Chapter 4 – Bitter Truths
oOo
"Hana-san, wake up."
"Screw off," the brunette mumbled, rolling onto her stomach with a yawn.
"I want to talk to you about Itachi-san," Shin pressed, tugging on her shoulder. Hana's eyes cracked open.
"Get your ugly mug out of my face," she grumbled before burying her head in her arms. A light snore picked up in the back of her throat.
"Hana!" he demanded, shaking her shoulder. She drew back an arm and hurled a kunai knife at him. It went wide, sailing harmlessly around him and falling into the grass. It was an almost embarrassingly bad throw, but Shin wisely chose not to comment on it, resisting the intense urge to smirk.
Instead, he formed four rapid seals with a resigned sigh.
"Water Release: Spout!"
A small chasm opened up above her head and water shot from the opening and splashed her in the back of the head, soaking her shoulders and hair. She let out a very feminine, very un-Hana-like shriek.
"You utter and degenerate dick sneeze!" she bellowed, on her feet in an instant. "I'll make Itachi regret ever teaching you that stupid technique, you worthless fucking—!"
"That's what I mean, Hana-san," he interrupted her, leaping back and dancing just out of range for her to strangle him. "Itachi-san is teaching us too much."
She paused with four shuriken in her hand before throwing them at him anyways, her aim remarkably better now that she was aware and quite frankly, extremely pissed off. She felt a trickle of satisfaction as he yelped and threw himself to the side.
"So what?" she demanded, debating whether or not to throw a few kunai just for kicks. The nerve he had, soaking her in water. Just who did he think he was?
"So, I think Itachi-san's a lot stronger than us. Like, a lot stronger."
She frowned, slightly affronted.
"What's that supposed to mean, asswipe?" she demanded defensively, crossing her arms, because Inuzuka Hana was not useless, and it stung a little that Shin was acting like they didn't have the potential to be capable ninja. At least, not without Uchiha 'perfect prodigy' Itachi guiding their every step.
Shin glanced at her hands, making sure they were empty and not moving toward her weapons pouch before warily walking toward her. (They did twitch a couple times, so he stayed on guard.)
"Well, Sensei's just started teaching us chakra exercises, right?"
"Yeah," she agreed. "And we kick butt when we do them since we've already been practicing. So what?"
"Itachi's taught us all the useful stuff we know, and Sensei's physical training lets us apply it. I've been watching him lately though, and I think he's holding back. I think he already knows the exercises and just pretends to go at our pace."
Her offended expression shifted into confusion as she crossed her arms.
"Why would he do that?"
"I dunno. Maybe he thinks we'd get jealous or something?"
Hana frowned at that.
"How much better could he be? He went to the Academy just like us. I mean, I get that he's a smart guy, even if he is a total wimp…" she trailed off, one hand going to her chin as she thought.
"I just think we should ask him not to hold back. We all have to give our all to get better, and it's important now more than ever."
"Why's that?" Hana asked, her gaze shifting to Shin. He just shrugged.
"We're being pushed to be strong right now. Konoha has to show off talented shinobi to ally with Sand and after the attack…" he trailed off quietly, images of dead bodies wrapped around beams and buried under rubble flitting through his mind. "…Konoha's at a bit of a negative disposition."
"Heh, so you can think for yourself too?" she grinned a snarky smile. "Guess wisdom can come with age after all, eh, ossan?"
He glared at her.
"I got plenty of suiton jutsus up my sleeve, Hana-san," he warned.
Her grin vanished, replaced with a grouchy scowl.
"I'll repay you twice over for that, dipstick."
He stared at her sternly, his tone chiding.
"You shouldn't use crude language in the presence of superiors, Hana-san," Shin quoted in his best Itachi impression. "It may be detrimal to the respect you could gain in the future."
Hana snorted.
"The word is detrimental you moron," she scoffed. "And the Uchiha can suck my dick."
"That sort of comment may lead to some mildly disturbing assumptions, Hana-san," a deceptively calm voice murmured into the air. Hana whirled around just in time to see Itachi leaning against a tree behind her, his face as stoic as ever.
Her face flooded with color and her hands curled into fists at her side. That sly bastard! Sneaking up on her like that, she hadn't even sensed him at all! How long had he even been there?!
From behind her, Shin started howling with laughter.
"Oh, screw you both," she rolled her eyes and flopped onto the ground, rolling onto her stomach. "I take back the offer. I hope you choke on a fat one and die."
She peeked at Itachi from the corner of her eye and smirked with satisfaction.
He looked absolutely scandalized. For a clan that valued propriety and hiding emotion, he sure wasn't good at hiding his embarrassment in regard to her crude humor. He looked like a child seeing an adult curse for the first time without getting in trouble, both shocked and horrified and strangely fascinated. It made her want to laugh and get annoyed at the same time.
Honestly, the Uchiha was such a stick in the mud. His whole clan was. She would have to fix that.
"Lighten up, Uchiha," she groaned when the silence stretched out. Shin just pouted.
"I don't get it," he muttered, staring at Hana.
Oh, to not have any siblings, she thought dryly. The lucky grey-haired boy still had his innocence yet. Well, she certainly wasn't going to have that train wreck of a conversation with him.
She settled for glaring at Shin as she wrung out her (still dripping) hair.
"I don't have enough middle fingers to deal with you right now," she sighed in irritation, before turning and stalking toward the training grounds. Itachi and Shin watched her leave, both sporting identical bewildered expressions.
