On the grassy hill I usually met the Uchiha brothers at, only Itachi had come today. Itachi's birthday was a month and seven days from mine, he recently turned thirteen, making my physical age ten. It had been only a few weeks since he become ANBU Captain, and while I was happy for him, it also meant my time with him was close to a finish. I've never wanted to cry so badly, but my mind was too stubborn for it. It would also be a bitch to explain to him.

"It's been a while, Kuroki." Itachi nodded to me in acknowledgment. I felt rather depressed today. "It has." I agreed, staring at the swaying grass instead of the sky. The Uchiha knew me, and he was also fucking perceptive.

He dropped slowly to his knee in front of me, his eyes stared into mine, wanting to know what was wrong. For a boy who had the emotionless demeanour mastered, I could tell he was worried.

I smiled softly. "You're leaving Konoha soon, huh?" This question caught him off-guard, I knew. His mission to kill his entire clan excluding Sasuke was top-secret, yet I knew.

"How did you know?" He asked, his tone wary. Even if I was his friend, that didn't excuse me from the fact that I could very well be an enemy ninja. I lifted my head to look into his eyes. There was wariness, confusion...sadness. I sighed. "Ever since you met me, you've known I've been strange." I closed my eyes as a strong wind blew, my hand coming up to stop my hair from flicking into my face.

He patiently waited for me to elaborate. I opened my eyes once the wind died down, Itachi had been studying my face, it seemed. A small, sad smile graced my lips.

"I know things that I shouldn't, Itachi." His gaze on me hardened, but said nothing. "Do you trust me?"

The elder Uchiha remained silent for a few moments, and I had a feeling he was calculating everything in his head. For what seemed like minutes, he finally replied.

"I do."

I smiled. "Then please don't question me. It doesn't matter how I know, I'm not going to stop you."

Itachi's eyes widened a fraction. "You...aren't?"

I half grinned. "You're a pacifist. I know you. You're doing this for the sake of the village right?"

He shifted his gaze to the grass. "Yes."

I moved from my sitting position and reached out, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him to me in a gentle but firm hug.

"I will always support you, Itachi. Don't forget that."

The Uchiha prodigy slowly wrapped his arms around my waist, the fabric of my clothes being bunched up in his hands. He was suffering, and he could never show it. That small action showed me, confirmed that he was still human.

"Thank you, Kuroki-chan."

His voice was softer than usual, but it was understandable, given the mission he was going to fulfill. We slowly released each other, both of us staring into the other's eyes.

"I have one request though." I stated, my voice taking on a serious tone. It sounded so unlike me. Fucking gross.

The elder Uchiha simply nodded. "Of course."

"Do not send Sasuke on the path of avenger." I wouldn't stand for it. One, because Sasuke was like my little brother, and to see him transition from how I know him to how he was in the canon, I would probably fuck someone over and destroy a few people. Also, on a less serious note, his personality would piss me off more times than not. Itachi's eyes widened in surprise, before he relaxed his features and sported a smirk.

"You will always be there for Sasuke..." He commented softly, then looking at me with a nod. "I won't. Anything else?"

I half-grinned. "Give me three days to talk to Sasuke. I want to somehow prepare him for the worst." I frowned, thinking if I needed to say anything else. "Ah!" It occurred to me then. "Say goodbye to me before you leave."

He frowned after I mentioned having him come to see me. "I will be covered in my clan's blood, and I will be branded a traitor. If I visit you, the village could assume you had a part in it."

I waved a dismissive hand in his face. "Pscht. I don't give a fuck. I won't be seeing you for a few years, so you have to." I retorted. It may have been selfish, but Itachi would be the reason Sasuke would lose the smile I had grown accustomed to. He owed me a goodbye on the night.

He sighed. "I'm not going to convince you otherwise?"

"No."

Another sigh. "Fine. In three days, I will be branded as a traitor. Please look after Sasuke." It was my turn to be surprised. His eyes were pleading, and for his eyes to look like that, it was equivalent to a normal person on the floor, begging. I smiled affectionately, then made a face of disgust and scoffed.

