Last week the Second exam began and Itachi and Sheeta began their first steps towards parenthood.
Thanks for all the reviews and favs, they really are great.
Sorry this is a little late. The site was having problems this morning and I couldn't upload. I converted the word doc to html and it uploaded... don't know why it worked but anyway... here it is...
Well, it removed all the quotes. I'll get those added back in... Okay, hopefully I just fixed everything. I don't know why they disappeared. I guess the upload conversion program FF uses didn't like them for some reason.
Updated again - I just fixed some spelling and grammer mistakes.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto.
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The large house was quiet as midnight approached. Well maintained and in near perfect condition there were hardly any of the noises one would expect in a sixty-year-old wooden structure. Outside was another matter, though. Voices drifted up through the partially opened window, indistinct and far away, no doubt someone taking a late night stroll on the lake's beach.
Rain was also dripping from the eaves as a soft mist accumulated on the clay tiles of the roof. The sound was comforting, but Sheeta refused to be comforted. She was lying on Itachi's bed, on top of the blankets and trying to resist the urge to count the wooden slats in the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come, and truth be told, she didn't want to sleep. Itachi wasn't the only person she was thinking of. She was also worried about what she was going to tell her mother and Mikoto. Her father wouldn't care. He was a loyal clansman who would consider her pregnancy a duty she should be proud to undertake and probably go out and buy a hundred different stuffed animals before the kid was even born.
"Maybe I'll have him tell mother." It was cowardly, Sheeta knew that, but she wasn't feeling particularly brave at the moment. She remembered clearly how upset Emi had been when Nui announced her pregnancy two years earlier. The woman had even tried to attack her sister's fiancé.
"Tell them what?" Itachi's soft voice broke the silence as he quietly stepped into the room and switched on a lamp.
"That you're an idiot." Sheeta replied in tired voice. Now that Itachi was here she felt all the worries of the day surge over her, leaving in there wake an overwhelming exhaustion.
"I haven't seen you for a couple days. Did you go to Nui? Are you pregnant?"
"Y…yeah."
"Why did you wait here for me instead of going home?"
"We need to talk."
"You should sleep. You're very pale. Are you feeling ill?" Itachi quickly slipped off his cold, wet clothes and pulled on a pair of red pajamas before switching on the oil heater. "It's also cold in here. You need to be more careful." He adjusted the window so that it was only open a couple inches for ventilation.
"I didn't notice."
"I realize that. I have some extra pajamas if you want to sleep here." He pulled out a long red plaid nightgown and held it up, "I bought it for you because winter is coming and it gets cold in the house."
Sheeta stood up slowly and stared sleepily at the heavy flannel garment not knowing whether to be shocked or to laugh, "I think most boyfriends want to buy their girls something a little more revealing than that."
Itachi shrugged and draped it over the back of an upholstered chair before reaching back into the drawer. "Is this better?" This time he held up a very, very short red nightgown crafted with sheer silk, black fur trim and thin shoulder straps. "I have to admit, I'd rather see you wearing this. You look really cute in red."
She shuddered as she remembered Fugaku's words, spoken just two hours earlier. "Sheeta… are you forgetting what Itachi tried to do three years ago? Or that he tried to kill another kid when he was only five? Or his fascination for spilled blood? Or the many breakdowns he has had throughout the years?"
"Why is red your favorite color, Itachi?" Sheeta finally asked.
"Why?" He spoke hesitantly, not expecting such an odd question.
"Is it… because it's the color of blood?"
"Perhaps… I had… quite a fascination for blood when I was younger." He remembered how he would watch the red liquid drip off his sword with a fascination that bordered on obsession.
She wrapped her arms around her torso and shuddered, "And now?"
"I think I've gotten over that. Sheeta, I just spoke to Fugaku and he told me he talked to you. I guess he tried to scare you."
"He pretty much said you're mental and I shouldn't upset you." She didn't want to repeat the conversation.
"I am, I guess. That's what they said a few years ago anyway. They thought I might be a sociopath or psychopath or whatever word you want to us - but I was too young to be evaluated. I think they're probably right. I have killed a lot of people without a second thought." Itachi wondered where this conversation was going. It didn't seem to make any sense. "You have also killed, Sheeta, but unlike me you weren't happy about it."
