Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 9- An Ominous Foretelling: Sasuke's Prophecy

"F-father," Katsu stammered, taking a step back. She wasn't sure how to react. Bells were ringing frantically in the back of her mind. They was begging her to flee, to go find help, but she couldn't find it within herself to run. She had waited so desperately for this moment, and now, it almost seemed like a nightmare- a horrible, never ending nightmare.

"I come bearing a warning," the man said, his voice calm and slow as if every word was deliberate and meaningful.

"No!" Katsu yelled, pulling out a kunai from her holster. "You've been gone for twelve years and you think you're going to start spouting off fatherly advice?! No, you're going to listen to me? Why were you banished? What happened to mom? Did you kill Akira's parents!?"

Sasuke was taken aback by Katsu's boldness. She was, of course, his daughter after all. It should've come as no surprise that she had quite a bit of built up angst and rage. However, it was clear she didn't know the strength of the opponent she was facing.

"Very soon everything is going to go terribly wrong," Sasuke frowned, looking up to the sky. "War is on the horizon."

"Don't you think I know that!" Katsu shook her head. "It's only a matter of time before everything get's all messed up!"

For a fleeting moment, Katsu wondered if she should've yelled at her father like she did, but she just shook her head.

'Kakashi is and always will be my father!'

"You're foolish," Sasuke said, taking a deep breath. "Don't you understand that you will be at the heart of it all?"

"What, why me?" she asked, dropping her guard.

"Not just you," he replied. "When the time comes you and I will be on separate sides of the battlefield. When it comes down to it, will you be able to strike me down? Will you be able to do what needs to be done?"

Katsu took a step back, slightly frightened by her father words.

"I've been doing just fine on my own!" she yelled back.

"Hmm… I can see that," he frowned. "You haven't stopped shaking since you got here."

The dogs too had grown quiet, hiding behind Katsu's legs. It seemed even they understood the powerful threat that stood just a few inches in front of them. If he decided to attack for whatever reason, it would be unlikely anyone would survive.

"I'm not afraid of you!" she tried to yell.

"Did you ever hear what happened to your clan?" Sasuke asked, when no answer came he just sighed, shaking his head. "No, of course not. Kakashi would never let that information slip for fear you would wind up a problem."

"A-A problem?" Katsu yelled. "I'm not you! I'm not some animal that needs to have his life cut short!"

'Why am I the only Uchiha! What happened to the clan! Why did they want me killed! What did you do?!'But the questions just continued screaming inside of her brain, her mind betraying her disinterested front.

"Are you even the least bit curious?" he inquired, tilting his head back as though he already knew the answer.

"Tell me!" she yelled, mustering up her last bit of courage to advance a single step forward.

"You're in no position to make demands," Sasuke said, his voice still calmed and monotone. "Tsukuyomi!"

"What!" Katsu screamed, blinded by a bright white light that seemed to completely encompass her.

When she came to, everything was dark and it was difficult to see. It was like she was in a different part of the village, and her father was nowhere to be seen. That was when she heard a scream. Running past her were three women, clutching their children tightly against their breasts. Katsu vaguely could hear the shouts and terrified screams of others from all over. What scared her most was the fire. Anywhere she looked, Katsu could see pillars of smoke and burning buildings all around her.

A single boy came running out from one of the houses, holding a small teddy bear in his hands. He had to have been no older than seven or so, and she thought he looked a little strange- so small and so young to be amidst this horrific conflict.

That was when she saw him. A man dressed in the typical ANBU uniform- black pants, gray vest, black undershirt, and a small tanto in his right hand. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail and black bangs that framed the side of his face.

The young boy stood no chance. In seconds, the mystery ANBU personal, struck him down, sending the blood-ridden teddy bear flying towards Katsu. It was an experience Katsu couldn't merely put into words; seeing someone mercilessly killed in such a way… she didn't want to experience something like that ever again.

The killer somehow either miraculously didn't notice Katsu shaking in fear or here merely chose to ignore her. Either way, he leapt off onto a nearby house, igniting it on fire with a fireball larger than the like's she had ever seen.

"That… was Itachi," Sasuke said, appearing from the doorway of a still intact dwelling.

"Th-the Itachi?" Katsu stammered, hearing another cry in the distance.

'The fabled shinobi of the Uchiha clan…caused all of this destruction?'

