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Chapter 9

One year later...

"Thanks Azami-chan, I'll be back in a few days."

"Don't worry Natsuki-chan, Naruto and I'll be fine. Go to your mission, or you'll be late. Gai will be here in the evenings when he can anyway. Go!"

I smiled at Azami, still half asleep at the door to her house with a still sleeping Naruto just deposited in her arms. It was dawn, so she wouldn't normally be awake right now, but for me, her friend, she would. Azami had become my best friend in the past year, practically my sister, yet she acted in many ways like my mother sometimes too, always worrying about me and reminding me of everything that needs doing. I think she spent a little too much time with babies. Naruto stayed with her now when I went off on missions, which was more frequent now that I was a chunnin, and he adored Azami anyway. Plus I thought he would benefit having someone other than me to rely on, as I had learnt the same.

And of course, the surprising coupling of Gai and Azami had happened. Their meeting was an accident, Gai being put in the hospital from... being Gai, and Azami caring for him as she had me due to short-staffing in the hospital. Gai would say it was love at first sight, the romantic sod, but Azami would agree that she had liked him instantly, but their love had taken a little more time to grow. She truly wasn't like any woman Gai or I had ever known, finding his quirks endearing and adorable, admirable as a ninja. They made a sweet pair; Gai worshipping the land Azami walked on, and Azami loving him with her huge heart. And when they smiled together though, it was almost blinding.

As I have mentioned, I had completed the chunnin exam, only three months ago, and was now regularly taking C and some B missions. My skill I had found had been in ninjutsu, and however much Gai tried to make me 'appreciate the art of taijutsu' my body was not built to undertake the training he had planned. Let's just say I had new-found respect for the training Gai – and Lee in the future – went through.

Jiraiya had left on his travels again two months ago, after teaching me to successfully do the Yondaime's Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). I was now able to transport myself as far away as I was able to see and get where I was aiming to go. With practise, Jiraiya said I would be able to cover any distance instantly using sealed kunai I carried with me. For now it bought me extra seconds against an opponent, especially useful as I didn't use chakra doing it, but that was what made it hard for me to learn. But I'd get this jutsu, even if it killed me.

I leant forward and kissed Naruto's mop of blonde hair, before kissing Azami on the cheek, "I'll be back as soon as I can. It's only a C rank mission."

"It's still a mission," Azami said, leaning on the doorframe tiredly, "You could still get hurt."

"Then I'll come back to you and have you patch me up."

"I don't understand why you dislike the hospital so much. It isn't that bad."

I scrunched my nose, "I just don't, I get bad feelings."

"Whatever, good luck sweetie."

"Thanks." With one more look at them, I turned and headed to the main gates. I was late, and it wasn't a C rank mission, it was an A rank. And I was going with a group of chunnin led by Itachi. He was a Jounin, but still only eleven. Still, I knew he was not a boy I'd want to defy. Age didn't matter when compared to his skill level. I'd give him his due respect.

The Hokage and I had discussed earlier this year the whole 'to tell Itachi about the Uchiha massacre or not'. It had been decided that I could in private, away from anyone else, warn him what was likely to occur. It would then be up to him to choose what to do. But I would then at least have tried... now I only had to come up with a reason as to how I knew what was going to happen. Saying 'I can see the future' didn't seem quite credible enough for Itachi. When I found a reason, I'd tell him... I think... but it was so hard not telling him. I'd go with the flow, like I did with most things.

Spotting my group waiting outside the gates, I hurriedly greeted them and we set off. The quicker we went, the sooner I'd be home again. It was a retrieval mission from the Land of Waves, a secret scroll wanted by quite a lot of people, including – the Hokage had warned me – early rumours of a group sounding like the Akatsuki. Basically it should have been an S rank mission, but because the evidence of a huge threat was circumstantial, it was only classed as an A rank mission.

"Hurry up Uzumaki, you're lagging behind." I heard Itachi say from ahead of me.

Looking around, I saw that I was indeed falling behind my group. Shaking my head of my thoughts, I sped up to keep up with everyone. I'd worry about everything like that later.

"Uzumaki, drop one of your sealed kunai here and every twenty miles from here." Itachi said, "If the whole team is unable to return with the scroll, you are to take it and teleport back to Konoha as quickly as possible."

"Hai." I said, dropping one of my many sealed kunai. With this here, I could teleport back here instantly from my range. I just hope I didn't have to use them, and if I did, I hoped that I was close enough to one of the kunai to use them.

Two days later...

We had been ambushed.

Of our original seven man team, only six of us survived the ambush. It wasn't only one enemy group either, it was several. We still had the scroll; it was actually in my pack, but this made me the number one target. The other four shinobi and I were holding off the enemy fairly well, but Itachi was something altogether. He was attacking the attackers. He was fearless. Maybe that's what I was lacking in order to become a Jounin.

I wasn't personally doing a lot of fighting. Itachi had deemed the situation 'compromising' and I was to get back to Konoha as soon as possible. Easier said than done. Even though my teammates were taking the brunt of the enemy forces to give me space to leave, there were just too many enemy nin. It was getting to a point where it seemed hopeless, until I sensed one of my sealed kunai nearby. I couldn't see my kunai, so I wasn't sure if I'd end up in the right place. But it didn't look as if we had much choice anyway. I signalled to Itachi and my teammates that I was going, and when they nodded their understanding, I transported...

... Right in front of a group of fighting enemy nin and an Akatsuki member.