"Does killing make you happy?"
That was a blunt question and Itachi frowned, creasing his brow as he contemplated an answer. "I… guess not to tell the truth. I have… I have felt a deep satisfaction over some of the deaths I have caused. I guess satisfaction and happy aren't necessarily the same thing."
"Some?"
"I've had assassination missions where I killed people I personally didn't want to see injured. That was not satisfying. But sometimes… I just seem to loose it… I don't stop… can't stop… until the target is dead." He was watched as Sheeta fingered the flannel nightgown, deep in thought. "What's wrong?"
"Don't know." Her tired voice was soft and eyelids were drooping.
"Did Fugaku tell you he sent a hawk to deliver the news to Mikoto this morning? He asked her to pass on the news to Emi. It's too bad the hidden villages don't allow phones to be connected to the outside world. We could just call her… oh wait…"
"Water country doesn't have any phones." Sheeta finished, "The rebels kept cutting the lines and the government eventually gave up repairing them so she couldn't even travel to another village to call. But we'll see them after the third exam."
"At any rate… we should be getting a reply soon."
Sheeta sighed as she picked up the flannel nightgown and started walking toward the bathroom, "I'm only staying because I'm tired. I'm still mad at you. And we are talking in the morning."
"You don't have to hide to change anymore." He stated matter-of-factly.
Sheeta stopped walking and stood with her back to Itachi. "The next time you see me naked," She looked over her shoulder and gave the teen a big smile that literally sparkled, "it will be a cold day in hell and you're 'anatomically correct' parts will be so frozen they will have fallen off."
Itachi's eyes opened wide in shock as he watched his girlfriend slide the bathroom door shut behind her. Looking down at his groin he contemplated the implication of Sheeta's threat. "Don't worry," He said consolingly to his "anatomically correct" parts, "I'm sure she didn't mean it."
But even so… even if hell did freeze over… he had a feeling it would be a long time before she let him get close to her again. "I really am an idiot."
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"That cat's nothing but a pain in the ass." Fugaku scowled as he dished rice out of the cooker.
"Did your summons find anything out?" Sheeta asked politely as she placed exactly one grain of rice in Itachi's bowl and set it in front of him. Itachi frowned at his "meal" before averting his gaze to the girl's full bowl. His miso soup bowl consisted only of cold water and his fish was nothing but bones. Fugaku, on the other hand, had a full meal with the addition of toast, orange juice and a fried egg. Sheeta was eating rice and soup, opting for something lighter.
"He's a ninja cat - that much they know for sure. Apparently his master died or kicked him out or something… Tama won't elaborate. He did give the name of a missing nin who also happens to be in the bingo book. Given that Tama's only a little over two years old I would hazard a guess that his ex-master is dead. Ninja animals can be sold for big bucks and I can't imagine anyone being dumb enough to kick one out."
"Humph." Itachi picked up his chopsticks and started eating, "So he stays, huh?"
"Yeah." Fugaku sighed. "After all Sasuke's been through this week I really didn't want to have to throw away his new pet. But I can't help but feel that Tama is just freeloading until a better opportunity comes along. And we can't dismiss the possibility that he could be working undercover so I've ordered him to be followed."
"Itachi…"
"Yes, Sheeta?"
The girl picked up her bowl, which now held exactly one grain of rice. Her miso soup bowl was full of cold water. Looking at Itachi, who was eating a full bowl of rice and sipping warm soup she furrowed her brows in confusion.
"You are far too easily distracted, Sheeta." Itachi stated after setting down the now-empty soup bowl.
"Hmmm." Sheeta filled her rice bowl and took a bite before answering, "You think so?"
Itachi smirked, but grabbed his stomach as his insides cramped. Jumping up he ran to the bathroom.
Shaking her head she rolled her eyes as she continued to eat. However, Fugaku caught her attention and she set her bowl down. "It's just a mild diuretic Kisa taught me how to make a while back. It'll only last about fifteen minutes."
