Oops. Did I forget (on purpose) to mention that the Akatsuki isn't a thing in my story?
Well, I knew if I said anything last chapter I wouldn't get nearly as interesting reviews from people speculating the ending of last chapter. My readers did not disappoint. I would tell you why the Akatsuki was never formed in my alternate telling of Naruto, but that would probably give something or other away with the plot. Which is a no no.
And speaking of plot, lets see more unfold shall we?
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"My name is Itachi."
Hearing that name made something click inside Naruto's mind, as he tilted his head ever so slightly. His gaze met Itachi's, who was regarding the younger boy with a calm patience, as if waiting for something. Naruto knew that the name Itachi was infamous in Konoha, as it was an Uchiha named Itachi who slew his own clan single-handedly, save his brother Sasuke, in a single night; for what purpose, no one knew. The blonde couldn't help but notice the stark resemblance that Itachi had with Sasuke. Even though he had only been around the brooding Uchiha survivor in the Academy, and the few times they butted heads after, he could still remember the other boy's face well. Naruto knew that it couldn't just be coincidence, that he had found a man hesitant to tell him his name, who looked like he could be related to Sasuke easily. He still needed to hear it, however, "As in Itachi Uchiha?" Naruto asked, his tone even.
Itachi made a small sound through closed lips, akin to a sigh. He wished that the other boy hadn't made that connection but anyone from Konoha would, of course. He looked back towards Jiraiya, the older man giving him a reassuring nod. He looked back towards Naruto, who was waiting for an answer. "Yes." He spoke.
Naruto knew what the answer was going to be, but it didn't stop the cold shiver that ran down his spine. Sitting before him was a legendary missing ninja that was only spoken of in hushed whispers. Any ninja that could kill an entire clan of elite ninja all by himself was no one you wanted to get on the bad side of. Naruto saw that as the silence continued since Itachi's reply, the other ninja's eyes became rather sad, as if remembering a bad memory.
In truth, Naruto didn't quite know what to make of it all. The Itachi Uchiha was sitting at his side, dressed in a simple black kimono and half-apron on, working at an inn in some backwoods area of the land of fire. He would have sooner guessed that he would have found him lounging about in some dark secret cave hiding from prying eyes, yet here he was. He had so many questions, so many things he wanted to talk about with this living legend, of a man who was supposedly the worst murderer in Konoha's history. Why did he do it? How does he live with himself after killing his own family? Why is here? Naruto opened his mouth, knowing he had to say something in reply, when he was cut off by a large crashing sound coming from somewhere in the back.
Within moments, loud laughter could be heard from a small girl, and the source of the sound came barreling out from the kitchen. The small girl looked to be no older than four, with shoulder length black hair, and wore a simple sun dress. She ran straight for Itachi, who turned towards her with his arms open. "Daddy! Sharkie is trying to get me!" the little girl laughed, as she leaped into her father's waiting arms.
Itachi caught the small girl, a large smile on his face as he pulled her up to his lap. "Rin, you know better than to bother Kisame when he's working." Itachi laughed, rubbing the girl's head, who was hugging her father. Glancing over, he saw Naruto looking at him incredulously, as if he had grown a second head. "This is Rei and I's daughter, Rin." Itachi introduced, noting that Naruto looked like he was witnessing something otherworldly. Itachi could guess what was going through Naruto's mind.
Then, another loud bang was heard from the back of the inn, followed by an even louder yell, "Rin! Get back here you little guppy!"
Rin cried out with a giggle, "Wah! Sharkie's gonna get me!" she was clearly happy and enjoying the thought.
A loud stomping was heard coming through the kitchen, with a large shirtless blue skinned man, tall and bulked with muscle appearing from the door way, he had medium length blue black hair that was spiked up. The most noticeable thing about him, besides his strange skin tone, was that his face greatly resembled that of a fish, with small eyes and gills underneath them that seemed to serve no purpose. He also had a large mouth, currently displaying his large sharp teeth. In his hands, he gripped a woodcutting ax, looking rather menacing.
Itachi turned towards the large blue fish-man, an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry Kisame, what did she do this time?" he asked, as if this was the common occurrence, that being a large fish-man barging into the room with an ax.
Kisame growled for a moment before he thrust his arms forward. "I ain't carrying this ax around because I want to! She glued the damn handle!" He made his point known by trying to move his fingers, to no avail, his frustration growing. He had been asked to chop some wood for the stove in the kitchen by Rei, as it ran on wood heating. He should have known something was up when he heard the mischievous giggling of the resident imp, but didn't think she would get him like this.
Itachi gave an awkward laugh in reply, as he looked down towards his daughter who still had the largest smile on her face. "Rin, did you do that?"
Rin nodded, "Yep! Uncl' Sharkie can work even better now!" she answered gleefully, oblivious to how contradictory that would be.
Itachi heard Kisame grumble out a string of curses, keeping them under his breath. "Rin, honey, that's not quite right. You know he has to take his hands off the ax to grab more wood to chop, right? And it's Uncle, not Uncl." he asked and then clarified, trying not to laugh at his friend who was clearly not finding the same amusement he was.
The little girl looked up at her father, her face unreadable as she was clearly deep in thought. The silence that passed, beyond the usual sounds of the busy inn, almost seemed etheral, as if the toddler was pondering the very meaning of existance. Then, in a simple, small voice, she ask the thought provoking question: "Why?"