"Of course I will. Why wouldn't I?" I smirk-grinned at him, and he smirked at me.

"Thank you...for everything."

"That's what I'm here for."

We laid on the hill beside each other, spending the rest of the day talking or just being silent whilst feeling pleasure of being in each other's presence. I had created such important bonds, and I would have to fight to make sure they were never severed.

It was early morning, the sun had barely risen before I did my every day routine. Stretches, a run, chakra exercises. It was something my parents drilled into me. Today, I was going to hang out with my little group of brats. Not at the Academy, as we didn't have school. Pscht, just fucking around. Of course we did, it's just that we skipped a lot. It took a lot of convincing to get Sasuke to skip with us. He's always trying to please his father, so of course he'd have perfect attendance. We've turned the Uchiha into a rebel!

"Should we really be out here, Kuroki-chan?" Sasuke asked, clinging to my arm as we walked through the streets. People didn't pay us much mind, except to glance at my noticeably darker appearance, but that was it. I ruffled Sasuke's hair with a grin.

"Ha! Teme's such a wimp!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger at the little Uchiha with a triumphant expression. My eyes shifted to the blonde, my more threatening side coming out in defence to the Uchiha. Kiba's eyes widened, then nudged Naruto roughly.

"Idiot! Don't say that, Kuro-chan's been on edge since yesterday." Kiba told Naruto, in a volume he thought was a whisper, seeing as he made the whole whispering posture. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the two whilst Choji slowly began to eat his food again. He stopped when I suddenly became defensive. Fuck, I hate the maternal instincts. Naruto shifted, looking uncomfortable. "S-Sorry..."

Then everything was good again, the atmosphere free from my dark mental waves. We continued walking, Sasuke still clinging onto my arm, but looking embarrassed and annoyed. I poked his cheek with my free hand. He looked up at me, knowing that whenever I poked him, I wanted him to smile.

"Every time you frown, I'll poke you. Got it?" I grinned at him. He 'hmph'd, but I saw the growing smile on his face. Today, tomorrow and the day after that. That was all I had. I had to make the days count.

Shikamaru, Choji and I sat on the park bench, watching Sasuke, Kiba and Naruto race around the park. Sasuke was ahead of them by quite a bit. Kiba was further than Naruto though, and both the dog and Uchiha had smug looks whenever they glanced at the furious blonde who was desperately trying to catch up.

"Dammit! I'll get you Teme, Kiba!" Naruto announced as he yelled and increased his speed. The two faster boys were mildly surprised by their rival's sudden increase in speed and determination. It only made them run faster. I snickered at their antics. Idiots.

"That looks fun," Choji commented pleasantly with a smile, grabbing some chips and placing them in his mouth.

"That looks troublesome." Shikamaru pointed out, rolling his eyes as he leaned back on the bench. We were shaded by a large tree, so we didn't need to worry about the sun blinding us whenever we faced towards the sky.

Shikamaru was rather interesting. Yeah, he was a lazy motherfucker, but then again, I could be too. He was also incredibly smart and perceptive, which made conversations easier, despite me being two years his senior. We had gotten on well, and he was able to go with the flow. In my old life, his kind of personality would definitely attract me.

Wait, what?!

What am I thinking?! Fuck. No way. Ew. Dammit, fuck my mind! No, wait! Hold on...! UGH!

I groaned as I slumped against the bench, placing a palm over my eyes because of how ashamed I was to be having such thoughts. I shifted my fingers to give my eye a view of Shikamaru. He was staring up into the leaves that protected us from the sun, but soon made eye contact with me. He turned his head to face me.

"Something wrong?" He asked lazily.

Choji leaned over to get a better view of me. "Tummy ache?"

Such a cute boy. I recovered from my mental drama and relaxed my body, almost looking like I had gone limp, I would, if it weren't for the small risings and fallings of my chest. I smirk-grinned his way.

"I'm fine, Choji. Thank you for worrying."

