So here's another update… I didn't get many reviews last time… keep them coming!
" What the hell are you talking about!" a young Itachi scowled angrily, " we don't want a new team member!"
" Yeah Itachi-kun's right!" a young Kurenai snapped, Sandaime sighed.
" You need to be a three man team," he replied again, but Itachi's glare only got worse.
" We are a three man team!" Itachi shouted angrily.
" Kaiza is dead," Sandaime, said sharply, Itachi and Kurenai both fell silent, " death is a constant part of shinobi life. You need to deal with it."
" Shut up!" Itachi whispered, his hands shaking, " Kaiza is not dead! We never found his body!"
" Kaiza is smart!" Kurenai said angrily, " he could of gotten away!"
" You two need to stop living in the past," Sandaime sighed staring up at Hokage Mountain, " Kaiza was killed on the last mission. You need to face it. He is not coming back. You will be receiving a new member for team 10."
" No!" Kurenai said angrily, Itachi scowled.
" You can't just replace Kaiza!" Itachi shouted, " he's our best friend! And we're going to find him!"
" I'm not replacing Kaiza," Sandaime replied calmly, " but you will be getting a new team member tomorrow morning. So be prepared."
" I will never accept anyone but Kaiza," Itachi muttered turning and walking away.
" Neither will I," Kurenai scowled as she walked away with Itachi.
" What are we going to do, Itachi-kun?" Kurenai sighed, they were sitting on top of Hokage Mountain in the dark.
" I don't know," he muttered staring miserably at the stars above, dropping his voice to a whisper he sighed, " Kaiza…"
" There's too many of them!" Itachi shouted deflecting kunai knives for Kurenai while she performed genjutsu, " we're completely outnumbered!"
" We need to escape!" Kaiza said jumping over to where they were standing, " we'll use kage bunshin."
" Okay," Itachi said, " one, two three!" Summoning clones, the three friends raced into the woods.
" I think we lost them," Kurenai said softly, as they rested on a branch briefly.
" No!" Itachi shouted tackling Kurenai off the branch, as Kaiza jumped off right before it exploded into flames, " damn it!"
" Itachi run!" Kaiza said, Itachi nodded and he grabbed Kurenai's hand running towards the village, " just keep running!"
" Right! Let's go!" he and Kurenai leaped into the branch's, but after a while they noticed that Kaiza wasn't following, " Kaiza? Kaiza!" Quickly running back they found four dead enemies and a lot of blood near the fast flowing river. Itachi and Kurenai ran around searching for Kaiza, but all they found was his headband.
" What happened?" the ANBU had arrived, " is everyone alright?"
" No! Kaiza is missing!" Kurenai said hurriedly, " we have to find him!"
" Go back to the village!" the man said, " we'll find your friend."
" But," Itachi said slowly.
" Just go," he replied, " there could be more of them."
" Itachi. Kurenai," Sandaime said sadly, " we found a lot of blood that matches Kaiza. But we didn't find his body. I'm sorry, he must of fallen into the river and been swept out to sea. I know how hard this is."
" Kaiza can't be dead," Itachi muttered, staring at the ground, beside him tears were falling down Kurenai's face, " he was there one minute and then he was gone… but he can't really be gone…" Squeezing his eyes shut, he forced the tears back.
" You two should take some time off," Sandaime said softly, " to grieve for Kaiza."
" I don't know how to exist in a world where Kaiza isn't," Itachi said softly, he and Kurenai were standing in front of the memorial.
" I keep waiting for him to come running up," Kurenai whispered, " spouting some nonsense about being late."
" He can't really be dead," Itachi muttered, " right?"
" He's too strong to die," Kurenai sighed, " I bet he's out there somewhere, and he'll come back."
" But… if he doesn't," Itachi whispered, noticing the tears on Kurenai's face, " I'm going to become strong. Stronger than anyone! So I can protect everyone I care about. I never want to see an important friend die in front of me again." Itachi's eyes were shut but the tears were falling anyways.
" We get that new member tomorrow," Kurenai choked out as she wiped away her tears, Itachi nodded, " we can't accept him."
" Accepting him is like accepting that Kaiza is really gone," Itachi whispered wiping the tears away, " he's just some kid filling in until Kaiza comes back."
" Right," Kurenai forced a smile, Itachi grinned, " want to get some dango?"
" Yeah," Itachi said as they walked away from the memorial.
" This is your new team member," Sandaime smiled the next morning, " Sarutobi Asuma."
" Good morning," Asuma said shyly, Itachi scowled while Kurenai gave a curt nod.
" I'm sure you three will be getting along in no time," Sandaime smiled while handing them their mission, " good luck!"
" Let's go," Itachi said heading towards the gates.
" So how long have you been on a team together?" Asuma said hurrying to keep up with Kurenai and Itachi, " I only graduated from the academy a couple month's ago."
" Okay the whole talking thing," Itachi said sharply, " we're not interested."
" But we're comrades, teammates," Asuma said grinning.
" No," Kurenai replied, " Itachi and I are teammates, you're a temporary fix until Kaiza comes back."
" But Kaiza is dead," Asuma said slowly, Itachi spun around and pinned him against a tree.
" If you ever say that again I will hurt you," Asuma was visibly frightened of the blood red sharingan eyes that were piercing his own, " you're a genin. You will stay back and stay out of our way." Itachi released him and turned away walking with Kurenai.
For the month's that followed Asuma did as Itachi said he remained back and out of their way. Until that one mission, he got fed up and jumped in.
" Asuma! What the hell are you doing!" Itachi screamed at him, while dodging kunai's.
" Watch out!" Kurenai shouted, as a barrage of kunai knives went flying at Asuma, who had frozen in fear. He felt an arm grabbed him and pull him out of the way.
" Baka!" Itachi said angrily, " I told you to stay back for a reason!"
" Itachi… you're hurt," Asuma said slowly, staring at the blood that was running down Itachi's arm.
" I'm fine," he scowled, " now stay behind this tree."
" I'm sorry about the other day Itachi," Asuma said softly, the two boys were waiting for Kurenai, " I didn't mean to get you hurt."
" It's fine," Itachi said, " forget it."
" Morning Itachi-kun," Kurenai smiled appearing next to them, " let's go!"
" Watch your left Kurenai!" Itachi shouted.
" There's too many of them!" Kurenai replied as she dodged another kunai, " Itachi watch out!" Itachi spun around only to find a shinobi about to stick a sword in him. But suddenly Asuma appeared in front of him, and stabbed the enemy with his chakra blades.
" Asuma," Itachi said shocked Kurenai appeared beside them.
" That's all of them," she said helping Itachi up, " let's go home."
" Sorry Itachi," Asuma said softly, Itachi raised an eyebrow, " I didn't mean to get in your way."
" No Asuma," Itachi clasp his shoulder briefly, and grinned at him, " good work!"
" Thank you Itachi!" Asuma grinned at him, they all walked away together.
Well as you could probably tell, that was in the past… okay so lots of reviews!