Itachi sighed, he knew exactly where this train of conversation was going.
"Why you. . ." Kisame growled, his teeth grinding. He tried to wring his hands along the ax shaft, but it only succeeded in him turning his wrists. As Kisame started debating on just shattering the wooden haft under his grip, a gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Kisame, you know she didn't mean any harm. Leave her be." Rei spoke, appearing from behind Kisame with a tray of drinks. She deftly moved around the brooding fish-man and started placing the drinks on table in front of Naruto and Jiraiya. "Sorry it took so long, we've been busy today." Rei spoke to the two visiting ninja. Jiraiya gave her a reassuring reply, while Naruto was still shell shocked, looking at the debacle unfolding in front of him. Turning back around, she grabbed Rin from a willing Itachi, glad to see his wife. The little girl began to babble to her mother about how 'Sharkie' was going to get her, making her laugh. "Kisame, come back to the kitchen. I have something to remove the glue without you having to break the ax."
Kisame grumbled, glaring at the small hellion in her arms, "Feh." was all he replied with, following behind her.
"Oi, Itachi! We need more drinks over here! The night hasn't even started yet and neither have we!" a single farmer yelled out from the other side of the room, his voice reflecting that he had already had way too many to drink.
"Just a moment!" Itachi replied, standing. Looking back down towards Naruto and Jiraiya, he offered a smile. "Sorry, we'll have to continue this later, after the dinner rush. Please enjoy your meals." he continued, before moving back towards the bar.
Naruto watched him go with a blank expression. He slowly blinked, once, twice. Looking over towards Jiraiya, he asked, "What the hell?"
Jiraiya offered a small chuckle, "This place is usually lively. Don't mind it." He grabbed his sake, noticing Rei had remembered that he liked it warm. Deciding to forgo the cup, he grabbed the bottle and took a swill, the bite of the alcohol refreshing to him.
Naruto shook his head, deciding to clarify his question more, "I meant, why the hell is he -"
"Naruto." Jiraiya interrupted, looking over towards Naruto sharply. "Everything isn't as it appears sometimes. If you're going to pry, keep that in mind." he took another swig off the sake, loving the warmth it spread through his chest. Jiraiya knew the truth, but he decided to let Itachi tell Naruto if he wanted him to know. It wasn't his tale to tell.
Naruto studied Jiraiya for a moment, watching the older man nurse the sake bottle like a lifeline. He noted with a brief mental laugh that the old man had actually referred to him by his name. Looking back towards Itachi, as he quickly made drinks for his patrons, he couldn't help but be overtaken by a gripping curiosity that ate at him. He wanted to know more about the mysterious shinobi, and why the hell he went from a genocidal killer to a quiet family man. Naruto had been around people who had killed people, and had enjoyed it. Their presence was violent and jarring, you could taste it in the air when people like that were near. But Itachi was so different, he looked neutral on the outside, but Naruto could sense some deep sorrow, some regret that he had locked away. He had so many questions, and no answers, maybe he could –
Then, a smell caught his nose. Naruto's eyes widened, as more of the aroma drifted through the inn from the kitchen and all his thoughts came to a screeching halt. He took another large breath through his nostrils, fully sampling the smell. There was no doubt about it. Ramen. Moving his head faster than what should be possible, he saw his target.
The mouth watering aroma was far too enticing for the blonde, as the mixture of spices and the smell of well roasted beef hit him like a rock. His hands began to grow clammy and his breathing heavy as he watching Rei, who as far as he was concerned, was now a Ramen Goddess.
Rei noticed his lucid stare, directed at the large white bowl with red dragon designs wrapped around it, and giggled to herself. "Smelled it coming did you?" If the blonde had heard her, he made no outward appearance for it. Placing a bowl down in front of Jiraiya, steam rose from the stew looking mixture, with various vegetables floating just on the surface. Jiraiya gave her flattering words of thanks, adding a wink at the end that made the woman blush. She quickly waved him off though, and placed the other bowl in front of the hypnotized Naruto.
Naruto swallowed a large mouthful of drool that was pooling in his mouth, as he looked down at the steaming bowl. Instantly, he could tell that he wasn't looking at an ordinary bowl of ramen, as it lacked the usual ingredients he was used to from Ichiraku, as it was missing the sheets of seaweed and the slices of boiled egg, but it was replaced by a plethora of vegetables, mainly tubers like daikon and carrots among others and had a healthy heaping of meat in the middle. Having to steady his hands, as they shook with anticipation, Naruto took his chopsticks and pinched a healthy amount of noodles. As he took the first bite, his mind imploded into a million streams of color and light as the information his taste buds rushed to him hit him at once. The noodles were perfectly cooked, not too soft and yet firm enough to give him the proper feeling of biting into something. The noodles were coated in the broth that was of perfect viscosity, not too watery and no trace of the oily texture that lower quality broths have. The broth held the flavor of the beef perfectly as it caressed his tongue.
Naruto slowly chewed the ambrosia, his face twisting into pure joy and content peace as he explored the flavors of the new ramen he had never tasted before. As he swallowed the first bite, he turned to look towards Rei, who was obviously amused by the young man. "This. . ." he started, as his mind started to return to reality. "Could quite possibly trump Ichiraku in every way." He admitted, not believing fully what came out of his own mouth, apologizing to the old man and Ayane. But it was the truth, this was like nothing he had ever experienced before.
