Welcome back to Uchiha No More! Sorry it took me so long to get back to this. I really wasn't planning for it to take this long. But hey, I got a job working in retail. Hopefully my brain won't crap out on me again and I can actually get more updates out.
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After leaving the training ground, and the Team getting our picture taken, I quickly made my way through Konoha and towards the Hokage's Tower. I hadn't opened the scroll Pakkun had given to me and I didn't plan to until I found out what the Hokage needed me for.
My only guesses could be missions. What type of missions, I couldn't guess.
"I do wonder what Lord Hokage called me for. Team 7 just became a team…" I pondered the reasons for a while before coming to the tall building of Hokage Tower.
Entering the large building, I walked to the desk stationed directly in front of me. I could make out the pineapple hair of Iruka shuffling papers, organizing the missions into the different ranks. A smile reached my lips as I looked to the Chunin.
Just as I was about to make my presence known, the older male brought his eyes to meet my own onyx ones. Shock overtook his features before being replaced with a small smile.
"What can I do for you, Natsumi-chan?" he asked as he picked up a stack of papers which, I assumed, had to be taken to Sarutobi-sama to be signed.
Adjusting my headband, I walked to stand beside Iruka. "The Hokage summoned me after the creation of Team 7." I rubbed the back of my head as I gave a nervous chuckle to the older Chunin. "I may have had to knock out Naruto…" I trailed off at Iruka's angered glare. Panic gripped my heart as I decided it was best to flee for my life.
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
"SORRY, IRUKA!"
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After fleeing from the angered Chunin, I dashed up the stairs of the building and to the large door of the Hokage's office.
Releasing a sigh, I quickly brought up my hand to knock on the wood. A quiet "Come in," alerted me that our leader had heard me. I pushed open the door to see the large room that housed the Third Hokage.
The room was spacious enough with the only furniture being the large desk and chair in the back of the room. The farthest wall was covered in large windows, allowing for a beautiful view of Konoha. On the left wall lay portraits of the past Hokage's who fell in battle.
Sitting behind the desk was none other than the Hokage himself. The old man wore the traditional red and white robes, signifying his status. On top of his head was the large red and white hat with the kanji for fire displayed on the front. In his mouth was an old smoking pipe.
"Hello, Hokage-sama." I gave a small bow of respect. I grinned at Sarutobi-sama as I approached the desk for my mission briefing.
"Ah, Natsumi. I take it you received my scroll?" he asked as he removed the pipe from his mouth. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched me remove said scroll from the folds of my kimono top.
"Is this what you mean, sir? Pakkun just told me that I was to report here after giving me this." I showed the elderly man the scroll I had received from the ninhound. Approaching the desk, I placed the scroll upon his desk before returning to my place.
Sarutobi eyed the parchment before taking it into his hands. A small seal on the front of the scroll showed an impression of the Leaf Village's symbol. The Hokage looked back to me as he held the scroll for me to take.
"This is an important mission for you, Miss Hatake." he took a puff of his pipe as I took the scroll back into my hands, a look of confusion on my face. "There have been rumors of a spy for Orochimaru within the Leaf. Your mission is to weed them out and terminate them." he spoke with an air of authority as his usually warm eyes gazed harshly into my own. "We have already found the traitor and have sent them on a scouting mission a few villages to the north of here. They are to be stationed there for the next two weeks. Eliminate them."
He motioned to the scroll clutched in my hand, causing me to look at it in question.
"All the information you need on the target has been revealed in that scroll." He once again met my eyes as he gave me my final bit of information. "See to it that the target is never found again."
A sadistic grin spread across my face at my Leader's orders. I could feel my chakra pooling behind my eyes, wanting to show my power. "I assume you want me to gather any information they currently have?"
A curt nod was my reply. Taking that as my cue that my briefing was finished, I placed the scroll into my shirt again. My hand reached to lie over my heart as I gave a low bow.
"It will be done, Milord." straitening from my position I made to turn towards the door.
"I expect great things from you, Natsumi Uchiha."
My grin only spread as I exited the room, the sound of my former name giving me a surge of power as I made my way out of the tower. While I never really liked killing those I saw as comrades, I would not hesitate to remove those who posed a threat to my home.