"Interesting." Was all Fugaku could think of replying. The girl was rather clever after all. She had known Itachi would switch the bowls of food and so, had poisoned her own breakfast. "I could compliment Mikoto on her training methods, but I have a feeling you were born sneaky. You are definitely a kunoichi."
"Ha! A kunoichi who hasn't been on a mission in years." Sheeta said bitterly.
"Give Itachi two children and you may play kunoichi to your hearts content. Mikoto continued for about a year and half after Itachi was born, but decided she didn't like to be away from him and quit."
"I'm actually thinking more in terms of joining the cryptology squad. I like numbers and I went to their recruiting seminar a couple months ago. The test to join is in the Spring so I've been studying a lot."
"That's a hard test. High level math in a village that doesn't teach anything above calculus is difficult to learn on your own."
"Tell me about it." Sheeta mumbled bitterly.
"Oh. Itachi," Fugaku diverted his attention as the ashen-faced teen re-entered the kitchen. "The test ends tomorrow at noon. I want you and Haku there to backup Kakashi if something goes wrong with Sasuke."
"I shall be there, father." He turned his attention to Sheeta who was eating rice and pretending to ignore the conversation. Stepping forward he grabbed the front of her shirt, picked her up and slammed her into the wall. Her eyes opened wide as she met his gaze. Expecting to see anger, she was shocked at the passionate way his eyes were devouring her. Fugaku chuckled as he stepped calmly out of the kitchen, leaving the two teens to their own devices.
"That was the first time in years anyone has tricked me." He bent town and captured her lips with a heated kiss that made her heart pound and her legs turn to jelly. His hands roamed up and down her arms, then reached around, pulling her closer to his body. Tangling his hands in hair he pulled her head back to get a better angle as Sheeta reached up to grab his shoulders. Eventually they had to come up for air and when they did, Itachi's smile was open and full of admiration, "I like tricks, but I think I like the treat that comes afterward better."
As he descended for another round of kissing, Sheeta wondered if he had tricked her not get a baby, but to play "trick or treat". She wondered if he was that devious.
She sighed with contentment as she closed her eyes, loosing herself in the moment, 'If he keeps this up, I might forget why I'm mad at him.'
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"I'll take care of this." Kakashi muttered as he disappeared off the dais with a transportation jutsu, appearing a second later behind Sasuke. The boy was sitting on the ground, swaying slightly back and forth as he fought to remain conscious. The young Uchiha had just won the first "sudden death" elimination match – set up to reduce the number of candidates for the third exam. Six teams had finished, a total of eighteen people. Kabuto had withdrawn at the last minute, surprising everyone and leaving the final number at seventeen. That meant seven people had to be weeded out – at least.
The fight had been one-sided at the start. The man Sasuke fought was one of Kabuto's teammates – Yaroi Akado. A ninja who could pull chakra out of his opponent and use it against him. However, the curse mark had activated, pulling even more chakra out the boy. Utilizing all the willpower he could muster, Sasuke had pushed back the seal and used a jutsu he had copied from a fellow Konoha Shinobi – Rock Lee - to win the fight. It was a battle fought completely without his Sharingan.
Kakashi bent down slightly and addressed his student, "Come with me, Sasuke. I'll seal that curse mark for you. Then you can rest."
"But I want to see the rest of the fights!" Sasuke could barely speak above a whisper as he rose shakily to his feet.
"Not happening. Consider yourself lucky we even let you fight. Now come on before you collapse."
Glancing up at his father Sasuke saw the expressionless face boring holes in him. He didn't dare disobey Kakashi. Frowning he headed for the exit. Happy, at least, that he had won. He hoped his father would be pleased as well. And Itachi… why was he here? And why were the other senseis congratulating him earlier? What had his brother been up to in the last five days?
"We're going into that room on the right, Sasuke." Kakashi said sternly. He watched as Sasuke had to make two attempts to open the door. The boy was so exhausted his hands didn't seem to want to work right.
