Naruto stood on the shore, looking at the man who wanted to see to him.
Something told him that wasn't all he wanted to do.
Mostly because the man across the lake was a man who had hunted him down as Naruto. Naruto stepped to the shore and yelled across the water. "Who are you and what is your business here?"
The man smirked. "You know who I am, Outcast." He yelled across the water.
"Humor me."
The man chuckled. "I am Uchiha Itachi, and I beg entrance into your village."
"No one enters the Haven armed unless I give them my approval!" Naruto yelled.
Itachi looked across the water, before unhooking the sword at his side, removing the Shuriken holster, and activating any storage seals he had tattooed on his body. "There, I am unarmed."
Naruto was unimpressed. "If you are truly Uchiha Itachi, then your very eyes are a weapon."
Itachi stood, before going to the headband that was tied around his forehead. He loosened it slightly, letting it fall across his eyes, before retightening it. "Will this do, Outcast?"
"As long as you make no move for the Headband!" Naruto yelled. He quickly turned to Killer Bee, who stood next to him. "Get over there and tie his hands behind his back."
"Yes, sir." Killer Bee said, before running across the lake.
"I want the archers to be trained on the Uchiha at all times." Naruto said to another man beside him.
The man nodded and jumped into the trees.
Itachi then came across the lake, carried by the Ex-kumo Jinchuuriki. Killer Bee set him down roughly.
"So, Itachi. What do you want here?" Naruto asked.
"I wish to become an Exile." He said simply.
Naruto glanced up at Killer Bee. The large man looked at the Outcast, exchanging questioning looks. Naruto returned his attention to the Uchiha. "I will not have it said that I kept someone out of the Haven because of the past." Naruto said. "Killer Bee, take Mr. Uchiha to the Council chamber."
"Yes, sir." Killer Bee said, before hefting Itachi on his shoulder and taking him away.
Naruto turned and Hinata came next to him, "You're going to let Itachi become an Exile?"
"Only if he miraculously killed his clan for the village." Naruto said, walking inland.
"Well, it's obvious he didn't, so why give him a chance?" she asked, catching up to him.
Naruto looked at her. "Someone once said the same thing about me." Naruto said. "I will not let it happen to anyone else."
Hinata regretted the words she had spoken. So she kept silent for.
Naruto snapped his fingers, and Felicia jumped down from the trees. "You called, Outcast-sama?"
"Call the council members, we have one whose background is far beyond 'questionable.'"
"Yes, sir." Felicia said, before jumping into the trees.
"Come on, Hinata. You'll probably need to see this." He said, taking her by the hand.
Hinata's heartbeat quickened.
He led her to a large tree which stood more or less in the center of the Island. It stood, ancient, a giant among the forest. Its base was larger than a most buildings in Konoha, and it rivaled the size of the Hokage tower. Its tallest branches seemed to almost touch the clouds.
Naruto led her in between the giant roots of the monstrous tree. Where, much to her surprise was a large seal painted onto the wood. Naruto let her hand go, and held both hands to the seal. It began to glow as chakra began to flow into it. The seal suddenly sank into the wood, a whole inch, and then the surrounding area sank too, creating a large archway. The arch suddenly shot upward, disappearing into the wood. The inside of the root was black. "Come on." Naruto said, taking her hand and leading her into the giant tree.
Again, Hinata's heartbeat quickened. "Stop it!" she yelled at herself, "Be mature. You are acting like hormone driven teenager."
"I am a teenager." A part of her said.
"Barely."
"All the same."
Before Hinata could come up with a retort for herself, she saw a sight that took her breath away. The inside of the tree had been hallowed out into a perfect, wooden dome. A hundred torches lit the room. The roof was covered in a pink crystal, which reflected the light of the torches, throwing the whole room in a pink, almost white light. Circling the room, hugging the wall, was a large balcony. The balcony sat at the same level until it came to the area opposite the door, where it suddenly jutted upward, and then it returned to the normal height.
"That's my seat." Naruto said, pointing to the part o the balcony that stood higher than the others.
"I-Is this -?" she asked wondering if this was the room.
"Yup the council chamber, it took us a year to get it done though." Naruto said, before he jumped up to the balcony, and landed behind his chair. "Come on up and take a seat." Naruto said to her.
Hinata looked up at him, confused. "Why?"
Naruto smiled, "You're Konoha's ambassador. A seat comes with the job."