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By the time I had finished speaking to the Hokage, the sun had set and the streets of Konoha had started to become bare. Shops began closing as I passed.
I had made it back home in order to prepare for my mission. If I was to make it to the village where my target was, I would have to leave before noon.
Grabbing a sealing scroll, I began to seal away some clothes for my trip as well as some rations and medical equipment. My mission scroll would stay on my person until it was time to destroy it. Grabbing a few senbon from my closet, I hid the needles in a strap on my left forearm, hidden by the large sleeves of my kimono. My weapons pouch would need to be restocked before I left, but that could wait until morning when there was light out.
"I expect you to be safe, Natsumi."
The voice of my father was a comforting one. Pausing in my preparations, I turned to the face of the man who raised me. His headband was absent; leaving his scarred eye visible to me, the eye itself remained firmly shut. His gravity defying hair fell only slightly as it tried to cover his face. The mask he wore was pulled down as he munched on some leftover curry from last night. He had changed into a formfitting black shirt and a pair of pajama pants.
I gave a small smile as I walked over to him. I quickly threw my arms around his waist while he continued eating. "Nothing to worry about, Otou-san. I'll only be gone for a few days from what I've been told." I assured him.
He paused in his dinner as he looked at me. Coal met coal before he gave a sigh. Setting his plate on the small table by my door, he wrapped his strong arms around my shoulders in a peaceful embrace. His chin came to rest on the top of my head as he lazily looked around my room.
"You know it's my job to worry." Came his soft spoken rebuttal. His arms tightened around me in worry. "Besides," he paused to poke me between the eyes, "Who will cook while you're gone?" he whined as I let out a giggle at his antics.
Breaking the hug, I grabbed my father's dirty dishes before walking out of the room. "You could always go to Ichiraku's with Naruto and the rest of the team while I'm away. No need to starve yourself, Otou-san." I chided the silverette. Walking down the stairs and to the kitchen, I went to the sink to wash the dishes.
Kakashi had taken to standing in the doorway of the kitchen as I did my nightly chores. A smile played at his lips while I worked.
"Though that isn't a bad idea, I still love your cooking more."
"How did we manage to survive before I started the cooking?" I teased. While I was the one that did the cooking, Kakashi attempted to before I was old enough. The experience didn't go as planned and we had to replace most of our kitchen while Iruka scolded him for burning part of the house. The Chunin then taught me how to cook in order to prevent another disaster.
"Beats me." He shrugged as he let out a yawn.
Turning off the faucet, I turned to my father with a small smile. "Go on to bed, Otou-san. You have a team to shape up in the morning." I reminded as I began to push him in the direction of his room. A tired chuckle passed his lips as he relented.
"Alright, alright."
He gave me one more hug and a ruffle of my hair before making his way back up the stairs and to his room. Once I heard the door to his room shut, I followed his path before making it back to my own room.
My scroll sat on my bed with the things I would be taking laid out beside it. My mission information sat directly on my pillow. The moonlight from my window illuminated my room as I shut the door behind me.
Pushed against the window was my bed, a small nightstand at the foot of the bed. To my left was a medium sized oak desk where I wrote my reports and did a few of my hobbies, a wooden chair in front of it. Beside the door on my right was a table used for my headband and a picture of Kakashi and me from when I was promoted to Chunin. On the farthest right wall, I had my medium sized closet with the various types of clothing I owned. In the center of my room was a small table for when I eat alone while Kakashi is out. The table also served as a place for me to come up with new jutsus.
With a drawn out sigh, I moved to the bed where all of my stuff was. I quickly did a few hand signs in order to seal my belongings onto the parchment. Never did like carrying a backpack around with me.
Once all of my stuff was packed, I moved the two scrolls onto my table before going to my closet to change. The process only took a few minutes before I was ready to head off to bed.
Looking at the clock on my wall, I found that it was 11:23 p.m. at night.
I gave a groan of frustration at the time. "And I have to be up early tomorrow." I grumbled under my breath. Deciding it was best to forget the time, I quickly climbed into bed for a good night's sleep.