Rei smiled, giving him a bow. "Oh my, now that is a compliment! I'm glad you think so highly of my ramen! If you need anything just yell, I'll be able to hear you from the kitchen." Rei replied, before hustling towards the kitchen, humming a happy tune.
Naruto nodded, and immediately went back to his ramen, devouring it as slowly as he could, trying to savor every last bite. He was definitely gonna order more bowls of it.
Jiraiya watched the boy with mild fascination, his food was great sure, but that good? After a moment, Jiraiya set down his half-drank sake and asked, "Is it really that good?"
If Naruto heard him, he didn't make mention of it, as he continued to eat as slowly as he could.
"Hey, Naru –"
"Shut up." Naruto was able to curtly say, cutting off the older man. Giving the Sannin the briefest of looks he said, "Don't interrupt this." And went back to eating, leaving Jiraiya looking perturbed.
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Naruto sat contently with his hand resting on his just as content stomach, basking in the afterglow of ramen that could have easily been the greatest thing he had ever eaten. With food this good, it was no wonder that so many locals rushed to the small inn's dining room with such fervor. Jiraiya was resting against his chair with four empty sake bottles in front of him, his face red from the alcohol and a smile to match his buzz. His eyes were closed, as he too, was rather content with a belly full of alcohol.
As Naruto started to contemplate seeing if there was a bath or anything of the like, a voice shot out from his side. "Yo kid. That blade, the Kubikiribocho, it belonged to Zabuza Momochi."
The speaking of that name grated on Naruto's ears, as it brought back bad memories and a foul taste in his mouth. Turning his head, a frown already removing the content smile he wore before, he looked up to see the blue skinned fish-man from before, Kisame, he remembered. He also noticed he didn't have an ax glued to his hands anymorel. "What of it?" he asked, not liking where this might go.
Kisame grinned, his teeth catching a slight glint off the evening sun that came in through an adjacent window. "Well, there's only two ways a Swordsman of the Mist gives up his blade. Either he passes it down to his student, or he gets it removed from his corpse. And you don't look like a candidate for either. So how did you get it?"
Even though his words said otherwise, the tone in which he asked it, and the grin on his face, told Naruto that Kisame was hoping he had killed Zabuza for it. Naruto had to think carefully as to what he would respond with, something told him that if he said he had killed Zabuza, he would have to eventually tell him about the Kyuubi, which wasn't happening. And he didn't know enough about Zabuza to fake being his student. Taking a deep breath, and deciding to risk a lie, he spoke, "My sensei killed Zabuza. I just took the sword after." It wasn't a complete lie.
Kisame responded by folding his arms, and giving Naruto an even more unsettling grin, as it seemed to widen, like a predator closing in on hapless prey. "Is that so? And who was your sensei?"
Naruto cursed in his head, but thought of something quick, "Kakashi Hatake." He knew enough of the one-eyed ninja that he was supposed to be pretty strong, and he had the infamous moniker of the 'Copy-Nin'.
Kisame's grin settled into a smile, as he brought one of his hands up to rub his chin in thought. "Is that so? I heard that Konoha's legendary Copy-Nin was strong. He could easily take on Zabuza."
Naruto let out a mental sigh, not daring to show even the slightest hint of relief externally.
"However," Kisame continued, his unsettling grin returning with splendor. "I don't think that's the truth." He leaned in close to the still teen, his grin still showing. "I can see it in your eyes kid. You've killed before, and you've killed a lot of people. The smell of blood on you is strong. I think you did kill Zabuza after all." Kisame's unsettling grin now turned down right creepy, as the shark-man's fish eyes bore into Naruto's, giving the boy an almost palpable taste of fear.
Naruto grit his teeth, starting to get annoyed with Kisame, who was toying with him. Naruto didn't fully buy Kisame being able to smell blood on him, but however he did, he had seen through his lie. "And?" he asked curtly, not knowing what else to respond with.
"So fight me." Kisame replied, his predatory grin exploding into an eager, almost joyous smile.
"Wha-?" Naruto asked, feeling dumbfounded, "Why?!"
Kisame nodding his head towards the Kubikiribocho, "If you've been using that to kill and soak yourself in blood, then you're a swordsman. A swordsman who has tasted the thrill of battle." He stepped back a bit, turning towards the kitchen. "If you truly are a swordsman, then you should know the feeling you get when posed with the challenge of fighting another swordsman in a duel. And besides," Kisame chuckled for a moment as he turned his head back towards Naruto. "It won't even be to the death. Though," his eyes took on a dangerous glint, "I can't guarantee how many appendages you'll walk away with." Kisame turned fully then, his unnerving smile still present. "Meet me in the back if you accept my challenge, Kid."
Naruto watched Kisame walk off, clenching his fist, the way that bastard called him Kid just ticked him off for some reason. But, as he tried to stand up, wanting to ignore the idiots challenge and get a room, his legs just wouldn't move. Naruto looked down at his legs, offended they would dare disobey him, and he saw they were shaking. He grabbed his knees, clenching them, angry that they would dare show even a slight hint of fear. He wasn't afraid! He had faced the Ichibi down, as it inhabited Gaara's corpse. There was no reason he'd be afraid of some fish!
But his breathing told him otherwise. It was hard and heavy, as if he wasn't getting enough air to his lungs to soothe his beating heart. He hadn't realized it at first, but the other man had been putting so much killing intent onto him that it might have killed a lesser ninja.
