lot to explain to Ojii-san and that's the last thing I need right now… So, maybe… Henge? I'll need to be careful…
With a plan in mind, Naruto henged into a plain, brown haired, brown eyed man in a chuunin vest. Slipping out of the room, he lazy strolled down the hallway, past the chuunin group and towards the stairs. Not even receiving a suspicious glance from the group, Naruto let out a soft sigh of relief and quickly began climbing the stairs. Reaching his destination, Naruto peeked inside, and once sure it was empty, he crept in, undid the henge and patiently sat under the desk and waited for the village leader to return.
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Sarutobi was worried. Last night, the Kyuubi festival had taken a turn for the worst when the villagers, both drunken and sober, began to riot. By the time he'd heard of it and rushed find Naruto the boy was missing and his apartment had been completely destroyed. All this time and the people are still hurt, still bitter, still hateful… Naruto, where are you? Why didn't you come to me like I asked you to last week?
"Hokage-sama," one of the anbu greeted, "The search parties have returned but there have been no sightings of Uzumaki-san. We've checked all of alleys, buildings, and even the academy grounds for the boy, but with no luck. We are awaiting further orders, sir."
"Send two groups to check around the Hokage Monuments and send the rest of the units to search the training grounds, especially those on the outskirts of the village," Sarutobi commanded her, "report back to me in two hours."
"Hai," the falcon masked kunoichi bowed before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.
Naruto, for now, all I can do is pray for your well being. Turning towards the tower, Sarutobi entered and made his way up to his office. Perhaps I will be able to find him with my crystal ball… What? Naruto?!
"Ojii-san! You're back! I was worried you wouldn't be here," the small blonde exclaimed from under the desk.
He was here all along… Sarutobi thought as he gently pulled the scruffy little boy from his hiding spot. Noticing the tear stains on the child's face, the shredded state of the boy's clothes, and the injuries, he frowned and carefully placed the boy on his lap.
"Naruto," he began, "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
Nodding, Naruto replied, "Eeto… I was in my house watching the festival from my window when I heard a lot of shouting. A bunch of people were banging on my door and broke it down and… and t-they s-started to…"
"It's ok Naruto," the Sandaime murmured, rocking the trembling boy and lightly rubbing his back, "You're safe now. You can tell me what happened."
"T-they started to h-hit me a-a-and… break my things… a-and they called m-me a… a M-Monster," Naruto sobbed.
"Alright, Naruto, I'm going to take you to the hospital to look at those wounds and I'll also send a genin team to clean up your home." Sarutobi stated soothingly as he lifted the crying boy and carried him out of the office.
"T-thank you, Ojii-san," Naruto murmured as he slowly drifted off into a fitful sleep.
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Itachi had made it back to the Hokage's tower when he was stopped by a falcon masked anbu.
"Uchiha-san, you are just in time. Hokage-sama is asking that the lower units of the anbu, along with a handful of jounin and chuunin help search for the Uzumaki-san," the masked kunoichi stated.
"Uzumaki-san?" Itachi asked.
"the Kyuubi vessel," the anbu answered curtly, "he was attacked by a group of rioting villagers last night and has since vanished. You are to join the group that is searching training grounds 32, 37, and 42."
"Hai," Itachi bowed as the anbu vanished in a whirl of leaves. Another child attacked by the mob… Perhaps he was with Yuichi-kun…This Uzumaki-san may know something… I will report to Sandaime-sama after the search.
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Barely ten minutes into the search and it had been called off. Itachi was slightly disappointed. Apparently Uzumaki-san has been hiding in the Hokage's office the entire time. I doubt he'd have seen Yuichi-kun. Perhaps I am worrying over nothing… the child did say that he'd been living in Konoha for some time and the probability of him being related to my clan, as either an orphan or illegitimate child is not likely considering how strictly the clan is monitored and ruled… Unless… No… He was too young…
Walking through the Uchiha compound and into the yard, Itachi contemplated the mysterious boy. My mind must have been tired to think that boy could have been related… But…
"Itachi? There's some miso soup left on the stove. Please, help yourself," A petite woman greeted from the parlor.