"Did I miss something?" the Uchiha asked quietly, and Shin hurriedly shook his head, not ready to confront him about holding back without Hana's support, even if she was a total brat sometimes. Itachi would just deny it and talk him around in circles until he was confused if he didn't have Hana's 'no bullshit' attitude to cut through it all.
"Nothing," he answered quickly, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. Itachi stared at him oddly for a moment but didn't say anything.
Over the course of the next week, Hana did begin to notice a few of the subtle signs Itachi let slip that he might have been holding back. For one thing, he never sparred them, claiming that he didn't want to imagine his own teammates as his enemies, even if it was fake. (For the record, Hana disagreed with this philosophy completely and was convinced that beating her teammates to a pulp was an excellent method of strengthening team bonds.) He also always seemed to have new techniques ready for them in the morning before practice, carefully showing them the hand signs and getting the jutsu right suspiciously close to the same time she or Shin did. Truth be told, it was really starting to piss her off, and she made a mental note to call him out on it the next time she got the chance.
She wouldn't today, because after three days of straight D ranks, the Hokage was allowing them to take on another C rank mission and she didn't want to jeopardize her team's good standing with one another. She may be brash and easily offended, but she wasn't stupid. Starting a conflict before a big mission was never a good idea.
But when they got back, boy was she gonna give that little turd a piece of her mind. A snarky grin touched her lips as she walked toward the Tower.
Itsuki was waiting for her, but Shin and Itachi hadn't arrived yet, which was strange. Well, Shin was always cutting it close, but Itachi was usually first to arrive. She wondered idly if it were possible for the perfectionist to actually get a time wrong. The notion filled her with an odd sense of glee.
"Well this is a first," Itsuki raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned, eyes fierce.
"Surprised the Uchiha isn't here already?" she accused, only half-joking. Itachi had already told her of the odd sensation he got that he was being watched by their Sensei outside of training. He had assumed it was some sort of test, or a suspicious sort of information gathering. Hana had disagreed and chalked it up to the Uchiha heir being the teacher's favorite. Not that she cared, of course. Itachi had taught her more chakra techniques than Itsuki ever had.
Okay, so maybe she cared a little, but mostly she just wanted to see the Jōnin struggle to answer her question. There was nothing more satisfying than putting adults in their place, and surprisingly, she and Itachi had quite the knack for it. Perhaps the only thing they had in common, but hey, it was something.
"I do think someone is putting words in my mouth," Itsuki informed her, looking affronted. She just rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, Sensei. Way to avoid the question."
Because he totally was. He ignored her, instead chewing on a strand of grass and glancing over her shoulder.
"Ah, what convenient timing. As expected of Itachi-kun, of course."
Hana huffed, but knew Itsuki was intentionally riling her up now, and suppressed the urge to yell at him. There was something weird about that guy. It was almost as if he liked watching them struggle and fight.
"Sadist," she muttered under her breath, and could tell by Itsuki's subsequent cough that he'd heard her. She turned to see both Itachi and Shin walking together, the former speaking to the grey-haired boy in a low voice before breaking off abruptly as they came within hearing range.
And by that, Hana was pretty sure he'd calculated Sensei's hearing range too, if Itsuki's small frown was anything to go by. Stupid prodigies and their stupid know it all tendencies. Was she bitter? No, she totally was not bitter. Just because her mom didn't think she was ready for a partner while Itachi sailed ahead in leaps and bounds… She was not bitter.
She crossed her arms with a huff. Well, at least the Uchiha hadn't activated his stupid eyes yet. Even seven-year-olds had a limit to how good they could be.
"Took you guys long enough," she muttered crossly, and Shin scowled.
"We're right on time," he argued, and she snorted.
"Please," she retorted. "On time means in the Hokage's office, dumbass, not standing out here in the cold. Now let's go, it's freezing."
She grabbed the two boys by their wrists and dragged them inside, shooting a glare at Itsuki as they passed. He could call her team 'his Genin' all he wanted, but at the end of the day they would have each other's backs, and these boys were hers. They were a part of her pack now, no matter how smart and wimpy or loud and irritable. Itsuki couldn't say that yet, could he?
"Something important?" she asked under her breath as they climbed the stairs. Later, Itachi signed to her behind his back in Konoha standard. So, he didn't want Sensei to hear, she mused, and felt a trickle of excitement because hiding something from a Jōnin was both tempting and impossibly challenging.
She signed back the affirmative, though she really didn't need to, but more because she wanted to prove that she could, and they left it at that as Itachi seamlessly ended the sign language with a smooth motion to knock on the door.
"Enter," the familiar gravelly voice filtered through the door. Itsuki pushed the door open and the three of them stood comfortably in a line, more than used to the mission routine by now. They kept their eyes low until addressed, although for some reason Itachi seemed to hold the Hokage's gaze a little longer than what was considered polite before following suit.
She wondered if she'd imagined it. After all, Itachi was the most pacifist out of them all. Propriety was kinda number one in his clan's rule book, right before traditionally being stuck up snobs. She would know, she hated it. Then again, she also kind of loved it, because Itachi made the most priceless expressions when she threw dick jokes his way. It gave her a certain sense of vindication, and she hoped he wouldn't adjust any time soon.
The Hokage coughed, and her attention returned to him as she was jerked from her thoughts.