Felicia ran into Gaara's academy classroom, nearly running into a young student. "Gaara-sama."
"Felicia." Gaara said, giving her his full attention, much to the relief of the students.
"Your presence is requested in the council chamber."
Gaara sighed. "Oh well, I suppose a break from quantum chakra theory is acceptable." He said as he stood up, but not before singling out one of the children. "You're in charge until I get back. If anything, and I mean anything is out of place, I will hold you responsible."
The boy gulped as he suddenly realized the boys he was picking on that morning were smiling evilly. Before the boy could protest to his sensei, he was gone, leaving the boy with revenge-thirsty classmates, and a room filled with fragile knick-knacks.
As the Jinchuuriki arrived, Naruto introduced them to Hinata, the ambassador. "Hinata, this is Bachiatari, the Shichibi Jinchuuriki, she lived in Waterfall before joining the Exiles."
"And joining was the best thing I ever did." Bachiatari said.
"And this is the Nibi Jinchuuriki, Yugito." Naruto said, motioning to a blond-hiared figure dressed completely in black only letting her black eyes shine happily in the light.
"It is wonderful to meet you, Hyuuga-sama, and I ask for forgiveness with what my village tried to do to you." Yugito said.
Hinata looked at the woman, before suddenly remembering what had happened all those years ago. Before she finally said, "I have no quarrel with you, if Naruto trusts you, then so will I."
"And this," Naruto said, saving Hinata from an awkward moment, "is the Sanbi Jinchuuriki, Suppon (snapping turtle)." He said, motioning to a blond boy with purple eyes and a long scar running from his left eye down his cheek. A mist Headband hung from his leg, the Mark of the Exile, of course, sat on it.
"Snapping Turtle?" Hinata asked, wondering what the meaning behind his name meant.
"I did not have the most creative guardians." Suppon said.
"This is Roushi, the Yonbi Jinchuuriki, and creator of Youton jutsus." Naruto said, pointing to a man with fiery red hair that formed a large beard. He had a grey mark across his face and a Iwa headband that seemed to make a three-pronged, brown shield around his head.
"An honor, Miss Hyuuga." Roushi said bowing.
"The honor is mine," Hinata said bowing, "By the way, what animal is Yonbi?"
"A giant four-tailed iguana."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and I made Lava attacks, go figure."
"This over here," Naruto said, moving on to another Ex-Iwa Jinchuuriki covered head to foot in red armor. He wore a red straw hat and carried a large gourd-like object on his back. "Is Kuniku (Dog flesh)*, the Gobi Jinchuuriki."
Kuniku nodded at them, showing he recognized the introduction.
"He doesn't talk much." Naruto said.
"Why is he wearing -?" Hinata asked, only to have her mouth covered by Naruto's.
"I'll tell you later. Anyways, over there, by my chair, there is Urawaza (underhanded trick), the Rokubi Jincuuriki." He said, pointing to a dark haired man clothed in a loose, blue, Kimono.
"My pleasure." Hinata said.
"The pleasure is mine." Urawaza said.
"You've already met Killer Bee, and Gaara will be here any moment." As soon as the words left his mouth, Gaara came in, floating on a sand cloud.
"I'm here, what's the emergency?" Gaara said.
"You'll see in a little bit." Naruto said, "But, in the meantime, have you met Hinata?"
"Hm." Gaara said as he looked thoughtfully at her face. "No, I don't think I have."
"Well, then, Gaara, meet Hyuuga Hinata, Konoha's ambassador to the Haven. Hinata, Gaara, container of the Ichibi, and our academy teacher."
Suddenly Killer Bee entered, Itachi slung over his back. Naruto looked at him, and mouthed the words, "You took him around?" wondering if Killer Bee took him around the island to disorient him.
Killer Bee nodded.
"Good." Naruto mouthed, before speaking up. "Uchiha Itachi, welcome to our council chamber. Now, tell us your story. Tell us why we should let you into the Haven. After all, it was you who killed your entire clan, was it not?"
Itachi, hearing his voice, did his best to look that way, even though the headband was still in front of his face. "It was. But, Naruto, may I call you Naruto?"
"I'd rather you not, but if you can't help it."
"Naruto, what you or anyone is this room don't know about it makes all the difference."
"So what is it we don't know?" Naruto asked.
"You don't know that one month before the massacre, I was given a mission."
"And what does this mission have to do with it?" Suppon asked.