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Morning came sooner than I wanted. The time of my mission grew nearer as I sluggishly pulled myself from my bed. Wandering to my closet, I grabbed a change of clothes before exiting my room. I trudged my way down the hall before entering the bathroom for my morning shower.
Once I was clean and dressed, I ran back to my room in order to retrieve the mission and sealing scrolls.
After gathering my things, I tip-toed across the hall and towards my father's room. I poked my head in to see the lazy Jonin still soundly asleep on his bed, bringing a smile to my face. "I'll be home in a few days Otou-san. Take care of the team while I'm gone." I whispered as I closed the door to his room.
Walking down the stairs, I made my way to the kitchen for a quick breakfast of toast and orange juice. After my meal, I grabbed a fresh tomato from the fridge and a cup of instant ramen from the pantry.
"Guess I better say bye to the boys before I leave." I muttered to myself as I walked out of the house, food items in hand.
My first stop was at Naru's, seeing as it was closest to Otou-san and I. The streets of Konoha barely began to show life as I meandered my way through buildings and shops. Soon I came upon a familiar apartment building. Looking up, I could see Naruto's window from my place on the ground.
With a smirk, I laced my feet with chakra before walking up the side of the building.
Through the window, I could make out the form of Naruto sleeping on his bed, his frog patterned pajamas and hat hanging loosely off his body. Beside his bed was a small nightstand with his headband neatly folded on top. Next to the headband sat a picture of Team 7 we had taken just after becoming a team. Father stood in the back with the three new Genin in front of him, his hands resting on top of the boy's heads. Sakura had her hands in front of her face as her eyes were closed in a happy squeal. To her left was Naruto with his arms crossed and a sour look on his face as he glared at Sasuke. Said Uchiha stood on Sakura's right with a blank look on his face as he looked at the camera. Lastly, I sat on the ground in front of the four of them, a large smile on my face as I leaned against the pinkette's legs.
Moving my eyes away from the picture, I looked around the rest of Naru's home. Dirty laundry was spread out across the floor in piles. The small kitchenette by the door was littered with ramen cups and old chopsticks. His closet was a mess with multiple weapons and various types of clothes thrown about. Even his small dining table was cluttered!
A small chuckle escaped my lips as I gently pried the window open, allowing me entrance to the Genin's home. A loud snore sounded from the sleeping blonde as I hopped over his bed, my feet making a tiny thud as I approached the kitchen. Placing the ramen and tomato down, I moved about the area in search for a kettle.
Once I found what I was looking for, I filled it with water before placing it on the stove to boil. 'At least the sound will wake him up.' I inwardly chuckled at the thought. While Naruto was a heavy sleeper, anything involving his ramen woke him up.
I grabbed a pair of chopsticks from one of the drawers and placed them, and the ramen, on his table for him once he woke up.
Satisfied with taking care of my younger brother figure, I took the tomato in my hand again before walking over to the still sleeping blonde. I noticed that his blanket had somehow ended up under the bed. 'How did that happen?' I wondered as I grabbed the cover. Throwing it out, I covered Naruto before placing a small kiss on his forehead. A hum in content sounded from the Genin as a small smile pulled at his lips.
With another small chuckle, I left through the window once again after making sure it was sealed shut for him. With the tomato in hand and Naruto taken care of, I made my way towards someplace I haven't visited in years.
The Uchiha Compound.
The place I once called home is now nothing but harsh memories filled with blood.
I allowed my thoughts to drift as I wandered the streets of Konoha. I passed by the lake as I thought. Flashes of times with Itachi, Shisui, and Sasuke passed through my mind. I imagined my Aniki standing on the pier of the lake, our cousin on the water as he watched Itachi perform our family Jutsu. I smiled at the memory of Sasuke and I watching the two in awe, hoping one day to be as skilled as our family members.
'Shisui always had a habit of pulling Sasuke and I onto the lake with him using his shadow clones.' I laughed in remembrance. Our cousin would always have me held on his hip as his clone had Sasuke on his shoulders, allowing the two of us to watch our brother.