"You are being sent out of Konoha to deliver a caravan of supplies," the Hokage informed them, getting straight to the point. "This will be your first time outside of the village. Do you feel prepared for it?"
Both Hana and Shin glanced at Itachi, and then Hana wondered when she'd started looking to the Uchiha for approval. Shouldn't they be checking with Itsuki? Maybe Shin had been right. Itachi was teaching them more and more, and he was emerging as the unwilling, yet undisputed leader of their team.
Itachi just smiled slightly at them, and they both turned back to the Hokage and nodded.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Good. You will deliver it to one of the smaller settlements in the sub-districts of Kusagakure and allow them to handle distribution. So long as everything appears to be going smoothly, you may return before distribution is complete. Here are your details."
He placed a scroll on his desk and pushed it forward. Itachi stepped forward and picked it up.
"Are there any particular threats we should be aware of?" he asked in a low voice, and the Hokage nodded approvingly, a glint in his eye.
"Nothing too alarming," came the stern reply. "Bandits are common, but usually low risk, and occasionally you may come across a fugitive or collateral damage from a battle. Remember to respect any civilians you may meet. Many lost their homes and families to battles that had nothing to do with them."
The Hokage's expression was one of grim sadness as Itachi nodded.
"We will be careful," the Uchiha promised with a respectful bow, and his teammates followed suit.
"I wish you all the best of luck." The Hokage smiled as they were dismissed.
"Before you prepare for this mission, there are a few things you may want to be aware of." Itsuki cornered them outside the Hokage's office before they went their separate ways. Three blank faces stared back at him curiously as they waited.
He chewed on the strand of wheat in his mouth as a grimace touched his lips.
"The war is over, but that doesn't mean you should let down your guard. We won't technically be inside an actual hidden village, but that doesn't mean we won't still be in Grass territory. Keep your eyes open, and always look out for unexpected situations."
"Grass nin shouldn't attack us at all anyways, though, right?" Hana asked, crossing her arms. "I mean, they weren't even an active part of the war. I'd be worried if it was Stone, but shouldn't they just be scared of antagonizing the village that came out on top in the end?"
Itsuki nodded.
"Fair point, but it's still best to be careful. This is your first time outside of the village, and we have a long journey ahead of us." Then he smiled falsely and tipped his hat. "Of course, I'm sure my team will handle the journey just fine, since they haven't been cutting corners during training at all."
He formed a few seals and vanished in a swirl of leaves as Hana let out a snort.
"Show-offy bastard," she muttered hotly, before turning to her two teammates, hands on her hips. "So, what were you two dicks whispering about?"
Itachi allowed a small smile to touch his lips.
"Sensei is still watching us," he told her quietly. "Would you like to come to the compound while I get ready? It would be helpful to have you two make sure I don't forget anything."
Inwardly, Itachi congratulated himself on speaking so naturally to his most heated teammate. It had been hard at first not to cower every time she spoke, or rather, snapped at him, but he was improving slowly, with the help of Shisui's occasional advice.
Hana let out an annoyed huff, because of course she hadn't sensed Sensei's presence, but it was probably because he was never standing with the wind, undoubtedly avoiding her heightened senses on purpose. Leave it to Sensei to annoy her in every little way he could think of.
"As if you'd forget anything," she muttered crossly, but shrugged anyways. "Fine, let's go."
She blinked in surprise when rather than heading toward the East district, Itachi headed for the outskirts of Konoha, just outside the main districts.
"Uh, Uchiha, you lost or something?" she asked, and Shin glanced at her.
"The Uchiha Compound was moved to the sub districts," the grey-haired boy explained quietly. "Itachi was explaining some of the reasons behind it."
Hana blinked, for once at a loss of what to say. Any kind of retort would be kind of inappropriate, and it wasn't exactly something she could joke about. She glanced at Itachi, who was calmly staring ahead.
"Is that… really okay?" she asked awkwardly.
"It's what the Hokage wishes," the Uchiha answered flatly, and she decided not to push it, noticing the tightness around his eyes. Yeesh, he really wasn't happy, was he?
"Well… why were you worried about Itsuki-sensei overhearing you guys?" she asked, trying to divert the subject a bit. There had to be something she was missing. Relocation was weird, but not unheard of, so it wasn't like it was a politically sensitive topic, unlike the Kyūbi incident, which for some reason seemed to be totally taboo ever since it happened. Or… maybe it was politically sensitive, judging by Itachi's carefully reserved expression.
"I think Itsuki-sensei has been instructed to keep tabs on me beyond the normal amount for a new Genin," Itachi murmured slowly as they reached the new compound's entrance. Hana opened her mouth to respond when a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Ita! Ita!" The three turned their heads simultaneously in time to see a two-year old sprinting head on around the corner before he tumbled over his own feet and face planted into the ground. Hana stifled a quiet snicker, ignoring Itachi's irritated glare in her direction.
The toddler lifted his dirt stained face, still beaming, and pushed himself a little unsteadily to his feet before running the rest of the way to his big brother.
"Sasuke-kun!" Hana greeted the little one cheerfully, scooping him up in her arms with a bright smile. "Look how big you're getting!"
"Ha!" he greeted her, because he was really having trouble with the 'n' sound, and had just recently learned 't', which Itachi would have bragged to them about if he were any less composed than he was expected to be.
Sasuke latched onto Hana's hair and tangled his fingers in it while turning to grin at his big brother.