The room they entered was pitch black. Lighting a torch with a small fire jutsu, Kakashi used it to light a few more on some columns surrounding a fifteen foot wide circle. Sasuke looked around curiously, wondering how bit the chamber was. Even though there were about ten torches burning around them, the periphery was still pitch black. The room must have been enormous for that to happen. Resisting the urge to activate his Sharingan to give his surrounding a better view he looked at Kakashi for instructions.
"Take off your shirt and sit in the middle." He pointed at the circle then unrolled a scroll and pulled out a kunai. Everything had been set up earlier in the day in preparation so it would go pretty fast. Pricking his finger, Kakashi drew it across the scroll and made some hand signs before slamming his hand on the floor. Immediately, small kanji symbols flowed out of the scroll and covered Sasuke's body.
"I'm going to start now. It will hurt a little, but don't move until it's over."
Sasuke looked over his shoulder, bleary eyed and near collapse. Nodding once he returned his gaze to the floor then screamed when Kakashi slammed his hand onto the curse mark. "Hurt a little" had been a massive understatement. A few seconds later all the kanji had made their way back to the scroll and the pain disappeared as quickly as it had come. He heart Kakashi saying something about willpower holding the seal in check, but he was unconscious before he finished talking.
"So tired he didn't even argue." Kakashi smiled warmly at the sleeping boy, breathing out in relief that his pupil was finally safe and back in his care. When he had sent his three students into the forest he had nothing but trepidation in his heart, but that had quickly turned to fear when heard about Orochimaru.
"Very good, Kakashi." The sibilant, mocking voice echoed in the large chamber causing Kakashi to turn around suddenly in shock.
"You! What are you doing here?"
Orochimaru slowly stepped out from behind a column. "I heard about the team that attacked him out in the forest and had to come see the boy that put them in the hospital. He's quite a find, isn't he?"
"What do you want?"
"That's new, isn't it? You didn't have that the last time we met." Orochimaru gazed at the Sharingan hidden behind Kakashi's mask. "I want one too. After all, it's only fair. The power of the Sharingan should be mine as well."
"I'll never let you have him! Now leave here!"
"Leave? If I stay, what could you possibly do to me?" Orochimaru mocked the younger man as he stepped methodically closer. Dressed in a dark brown Jounin's uniform he was a couple inches shorter than Kakashi and rather thin. He was using a jutsu to hide his pasty white skin and the purple eye-liner he was so fond of was nowhere to be seen.
"Then one of us will die here!" Kakashi activated Chidori and the chamber was instantly filled with the sound of a thousand birds as a ball of pure electricity appeared in his hand. Bolts of lightening shot out at every angle, lighting up the area with a blueish-white light.
Orochimaru laughed, "I bet it won't be me! Humph. I'm not ready for him yet anyway. I'll let him grow up some more. And when the time comes… he will come to me."
Kakashi dispelled his jutsu as the snake sannin disappeared. Lifting his hands he saw that they were shaking. "I can't believe I threatened him. Who do I think I am? As if I could ever beat him."
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Itachi breathed a sigh of relief when Sasuke and Kakashi finally left the arena. He had been on pins and needles for the last twenty-four hours, worrying about what would happen if the cursed seal took control of his brother during the match. Thankfully, it had all been for nothing.
"He's quite powerful, isn't he?" Anko muttered to herself. She rubbed her shoulder, as if remembering an old injury – and she most likely was. "He shouldn't have been able to do that."
Fugaku glanced at her, then at the Third, who had growled under his breath at her words.
"He is a true Uchiha, Fugaku." Sarutobi said quietly. Fugaku nodded once, almost imperceptibly, at the compliment. After all, the genes that gave the boy the power to overcome Orochimaru's curse had not come from him. For the first time since Sasuke had entered his life, the bitter taste of jealousy squeezed at his heart. He wasn't even sure Itachi could have overcome that curse – although he would like to think he could. The sheer willpower that boy had pulled out of his soul was unique. Madara would no doubt be gloating when he found out.
"The next match…" The proctor interrupted his thoughts and the matches continued. Sakura fought Ino and won, something that was expected considering the Root training she had received. Naruto's fight was rather unexpected… he used a fart to win against Kiba, a boy from the Inuzuka clan with a nose as sensitive as a dogs. It wasn't the most dignified of fights, but then again, ninja fought any way they could and did anything it would take to win.