Jiraiya watched the event unfold from one open eye. He studied Naruto intently, seeing the fear and internal strife the boy was going through. He wondered if he should offer his own input, but kept his mouth shut. This was something the blonde was going to have to deal with on his own.
Naruto was finally able to stop his legs from shaking, as he gripped down on them hard, all but yelling at them to stop. Glancing over at his sword, which apparently bore the name Kubikiribocho, he felt Kisame's words reverberate in his head. He didn't know what really to make of what Kisame said, to Naruto, the sword was a tool and a weight he had to carry. Something he had used to make himself stronger, while remind him of his past failures. But as he gave it thought, he knew that wasn't the complete truth. Every time he trained with the sword, he enjoyed it. Swinging the massive steel blade around was somehow comforting and thrilling to him, as if it felt right. When he fought his clones in a massive brawl, he kept pushing himself to improve, which at first he thought it was so he could just protect his friends and Hinata, but he knew there was more. He wanted to perfect his technique, his attacks, his movement – everything.
Naruto slowly stood, pushing himself off his chair as he steadied his breathing as best he could. Something about this idea, this duel, was making him see himself in a different light. Grasping his sword, he looked down at the massive blade. He didn't know if he was a swordsman or not, and he didn't really care. But what he knew for sure was that he didn't want that fish-bastard to look down on him like that. If he wanted a challenge, he was going to get one! Naruto hefted the sword onto his back, and headed for the front door.
Jiraiya watched him go, a slight smile on his face.
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Naruto made his way around the side of the inn, feeling his stomach start to tighten from being nervous. He kicked himself for feeling that way, but knew there was no way he could shake the feeling. Dried leaves that covered the forest floor crinkled under his step, making his ninja instincts yell at him for being so loud, even though his opponent knew he was coming. Finally reaching the back of the inn, he saw a large stack of split wood, along with a chopping block and an ax planted in it. Naruto surmised that it was probably the same place Kisame was working. Further back, he saw a small path that went deeper into the forest, where he saw Kisame halfway down the path, the same grin he wore earlier easily visible through the forest. The blue skinned man beckoned to him with a wave of his hand, turning down the path. Naruto took a deep breath, his heart starting to beat faster. Why did he have this feeling? He had no idea about what Kisame was, is, or if he was even a ninja, but something about Kisame's very being just made him so nervous, it told him that Kisame was no one to be trifled with.
Maybe. . . Naruto began to think, maybe it wasn't fear that Naruto felt. As he walked down the path following Kisame, who he now noticed had a large object strapped to his back, the feeling in his stomach started to feel less like nervousness. As he continued to walk, his body was giving him other signals, it wasn't fear the drove Naruto forward nor was it was he was fighting against.
It was excitement. It was foreign to the teen. All the fights he had been in up until now were something necessary, things he had to do in order to protect others or himself. For the first time outside of training, he was going to fight another person for no other reason than to fight, to test his skill. With all the other thoughts associated with a fight removed, all that remained was the excitement that coursed through him. Had this been there the entire time? Had he always felt this way in all of his fights, but it was just too covered by the rage of battle for him to notice? When he fought his teammates, he had always been constantly worried that he might hurt one of them badly in training due to the way he fought, and when he fought his clones it was only for the purpose of improving. But now, faced with an opponent that Naruto could almost sense was better than him, every last inch of him was craving the chance to pit his skill against Kisame, another swordsman. He didn't know how to feel about that.
Kisame stopped just short of going out of sight from the inn, reaching a rather large clearing. Turning towards the blonde who was coming up the path, the older man saw the look in Naruto's eyes. With a grin he crossed his arms. "It looks like you felt it too then."
Naruto stopped about ten feet from Kisame, looking up at him. It was then that he realized just how much the man towered over him. He looked at Kisame's shoulder, and saw a sword haft, with an ornamental skull pommel jutting out over his shoulder. Seeing that Kisame was awaiting a response, Naruto took a moment before replying, "I don't know about all that swordsman stuff. But what I do know, is that I don't like getting called Kid!"
Kisame let out a laugh, genuinely finding his reply amusing. "Really? Well then Kid why don't you show me why I shouldn't call you that anymore!?" Reaching behind him, he grasped onto the sword shaft that was sticking out from behind him and in a massive arc, drew his weapon. It was a large weapon, what exactly Naruto couldn't tell as it was wrapped from hilt to point in bandages. Kisame was holding it one-handed, pointing it towards Naruto's face.
Naruto grabbed onto his sword and drew it himself, holding it with both hands in front of him in a neutral stance. "Shut your damn face already!" Naruto roared, gritting his teeth.
"Good!" Kisame replied, his face turning almost feral, as if tapping into a primal nature, "Words are worthless between fighters! It's been too long since Samehada has meet with Kubikiribocho! Show me what you got!"
Naruto burst forward with a yell, bringing his sword to bear against Kisame. The other fighter laughed out as he blocked it, and then kicked back a step. "Good! That ferocity is refreshing! Keep coming!" Kisame parried another wild blow from Naruto, feeling a rather nice impact on Samehada.