"Let's play, Ita!"
"Another time, Sasuke," Itachi promised gently as he lifted his little brother from Hana's arms, ignoring her pout, and deposited him on the ground. "I have to prepare for a mission."
Sasuke's lower lip wobbled, and Itachi quickly provided him with a distraction.
"Why don't you help Mother make lunch? I'll need something to take with me once I leave."
Sasuke immediately brightened, his contagious smile lighting up his features once more.
"Okay! I make Ita's lu…lungsh!" he exclaimed, stumbling a little over the difficult consonant. Itachi ruffled his brother's hair with a soft smile.
"Good," he answered quietly. "I'll meet you there once I'm packed."
They watched the little Uchiha stumble over his feet as he ran all the way back to the Main House, and Hana sighed.
"You should spend more time with your little brother," she huffed. "I don't get how you can send him off like that. He's much too cute for you."
Itachi snorted quietly but then flinched slightly under her subsequent glare.
"So, why do you think Sensei's all over you?" Hana asked, once Mikoto had welcomed them inside and promised to keep Sasuke occupied with lunch while Itachi packed.
"Itachi-san thinks Sensei's reporting to the Hokage about him to make sure the clan is doing everything they're supposed to," Shin offered helpfully as Itachi retrieved his traveling bag. Hana scowled.
"Isn't that kinda… I dunno, rude?"
"Only if it's proven to be true," Itachi mused, attaching his bedroll to the top of the pack.
"I'm surprised you'd even recognize something as rude, Hana-san," Shin commented dryly, earning himself a hard swat to the back of the head. "Ow!" He glared, and she returned it with equal ferocity.
"Just because I don't raise myself to the petty standards of society doesn't mean I can't recognize a lack of propriety, dipshit," she snapped.
"There isn't much that can be done regardless," Itachi interrupted, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "My father likes the situation least of all, and he's one of the only ones in a position to do something about it. I'm just not sure if I should tell the clan I'm being watched or just leave it alone and allow it to continue."
"Of course you should tell the clan," Hana insisted, crossing her arms. "Your mom is great. Maybe not as eh… fiery, as my mom, but I'd still like to see the Hokage take one of her lectures. It could be great! We might even see Sensei get served. Man, what I'd give to see Mikoto-san telling off that lazy jii-san."
"I don't think it's a good idea," Itachi disagreed, though he cracked a soft smile at Hana's suggestion. "That might just make relations worse between the clan and the village. Already the relocation has everyone on edge."
Shin nodded, sprawled out on Itachi's bed as he propped himself up on his elbow.
"I mean, it won't look good if the higher ups in your clan think their heir is being suspected or followed. But they'd have every right to be pissed, too. I mean, I would be. I think you should just do what you feel is right, Itachi-san. You're a smart guy."
Hana nodded, crossing her arms.
"You're a total dweeb, but Shin's…" she visibly struggled to force the words out. "Well, Shin's not wrong. Think over your family stuff while we're away from the village and come back with your decision." She clapped her hands together loudly, making the two of them jump. "Now, go grab your lunch and give Sasuke a hug, and then you two better haul your asses to my place once you're both done packing so that my mom can feed us before we leave."
"Tsume-san's making breakfast?" Shin perked up, suddenly interested, and Hana nodded smugly. "Yup, and I've got my own little brother to hug on and spoil, so you shits better hurry. We gotta meet at the gates at noon."
They nodded, and she grinned before jumping out the window and roof hopping back toward the Inuzuka Compound.
oOo
All three Genin stood stiff and prepared at the gates of Konoha, their traveling packs heavy on their shoulders and the sun directly over their heads.
"All ready to go?" Itsuki appeared directly behind them, making Shin jump, but to the boy's irritation, neither Itachi nor Hana flinched along with him.
"Oh come on," he complained. "That's just not fair."
"Sucks to suck," Hana retorted smugly. "Sensing's in the blood."
Their sensei smiled and ruffled the boys' hair, ignoring Hana's eye roll and Itachi's weird expression as he walked passed them out of the gates.
"Enough bickering," he scolded, chewing on a fresh strand of wheat. "We've got traveling to do."
Traveling was… boring, to say the least. They walked in formation, stiff and alert, checking all around them for traps and ambushes, but after the first four hours or so, even Itachi seemed a little more relaxed than usual, his careful eyes scanning the tree line and foliage around them only periodically.
Itsuki seemed the most relaxed out of all of them, which probably couldn't be farther from the truth. He went to great lengths to bleed the tension from his posture and the stiffness from his gait. It was his first Genin team, his first outside mission with the responsibility of children in his hands, and he would be hard pressed to be found any more serious.
The end of the war was a curse as much as it was a blessing. Troops were sent home, families left to bury their dead, strained economies set on the track of slow recovery, and villages left to tend to their wounds.
But bitterness and hatred over the war would stem for years to come. Neutral lands used as battlegrounds would hate all sides of the war, losers would look for shady ways to get revenge, and outlying parties would falsify headbands to stir up conflict. The end of the Third Shinobi War only marked the beginning of the era of shadow warfare, and three fresh Genin with shiny new forehead protectors made for easy target practice.