Rock Lee had been incapacitated, perhaps permanently by Gaara, a boy from the village hidden in the Sand. Because only seven people needed to be weeded out from a total of seventeen the other two members of his team didn't have to fight, but given what everyone saw Gaara do with his sand jutsu – the way his could use it to crush his adversaries – it was assumed the other two must be pretty powerful as well.
The last fight pitted Hinata against her cousin Neji. The boy who had been harassing her off and on for the last three years. It was obvious to Fugaku that the match was a mistake from the beginning. While Hinata had improved dramatically during her stay with Toshiro and Kisa, she was still rather timid and tended to hold back. Itachi had tried, and succeeded somewhat, to pull her out of her shell, but whatever was causing it was very strong. Toshiro, who had heard about her father's draconian training methods suggested trauma as the cause and he and his wife set about to build her self-esteem. But there seemed to be something else as well. There was a wall that the girl seemed unwilling to punch through.
"The spoiled little heir of the Hyuuga has no place in this test. Go home and get your beauty sleep Hinata." Neji practically spat venom with his words, making Hinata cringe.
"No!" Hinata dodged as Neji jumped forward, attempting to touch her and cut off her chakra with his Byakugan. "I will change and become powerful and I can't do that if I keep backing down!" The words were firm and spoken with resolve.
The fight went on for a few more minutes, but Hinata was still no match for her cousin and as the last of her chakra was finally cut off she still refused to stop. This angered the boy and he upped the stakes. The killing intent coming from him was easily felt by Fugaku and he trained his eyes on Neji, activating his Sharingan. He could feel Itachi doing the same thing behind him.
Neji continued to deliver blow after blow, knocking the girl to the ground she pulled herself up and continued to carry on the fight. However, her heart had been hit as was beating erratically. Clutching at her chest she dropped to her knees.
"Stop!" The proctor jumped into the arena, a few feet behind the pair. "This fight is called off."
Neji ignored the proctor as Hinata collapsed onto the floor. Fugaku watched for about five seconds as the boy continued to pummel the girl with his attacks. They were no longer cutting off chakra, but actually attacking internal organs. Jumping forward, Fugaku grabbed the boy by the back of his jacket and slammed him onto the floor.
"When you are given an order, it is your duty as a ninja to fulfill it! You are disqualified!"
"Shit!" The medics had rushed forward and were now hovering over the unconscious girl. "We need to get her to the hospital immediately, the damage is too extensive."
"What?" Fugaku replied sternly, tightening his grip on Neji as his anger grew.
"Her spleen is ruptured, one kidney is probably done for… her heart is messed up…"
Fugaku interrupted him. Lifting Neji up off the ground he stood him on his feet and glared down at the boy. "What, exactly, was the purpose of this fight to you? It was supposed to be a fight to determine your worth as a Chuunin. Not a grudge match. Is that what being a ninja means to you?"
"Humph. Look who's talking!" Neji spat at him.
Fugaku punched the boy in the stomach, sending him careening painfully into the wall. "You are not only disqualified, but you can consider yourself remanded to the Academy."
"Lord Hokage. I beg of you to reconsider. He was just…" Maito Gai was standing behind Fugaku bent down at the waist in a formal bow.
Fugaku turned around and glared at the green-clad Jounin. "You should not have recommended him for this exam, Gai. If I hear anything else from you about it I will be forced to reconsider your position in this village as well." He nodded to the proctor to continue as he stepped back up onto the dais. Itachi was standing motionless next to Anko. There was no expression on his face, but his gaze was directed solely in Neji's direction. The teen cared deeply for Hinata – and she, in turn, had dubbed him her "unofficial" big-brother.
"Itachi," Fugaku moved close to his son and bent down so he could whisper in his ear, "leave Neji alone. It'll just make a bad situation worse."
"He's been causing problems for a while now." Itachi whispered back.
"I'll deal with him later." While the people responsible for killing Hinata's parents and much of the main branch of the Hyuuga clan had been imprisoned or executed, there were still others at large. If Neji got involved with them – or was already involved – Fugaku wanted to find a way to pull him back. The guilt he felt over Hiashi's death was still overwhelming and the man's nephew was not going to suffer the same fate. Even if he had to lock him up to protect him.