I stood frozen on the spot when I recognised who stood before me, even though he was not dressed exactly as I remembered, "Madara..." I whispered.

He must have heard, because he turned his head towards me. After quickly killing his enemy he began making his way towards me. I had never felt so scared in my life. I backed up and began looking for an escape. Anywhere I looked, I transported there. A tree branch, behind a bush, a clearing, another tree, yet every time I looked behind me, he was still there. I needed to get above the trees. There I could see a lot further, so would be able to teleport a lot further, and hopefully enough to lose him. I had almost reached the canopy of the tree leaves, when I was pulled backwards, tied by loops of wire to a tree trunk.

And then Madara stepped in front of me.

"What did you call me?"

Distract him! And don't look into his eyes! "Are you going to kill me?" I asked, looking at his feet.

"You know who I am, don't you?" he asked, suddenly right in front of me, "How?"

Why wasn't he going for the scroll? I was a sitting duck here, he could have got it ages ago, "Erm, what are you talking about?"

"Who are you?"

I didn't have time to answer, because thankfully Itachi came and freed me, seconds before he engaged Madara in a fight, "Go!" he said. So I did. I headed to our set rendezvous three towns from here, striking down any enemy nin who got in the way. Itachi soon caught up, but I didn't think he had defeated Madara.

"Uzumaki, who was that man? You seemed to recognise him." Itachi asked.

This was it; the point of no return. Do I tell him of Madara, or don't I. "He is the most dangerous man in the world Itachi; Madara Uchiha." I told him of Madara's connection with Konoha, and what he would do in the future, including how he would use Itachi in his plans, "You will be made to kill your family Itachi in exchange for the village's safety from Madara. Everyone. Your best friend. Your father. Your mother. Everyone. Except Sasuke. He will get you to betray your village, and join his group called Akatsuki. He will try to get revenge against Konoha, and you would have been part of it. But Sasuke will kill you, as you had always wanted. He would not know the truth until he kills you."

"..."

"Itachi?"

"How do you know all this?"

"Just... trust me." I couldn't come up with anything else.

"... Okay."

"Okay? Did you hear what I said?-"

"I heard you Uzumaki-san. I trust your word. But there is nothing I can do."

"Nothing you can do?" I stopped running, Itachi stopping also, "You can refuse to kill your own family! You can refuse to leave your brother and orphan, with no wish other than to kill you. You can refuse to die!"

"But I won't." What? "Because every reason behind my actions you have told me, I would have done anyway. I would have killed my family, if it meant the whole village would be safe. I would join him, if it meant I could watch the man who will ruin my life. And I would want my brother to kill me, if it meant that I would finally have the chance to tell him everything."

H-How could he be so... so... I slumped to the ground, gazing unseeingly at the grass beneath me. "So I might as well have not told you?"

"No," he said, pulling me up to stand, "Now I know to cherish the time I still have with my family. I can prepare myself. Thank you Uzumaki-san, I owe you greatly."

I smiled sadly at him, this boy, who had already accepted the dark and lonely path his life would follow, "I wish I could help you though, it isn't fair."

"No it isn't fair, and I don't think there is anything you can do. It is all inevitable. I am however in your debt, now and forever more. But what do you say about getting back to Konoha for now, and warning the Hokage about our encounter with Madara."

"Ok." We set off once again to Konoha, only to realise that in the time we had paused, not even a minute, we were already surrounded again, and I couldn't sense my kunai nearby. Madara stepped out from the crowd now. He still wore that one-eyed mask, but it was different from the swirl one he would wear in Akatsuki, and his hair was longer. He also wasn't wearing the Akatsuki cloak either. Under each arm he held a dead Konoha nin, which he tossed at our feet. That left us with only two others as well as Itachi and me.

"I would like a word with you." He said, looking at me. A word? There isn't a thing in the world that will get me to talk to you willingly.

"You will not get the scroll." Itachi said, stepping in front of me.

I sinister chuckle drifted from behind the one-eyed mask, "Believe me boy, that isn't why I want to talk to her. I wish to confirm if rumours I have heard are true."

I felt a cold sensation fill my bruised, cut and aching body. He knew. I just knew he knew about me. But how? Where had these rumours come from? Either someone had told, or someone else had been spying on the Hokage and me. This wasn't good. This was actually really bad. A shuffling in the crowd of enemy nin let Itachi and I see the remaining two members of our squad, dead, kicked to the ground by the other dead bodies.

It was Itachi and me against I don't know how many.

And then they attacked. Itachi and I were holding ourselves fairly well, but we were hugely outnumbered. After a whole day of fighting, a kick to my side broke a few ribs and a particularly deep cut to my thigh made it difficult for me to stand. Itachi wasn't faring much better, sporting a broken arm and deep cuts all over his body also. There was no hope for a victory for us. Unless...

Time to try something new.

I grabbed Itachi as soon as I could, holding him tightly to me. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on Konoha, visualising it in my mind. If I needed to see my destination to teleport, does seeing in my mind count? And could I even teleport someone else with me? I could see the trees covering most of Fire Country, closer, I saw the Valley of the End with the two giant statues, closer, I saw the distant mountains bearing the faces of past and present Hokage, closer, and then I saw the huge red gates to Konoha.

NOW!

The next time I opened my eyes it was only for a few seconds. But in that time I saw the gates of Konoha, shinobi rushing towards us, and Itachi still in my arms. I was home, was my last thought, before I succumbed to the inky blackness of unconsciousness, ignoring the voices calling out to me and the hands checking me all over. I was safe.