"Yes. Thank you," Itachi answered, his eyes growing distant. Mother's miso soup… It was Obito's favorite… The memorial… Perhaps I should take some to him…
"Itachi? Has something happened?" Mikoto asked as her face flooded with concern as she noted her son's unusual expression.
"Mother, what is the youngest age possible for a boy to be a father?" he asked, allowing curiosity to seep into his voice.
"E-excuse me?! The youngest age… a-a father?!" she stuttered, wide-eyed with shock, "W-why do you ask?"
"I overheard some villagers arguing about what they saw somewhere in Wave," Itachi replied dully, "it interested me."
"Something in Wave?" Mikoto asked, her tense posture relaxing, her panic assuaged, "What was it?"
"They were talking about a boy they knew," Itachi replied, "something about how he's too young to be a father, only twelve I think. Is it true? Can someone that young be a father?"
"Kami-sama, only twelve?! Well, it's possible…but extremely rare and looked down upon," she murmured, "During the war, many ninja married young and had children because of the extremely high fatality rates, but the standard that time was about sixteen, although I've heard cases where the parents would be as young as eleven or twelve. But since we've been in peace, most ninja haven't even considered marriage or children until their twenties."
Itachi crossed his arms in thought, "Was that the case with you and Father?"
"M-me… and your Father?!" Mikoto blushed, "No, we were one of the few who waited. I married your father when I was twenty and I had you when I was twenty-two."
He nodded before asking, "Where did I come from? Was I inside your stomach like Sasuke was?"
"Of course you were, all babies come from their mother's stomach," His mother answered off-handedly as she took out a torn shirt and began to patch it up.
"But how did they get inside?" The eleven year old asked, almost innocently.
Mikoto stilled and blinked. Cheeks turning deep, rosy pink, she replied in a seemingly calm voice, "Perhaps you should ask your father when he gets back from his mission. He can explain it much better than I can."
With a curt nod, Itachi rose from the parlor table and placed his bowl in the sink, before heading up to his room, all the while hiding his knowing smirk at the sudden, some what awkward dismissal from his mother. It's possible… Almost six years ago… Obito was thirteen when… and Yuichi-kun looks young enough…
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Once again floating in a void, Naruto called out, "Sensei?"
"Yuichi, you should be more careful. Those villagers could have killed you." the death god answered.
"I know and I'm sorry." he answered before changing the subject, "What do you know about my baby cousin, Itachi?"
"You've seen him," Shinigami stated, "Yet you did not tell him who you really were or your circumstances."
"I-I was shocked. He grew up so much… I didn't recognize him," Naruto responded defensively.
"It may be a good thing that you've held the secret," shinigami told him.
"Huh? Why?" Naruto asked, "Couldn't he help me?"
"That is one possibility, however your story is not very believable and it may instead hurt or anger him. Uchiha Itachi, your young cousin, was devastated with your death. It would not do to drag up the past with him, especially when there is a possibility that he may hate or resent you for that pain." The god answered.
"I-I see…" Naruto trailed off sadly, unconscious of his shifting into Obito, "I still want to talk to him… but now that I'm… I mean, he doesn't know it's me and… I guess it's for the best… still…"
"I could connect you to him through your dreams, just this once and only for a short time because it'll drain most of your chakra," Shinigami offered, "You will be exhausted for a few days, considering your injuries, but we'll use that time in dreamscape to do some basic training. The villagers' attack has made training you early a priority. Remember, your time with him will be limited, so do not take too long."
"A-Arigatou gozaimasu, sensei," Obito bowed before he felt himself spinning and fading as he drowned in a wave of nausea and darkness.
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I'm dreaming… I must be… This is the place Obito used to train me… Back when I was five… and I'm not myself here… I'm little again… Itachi thought as he looked at his reflection in the stream. But…I've never had dreams like this before… Why am I here?
"Itachi?" a warm, familiar voice called out, "Baby cousin… it's good to see you again."
Whipping around, Itachi rushed over to the other boy, who was sitting on an old tree stump, smiling down at him.
"O-obito-nii," he gasped, "Y-you… you're…"
"I know, Itachi. I know," Obito smiled as he pulled his younger cousin into a loose hug, "I've missed you. What have you been up to?"