Naruto kept up his assault with a fervor, pushing his arms as hard as they could go at a natural limit, attacking from every angle and trying to knock Kisame off balance long enough to get a solid hit in with his still sheathed weapon. But to his almost fascination, Kisame was seemingly blocking his attacks with smooth ease and almost with a euphoric sense of joy, as if the feeling of the vibrations shaking him from blocking Naruto's hard blows gave him pleasure. It only served to enrage Naruto and he started fighting harder, while trying to keep any chakra output to nil.
Kisame grinned as he felt the onslaught pick up, feeling the thrill of battle return. While the sound of steel clashing on steel was absent, due to both having their weapons subdued, the clashing blows of two dull weapons was still a fine orchestra to the veteran ninja. Parrying another violent overhand chop from the boy, he decided it was time to return the attacks after seeing enough of his opponents fighting style. With a quick and almost blurred speed, he spun around with Samehada, aiming to make a wide chop at Naruto's upper body.
Naruto caught the move just in time, as he leaned back as far as he could to avoid it. He just barely did, feeling the cloth of the bandages kiss his chin as the sword sailed over head, the force exerted the from the blow displacing the air and almost pushing Naruto over. Lurching back up, he used the momentum to launch an attack to deliver a slash across Kisame's unprotected midsection. Or it should have been unprotected, as the momentum of such a blow should have had a long recovery before he could have put himself into any feasible defensive position. But as he watched his blade seek it's intended target, Kisame used the very momentum to spin his sword back around him and slam it down to parry Naruto's attack with an almost inhuman speed.
Naruto felt his arms almost break as he just managed to pull his sword further up to block the titanic attack Kisame unleashed. He had to jump backwards to give himself some space, as every muscle fiber in his arms was still vibrating from taking such a mighty blow. But Kisame only grinned, as he charged forward and swung the massive Samehada again. Naruto again barely was able to keep up, awkwardly blocking the blow and once again feeling the numbing sensation in his arms as he did so. He had no time to focus on the pain however, as Kisame started laughing and unleashed an even faster barrage of attacks that Naruto had to use every last ounce of his focus to meet head on. Each attack further pushed him back, every blow made him take a step back before he felt his back hit a tree. He let out a small yell, the rough bark biting into his sweat stained back, coupling with the now screaming pain he had in his shoulders. He looked up to see Kisame coiling up for another massive swing and took the tiny window he had to leap to the side as the massive blow collided with the tree where he had just been and demolished it with a thunderous crack.
Splinters and chunks of wood sprayed throughout the area, as Naruto hit the ground rolling, pushing himself up quickly and moving into a defensive stance quickly, just in time to block another hard swing from Kisame, who kept Samehada pressing against his sword, and leaned in close as the two had a power struggle, which Naruto could feel himself losing and quick.
"Not half-bad! You clearly lack any real style, but your instincts are good!" Kisame roared out as he gave a fierce push to knock Naruto off his feet and causing the blonde to scramble to regain his footing. "And sometimes that's all you need!" Kisame continued, as he swung out with a wild blow that Naruto managed to deflect.
Naruto quickly tried to reform his defensive stance, when he saw that Kisame had vanished from his sight. He felt a cold chill prick at the back of his neck, as his hair stood on end.
"That is of course, unless you're fighting me."
Naruto turned, feeling the overpowering presence of death loom behind him. He saw Kisame towering over him, his sword already on it's way to strike him down. Time slowed, as he knew there wasn't enough time to do anything besides feel the chill of death pierce his soul, even if it wouldn't kill him. He had been beaten, and with ease. Samehada neared him, and Naruto closed his eyes.
"That's quite enough Kisame."
Naruto opened his eyes, hearing the new voice. Now, in between him and the hulking shark-man, stood Itachi, his hand on Samehada and he was looking up at Kisame. Whatever look Itachi was giving Kisame clearly had an effect on the fish-man, his face looking nothing like the battle enraged visage he carried earlier.
Kisame smiled, as he pulled Samehada away from Itachi's hand, putting it back into it's sheath. "It was only gonna be a love tap, I swear. Hehehe." Kisame laughed, his tone containing a factor that creeped Naruto out.
Then, before he could take any further thought about the situation, Naruto's arms all but gave out on him, as he felt the weight of his sword seem to double, and he fell to his knee. He had done some intense workouts before with himself that left him feeling drained, and his arms destroyed, but this felt more like his muscles had been vaporized. He could already feel the Kyuubi's chakra start to fix the damage, which was slightly worrying, but he didn't think it would be reason for concern just yet. He tried to catch his breath, to say something, but then felt a hand clap on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw that Itachi had knelt in front of him.
"I'm sorry about Kisame, he gets rather excited and carried away when presented with someone he thinks is a fun opponent." Itachi tried to explain, giving Naruto a soft smile.
Naruto felt almost bashful, feeling the comforting presence of the legendary ninja, as if he needed to shape himself up in front of the scorned murderer. "I – uh," Naruto tried to start before Itachi shook his head.
"It's okay, just come on back to the inn when you can. I'm certain you'll want a bath after all this, we have a small room for guests to use." Itachi spoke, standing, giving Kisame one more look, which made the fish-man raise his hands in a surrendering gesture.
Naruto tried to form a response, but getting air into his lungs was more of a concern for him at the moment, as he heard Itachi walk back towards the inn, his footsteps oddly absent, along with the sounds of the leaves that should have crunched under his feet.
"Kid." Kisame spoke once, walking up in front of Naruto.
Naruto looked up, his face showing his annoyance, but before he could find a time to retort, he was surprised to see Kisame's hand held out to him.