I saw Sasuke running over to me, stopping right in front of me and panting. He bent over, his hands on his on his knees to keep himself up as he tried to catch his breath. When he stood upright, one of the most amazing grins I have ever seen him make, was stuck on his sweaty, but amused face. It was so bright, like the sun itself was inside the Uchiha and radiating from him. Kiba and Naruto came running towards us a few seconds after I witnessed that grin/smile. I was so glad I got to spend three more days with the kind Sasuke.

Currently, I was up to being able to doing B-Rank jutsus with even a fair amount of chakra to spare. Sometimes even A-rank. But that would cause me to either drop from chakra exhaustion or fatigue me greatly. I probably would be too tired to stand. No, I haven't tried.

...

Maybe a few times. Shut the fuck up.

I had mastered taijutsu, well to the point that I was able to keep on par with and ex-ANBU Captain and sometimes even gain the upper hand, even if it was rare, and Kuroi was holding back somewhat. I still had no real life battle experience, so I wouldn't know against opponents other than Itachi and Kuroi. Kenjutsu was actually fun. Probably because it was sword training. My weights always became heavier each time I improved, and while at first discomforting, I got used to the weight rather quickly, then repeated the process. My speed was something I prided myself of, but I had never taken the full weight of my weights off. It's kind of intimidating to know that I could have the chance at being faster than sound.

Maybe I was a bit of a nut for training and improving, because Kuroi had stated that I should be at a upper chunin level. Awesome, yet it gave me the fear of knowing a ten year old has that capability. I always trained, and trained. And I was still an academy student. I wasn't going to let them find out that I should've graduated the moment I was enrolled. I wanted to be with the brats, and graduate with them.

I want the Kiba blades. So badly. They were one of the famous swords of the Seven Ninja Swordmen of the Mist. It was lightning-based, and it even enhanced the user's own capabilities, meaning I could execute a high-level jutsu and it wouldn't phase me at all. Kuroi talked about the blades often, to which I listened eagerly. They were my dreams swords.

For now, I had a longer-than-average katana with no guard. Its sheath was a simple black colour, the hilt matching. The blade was a shining black, made from some custom metal that was incredibly strong. The reason I'm talking about all this is because I had to get my mind off the Uchiha brothers. It was night, and I laid in the middle of our backyard, staring up at the stars and moon. It was beautiful, and sadly it reminded me of the night we all went star gazing. A great night, it was. The stars were always beautiful.

I shifted in my bed, trying to get comfortable. It was somewhere in the morning, when the sun was still hiding. My movements awoke Shiruba, who had been sleeping on my bed, as per usual. He scooted closer to me, nudging my face with his nose in a slightly worried manner. I smiled, what a smart loyal dog. I reached up and began to pet him, his head on the spare pillow of my bed. I had six, but it was a spare. Just in case.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, boy." I apologized, the moon's rays penetrating the glass of my window and illuminating my face. He whined, moving even more closer in an attempt to comfort me. I gave a weak attempt at a smile, closing my eyes. "My friend is going to leave soon...and he's going to do something bad before he goes." Shiruba stayed silent, patiently waiting for me to continue. Such a wise dog.

"He's going to make his brother, and another one of my closest friend, go through something horrible." That feeling of wanting to cry came over me again, but I would never cry. I couldn't. Wouldn't. Shiruba whimpered, moving to lick my face. I smiled as I sat up, crossing my legs under the thick blankets and proceeding to give my lovely boy a good rub. The dirtiness of that thought made me snicker lightly.

"Thank you, Shiruba." I thanked, soon wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close. He didn't protest, just went with the flow. "You know it's Itachi and Sasuke, don't you?"

He barked softly, confirming my thoughts. I smiled. "You're a smart dog. I'm glad I have you."

I laid back on the bed, staring out the window, thinking. What is he doing right now? Is he training, mentally preparing? Maybe he was meeting with Danzo. One day, when I go on a killing spree, I will fucking kill him. He's such a dick.

I don't know when I fell asleep, when I woke up, the sunlight was greeting me warmly. I had a dream that Itachi stayed, and that Sasuke grew up being a flirt.