"I've been training to accomplish my goal," the now little boy answered promptly.
"Oh? That's great. What is your goal?" Obito asked cheerfully amused by his cousin's driven nature.
"I'm going to avenge you," Itachi answered, an unusual glint appearing in his eyes. It was a cold, hard fury, and a passionate rage, that deeply unsettled his older cousin, "I'm going to kill everyone that's ever hurt you! Starting with our clan!"
"W-what?!," Obito choked, panic evident in his voice, "Y-you can't do that! I-I mean, why would you want to?!"
"They hurt you," the other boy answered, firm in his conviction, "You deserved better. They had no right to treat you like that. I'm going to make them pay."
"You can't! You'll become a nuke-nin. The anbu and oi-nin will hunt you down for the rest of your life." Obito reasoned desperately, his eyes beginning to sting.
"I don't care about that! They hurt you. Why shouldn't I avenge you?!" Itachi asked, staring at his cousin in confusion.
"Because I don't want you to ruin your life," Obito yelled, before turning away, and whispering, "Don't throw it away… Not for my sake…"
Itachi felt his blood run cold and breath catch as he caught a glimpse of his cousin's tear-filled eyes. I… I made him cry… I've never made him cry before… I hurt him… I didn't mean to… but… I hate this…To see him cry, it hurts me too… There must be something… How can I help his spirit rest in peace?!
They sat there in silence for what seemed like an eternity before Itachi spoke, in a soft, uncertain voice, "Then, what do you want me to do?"
Obito stilled from his shifting and settled his surprisingly piercing gaze on the smaller boy. I should have figured something like this would happen… Itachi is a goal driven person… He needs a purpose, otherwise he'll feel lost… But what? It has to be something specific. I don't want him mixing up what I say with a go ahead to kill everyone in the clan… Hmmm… Perhaps… Ah! Aunt Mikoto was pregnant when I died… Maybe… Shit… The nausea's back… My times almost up…
"I can't stay much longer," Obito rushed, "But, there is something you can do. There's a kid in Konoha that needs someone to look out for them. I died before the poor thing was born. Itachi, please… watch out for that kid. Be there for it, like I was there for you… Oh, and stay safe and try to find your own happiness, okay? I'll never be able to rest in peace if I'm always worrying about you." the fading boy joked. If I only knew the name or at least the gender of the kid… I should have asked Itachi about his little brother or sister earlier…
"I-I will," Itachi promised to his rapidly vanishing cousin before gaping into the empty space in front of him. Obito's eyes… They changed… I've seen them before…
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The bright afternoon light poured into the clean, spacious bedroom, awakening its current inhabitant from a fitful slumber. Sitting up and brushing his long, dark hair away from his face, Itachi looked out of the window into the garden. Those eyes… those bright blue eyes… where have I seen them before?
With a glance towards the mountains on his way to the kitchen, the young shinobi's eyes widened in realization. Yuichi-kun! He looks just like Obito… and the eyes from my dream… I understand now… The clan is not important, they meant nothing to Obito… Avenging them and becoming a nuke-nin would only hurt him…
Packing a small, lacquered bowl filled with his mother's miso soup, Itachi left the Uchiha compound with an almost imperceptible smile gracing his lips.
Don't worry Obito… I know my true purpose now… To take care of the boy with the bright blue eyes… Yuichi-kun… Your son…
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(A/N): Well, how was it? Anyway, I've made a forum specifically for my fan-fics, where we can discuss certain aspects of the plot and I can answers questions or publicly respond to reviews.
Please check it out here: http://www.fanfiction. net/ft/1141061/29152/1/
The link can also be found in my profile under forums as Amaya no Shiori's fics. Please remember, that this does not in any way replace reviews. It's only there for more in depth discussion of the fics. Thank you.
Anyway, I've messed up my leg (needed to get a metal plate and some screws surgically inserted to fix it) so it'll probably be a while before I can post the next update. The pain and back work (from school) is draining me of the inspiration and energy to continue. Sorry about this inconvenience, but there's only so much I can do at this time.
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Thank you, to everyone who has supported me with their suggestions and reviews, I truly appreciate it.