"There are no winners in this fight!" The proctor yelled in order to draw attention back to himself. The stadium had become quite noisy but quieted down quickly when they heard the announcement. "That concludes the fights. Would all the winners please assemble down here for further instructions? Everyone else, go back to the balcony."
There was a lot of murmuring and shuffling as people moved around. Finally, standing before the dais in single row were eight of the nine candidates. Sasuke had not returned, having been admitted to the hospital for observation. The proctor took a deep breath and continued, "Since there was no winner in the last fight there will be nine people competing instead of ten. The final test will be held thirty days from today. It will consist of a series of one on one battles, the winner of which advances to the next round until one person stands above the others."
"Does that mean only one person becomes a Chuunin?" Shikamaru raised his hand as he asked the question.
"No. You can loose a fight in the first round and still become a Chuunin. The purpose of the final test is to show what you are made of. Exhibit your skills and demonstrate your ability to fight at an advanced level."
"Why thirty days?" Sakura asked.
"That ready to continue, huh? I would have thought you all would want to rest up a little." The proctor gave a short laugh when the girl opened her eyes wide in surprise, then blushed a soft shade of pink.
"During the second test you let the other participants see your jutsus. You should take the next month to practice new ones or better hone the ones you already know. Use it wisely. To help – we will decide right now who your first opponent will be…"
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"So the people who are in the third exam are you, Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Ji, and Shino." Itachi was sitting on a chair next to his younger brother's hospital bed explaining, in detail, how the remaining fights progressed and what his schedule would be for the next month. "Your first opponent is Gaara of the Sand village."
"He'll be a challenge, it sounds like. If Lee wasn't able to beat him… I'll have to work on something." Sasuke took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, contemplating the implications of fighting someone that powerful.
"That's where I come in." Kakashi was standing in the doorway, smiling at his student. "Get better fast, Sasuke, I have a jutsu I want to teach you."
"Kakashi!" Sasuke grinned widely, "I was wondering where you went off to. It's been three days."
"Well, you know, a convention of old ladies carrying shopping bags needed help up this really steep hill…"
"Don't believe a word he's saying, Sasuke." Sakura poked her head in through the door and Naruto pushed his way in, unbalancing the older Jounin and forcing him to hop on one foot to keep from falling over.
"How are you doing?" The blond asked happily.
"Better, but they still won't let me go. Did you see Hinata?"
"Yeah, but they wouldn't let us stay long. She's being kept unconscious so she can heal faster, or something like that." Naruto's smile disappeared and he looked at the floor, "Fugaku said we aren't allowed to touch Neji though, no matter how much we want to beat him into the ground. But I was thinking… if we arranged a little accident…"
Itachi shook his head and groaned, "Please, Naruto, just keep your hands clean of this. There's something else going on here that you don't know about…"
"Then tell me!" Naruto yelled, "Hinata is my friend and I don't like seeing my friends get beat up like that! I'm not going to sit back and let her suffer!"
"Perhaps you should just tell them." Kakashi replied as he pulled out his "Make-Out Tactics" book and opened it.
"I don't know..." Itachi sighed, then made up his mind. "Please don't pass this around too much, but something happened a few years back… something that scarred a young boy's heart and set the events of today in motion."
"Huh?" Naruto frowned, not believing that anything could have led up to the beating Hinata had undergone, or that it could possibly be justified.
Itachi continued, "Leaf and Cloud had been fighting for years, but finally a treaty was ready to be signed. The Kage of Cloud travelled here and there was a celebration to honor the cessation of hostilities. However, the Hyuuga did not attend. It was Hinata's third birthday and she was formally indoctrinated into the clan as its heir. That day… the four-year-old Neji was branded with the Hyuuga curse mark that sealed away part of his power and put his life directly under the control of Hiashi, Hinata's father and the chief of the clan. That evening the Raikage broke into the main house and kidnapped Hinata. Hiashi quickly responded and ended up killing the Raikage. Cloud demanded retribution. They wanted Hiashi dead or they would attack the village."