"He was ordered to do this. All of this," Sasuke replied shaking his head. "Don't hate him for it. He was only trying to protect me… and the home he loved so dear."

"You… and Konoha?" Katsu said, trying to get a grip on the entire situation. "Why would he-"

"It will all be revealed in due time," Sasuke replied, never giving the slightest hint of emotion or feeling. "Come, we have much to see."

The walk to their destination was painfully slow. Every step there would be more cries of pain and agony, pleas for salvation and life. Every so often Katsu would see Itachi or another man with an orange mask peer into view. Thankfully she didn't see another murder…no murder wasn't the right word. This was a massacre.

"Who is that?" she inquired, pointing to the masked man who would occasionally float into view.

"That is Obito Uchiha, the orchestrator of the Fourth Shinobi War," Sasuke said solemnly. "Years ago, he formed the Akatsuki, a group of rouge ninja bent on world conquest. At first, they operated under the guise of world piece, but it became apparent early on that they were only interested in power and money. All but three, Konan, Nagato, and Itachi had always held the ideals of peace in their minds."

"How can you say they craved peace? I know about Nagato and his manipulation of the entity known as Pain! He was a monster!" she yelled, furious with the lies her father was spewing. She didn't even understand why he had been giving her all of this useless information. "And now Itachi… Everyone claims he was a hero. Even Kakashi thinks of him as the greatest shinobi of all time!"

"Perhaps Kakashi felt that the destruction of the Uchiha Clan made Itachi worthy of that title," the older Uchiha theorized, never looking down at his child.

"No, Kakashi-sensei would never think that. He loves me, and he loved you! He loved you!" she yelled back

Sasuke just shrugged, stopping at house that was just ahead. It was already on fire, burning from the roof down. It was still mostly intact, but the door had been ripped from its frame. Sasuke motioned for Katsu to look inside.

It was Sasuke… or at least a younger version of him. He had to have been no older than the little boy whom had been struck down just moments before. Across from Sasuke were three individuals. One Katsu could clearly make out was Itachi, but she didn't know who the other two were.

"Your grandparents," Sasuke said, looking away just as Itachi's sword met with their flesh. Katsu turned to throw up again, but nothing came. She didn't want to look back, but something forced her to.

"Itachi, why did you do this!" Little Sasuke cried out, looking at the bodies of both of his parents.

"To test the limits of my abilities…" the man replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You're telling me that that was the reason you butchered every single member of our clan?" the child said in disbelief, standing to his feet.

"It was of great importance," Itachi shrugged, turning to leave the child be. Little Sasuke couldn't take that as an answer. Out of blind fury he rushed Itachi. He didn't know what he would do when he reached his brother, but he knew that somehow he would make him pay. He would hurt him! Itachi grabbed the child's wrist and tossed him back, hurling him into the wooden floor. "Foolish little brother. If you want to kill me, curse me! Hate me! And live a long and unsightly life. Run away… run away… and cling to your pitiful life."

"Itachi no!" Katsu yelled, running into the room.

"Tsukuyomi!" the figure exclaimed, again releasing a blinding white light that took Katsu by surprise. Again when she opened her eyes she was in a new location. Or… rather an old one. She was back in what she assumed to be present day Konoha, standing a few feet away from her father.

"Why did you show me all this?" Katsu cried, her eyes finally filled with tears. "Why did you show me the destruction of our clan? Why would my uncle do that?"

"He had to…" Sasuke replied, frowning, for the first time showing emotion. "Konoha was his everything… The Uchiha Clansmen were always persecuted for their strength and over time, we began to resent the hatred we felt from the other clans. It was this hatred that led the Uchiha Clan to plan a coup. Danzo, an elder from before your time, ordered the destruction of the clan to protect the Leaf. Itachi was the one ordered to do so, but he spared me, and only me, so that I may "avenge" the clan- allowing Itachi to suffer for his sins."

"But why are you showing me this?" Katsu said, drying her tears.

"I want you to understand and make your own decision," Sasuke said truthfully. "When I was younger, others used my hatred to manipulate me. I made choices that were driven by anger and confusion. No matter what has happened… no matter what will happen, you at least deserve to know the whole truth. Not just the bits and pieces that I was told."