"It has everything to do with it, Sanbi's container-sama."
That put everyone, especially Suppon, on edge. Naruto quickly stepped in to calm them. "Relax people, relax, no one is going to get hurt." People sat back in their chair, and tried their best to relax. When everyone was settled Naruto said. "You may continue, Itachi."
"Thank you. This mission, given to me by the Hokage, had me spy on the Uchiha clan, to watch for any signs of a possible uprising. I did not know why they gave me this mission. I didn't why they picked me, but the more I began to look into it, the more I began to see.
"It started with secret meetings held in my father's house, in a secret basement. Then there weapons stocking, as if a large battle were taking place. Then I saw some of the woman canning their food and putting it in large refrigerators. With every passing day, I got more and more suspicious.
"Finally, I was able to make it in to one of the meetings, only to learn the worst and most terrible secret. The Uchiha clan was planning a coup, and Shisui, my closet friend was one of the leaders. Even my own aunt and uncle, who loved Sasuke so very much, were in on it, and wanted nothing more than to see Konoha in ashes.
"One night, I confronted Shisui on the matter of the coup, I told him to get out of it now. He only laughed and said not to worry about a thing. I told him to leave the coup again and he got suspicious. He asked me why he should leave. He asked me if I was a traitor of the Uchiha clan. I told him I was no traitor and that the Uchiha should be loyal to Konoha and remain a powerful clan, instead of a band of traitors.
"I should have known not to say something like that. He got violent, saying that I was a traitor, saying that I should have my loyalties to family first. He said he would be doing me a favor, killing me before anyone found out. So…so…so," He hesitated, "I had to kill him. I had to maintain my cover. I had to stop the coup, and I could not do that if I was dead.
"A week after what had happened, I reported to the Hokage. He was very distressed by what he heard. He then called together his teammates, and asked them what should be done. They talked in circles, trying to figure out what to do. The Hokage's teammates wanted the Uchiha clan wiped out, except for one or two members. The Hokage just wanted the insurrection put down, but the argument just kept going and going. Finally, Sandaime-sama gave in, and finally agreed to his teammates suggestion, even though he didn't like it.
"Then another argument arose, who would be the one to carry out their plan." Then he said to himself, "If only I hadn't been in the room. They argued and argued until one of them looked at me. 'Maybe Itachi-san would do us the honor?' he said. Hokage-sama instantly jumped to my defense, 'No, he has done enough against his clan, let him be.' Then his other teammate spoke, 'I don't see why he shouldn't, he knows exactly who is in on the coup and who isn't.'
"And so they argued, Sandiame-sama fighting in my favor, and the others fighting against me. Until I finally spoke up. 'I'll do it.'"
Itachi looked up at the council, seemingly seeing them through the Headband. "To this day, I don't know what prompted me to agree to the mission, but I did. And I've regretted it every day since then."
Itachi shivered as he remembered that night.
The night was silent.
A pitch black sky hung over the world like a suffocating blanket.
It was silent.
The full moon hung over the sky, the only light that night.
Nothing made a sound.
If anyone had been out that night, they would have felt uneasy. If anyone had been walking the streets, they would have run home. It was the kind of night that would make the hairs on your neck stand straight up.
Silence reigned that night.
If anyone that was one the streets had looked up, they would have seen that on one of the electricity poles, a figure, silhouetted by the full moon.
The figure perched, crouched on the top of the pole. If someone had stood in exactly the right place, they would have seen what some could swear to be two red lights.
Silence reigned that night of terror.
The figure suddenly disappeared.
The silence was broken with a muffled scream.
Slowly that screamed was joined by others, and then more and more as the black blur moved through the Uchiha compound. Slowly, the compound began to stink of blood. Sluggishly, to caught off guard to move otherwise, the Uchiha began to put up a defense. The black blur tore right through it.
Yells of "Traitor!" began to mingle with the screams that filled the air.
Then there was silence.
A missing nin had been born.
Then there was a sound. The sound of a confused, young boy, gasping at the death that had fallen around him.
The boy ran, trying to find someone who was still alive. Trying to find someone, anyone, who was a friendly face.
The only friendly faces were dead.
The boy kept running. Trying to find someone. He ran, heading home, hoping that if anyone, they were left.
His hopes died as soon as he stepped through the door. Both of his parents lay dead on the floor. The boy looked at them, shocked. His shock only deepened as a figured appeared from the shadows. "Itachi-nee-san…? Why?"