"But it wasn't his fault!" Sakura's eyes opened wide and she clenched her fists firmly at her side.
"Exactly. However, the village elders agreed to their terms. Peace at any cost was their motto."
"That's stupid." Naruto muttered.
Itachi sighed, "Yeah, I learned that myself the hard way. Anyway, Hiashi had a twin brother, Hizashi. Neji's father. Hizashi committed ritual suicide at the urging of Hyuuga clan elders so that he could take his brother's place. Because they were twins Cloud was none the wiser. However… Neji and much of the side-branch never forgave Hiashi for what he did. Hinata, as Hiashi's daughter, is taking the brunt of that event and is being forced into a position where she must atone for her father's… well I want to say 'sins' but… the village elders…"
"Danzou you mean." Sasuke piped up, bitterly.
"Yeah…"
"You're thinking they may have had a reason to kill off Hizashi?" Sasuke had been putting pieces together in the last three years, but this bit was definitely too big to miss and also too big to completely understand.
"No… perhaps not… except Danzou did believe in peace at any cost. He was even willing to wipe out our clan, he refused to allow Sarutobi to negotiate with us, influencing the council to refuse any mediation. Hiashi, in his opinion, was disposable. As was anyone in the village who stood in the way of his plans. Hizashi was a convenient stand-in."
"I understand then, I think." Naruto replied. "But if it diverted a war… was it really a bad thing?"
"A third of the village died when Uchiha staged their coup. Most of those were killed by Danzou who tried to blackmail us by blowing up the evacuation tunnels. Yet he felt justified because he believed their deaths would lead to peace. How many others has he killed over the years? He ordered me to kill my clan, Naruto, but if I had… what would have been the result? Would Konoha see peace for a few years and then fall back into war when the truth was found out? What would the other clans in the village do if they learned of such a thing? That their own people were wiped out because the elders refused to negotiate?" Itachi clenched his jaw tight and closed his eyes, a surge of anger washed over him as an image of his family, buried six feet underground entered his mind, and his child that would never have been born. Opening his eyes his Sharingan was activated and his face was set in an expression that was a mixture of anger and determination, "People are not disposable. Throwing away one to save the rest… I can't live with that… I won't live with that."
Kakashi spoke up, "Besides… back then… the war had weakened both our villages. There was every possibility they were bluffing. Our intelligence told us that they couldn't keep up the war and were currently living off of rations. Our village was pretty close to the same situation. Itachi is right… throwing your comrades to the wolves so you can escape while they are being eaten is no way to live the rest of your life. You just spend your time looking for the next wolf and the next sacrifice."
Sakura growled under her breath, "And eventually, your sacrifices throw you to the wolves. What a shitty way to live. My parents were his sacrifices too."
"And Choji and Ami and… and…" Naruto couldn't finish. Dropping down onto a chair he looked out the window for a minute before standing up with a big grin on his face, "Then it's come to this! We'll just have to find a way to make Neji our friend!"
"What?" Sasuke and Sakura said at the same time.
"Yeah! Then he'll understand he isn't alone and everything will be alright!"
"I love your optimism, Naruto." Kakashi replied bitterly, "I would like to think you will succeed, but don't get your hopes up. Some scars are just too deep."
"We'll try though. We'll help you Naruto." Sakura promised, then looked at Sasuke, waiting for his input.
"Fine, whatever." Sasuke responded. He was starting to get tired again. The pain-killers he had been given were pretty strong, after all.
"So… have you told Sasuke the news yet?" Naruto prodded Itachi mischievously.
"Huh? What?" Sasuke lay down on his bed as he looked up at the teen who had suddenly decided the floor was very interesting. "Tell me, Itachi. What is going on?"
Itachi finally spoke, and oddly enough he was embarrassed, "Well… Sheeta's pregnant."
"Sheeta? You mean with a baby?" Sasuke blinked when he realized how stupid that had just sounded.
"No, it's a puppy." Sakura laughed.
"Is it yours?" Sasuke put his foot in his mouth again and cringed.