"I'm not you! And I'm certainly not Itachi!" Katsu yelled, showing the defiant look in her eyes. "I will never turn my back on Konoha! What's in the past is in the past and Kakashi has always stood by me! Kiyoshi has always stood by me! I have friends who count on me and nothing is going to change that. I'm not interested in what happened thirty years ago. What happened to the clan was monstrous, but Itachi could've said no! He could've risen up against this… this Danzo guy and taken him out!"

"If it were only that simple… you're just too young to understand!"

"Leaf hurricane!" a voice screamed from the darkness.

Kiyoshi tried to deliver a kick to Sasuke's midsection, but the battle-hardened ninja had seen that very technique hundreds of times. He easy knocked the weaker first kick away, and then delivered a blow to Kiyoshi's midsection when he spun for the second. The child was knocked back onto the ground, slightly dazed and out of breath.

"Moron…" Sasuke frowned raising his hand. "Chidori Str-"

He had resolved to kill the child. After all, he was just proving to be a nuisance. Hinoto's reports indicated that the boy, if left unchecked, could prove a thorn in their side. He was just too willful and wouldn't allow the natural progression of things. However, he couldn't deliver the final blow. Instinctively, Katsu had jumped in front of her teammate, kunai in hand, to protect him while he was down.

"Thanks," Kiyoshi said, getting to his feet. He was shaking out of uncontrollable fear. Everything in his body told him to run, but he couldn't leave Katsu behind. He had no idea what Sasuske's plan was.

"No problem, but get out of here!" Katsu yelled to her friend. "I can handle this."

"No chance!" Kiyoshi leapt out from behind his teammate, and cracked his knuckles.

"I've wanted to use this for a while now. First Gate: Gate of Opening- Open!"

The boy thrust his arms down to his sides, creating a shockwave of energy that twirled Katsu's hair and clothes. She could feel the increase in Kiyoshi's power and could see the rapid chakra flow with her sharingan.

'Was he hiding this power when we fought?' Katsu pondered.

"Enough!" Sasuke said, throwing his right hand into the air. "I don't have time to continue this fight."

"He's right," Kiyoshi said, looking at Katsu. "If we make enough noise, the whole village will come running!"

"Just wait Kiyo-chan!" Katsu shot back, resolved her hear her father out, she placed her hand in front of Kiyoshi to stop him from attacking.

"Ch-chan!?" Kiyoshi freaked, giving Katsu the death stare. All at once his fear left his body. It was if he forgot they were staring down an S-ranked criminal. "Akira is dobe and I'm… Kiyo-chan!?

"Just shut up and listen!" Katsu hushed.

"I leave you with this warning: Konoha is at the threshold of war. At its heart will be you and Akira Uzumaki. Train and be ready for war's embrace. For if you are not, then pray for those you have failed. For when the plan becomes reality, there will be no hope," he said turning to leave. "And beware the influence of Madara Uchiha…"

"You're not getting away!" Kiyoshi yelled running forward. "Leaf Rising Wind!"

Lightning struck Sasuke's position just as it had struck Hinoto when they first encountered him. The lightning blast tossed Kiyoshi back into Katsu, disorienting the two Genin. After the bright light had faded away, Sasuke was gone. The only evidence he had ever been there was a small pile of soot where the lightning had struck.

"Why did you interfere?" Katsu said, looking away from her teammate.

"I was worried," he responded truthfully. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No," she responded, remembering the cold-blooded murder she witnessed just moments ago.

"We have to find the Hokage and Guy-sensei; they'll know what to do."

"No," she said again.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't tell anyone," Katsu warned. "They'll jump to conclusions and keep us trapped in the village. If they know Sasuke is out there… after Akira and I then everyone will go searching for Sasuke."

"They should," Kiyoshi said matter-of-factly. "He's bad news."

"He's my father!" she said back, glaring at the boy. "He's a good guy and I know it. I don't want to get anyone else involved. It's bad enough he said that he was working with Hinoto."

"H-Hinoto?" Kiyoshi said, taken aback. "Oh yeah, definitely a good guy…"

"Promise me you won't tell. If I'm wrong, we can go run off to Kakashi-sensei, but, until then, I don't want anyone to know he was here Kiyo-chan."

"We have to at least tell Akira, he's part of this too."

"No!" she shouted back. "I don't want him to worry. It's bad enough you're involved now."

"Too late," a voice said from atop a nearby building. Akira jumped from the roof and landed a few feet away from the duo. "I heard most of what happened."

"Great…" Katsu said, walking away from the boys.