"What's your name?" he continued, gesturing with his hand.
Naruto looked at the older man dumbfounded, before reaching out to grasp Kisame's hand. "Naruto Uzumaki." he replied, before Kisame pulled him to his feet.
"Naruto, eh? Good name. Mine is Kisame Hoshigake." Kisame shook Naruto's hand once, in a gesture of respect, before letting go. "You didn't disappoint me at all. You got some talent."
Naruto arched one of his eyebrows, trying to straighten himself up right, but his aching body wouldn't listen to him just yet. "But I lost?" he asked, confused.
Kisame chuckled, crossing his arms. "Of course you lost. No way in hell you could beat me, you're still just a newbie." Then, before Naruto could retort, Kisame clapped his hand on his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean you ain't got potential. You got my respect for sticking out my blows for as long as you did."
Naruto regarded the fish-man in front of him with an appraising look, maybe Kisame wasn't all that bad after all. After taking another large breath, Naruto replied, "T-Thanks, Kisame." he managed to say, feeling awkward saying it.
Kisame gave him a shark tooth filled grin, "Don't mention it. Just make sure to get a lot better and find me again for a rematch sometime. Now that our swords have spoken to each other, I get the feeling you're gonna be a hell of a swordsman. You're worthy of continuing the Kubikiribocho's legacy."
Naruto nodded, feeling a bit inspired from the confidence Kisame showed in him. "I will! Look forward to me kicking your ass soon!"
Kisame grinned, then in a quick motion grappled Naruto and put him in a head lock. "You wish runt!" And gave him what Naruto regarded as the worst noogie he had ever received.
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Naruto let out a deep sigh of satisfaction as he emerged from the small bathroom that was on the second floor of the inn, drying his hair off with a towel. Steam rushed out of the room, fresh from the steaming hot bath Naruto had emerged himself in to soothe his body. It had been godly, the warm water was a blessing to his hurt body. He had almost fallen asleep in the comforting water, truth be told, as he let his mind wander to days in Konoha, but had decided to get out as soon as his mind started to wander to having Hinata curled up with him in the same warm bath. He blushed at the thought, his efforts to dry his hair ceasing as his mind was able to perfectly conjuror the memories of her warm, supple body pressed against his.
Shaking his head violently, he started wondering just where all these damn perverted thoughts had started coming from. Then, he noticed Itachi walking up to him with the same gentle smile he always seemed to possess.
"I trust your bath was acceptable?" Itachi asked, nearing him. Naruto saw in his hand, he held a key attached to a rubber key chain, the number three written on it.
Naruto nodded with a large smile, "Yeah it was awesome, thanks!"
Itachi returned the nod, his smile spreading. "Good, let me show you to your room, it's close." He replied, walking further down the hallway.
Naruto followed behind him, and continued to dry his hair, roughly rubbing the towel over his blonde locks. He watched the raven haired man in front of him with an unsure gaze. It was so easy for him to completely forget Itachi's past, the man was nothing like what he thought the genocidal murderer would be like, he seemed more like a harmless civilian. Naruto bit his cheek slightly, if he wanted to ask Itachi about it, now would be the right time, as they were alone. But would it be right? How do you go about asking someone, 'Hey, so why did you slaughter your friends and family, and does Rei and your daughter know?'
God, that sounded terrible, even to Naruto. Just thinking of asking such a question to the peaceful looking Itachi made him feel like a total dick. But if he didn't ask it was going to drive him insane!
"Here we are." Itachi spoke, followed by the sound of him unlocking the door to his room. He opened the door and walked in, looking towards Naruto expectantly.
Naruto shook his head, trying to get his thought back at the present and walked in behind Itachi. Itachi seemed to be doing a final evaluation of the room, ensuring that everything was in proper order for his guest. The room was of decent size square in shape, with a bed against the right corner, a small window that allowed a view of the forest next to it, a single table with two chairs adjacent to that, and a small dresser just a few feet from the door.
"If you need anything, my area is just down the hall at the double doors. Don't feel afraid to knock at night, any problem you have is mine too. I can't have my guests feeling uncomfortable." Itachi spoke with a smile, as he turned and started to walk out.
Naruto knew it had to be now or never. He had to know. "Itachi! Wait." Naruto called out, perhaps a bit too loudly for being nighttime.
"Yes?" Itachi asked, turning with a smile.
Naruto faltered, clenching and unclenching his fists as last second indecision tore away at him. But, before he was able to ask, Itachi closed his eyes with a sad smile, and nodded. He reached behind him and closed the door. He walked forward, looking in Naruto's eyes. "I knew after I told you who I am, that this question would come. You may ask it, I understand why." Itachi spoke, feeling what Naruto was wanting to say.
Naruto took a deep breath, almost glad that Itachi had anticipated this. Naruto was silent for a moment, taking a moment to figure out how exactly he wanted to word it, when he decided simply upon, "Why?"
Itachi regarded Naruto for a moment, rather happy with how direct the blonde was with his question. Letting out a small sigh, he replied, "There's something you must understand Naruto. What happened that night is something that could easily be regarded as the largest secret Konoha has, even bigger than you being the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi."
Naruto seemed taken aback at first, "You know about . . .?" He didn't want to say the fox bastards name. He also considered just what could be so secretive about what had happened that night, and why it would be a larger secret than even what he possessed?