The settlements around Grass had been hit hard in the war. Not as hard as Rain, but enough to where their presence might be less than welcome. He wasn't taking any chances on ambushes or assassinations. They were delivering supplies to help these people, and hopefully to establish some good relations as well as look good to the public for offering charity to war torn places, but Itsuki was no fool, and he knew that the fault of the destruction in the first place rested heavily on Konoha's shoulders. Perhaps not as much as Kiri's, but enough to which he wouldn't be surprised if they were met with only hostility, despite the caravan of goods they were towing behind them.
"You almost wish there was a bandit or two, ne?" Shin commented dryly as the sun began to set on their first day.
"Don't be an idiot," Hana returned with a roll of her eyes. "We've never been in real combat, so we don't even know if we could win."
"Only one way to find out," he grumbled. "Better to get experience with a thug than an actual trained ninja, right?"
She blew a strand of hair from her face. He did have a point.
"Alright, what would you do if a bandit came from behind?" she asked, and suddenly they were immersed in a discussion of strategy that even Itachi contributed to every once in a while. What if there were multiple bandits, or what if Sensei got held up by a couple and they had to handle the rest themselves? What if the bandits tipped the caravan? What if the caravan was stolen and they had to give chase?
Shin threw out wild ideas, and Hana pointed out the obvious flaws while Itachi fine-tuned the little details until they had plans drafted out.
"And a hostage situation?" Itsuki pitched in offhandedly, startling his students, and they glanced at one another.
"Depends who it is," Shin insisted loudly. "If it's Sensei, it's probably actually a clone, so we just ignore that guy and do what we're doing." He frowned. "If it's Hana-san, she could use her weird tunnel technique and send him spinning. If it's me, that guy's gonna regret it because I'm super strong, and if it's Itachi-san…"
"It's called Gatsuga you uncultured swine," Hana corrected, miffed. "And that technique is incomplete, so it might not even work."
Shin skillfully ignored her with practiced ease and turned to face Itachi, his hands tucked behind his head.
"What should we do if you're taken hostage, Itachi-san? Let you kick his ass Uchiha-style?"
Itachi's lips quirked.
"Perhaps. But if that doesn't work, go after him anyways, and be decisively faster than whatever weapon is aimed at me."
Itsuki snorted and Shin grinned.
"Sounds good to me. How's that for an answer, Itsuki-sensei?"
"My impression is… you are all idiots," he answered with a cheerful smile.
"Oi, Sensei!"
oOo
Hana wrinkled her nose as the last rays of the sun were disappearing over the horizon.
"I smell people," she announced. "Lots of people."
Itsuki nodded, acknowledging her.
"We're almost there."
She was oddly quiet for a moment, her expression wary and thoughtful, and Itachi glanced at her in concern.
What Hana hadn't mentioned was that along with people, traces of the same smell from their last C-rank touched the settlement ahead. The smell of rotting flesh and death, and that scared her a little, because surely, surely they had buried their dead by now?
Surely there would be no corpses in the open. Didn't they have mass graves and tributes to soldiers here like they did in most hidden villages? She swallowed reflexively as buildings came into sight, revealing a village maybe half the size of Konoha, but with dirt streets uneven and broken up by rubble, and crumbling buildings with cracks spider webbing across their surfaces. Mossy growth and tangled vines were beginning to cling to the stone and creep across bridges, worsening damage and blocking out windows. The air was damp and stale, and the bright green fields Grass was named for provided an unnatural contrast between settlement and nature.
The three Genin instinctively drew a little closer to Itsuki, taking care not to stray from the path as they approached the settlement. Unlike Konoha, it didn't look like it was divided into districts of any kind. There was no line of demarcation separating wealthy and destitute, or marketplace and residencies. It seemed like the entire village itself was the slums, with only clapboard shacks serving as houses and crumbling buildings being used for food stands and stores.
Overall, the place was creepy, and Hana felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine. Sunken, haunted eyes stared over them with suspicion and hopelessness as they entered the village. Homeless children with ribs showing through their tummies stared greedily over the caravan, fingers twitching. Women in passing took one look at the travelers and immediately went into their homes, closing shutters and doors. Men's hands tightened around the handles of their weapons, and beggars smiled toothy grins with grimy teeth, eyeing the children like pieces of meat.
"Who are we meant to meet with?" Itachi asked quietly, his posture stiff, and Itsuki flicked his gaze downward for a moment.
"There should be a woman waiting near the local hospital," Itsuki replied, his tone just as quiet, and for once, not so cheerful. Itachi felt a faint brush against his hip and reacted instinctively, his hand lashing out to grab the offender.
Once he looked, he blinked in surprise, realizing he was holding the wrist of a little boy that couldn't be older than five. Fisted in the child's hand were a few coins. The boy's eyes bulged in fear and he tugged on his arm futilely.
"That's not yours," Itachi told him quietly, using the same voice he would've used with Sasuke. It wouldn't look good for Konoha ninja to treat anyone here poorly, children included. The boy paused, seeming to realize that Itachi wasn't going to hurt him. Then he grinned wickedly and sank his teeth into Itachi's arm. Itachi released him immediately, startled, and the boy scrambled off with his prize.
Itachi rubbed his arm ruefully, watching the boy disappear down the alleyway. A cackle of laughter interrupted his thoughts and the Genin team turned, only to see a willowy old woman sitting on crumbling stone steps.
"That's what you get for being soft, boy," she chuckled, the lines around her eyes crinkling. "You gotta be more careful than that."