To this day, I could still see Aniki scolding his slightly older cousin for having his younger siblings so close to a Jutsu that could harm us. I don't think I had ever seen Shisui run that fast as his clones deposited Sasuke and I back on the pier.
"And to think, Shisui and Itachi were the ones to try teaching us that same Jutsu." I muttered under my breath.
Villagers began to pool the streets as I continued my path. The sounds of people opening their stores rang throughout the market as parents took their children to the academy for the day.
Soon, the sounds were drowned out as I stood in front of my past. The Uchiha compound stood tall overhead. The large stone walls hid the once crowded land from the rest of the village, isolating it from the world.
From my place at the gate, I could see the large brown stains of blood splashed against the walls and roads. Silence covered the compound as the dead no longer occupied their homes.
With a wave of hesitance, I stepped through the gates, the feeling of sorrow and hatred overwhelming me as I looked anywhere but the places my family was murdered. I could scarcely remember the faces of relatives who once upon a time would greet me as a princess and my brothers as princes. I could see my childhood friends dash across the streets as we all played tag around the compound, parents watching us.
The silence of the compound was unnerving to say the least.
Shoving these morbid thoughts to the back of my mind, I picked up my pace to a run as I made my way to the heart of the Uchiha compound. The largest house in the compound stood out amongst the others.
Pushing down the memories, I spread my chakra in search of my brother, locating him in his room.
Making my way around the house- I refused to step foot inside that place- I was able to locate Sasuke's room.
I didn't waste time in prying open his window, mindful of any traps the paranoid Uchiha may have placed. Like Naruto, Sasuke laid sleeping on his bed, for once looking peaceful. His bangs hung loosely in his face as he slept. I didn't bother looking around the room; I had no desire to see this dreadful place.
I gave a small sad smile as I finally entered the room, being sure to mask my chakra as to not wake the sleeping Genin. No need to have a weapon at my throat from my own twin this early in the morning.
Walking over to Sasuke, I sat at the edge of the bed beside my brother, watching over him in his dream like state.
'Has it really been eight years since I left him?'
My heart gave a painful tug as I allowed the thought to swirl in my mind. I began to wonder how his life would have been different if I was there for him when he needed me. Would he smile more? Would he be happy knowing that he wasn't alone? Would he give up on fighting Itachi?
Too many thoughts began to fill my mind. I could feel my mind begin to cloud as the memories pushed forth.
Placing the tomato beside his pillow and placing a quick kiss to his head, I dashed from his room and back out into the Uchiha compound.
I wasted no time in leaving behind that death and hate filled compound and towards the weapons shop in the center of town. With great difficulty, I pushed my raging memories to the back of my mind where they were locked away from my sight. I had no need for distractions when I had a mission to complete.
Walking into the shop, I was greeted by the owner with a grin. "Good morning, Miss Hatake. To what do I owe the pleasure of you gracing my shop?"
I felt a smile pull at my lips as I regarded the man. Kuroba Hiroto was a man in his early thirties with pale purple hair and lovely green eyes. His short hair was cut neatly at the nape of his neck with some of his bangs falling into his eyes. A standard Chunin uniform adorned his body as he leaned against the counter of the shop.
"Good morning, Hiroto-san. I just need to restock my supplies. I have a mission in ten."
Hiroto nodded his head as he moved over to one of the shelves. "In that case," he picked up a few supplies before making his way back to the counter. Laying out the items, I saw a wide range of weapons that will surely be useful on my mission. "I have some senbon, nin-wire, kunai, and some exploding tags." He explained.
Looking over the items, I pulled out the wire, senbon, and the tags; already having a few kunai in my bag along with a few shuriken.
"I think this will do, Hiroto-san." I replied as I handed the weapons to him. A smile formed on his face as he rang up my purchase.
Once my weapons were paid for and placed in my pouches, I bid farewell to Hiroto before exiting the shop. Once outside, I walked towards the main gate of the village.
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"Be safe, Natsu-chan." Izumo told me as I finished my preparations for my village. His partner, Kotetsu, only laughed as he pat my head, causing met to pout at the two older Chunin.