Kiyoshi looked at Akira who returned the same expression. They worried about her. It was clear to them that she was putting her personal feelings in front of her safety and, worse, the safety of the village. They needed to talk some sense into her.

Akira knew he couldn't do that though. He had been hiding secrets of his own from his teammates for fear they would judge him. He hadn't wanted to tell the truth, but if it meant protecting Katsu and Kiyoshi he would allow them to know.

"I'm the Leaf's Jinchuriki," Akira blurted out, looking away. Katsu turned with a look of shock on her face. Kiyoshi did the same.

"Why didn't you tell us before? You think we should've known that about you?" Katsu said, a little more sad than angry.

"Like I should've known Sasuke is after me for whatever reason?" Akira shot back.

"Face it, we've all been keeping secrets, even Kiyoshi."

"I'd like to go on the record saying that I haven't been keeping secrets," Kiyoshi added.

"Just don't tell anyone!" Katsu yelled back. She looked at the puppies that she had forgotten were there, and motioned for them to follow. She along with the trio of dogs rushed off in the direction of Katsu's home. Kiyoshi went to follow, but Akira grabbed onto his arm, holding him in place.

"We need to talk," Akira said, frowning slightly.

"She could be in trouble!" Kiyoshi responded. "We can't just sit here."

"Tell her the truth," Akira frowned.

"About what?!" Kiyoshi yelled. "I'm not you! I'm not hiding anything!"

"That was uncalled for…" Akira responded, ashamed that he hadn't let them know the truth sooner.

"We're your team, you should've trusted us!" Kiyoshi yelled back, more out of hurt than actual anger.

"I couldn't risk you treating me differently. It's bad enough I'm the son of the Great and Almighty Naruto Uzumaki! Now that I'm the Jinchuriki you're going to start rolling out the red carpet."

Kiyoshi punched Akira square in the jaw. The blonde haired boy was astonished for a moment, unsure of what had just transpired. He hadn't been expecting Kiyoshi to throw a punch like that.

"You're nothing special!" Kiyoshi yelled. "All you've done is complain and act like a loner this entire time. Stop thinking you're this big deal just because of who your parents were! You're the reason Hinoto came after us! Instead of complaining, get stronger!"

"Hinoto wanted Katsu and I," Akira snapped. "It wasn't all my fault."

"Whatever, go play with the demon trapped inside of you!" Kiyoshi shooed, shaking his head in disgust.

Akira shook his head, and turned away. He had said all that he had wanted to say. He leapt off into the night, returning home. No one was there to greet him like always, and he went straight to bed.

Kiyoshi eventually found Katsu crying in her home. He convinced her that she had to return to the party or else she might attract unwanted suspicion by Kakashi. So the two went back, pretending to enjoy the festivities. Katsu couldn't help but dwell on what her father had revealed to her. Kiyoshi couldn't help, but worry for his friend.

Omake #2

Kiyoshi: Uh, Katsu-san

Katsu: Yes Kiyo-chan?

Kiyoshi: Are we done with all the "Katsu Chapters?" I mean, I am the main character? I think there should be more chapters about me.

Akira: Well the Narrator clearly wants to give us all some screen time. I think it's sort of unfair how Kiyo-chan and Teme get all the screen time.

Kiyoshi: Wah? Now you're calling me Kiyo-chan too!?

Katsu: Well you become much more important in the Chunin Exams Akira-dobe!

Inoki, Shikawa, and Choya: What about us!?

Kiyo-chan: Well of course, you guys-eh… WHAT?! Now my name is Kiyo-chan! Look at that, the Narrator wrote Kiyo-chan!?

Shikamaru: Relax Kiyo-chan, think of it as a term of endearment.

Kiyoshi: Oh no, not you too Shikamaru-sensei…

Akira: And don't tell Squad Fourteen that they're boring. The readers don't really care about them… especially the chubby one.

Choya: Did you just call me chubby?

Shikawa: Baka!

Choya: Human Boulderrrr!

All: GAHHHHHH!

Author's Note-

Just as a heads up, chapter one, and all of the chapters up until this point are likely to be rewritten. I wasn't happy with the style of writing I used and, after rewriting chapter one; I think I can do a much better job. Anyway, a new version of chapter one has been uploaded. If you've read the story already, it would mean a lot to me if you could just go back, take a look at it, and see if you like the upgraded version better. Or not. Ya know, whatever you want to do is fine. Anyway, thankts for reading.