"I wasn't going to hurt him," Itachi answered honestly, meeting the gaze of the elderly woman. "Why would he…?" His expression was one of blank curiosity.
The woman's smile faded and she stared hard at Itachi, her dark eyes glittering from the depths of her lined features.
"Guess a rich little Konoha brat wouldn't understand what a person'll do to survive, eh?" She didn't wait for a response, just chuckling quietly to herself as Itachi bristled slightly at the insult. The woman pushed herself to her feet, popping stiff joints and realigning her aching bones. She braided her long grey hair into a single strand with deft, practiced fingers and turned to face the four ninja.
"Th'name's Kama. You kids must be delivering the supplies."
Itsuki nodded, choosing to ignore the condescending form of address.
"I am Morino Itsuki, Jōnin of Konohagakure. This is my Genin team, Itachi, Hana, and Shin. It's a pleasure to meet you." Each of the boys nodded a polite greeting as their names were introduced. The woman snorted.
"Like I said, I'm Kama. Head Matron of the whorehouses and peacekeeper of this shithole." She bowed mockingly, her hands spreading to either side as she lowered her head. "Pleasure's all mine, Jōnin Morino Itsuki." She straightened with the grace of a former beauty and picked up a hand carven cane that had been lying on the steps, slowly making her way down the path, and gestured brusquely for them to follow. "I'll show you where you can leave that wagon of yours."
Glares followed the team as they moved through the destitute settlement. Angry eyes watched from cracks in doors and stared through grimy windows, tracking their every move as murmurs moved through the unnatural quiet. Shin flinched when a rock flew their way, catching it in one hand and staring at it. He met Itachi's gaze, his expression hurt.
Why don't they like us? The silent question burned in his dark eyes. For once, neither Itachi nor Hana had an answer for him. Murmurs began to fill the air around them, hushed and full of hostility.
"Leaf ninja…"
"…get lost…"
"…started this mess…"
"Why do they hate us?" he asked in a small voice. Another projectile followed, a shard of glass this time, along with an angry shout. Hana jumped back, startled, but Itachi broke its flight with a swipe of a knife that had somehow appeared in his hand, batting it aside with the flat of his kunai. She nodded her thanks, face pale and expression grim.
"Savages!" A mad cackle of laughter followed the shout.
"Oi, oi," Itsuki muttered, turning. He tipped his kasa slightly, casting his eyes into shadow as he appraised the angry mob beginning to line the streets, his glare burning through the shade. The strand of wheat snapped in his mouth, both pieces floating to the ground as another rock was tossed from behind, bouncing harmlessly off of the caravan.
"Enough of that," Kama snapped, and the streets quieted once more. It seemed the Matron was not lacking in respect, at least. Then, as they progressed deeper into the village, Hana gagged and covered her nose. There was no mistaking this smell.
Bodies. Bodies of civilians, shinobi, and children, lining the streets. She saw Itachi stiffen and Shin start to tremble, and she tied her forehead protector like a handkerchief over her nose once again, not caring if it made her look snobby.
The corpses were charred and burnt, some crumbling and most little more than skeletons with a few pieces of flesh rotting on the bones. Should she ask why they hadn't properly disposed of them? How could she without sounding rude and callous?
"Was… was there a battle here recently?" she asked quietly, hoping her attempt at subtlety would pay off. It didn't. At all. It was obvious the corpses were months old, if not older, and Kama knew that, judging by the way she scoffed at the inquiry.
"Girl, we stopped burying our dead when the bodies stopped being ours."
Hana blinked in confusion. What did that mean?
"How could the bodies…?"
"Stone and Leaf soldiers, Hana-san," Shin hissed under his breath, and she blinked in realization.
"Those soldiers fought for the betterment of the nation," she protested heatedly. "Why does it matter where they're from when they've died in a war? Every life given deserves the same amount of respect. It's wrong to be selfish and only honor the dead from your side!"
The woman was silent for a long time.
"You should watch that sharp tongue of yours, girl," Kama finally answered. "And catch up on some history that isn't out of your Leaf textbook." Hana opened her mouth to protest but decidedly closed it when Itsuki shot her a warning glance. Kama continued mildly as if she hadn't noticed.
"Besides, you're looking at civilian victims of a rampage, not soldiers. No way in hell we got the resources to get near that toxic stuff." Kama gave a dry cough.
"Toxic?" Itachi repeated, his eyebrows drawing together. "Do you mean poisonous chakra?"
Kama sighed, long and drawn out.
"Sure. Whatever you finicky lot wanna call it. Sanbi ain't exactly sunshine, is he?"
There was a shocked silence as that sank in. Since the Kyūbi Incident, no one the Genin had ever met breathed a word about the tailed beasts.
"Are you saying the Three-tails passed through this village?" Itsuki demanded, mildly alarmed.
The woman snorted.
"Passed through," she repeated scathingly. "What a way to put it."
"Kama-san," Itsuki pressed, and she waved a hand at him.
"Why don't you tell me, oh Leaf Jōnin-san? It was one of your shinobi that released the damn thing." His expression hardened and she sighed, a gravelly, husky sound that at one time must have been lovely but was now tired and hoarse. "I ain't here to offend you, Jōnin-san. But look around. These puddles ain't natural, and we can't even get near those bodies."
For the first time, Itachi observed the shape of the large puddles of murky water sporadically littered across the village. Footprints, he realized with dawning horror. Giant, deep, clawed footprints that tore apart the earth. And upon closer inspection, the same sluggish, heavy traces of toxic chakra were lingering over the bodies, though it felt distinctly different from the Kyūbi's.