"Yeah, yeah, Izu-kun, Tetsu-kun I get it already. You two sound like my dad when I leave for my missions." I crossed my arms over my chest as I glared at the two gatekeepers.
Kotetsu seemed to stop laughing long enough for him to state, "You know all of us are gonna worry about you, squirt. Jonin or not, you're still only a kid." He pointed out. His words caused me to pause in my sulking. Looking over to him in confusion, Kotetsu and Izumo shared a look before looking back to me. The two gave me soft smiles before ruffling my hair, bringing me from my confusing thoughts. "You should head out, kiddo." Kotetsu said as he motioned towards the gate.
"Yeah…" I answered. Turning away from my friends, I made my way out of Konoha gates.
I had only made it a few feet before I was swarmed.
Literally.
Thousands of small beetles and bugs formed a cloud around my body, preventing me from leaving. A laugh escaped my lips as I reached out a hand to the insects, a few landing on my palm. "You know, you could have said bye to me in a nicer way, Shino." I spoke to the bugs. "Trapping me won't stop me from going on my mission."
The bugs on my hand slowly began to move in a pattern, creating words.
How long will you be gone?
I smiled at the question. "A few days at least. Hopefully I'm back before you guys have your first C-rank mission." The bugs slowly began to vanish as I stated this.
Be safe.
I gave another laugh as I nodded to my friend's insects. "You know I always am." I reassured. Finally all of the insects seemed pleased with my answers to their master as they all vanished back into the gates of the village.
"Now that all of the questions are out of the way I can finally get back to my mission." I stated as I took off away from Konoha.
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It had taken me a little over six hours to make it to the location of my target. The small village I was sent to was unnamed and closer to the border of the Land of Wind.
After reading my mission scroll on the way here, I learned that the traitor was a Jonin named Keita Ryou. He excelled in nin and taijutsu with stamina that could rival Gai. The scroll said that he was suspect of being a follower of Orochimaru with evidence pointing to him giving the Sanin information on many of our Shinobi. Scrolls from the archives were found in his home after he let slip that his master would be pleased, prompting a search by ANBU Black Ops. The place he was sent to was rumored to have children going missing from the streets and their homes;' causing alarm amongst the villagers. The man in question was sent to scout out the village in search of the culprit without revealing to the villagers the reason for his appearance. Instead, he was to mention waiting for an envoy of wealthy merchants and escort them to Konoha.
Ryou had actually wanted to fight me after I became a Jonin myself, claiming that a "child" had no right being a high ranking Kunoichi. Apparently he had an issue with Itachi as well when he became a Jonin. Slippery bastard was great at running away once Kakashi and Gai showed up to see that was going on.
'I can already tell this guy is going to give me problems.' I inwardly groaned. It was well past noon and I had to find where the annoying traitor was.
Doing a few hand signs, I changed my appearance from a Kunoichi to a civilian.
My black and silver hair was replaced with choppy blonde hair falling into my, now, brown eyes. My attire changed to a plain beige shirt with the sleeves cut just below my shoulders and a pair of knee length black shorts around my hips. I also shrunk into a small child around the age of six with light freckles dusting my cheeks.
Pleased with the change and after masking my chakra, I dashed into the village in search of my target. I began my search in the market place. I searched around the streets, looking for any sign of the Jonin.
"Are you looking for someone, Little Miss?"
I whipped my head around to find a man with long orange hair tied in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. He wore a pair of reading glasses over brown eyes. A dark green shirt covered his torso with a pair of black pants over his legs. He was currently crouched to face my child body at eye level with his hands on his knees.
Bringing my hands behind my back, I shuffled my feet with my chin to my chest.
"Ano… I got lost…" I spoke. I forced my voice to crack and tears to form in my eyes. "Mama and Papa said we would stop here before going to Konoha, but…" I trailed off my sentence, my tears falling in mock sadness.
I felt a hand on the top of my head as the man spoke. "What happened to your parents?" he asked in worry.
Raising my tear filled eyes to him; my lip began to tremble as I moved my hands to grip the front of my shirt. "I haven't seen them since last night! All of their stuff is gone and I can't find them anywhere!" I cried as I launched my small body towards the man, my arms wrapping around his neck.