This time, Sasuke and I were going to have a meditation thing. It was the second day, and it was Saturday, so he didn't need to worry about skipping. Though he eventually got out of his shell yesterday. Which was a good thing. I grinned brightly at the memory of his adorable expression.

I took a shower, contemplating my life, new and old. Though I could clearly remember the plot of Naruto, I could barely remember my old life, including my old name. I guess I found Naruto to be more important, because the anime replayed from start to where ever it was up to before I died.

Drying my hair and putting my clothes on took about fifteen minutes. Even though I was older, I hadn't really changed much of my attire. I wore a dark grey hoodie, a mesh shirt underneath, my fingerless gloves, some baggy pants with the pants legs wrapped up in bandages, and my black ninja sandals. My hair grew, though my face was clear of any bangs. It still spiked up naturally, which mind fucked me. Although I have to question Naruto's hair, since his is just a mess of blonde spikes.

I walked down the stairs, Shiruba following me down. He was huge now, much bigger than me, but he somehow still fit on my bed every night. I walked into the kitchen, seeing Aonami making breakfast. Wait...that smell.

"Bacon!" I cheered, Shiruba barking in glee as I grinned and he wagged his tail. Aonami turned to us, halting in her making us breakfast. A bright smile formed on her face.

"Morning Kuroki-chan, Shiruba."

I smirk-grinned. "Morning. Is dad on a mission?" I asked, noticing I couldn't sense him in the house or around. Aonami nodded, resuming her cooking.

"He's on a mission for a week, so we'll be doing some genjutsu training in two days. I know you wanted to spend some time with little Sasuke-kun." She glanced at me with a strange look. Oh.

"What? No, it's not like that mum." I replied, moving to the table and taking a seat, Shiruba sitting on the floor beside me. "He's like a little brother to me."

She chuckled softly. "I'm not sure he sees you as a big sister, Kuroki-chan." A small, knowing smile formed. "Not anymore at least."

What the fuck was she on about? I'm sure Sasuke and the brats see me as their older sister, if not, their female best friend. It hadn't even occurred to me that one of them could like me. It just seemed, so weird.

"How do you know, mum?" I asked, giving her a skeptical look. She glanced me before shuffling around to get things cooking.

"At first, when he came over regularly, he looked up to you, I could see." She placed bacon strips on the frying pan, a loud sizzling and the heavenly smell of bacon filling the room. God, it smelled amazing. I was so distracted that I almost didn't hear Aonami finish her explanation. "But lately, he's been clinging to you like a love-sick puppy." She chuckled in amusement.

"He has been for a while. Clinging to the person they see as their elder sibling seems legitimate. I can't see how you think he's got a crush on me." I retorted. It's what I believed, and it's what the brats believed. Kiba didn't cling, but he was possessive. Naruto would always be willing to share with the other brats. Shikamaru and Choji weren't the type to cling or be possessive. They were laid-back. Easy-going.

"You're so cute, Kuroki-chan. You only focus on training and friendships than youthful love and crushes. But it would be so cute if you and the little Uchiha were a little couple." She chuckled in amusement, probably imagining a few scenes of Sasuke and I as a small couple. I shivered, it felt like incest really.

I jumped from roof to roof, travelling to the grassy hill. Other ninjas were around, jumping around or lazing about. I hadn't really paid them any attention, until I saw silver hair that spiked up like no other. There was Hatake Kakashi, in a tree reading the Icha Icha series. I was so surprised to see him that I was jumping straight into a wall. Luckily, using the chakra threads I placed on my feet and hands, I avoided damage by sticking to the wall. I let out a sigh, releasing my hold on the wall and landing on the concrete roof below. I gave a small grin, finding it funny how I became so distracted.

Glancing to the spot I saw Kakashi in, I was mildly surprised to see the Copy Ninja looking at me. Did I attract attention to myself? I did, didn't I? Motherfucker.

Deciding that it was time to break out staring competition, I smirk-grinned and waved at the Ex-ANBU. To my surprise, he waved back. Grinning to myself, I turned and pushed off, making my way over to the grassy hill.