"Do you know where the Sanbi went?" Itsuki pressed carefully, and Kama sent him a poisonous look that spoke volumes of her opinion of his attempt at gathering intelligence.
"If I did, it would be too damn close," she snubbed.
Itachi had to hone in carefully, but there was a difference… almost a color shift, between the Kyūbi and Sanbi's chakra, barely noticeable, but still there. He squinted at the residue chakra, his sharp eyes picking out an odd shape behind it, among the rubble of a collapsed house, and then flinched back violently when he realized he was looking at a skeleton curled around rubble, impaled through the chest with a rotted beam.
"Uchiha?" Hana muttered in concern, glancing at him, but he shook his head and returned his gaze straight forward. This was… this was horrible.
They were supposed to be doing good, bringing supplies here to make a difference, but why were they only bringing food and medicine? Why hadn't they been dispatched to filter through the chakra and remove the poisonous traces lingering behind, especially when they had experience doing the same sort of task in their own village? Why weren't any other teams here helping rebuild? This was… this was a dying village, and it was being ignored. Why couldn't Grass ninja come and help them? Had the war hit them that badly, that they couldn't spare a team for reconstruction?
It had been over a year since the war ended, so wasn't this… not right?
Konoha was devastated by the Kyūbi attack, and it was twice the size of this place. No wonder the civilians here were feeling hostile. Their meager single caravan of supplies looked shallow and halfhearted, and it would barely make a difference at all. Did the Hokage know how bad things were? And if it was true that a Konoha ninja was responsible for the release of the three-tails… well, he didn't even know what to think about that. It was too much to process at once while simultaneously trying to remain alert and aware of any threats. He needed to focus.
This old lady had set his mind spinning with just a few sarcastic sentences.
"Here's fine," Kama rasped, and they left the caravan in the storage building she pointed out, Shin huffing as they finally got it into place. "You four gonna stay the night?" she asked, turning on them with her arms crossed tight across her chest.
"Yes, actually, that was our original plan," Itsuki answered calmly. "We will be around to assist with the distribution of supplies until we are no longer needed."
She nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"Shiba! Midori!" she barked, and two young boys poked their dirt-smeared faces out from over the roof of the storage building, blinking curiously. "Help these shinobi distribute the supplies. Tell 'em where it's gotta go."
"Obaa-san," the smaller boy complained. "We've been doing chores all day! Besides, Canary-hime just arri—"
"I'll do it," the other boy interrupted quickly, shooting his friend a look. "You go on, Shiba."
The younger boy grumbled, but glanced at Kama to make sure she agreed before turning and hopping down from the roof. He took off down the street, dodging the occasional civilian, and vanished around a corner. Midori clambered down as well, but took his time, disappearing behind the building before rounding the corner and crossing his arms as he assessed the three Genin, a crease forming between his eyebrows.
"Are you guys really ninja?" he asked skeptically, and Hana nodded firmly.
"You bet your ass we are," she answered proudly. "We've done tons of missions to help people out."
"You don't look like ninja," he observed, before minding Kama's glare and quickly walking to the caravan.
"Well we are," Shin answered firmly before Hana could curse at the kid, and followed Midori to the wagon. "And we're gonna help as much as we can until our mission's over, ne, Itsuki-sensei?"
Itsuki nodded distractedly, leaning on the wagon while his gaze moved to the hospital building.
"Ah," he answered mildly. "My adorable Genin are more than up to the task."
Midori snickered, and Hana and Shin flushed.
"Sensei," Shin complained. "Not cool at all."
"We don't need your help, really," Midori cut in, lifting a box from the wagon and setting it on the ground.
"What are you talking about?" Hana protested heatedly. "Of course you do. I'm sure you guys are tough, but so many of your buildings are damaged and abandoned. This supplies could save lives, you know. I get that you probably need more, but it's a pretty good fucking start, and if you didn't need us, we wouldn't have been sanctioned for a mission in the first place."
Midori shrugged.
"Yeah, I used to be really mad at you guys because all you ninja think it's cool to fight out your own problems on our home, b—"
"Midori!" Kama scolded sharply.
"—ut now we have Canary-chan, and that's really the only help we need." He finished his sentence unashamedly, before shrinking under Kama's glare. "What?" he demanded defensively. "It's true."
"Who?" Itachi questioned, speaking up suddenly. "Your friend mentioned a canary before as well." Midori rolled his eyes.
"Shiba thinks the Kiri no Canaria is a long-lost warrior princess," he snorted. "But Shiba's an idiot. Oh, and he's my brother, not friend. Canary-chan—"
"That's enough out of you, boy," Kama cut in, her voice sharper than a razor blade. "If I'd known you were going to stand around telling tall tales I would've sent you chasing after that ridiculous legend and not your brother. Now get to work before I whip your hide into gear for you."
"Alright, alright," Midori acquiesced scornfully, before turning to Itachi. "I'll show ya where to take the food, and then we can water your horses." Itachi nodded and followed suit as the younger boy hefted one of the larger boxes. Itsuki caught his eye before he turned and offered him a short nod.
"Be sure to stay on guard, Itachi-kun," he called pleasantly. "Don't let the little ones bite."
"Your sense of humor leaves much to be desired, Sensei," Itachi answered dryly, and almost painfully politely.