"There, there, young one." He reassured as he wrapped his arms around my body. Lifting me from the ground, I was held close to his chest; a strange feeling for me since only Kakashi was allowed to pick me up. "I saw a man from the Leaf just an hour ago that might be able to help you." He spoke as he began walking away from the direction I came.
Clinging to his shirt, I buried my face in the crook of his neck; playing the part of a frightened child. "What if he doesn't wanna help me, mister?" I timidly asked as my crying turned into sniffles.
A light chuckle escaped his throat as he reached up to pat my hair. "I can ask him to accompany you to the Leaf in search of your parents when he leaves."
We spoke no more as I closed my eyes and slowed my breath. To the civilians of the small village, I was a sleeping child being carried by a kind man. I was anything but. I listened to my surroundings, memorized the scent of the foods we passed in case I needed any, and mentally mapped out the village using the still unnamed man's footsteps.
"Ah! Keita-san, I was just looking for you!" my escort shouted as I was shifted in his arms.
"Shimizu-san, what can I do for you?" Ryou asked. I could feel his questioning gaze on my body as he regarded the other man.
"I found this young one wandering the streets. Her family was heading to Konoha when her parents went missing. I wanted to ask if you could watch over her and take her back with you." The newly named Shimizu requested.
Ryou seemed to ponder the thought for a moment before replying. "I guess I can take the kid off your hands." A hesitant sigh left his throat as he reached to take me from Shimizu. "Got a name from her?" he asked.
Shimizu gave a chuckle as he lifted my small form from his shoulder before passing me to Ryou. "I never got to ask. Poor child was in hysterics when I found her. I'm sure you could ask her when she wakes up."
My target grunted in reply before stalking away from the other male. My body was held tightly to Ryou's chest, his arms constricting me.
We walked for a few minutes, the sounds of the village fading away with each step. I felt him shift me to one arm. A pulse of chakra flared from the older Jonin as he leapt from the ground and into the trees surrounding the village. The rustling of leaves and the responding flare of chakra alerted me of a new arrival.
"We didn't actually think you would show up, Keita." The new arrival spoke. Their voice was light but behind the tone was a menacing aura. "We see you brought a new victim for Lord Orochimaru." I couldn't quite tell if the owner of this voice was male or female.
No words were spoken from Ryou as I was lifted from his shoulder and cradled in his arms. I felt gravity take hold as I was held out to the newcomer in offering.
"One of the villagers actually offered the brat to me." Was his only explanation.
I felt eyes boring into my body as I felt new arms take hold of me.
Snapping my eyes open, I released my Jutsu in a puff of smoke. Time seemed to slow as both people froze in their places. My body returned to my thirteen-year-old form, my coal colored eyes bleeding to a crimson red. I could feel my chakra spiking as I pushed myself from my new capturer's arms, the force of my jump pushing the traitorous Shinobi back.
"I don't think so!" I shout as I leap into the trees above. Suspended in the air, I ready my weapons. My activated Kekkei Genkai spinning as I glared at my enemies.
Ryou widened his eyes, his posture tensing as he readied his own weapons.
"So it's Kakashi's brat, huh?" standing in front of his companion, the traitor held his kunai in front of himself. "Though Kakashi can't pass on that Sharingan you have there." He pointed out, causing the unknown nin to perk their head up a little.
"Leave my father out of this Keita!" I screamed as I leapt from my place in the trees. Throwing out my arm, I released a kunai with an exploding tag towards the duo. I could feel my anger rise and my blood boil as I listened to the man speak about my family. An explosion erupted from the place I threw my kunai at the enemy's feet. Smoke obscured my vision as I waited for something, anything, to happen.
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And that's a wrap! Sorry it took me so freaking long to get this chapter out. I know many of you have PMed me asking for the update so here it is!
Thank you to everyone who has waited for my lazy ass to get back into my writing and get over my writer's block. While I tried to think of ideas for this chapter I have started more stories and I have quite a few chapters written up already.
Well I hope you guys have enjoyed the newest chapter of Uchiha no More!
Until next time,
JA NE~~