Thanks to The True Not Important for being the first reviewer of the story, as well as the feedback.
"That was the best treat I've had in weeks!" Sasuke happily sighed as they walked out of the rice ball restaurant.
And that was the worst pounding my wallet have had in weeks, Itachi thought, sighing as well.
As they walked along the roads back to the Uchiha Compound, a shinobi suddenly appeared in front of them, scaring the wits out of Sasuke.
"What's wrong?" Itachi asked.
"It's Naruto!" The ninja replied frantically. "He's stolen one of the forbidden scrolls!"
Itachi face-palmed. He knew Naruto was the container of the Nine-Tails, and that almost the entire village shunned him. The Uchiha had sympathy for him and therefore did not interfere whenever the Jinchuriki pulled one of his fast pranks - but this was going too far.
"Hokage-sama is assembling some of the Jonin in the village to find Naruto," the ninja continued on. "He sent me to find you."
"I'll be there," Itachi nodded. He turned to his little brother. "Sasuke, you head home first. I'll join you later."
"Um... okay," Sasuke nodded. As soon as Itachi and his ninja friend was out of sight, Sasuke quickly followed. He wasn't one to miss out on exciting things.
Itachi and the other shinobi assembled were briefed by the Third, and soon he was out on the streets, finding the blonde.
That scroll has some of the village's most powerful techniques. It cannot fall into the wrong hands... where are you Naruto... Itachi paced the secluded areas of Konoha. He had no idea that behind him was his younger brother, determined to see what Naruto was up to.
Sasuke knew Naruto from the academy, and they weren't on very good terms. Sasuke disliked Naruto's loud mouth, whereas Naruto was jealous of Sasuke's popularity.
This was what boosted Sasuke's curiosity. What deed had the loud-mouthed dead last committed to force a crowd of Jonin to look for him?
Hmm... yes...! Found him! Itachi thought, as he picked up on Naruto's chakra nearby. Huh? Not one... but two, no... three. Who's there beside Naruto? This thought alarmed him, and the powerful Uchiha hurried.
Finally, he arrived at his destination, peering down from a tree to see Naruto with two teachers from the academy, Iruka and Mizuki.
It took Itachi just thirty seconds to find out what was going on.
"If you hurt Iruka-sensei... I'll kill you!" Naruto growled.
It appears Mizuki has told Naruto about the Fox... this is bad... Itachi frowned as Mizuki taunted the blonde student about the Nine-Tails within him.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Itachi's eyes widened as he witnessed Naruto's new technique. Hundreds of Naruto's Shadow Clones popped up around the area, looking at Mizuki with determined eyes.
He learnt the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu that fast from the scroll...? Naruto... you're something else!
"That won't stop me," Mizuki sneered.
A Naruto clone jumped at the academy teacher, but the white-haired man dispelled it with the wave of a kunai. The clones continued attacking, but Mizuki launched into an array of punches and kicks, showing off his taijutsu ability and dispelling the clones one by one.
He's stronger than I thought, Itachi looked at Mizuki as the Chunin-level ninja dispelled the last of Naruto's clones.
Naruto collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
"Looks like the Nine-Tailed Fox isn't so special anymore," Mizuki spat.
"Grrr..." Naruto growled. Red chakra seeped from the blonde's body.
Itachi shook his head. "Hey, Mizuki!" The Uchiha yelled.
Mizuki turned to face the Uchiha as he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Shit!" Mizuki shrieked, forcing himself to look away as Naruto looked on in surprise, the leaking red chakra coming to a halt.
Sasuke chose this moment to come out of hiding. He leaped at the distracted teacher and kneed him in the stomach.
"Sasuke?" Itachi frowned, but let it go.
"So it's the Uchiha brats," Mizuki snarled, taking out another giant shuriken and flinging it at Naruto.
"Naruto!" Iruka yelled.
Itachi swooped in and grabbed Naruto, jumping away from the shuriken.
"T-T-Thanks... uh..."
"Itachi," Itachi smiled, and set Naruto down.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke breathed a fireball on Mizuki, who dodged with ease.
"You just had to interfere..." Mizuki glared angrily at Sasuke and Itachi. He knew he was no match for the oldest of the two Uchiha brothers.