Itachi nodded, "Jiraiya trusted you enough to reveal to you my identity. If he can trust you enough for that, I believe you can be trusted with the truth about that night." He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "This is a story I swore to never utter to another person. Only the most trusted few of Konoha know about this." His voice seemed to somber towards the end, "It's also the worst memory of my life." Itachi moved towards the small table in the room, taking a seat, with Naruto following suite across from him. Pale moonlight illuminated the room, the light stopping just short of Itachi's face.
Looking towards Naruto, who sat with baited breath, the light caught his eyes. "That night, I was forced to choose between two separate duties, two separate loves. It all began when I had been accepted as the youngest ANBU in Konoha's history."
"Danzo Shimura had seen something special in me, and while it may seem egotistical, I was certainly the strongest of my generation, but it wasn't anything I overly considered. He approached me with the offer that he would recommend me to become an ANBU. I accepted, though it was more due to my father's wishes than my own. . ." Itachi's hand began to gently close on itself, as if he was recalling a bad memory. "I hate war. I hate killing. So many of my family died during the third shinobi world war. Even though I was young, I can still remember the cries of people who would receive news of their children, of their fathers, mothers and other family having been slain in the line of duty. I know it seems contradictory to become a ninja in spite of this, but I felt as though if I had become the strongest ninja, I could see to it that peace could be achieved." Itachi let out a small mocking laugh directed at himself, as if the notion was beyond foolish. "Such notions however, are not known to the Uchiha. Our clan is. . . was, an elite clan, that possessed the strongest dojutsu. Killing and war were the things we excelled at. So when I was offered to become an ANBU, my father was thrilled. Not only at having a son so prodigal he could join the fighting ranks of full grown men, but for other reasons."
Itachi's gaze moved towards the window, looking at the full summer moon that drifted through the sky. "When the Senju and Uchiha first formed Konoha, it was agreed upon that the clans would be allowed to self-govern, with the exception that they still fell under Konoha's jurisdiction if matters had to be raised that high. This, was not so with the Uchiha. We were given the ability to completely govern ourselves. Many of the Uchiha still did not trust the Senju even after this, feeling patronized by them. Even after the Nidame, Tobirama Senju gave the Uchiha control of Konoha's Military Police, many of the elders still held their mistrust, feeling as though this was simply an attempt to placate them. While I don't believe that any of that held truth, the real unrest began sometime after the Kyuubi attacked the village."
Naruto's ears perked up at this, as he stood a bit more at attention.
"While no one knows what happened that night, much suspicion was thrown onto my clan, due to the Sharingan being one of the powers able to control the beast."
"The Sharingan can?" Naruto whispered in reply, interested in that detail specifically. His mind began to wander some, and he made sure to remember that detail, in case he ever needed help.
Itachi nodded. "The Sharingan, and the power of Hashirama Senju. To date they are the only two things that can control the Kyuubi - that is known of. However, there is no evidence supporting that the Kyuubi was directed to attack the village. Even still, old fears and grudges persisted, causing the village to relocate the Uchiha compound to a secluded area on the borders of Konoha and placed the Uchiha under constant surveillance. What was once unbased fears and grudges among my clan, they now had solid proof otherwise. People began to harken back to the warning that the mad Madara Uchiha had left, stating that the Senju would place the Uchiha under their thumb, and subjugate them. That planted the seeds of unrest, and things only got worse from there."
The moonlight had shifted during Itachi's tale, and now the light had fully drawn from the Uchiha, and the table, projecting a silhouette of the four paneled window onto the floor.
"This brings me back to when I had joined the ANBU. My father had formed a group of more radical Uchiha, those who felt the same indignation at the treatment our clan had received. Eventually, the sentiment would grow through the entire clan. So when my father received news of my recommendation to the ANBU, he was ecstatic. He told me that I would be his eyes and ears within Konoha. I was to spy on the inner workings of Konoha."
Naruto's eye widened, as the implications of needing to spy on Konoha was rather ominous. However, he kept any comments to himself for the moment, which Itachi appreciated.
"However, I knew what my father was planning. And I couldn't have been more horrified by it. The Uchiha were planning a revolt. If that happened, it could easily spark another shinobi world war. Once the other villages had gotten word that Konoha was weak and vulnerable from a civil war, they could easily descend on Konoha. I couldn't bear the thought of more war and death, so I decided to tell the Sandime about what my father was planning." Itachi gave a small smile, "The Sandime is a kind man, and he wanted nothing more than to find a peaceful solution to the situation. So he asked me to serve as a double agent. I would give my father information enough to keep him satisfied, and in return I would keep Konoha aware of the rebels actions."
Itachi grew silent again, as he collected his thoughts. Naruto watched him with a somber expression, the story was starting to take a turn that he was guessing the ending to. If Itachi's story continued as he thought, it would indeed be the greatest secret Konoha had ever kept.
Itachi seemed to cheer up some, as he began telling the next part. "This was actually the same time I had met Rei. She was from Konoha too, you know. Her parents had been killed during the third shinobi world war, and she had been orphaned. She was never a ninja however, instead she earned money by working the dango shop that I rather miss. They had some of the best sweets there. It hadn't taken too long before Rei had confessed to me, with a rather amusing way of spelling it out with dango. I of course accepted her feelings, as I too loved her."
Naruto smiled, with a nod. He remembered Hinata taking him there when they had first started becoming friends. "It's still there. I go there kinda often with my . . . g-girlfriend." Naruto stuttered out.