"You must've met Gina then," Midori snickered. Itachi followed him as he rounded the corner, leading the way down a narrow alley, picking his way through broken glass, debris, and mud.
"Gina? Isn't that name a bit feminine?" he questioned, shifting the box over his shoulder.
Midori snorted.
"Gina ain't no boy, Greenie," he told him with a grin. "No matter what she wants ya to think."
"Greenie?" Itachi inquired, confused.
"That's what we call Leaf folk around here," Midori explained. "Makes sense since ya don't really know nothin' about us, don't it?"
"My name is Itachi," he answered, eyebrows furrowing, but Midori just shrugged.
"So?" He nudged Itachi with his shoulder. "Hey, don't be mad. We call Iwa natives 'stoners'. Just not in front of 'em."
"Is that… Is that a drug reference?" Itachi questioned quietly.
"Hey, you're pretty sharp for a Greenie. But they don't take the nickname very well."
"I can see how your derogatory nicknames could be found insulting," he noted dryly, and Midori offered him a toothy grin.
"Right? That's why we don't call 'em that to their faces. Gina did once, on accident, and boy, they got her good."
"What happened?" Itachi asked, curious in spite of himself. He still had a hard time believing the shaggy haired child that bit him was a little girl, but he supposed in a place like this, it was entirely possible.
"Stoners were drunk," Midori's smile faded, his eyes growing dark. "They usually are, once they've come back from fightin'. They like to crash into our bars, drink the places dry, and make fun of the workers when they demand pay. Gina was tryin' to steal some alcohol, to clean some of the injuries us kids got from the damage, and she got caught by one of them drunk assholes. She called him a village burnin', family killin' bloody stoner, and bam!" Itachi blinked, startled, as Midori slammed his fist against a wooden beam. The rotting wood splintered and crumbled beneath his fist. "Bloody stoner ripped out her tongue. Now she can't talk or say nothin' at all."
"What?"
That was not what Itachi had expected from the story at all. He'd expected perhaps a beating, or just for the girl to be thrown out. That was… that was vile, and disturbing, and traumatizing. Disfiguring a child over petty thievery and verbal assault… it was disgusting. He remembered the child's wrist in his hand, fists clenched around coins, and his gentle, chiding words.
That's not yours.
"You deaf or something, Greenie? I said she can't talk. She's okay, though. Canary-chan came and helped when nobody else would."
He grinned at Itachi.
"I told ya we didn't need ya, didn't I?"
There was so much that he had just learned, so much to think about, he didn't know which question to ask first. Was Stone really that cruel? If that was how Stone soldiers treated civilians, was Konoha any different? How did Konoha soldiers treat people? Surely, surely with more respect… Right? How was Gina just fine? Why was no one helping this town? Why hadn't Konoha come sooner? Why hadn't Grass done anything for this land that belonged to them? Who was the Canary, and why was she there instead of them?
He didn't know where to start asking questions, and wasn't sure what was most important. He needed to focus on the mission, he decided. He needed to learn the information that was most pertinent to his goal. Technically, his goal was to distribute the supplies, see to it that everything was being delivered smoothly, and establish good relations with a war struck town and set a good example of what Konoha ninja were like.
Okay.
He sorted out his thoughts.
"Midori-san, where are we taking the supplies?" He would start simple. Distribute the supplies and get it where it needed to go. Then he would learn more about this legend, and how specifically they were being helped. Then based on that information, he would determine whether it was worth it to meet this Canary and perhaps work together, or at least put together a list of what Konoha could provide, while the Canary tended to other needs. Unless of course, it really was simply an idol or folk tale the village believed in. If that was the case, it wouldn't be worth delving into. But Midori sounded as if he'd met the legend personally, so Itachi would make that decision once he learned more.
After that was sorted out, then, and only then, would he worry about Stone and Konoha soldiers needlessly causing damage where it didn't belong. It wouldn't do to doubt his own village before he heard both sides of the issue. As for Stone… well… there wasn't much he could do about enemy ninja as a new Genin. That would simply have to be reported.
"Just up ahead." Midori answered, breaking off his train of thought. "We used to leave stuff in the hospital, but we can't go in there right now, so we're putting it in an old office building. The place is mostly empty now."
"Why can't you go into the hospital?" he asked.
"Too many sick people," came the blunt reply. "We're here."
Itachi followed him into the building he nodded to and placed the box amongst a few others, most holding meager rations of preserved food.
"Won't people steal it?" he asked, noticing the lack of security or even a simple padlock by the entrance.
"Not today," Midori replied with a toothy grin. He grabbed Itachi's hand, and the Uchiha was suddenly reminded of a younger Sasuke doing the exact same thing. Seeing a boy dressed in rags and covered in dirt act the same as his little brother made his stomach twist uncomfortably, even as Midori smiled up at him with a toothy grin.
"C'mon, I'll show ya where ya can water your horses."
oOo
A/N: So here we see that Konoha is not quite as goody-two-shoes as it seems, and also that common civilians don't really sympathize with soldiers when they're the ones suffering collateral damage of a war that had little/nothing to do with them. Also, poor Itachi is really not taking the devastation of the war aftermath well.
Hey, Midori and Shiba were in the canon Chūnin Exams. Who knew?
Thoughts: Who is the Canary?
All mistakes are mine, and next chapter we see some of our fav Land of Water characters.