I could see the small form of the younger Uchiha, sitting on the hill we always met at. As I came closer, he could see me, looking up and lighting up, waving to me enthusiastically. Landing just in front of him, I smiled. "Sorry I'm late. I met a famous ninja." The Uchiha looked genuinely interested.

"Oh, who?" He asked, jumping up. I looked to the village. Did he know of Kakashi? No, I don't think he did.

"You don't know him, he's not really known by children." I waved a hand dismissively. What a habit to have.

"How do you know him then?" He looked at me suspiciously.

I gave a small scoff. "I'm Taidana Kuroki."

That seemed to work, as his cheeks brightened to a pink, looking down and smiling. "Yeah, it makes sense." So cute.

We sat on the hill, side by side. Meditating. I was good at it, as I had been doing it since I was what? Three?

Sasuke, on the other hand, couldn't seem to relax. He fidgeted and seemed to be too preoccupied with his thoughts. We had been trying to do this for three hours already, and still he couldn't relax.

"I can meditate when I'm by myself..." Sasuke muttered, pouting cutely as he lightly glared at the grass in front of him. I smiled, ruffling his hair.

"It's fine. Everyone can do better than they're alone. It's just that you're not used to being around others whilst meditating, unlike me." I reassured him. Kuroi and Aonami often meditated with me. The little Uchiha blushed and nodding, then turning to me and smiling. "Then I'll try to meditate around other more often. I might do it around my father or mother."

My heart clenched. It hurt, and that wanting to cry sensation filled my mind. But even though I was dying on the inside, I retained a laid-back demeanour, smiling. "You do that. For now, why don't we play a game?" The Uchiha looked at me with expectancy.

"What game?"

"What if Kiba kissed you?" Sasuke asked with a mischievous grin. He was sitting across from me. We were playing 'What if?'.

"Punch the brat. No way he gets to touch these lips." I replied, giving a smug tone and an amused grin. Sasuke giggled. "My turn."

I had to think. Maybe I should ask him now. It could ease things if I handled it right. But then it could explode in my face. There was no way to know for sure. Fuck it. Let's do it.

"What if...someone killed off your clan?" I asked slowly, I didn't want to give off a cheerful tone, because that would've been way too disrespectful. His eyes widened at the question, then immediately, his face hardened.

"Kill them." He replied seriously.

I sighed. Typical. "What if they were close to you?" I stared at him, serious also. "What would you do then?" The little Uchiha seemed surprised by the question. He frowned thoughtfully, thinking. "I...I don't know..." He looked up at me.

"What would you do?"

"Trust them. What ever they did that for, they would have a good reason. I would support them, no matter."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "But it's your clan!"

I smiled softly, leaning back and letting my arms and hands keep me propped up. "I would be pissed, yeah. Emotions would cloud my thinking. But they're someone close to me, and I would trust their judgement. They wouldn't do it for a stupid reason, not like 'I wanted to test myself'. But for something that only a few people could know about." I looked to the sky. "That person close to me would be branding himself a traitor, killing my clan, and they would be doing it for a reason I could understand."

To be honest, I felt like that made no fucking sense. Being wise and all that was something I didn't specialise in. But when I looked back to the Uchiha, he was staring at me with some look of admiration in his eyes. "You're amazing, Kuroki-chan."

"Why, thank you. Be a good little pupil and follow my example, 'kay?" I smirk-grinned at him. He frowned and blushed. "I'm not your 'little pupil'." He pouted, causing me to snicker.

I could only hope that whatever I said would go through to him. "Think about it, okay? Think of the people close to you, and you can see that if they killed your clan, they would be doing it for a reason you weren't allowed to know." I commented, standing up and stretching. We'd been here all morning, and now it was mid-day. The sun was high and hot in the sky. Sasuke nodded, standing up and stretching too.

"Let's go find Naruto," I said, turning to him and grinning. He gave a look of annoyance. "We can see which of you is better in a spar."

Sasuke huffed and folded his arms. "Obviously I am."

"Let's go see him and find out then."

It's slow, yes. We'll get to the graduation soon.