"It's mine, Sasuke." Kakashi spoke up. "We've been having an affair for years now, but Itachi and I have worked it out. We're going to both marry Sheeta."
Itachi opened and closed his mouth a couple times, trying to figure out how to answer that. He wasn't used to such light-hearted joking and finally decided to smile, "I'll remember that when we need a babysitter."
"Ha ha ha!" Kakashi was very amused.
Sakura turned serious, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you told him to show up at eight he wouldn't come until eleven. The next day."
"True." Naruto and Sasuke responded, just as seriously.
Itachi shook his head in resignation, "When he does have kids, they'll probably be the only babies in Konoha who can change their own diapers."
"How did this conversation get turned around to be about me?" Kakashi wined unconvincingly as everyone broke out laughing.
"Mom's going to be mad, I bet." Sasuke finally said.
"Yeah… I got a message from her this morning. She was quite upset. As was Sheeta's aunt. I expect they'll get over it in the next month. If not, you, my dear brother, will become an only child, apparently, if either of them follow up on their threats. Sheeta's uncle is happy as anything and is already buying her stuff. Fugaku… I don't think he cares one way or the other but he's not mad." Itachi stood up and reached over to adjust Sasuke's blankets. "We should be going now, you're only half-awake and…"
All attention in the room suddenly diverted to the large orange cat who was now sitting comfortably next to Sasuke's thigh.
"T… Tama?" Sasuke blinked in surprise. The cat, happy that he was recognized, moved closer, allowing the boy to scratch his head.
"Apparently he's a ninja cat without a contract. Good luck with that." Itachi walked cheerfully out of the room, followed by everyone else. A couple minutes later, Sasuke was fast asleep with Tama curled up at his side purring softly.
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Time passed quickly as it usually does when you're busy trying to work towards a deadline. The nine Chuunin candidates filled their days and nights with training while ANBU investigated a string of murders they were sure could be directly linked to Orochimaru. Unfortunately, one of the dead was the proctor of the exam. The other was a Genin from the Sound village who, along with his teammates, had decided to hang around to watch the final exam even though they had been disqualified when they ended up in the hospital halfway through the second exam. There were also three other deaths, all ANBU who were investigating the first two murders.
Kakashi trained with Sasuke everyday, along with about four Uchiha's who were assigned to guard them in case the snake sannin put in another appearance. Or Kabuto.
While Sasuke had lain in the hospital unconscious, Kabuto had showed up, disguised as one of the medics. Ordered to snatch the boy he had, instead, tried to kill him, but was interrupted by Kakashi. It was a huge shock to find out the teen had allied himself with Orochimaru and several people who had been acquainted with him over the years were now beating themselves over the head, wondering how they could have missed something that huge.
Ebisu, a Special Jounin whose job it was to provide customized training to ninja's (and act as Konohamaru's private tutor) trained Sakura. Her perfect chakra control, when added in with her aptitude for Genjutsu wasn't exactly the best match for Ebisu, but his experience as a personal trainer meant that it didn't matter. He could skillfully observe a Shinobi's abilities and improve upon them easily.
Naruto, on the other hand, had undergone a different kind of training. Introduced to his godfather for the first time he had been very skeptical and, turning to Fugaku, demanded to see his fathers' will, not believing that the fourth Hokage would do something as stupid as give his only son to "Pervy Sage", as he had nicknamed him after tricking him with his "sexy jutsu". Fugaku hadn't said anything, just walked away shaking his head in resignation, leaving Naruto and Jiraiya to get to know each other on their own terms.
And if all this wasn't enough, Itachi had stepped in to give both Sasuke and Sakura Genjutsu lessons. Naruto was considered to have a low aptitude for the jutsu and instead was instructed on how to break out of a Genjutsu.
It was indeed a very busy month. When the day of the exam arrived everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that, in just a few hours, the results of their month of hard work would be revealed and tomorrow they could all rest. However… that day proved to be much more eventful that anyone ever imagined.
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Next week The third exam in all its glory!
I hope the ending wasnt too rushed. I spent some time with Sasuke and Kakashi during the sealing because that scene Orochimaru showing up always gives me the creeps.
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