"You will not have time to turn away this time," Itachi stated.
"Like hell! I'll just not look at your eyes!" Mizuki chuckled. "Earth Style: Earth and Stone Dragon!"
A brown dragon-like thing rose from the ground and swooped towards Sasuke.
"Watch out, Sasuke!" Itachi shouted.
Sasuke jumped out of the way swiftly.
"Earth Style: Stone Fist Jutsu!" Mizuki's right fist was encased in rock, and the Chunin aimed a punch at Sasuke, ramming it hard into his chest and sending him flying.
"Sasuke!" Itachi looked towards his fallen brother, but turned away. That wasn't a killing blow... I guess I'll just have to focus on defeating Mizuki for now and hand him over to the authorities. I'll tend to Sasuke later.
To his surprise, Itachi saw Naruto run up to Mizuki with ten more Shadow Clones.
Kid's got spunk, the Uchiha prodigy noted.
"Take this!" A clone aimed a fist at Mizuki, but was swiftly dealt with. The nine more clones were also easily dispelled, and finally, Naruto fell back after getting hit in the stomach with a punch.
"You won't get away with this, Mizuki!" Iruka shouted weakly as his colleague took the scroll from Naruto.
"Put that scroll down," Itachi said coldly, releasing killer intent, but Mizuki wasn't intimidated.
"Goodbye, fools," he replied, cackling, and was about to run away.
However, Itachi wouldn't let that happen.
As Mizuki ran away, Iruka turned towards Itachi. "Are you mad? You let him get away!"
"Don't worry," Itachi smiled at Iruka. "He won't be able to go far."
Indeed, a few minutes later, Mizuki saw himself back at the spot where Itachi and Iruka were.
"What the fuck?" He frowned.
"My specialty," Itachi jumped into the air, before descending on him. "Genjutsu."
Knocking Mizuki to the ground, the Uchiha held a kunai to his throat.
"I see... you made me think I was running away when actually I was running around in circles... not bad..."
Itachi dragged Mizuki up, still holding the kunai to his throat.
However, Mizuki gave Itachi a back-kick, before ducking as the kunai slashed the air.
He's fast...
Mizuki leaped away from Itachi.
"To be able to cast a Genjutsu so easily without using your eyes..." Mizuki smirked. "Not bad."
Itachi tried to use his Sharingan, but Mizuki wouldn't look him in the eye. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
"Arghh!" The academy teacher backed away, burned by some of the mini fireballs. "Asshole! I'll beat you to a pulp, and then I'll get this scroll to Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru... Itachi frowned. One of the Legendary Sannin... A missing-nin, if I recall...
"Earth Style: Landslide Jutsu!"
"Is Earth Style ninjutsu all you can use?" Itachi mused, as he dodged the landslide.
"Bastard... Earth Style: Earth and Stone Dragon!"
At least I've coaxed him into fighting me. I'm fast enough to dodge all of his techniques. I'll just wait until he exhausts his chakra.
Itachi dived to the side, avoiding the dragon.
Mizuki then charged.
"Taijutsu now?" Itachi dodged as Mizuki's first punch came, then watched with amused eyes as the second and the third also missed. Mizuki was getting frustrated.
"I'll punch the lights out of you," Mizuki said angrily.
Itachi responded by finally getting on the offensive, hitting Mizuki in the cheek before pinning him down to the ground.
Fearful, Mizuki looked up, just in time as Itachi smirked.
"Tsukuyomi."
Sasuke and Naruto both got up, in time to hear Mizuki's screams that filled the air.
Itachi finished it with a strong punch, knocking Mizuki unconscious. He turned back to the two young kids with a cheerful smile on his face.
"Mizuki's screams would have alerted some of the ninja. They'll be here soon," he informed them, deactivating his Mangekyo.
With a smiling face, he watched as Iruka rewarded Naruto for his bravery with a Hidden Leaf forehead protector.
"Congratulations, Naruto. You pass!"
How did you like the fight scene? In the next chapter, the teams are announced and newly-formed Team 7 will get their first mission. I'll be following canon so you should know what the first mission is. Stay tuned.