Itachi looked at his brother, his heart being ripped apart inside. He looked at that face and wanted to say "I'm sorry." He wanted to say "Sasuke, forgive me, please."
But he didn't say that.
Instead he did something he would have never done to anyone. He put his brother through grueling torture for three days straight. He told his brother to hate him. He told him that hatred is where strength came from.
He didn't know why. He wanted Sasuke to be a great ninja, unhindered by petty things like hatred. He wanted Sasuke to bring honor back to the name Uchiha, he wanted Sasuke to be everything he himself could never be.
But what was done was done, it was too late now.
Itachi turned and left his brother, jumping into the trees.
When he was out of range, he took off his headband. He looked at it, and saw the leaf symbol, the symbol of the home he had left. Then he saw something else, the leaf went out of focus and his reflection came into view.
The reflection held the face of a killer.
A tear fell.
Itachi fell to his knees. The face of the killer softened.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore; he knelt over and began to cry. The leaf headband lay in front of him, discarded in the cool grass. Tears began to run in rivers down his face. "What have I done?" He asked himself in a weak voice. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry, Sasuke…"
"And that is the truth, pure and simple." Itachi said.
The council members sat in silence. Whether they were touched or otherwise was impossible to tell without looking at their faces, as was Itachi's case.
He heard someone stand up. "Do you have any proof of this story?" He heard Naruto's voice ask.
There was silence for a moment, before Itachi spoke up. "No, I have no proof, no other proof than the fact that I am begging to join your ranks, Naruto-sama." He said getting on his knees. "I'm begging you, let me help Konoha again, I would do more for it here than anywhere else. Please, Naruto-sama, please, I beg you to let me join." If any of the council members had seen his eyes, they would have known that he was telling the truth.
Itachi heard the shuffling of feet and hushed voices speaking. He caught small words like. "I agree," "Ataksuki," and "I don't think..."
Then Naruto's voice, raised above the rest, said "So have we come to a decision?"
There was silence.
"Very well." Naruto's voice said.
Itachi heard someone standing to their feet. "Uchiha Itachi, the council has decided your fate." He heard the sound of a kunai being pulled out of a holster.
Itachi didn't move.
"You once belonged to an organization that hunted down Jinchuuriki, you have committed the crime of genocide."
Itachi sighed. "If they don't accept me, that is their right, if they kill me, I can ask for no better treatment."
"You have been a catalyst for the events that has led to my exile." Naruto said, his voice rising in anger.
Silence.
"But." The word seemed like a gentle breeze. "The genocide was for your village, you hunted but never captured, you had no control over the events that led to my exile. You have done nothing to have our anger, we have no quarrel with you."
Itachi was suddenly blinded by a bright pinkish light. He then saw Naruto's smiling face, the scratched headband in one hand, a kunai in the other. "There is an old saying, ask, and you will receive. You have asked, and so now, receive our blessing." Naruto said, taking the kunai and touching both of Itachi's shoulder's with the blade. "The old Itachi is no more; there is only Uchiha Itachi, the Exile."
Itachi stood in his new home, a tree house not far from the council tree. His Ataksuki cloak had been disposed of, and his headband had been repaired and fitted with the Mark. He smiled.
He should have come here years ago.
The wind blew at his hair.
He frowned.
He could have sworn he heard a voice on the wind.
It was the voice of someone he knew was dead.
She stood on her balcony, looking down at the man who had turned Exile. "Well well, it seems the weasel has joined up. I should give him a warm welcome in the morning."
Next chapter, Life as an Exile
*Biju that have not been shown yet are going to follow 'traditional' (according to the internet) Japanese mythology, so here's a list for you:
Four Tailed Demon- Yonbi no Sokou, takes the form of a reptile like creature in Japanese mythology.
Five Tailed Demon - Gobi no Houkou, takes the form of a dog in Japanese mythology.
Six Tailed Demon - Rokubi no Raijuu, takes the form of weasel in Japanese mythology.
Seven Tailed Demon - Shichibi no Kaku, takes the form of a badger in Japanese mythology.
Also, please calm down! I alternate storise when I write the chapters, i.e. One for Naruto: Keyblade Master, one for Outcast, then back to Keyblade Master, then back to Outcast. Please don't complain about it being too slow, I was able to write a 23 chapter story like that in a little less than nine months, and that was my first. So please, relax a bit.