Itachi smiled, letting out a small laugh at Naruto not being able to say such a thing plainly. "Well, for a few years things had been more or less quiet. I had hoped that my father and the Uchiha would give up on their insane plan, that they would see the foolishness in it. But as a few years passed, they gained more and more support." Any mirth had disappeared from Itachi's voice at this point, as he continued. "My father had grown suspicious of me after a time, stating I was feeling distant from the clan. It wasn't long after that, when my father began to fully prepare for the revolt. Time was running short, and it was then I was approached by Danzo Shimura."
"Who is this Danzo guy? I've heard you mention him twice now, but I've never heard of him." Naruto asked, not wishing to interrupt, but he needed the context.
"Forgive me. Danzo was the leader of The Foundation, and it's secretive ROOT. You may have never heard of them, that would be because they have been even more enshrouded in mystery than the ANBU. He has always operated within the shadows of Konoha, doing what he believed to be best for the village." Itachi's frowned, as he remembered something. "No matter how foul."
Naruto nodded slowly, not liking the sound of this Danzo character.
"The Hokage hadn't acted yet, wishing to wait longer before approaching the Uchiha, but Danzo and the rest of the village council didn't share the sentiment. Danzo gave me a choice, I could either let the revolt happen and many would die, which could include Rei, and all the Uchiha too. Or. . ." Itachi trailed off for a moment. "I could kill the entire Uchiha myself, and I could spare my little brother Sasuke, as well as guarantee the safety of Rei."
Naruto's jaw dropped, as everything clicked into place. "You mean. . . you chose to murder your clan . . . so that you could protect Konoha and Sasuke?"
Itachi nodded.
"Then this whole time -"
"Don't say it." Itachi interrupted quickly, some pain in his voice. "Please. Never utter those words. What happened that night was an atrocity. Ironically I was forced to abandon my hopes of peace, to achieve it." Itachi was silent for a while longer, while Naruto looked down towards the table, all the new information swirling through his head. It was almost something out of a bad conspiracy theory, that Itachi Uchiha was a hero, not a murderer. But the truth, as it is said, is stranger than fiction.
"Well, after I . . .I did what I had to, I went to The Sandime and begged him to keep Sasuke safe. I could no longer stay within Konoha. It would also serve a purpose to place all the blame onto me, so that the world would never know that the Uchiha clan had fallen into disgrace. The Sandime agreed, promising to do his best and keep the Hunter-nin's away from me, so that I could live in some measure of peace for what I had done for the village. And so I fled, though as I was leaving the village, I found that Rei had packed a small pack with her goods, begging me to take her with me. I tried to dissuade her but. . ." Itachi had a half-smile on his face. "Well, let's say our daughter gets her stubbornness from her mother."
"After that, we wandered from place to place, keeping hidden from view until we decided to open this inn with the money I had saved up during my service in the ANBU and I've been here since."
Naruto once again tried to wrap his head around the tale, that Itachi was a hero that no one would ever know. He would go down as the one of the worst villains ever to be born in the Elemental Lands, and he preferred it that way, so that he could save the reputation of his clan. "Itachi. . .I'm sorry."
Itachi shook his head. "It's alright. I have to live with the horrors that I committed, but I'm happy here." He smiled as he thought of his family. "To be able to live in peace with my family is all I care for now."
The word family brought another idea to his mind, as he looked towards the sullen Naruto. "I hope you don't mind my asking but, I haven't been able to speak to someone from Konoha since I left."
Naruto sat straight up as Itachi began, he would tell the other ninja anything at this point after hearing him tell him such a tale.
"My brother, Sasuke. Do you know him?" Itachi asked.
Naruto's face fell ever so slightly, as he heard the almost pleading tone in Itachi's voice. The pain the older ninja must feel about how his brother had to grow up was clear. Naruto didn't want to just say what he thought of the boy, that he was a bastard so consumed with revenge against his brother that he was anti-social and almost sociopolitical. The sheer thought of it made Naruto want to weep, that Sasuke has devoted his entire being to a lie.
Itachi watched Naruto carefully, and then let out a sigh. "I see. I had feared he may have turned out like that."
"I-I didn't -" Naruto tried to stutter out, to deny what Itachi had said, but if the older ninja had already deduced what Naruto was thinking just from his body posture, it would be impossible to lie to him. He instead lowered his head, wishing he had been quicker to not make it sound so bad.
"It's okay. I'm to blame for Sasuke being that way. I had hoped that by making him hate me, he would take it in a more positive direction, but just as with many things, I was foolish. Perhaps one day I can find him, and tell him the truth of that night, but for now it's better that he learn to overcome his hatred, lest he fall to the same path our father did." Itachi then stood, stretching his back.
"I do apologize Naruto, but it's getting late. Perhaps we can continue this another time if you ever have more questions?" Itachi asked.
Naruto quickly nodded as he stood himself, "No, it's alright, I'm sorry that I made you tell me all this. Having to relive that is. . ."
"You didn't make me," Itachi spoke. "To be honest, it feels somewhat nice to be able to tell someone. Especially considering that you yourself have made sacrifices for the village, even if you didn't choose it." He of course was referring to the Kyuubi. Itachi turned then and walked towards the door. "Just remember to never speak of this, no matter how tempted you are. I chose this myself, and don't want my clan's reputation ruined due to their own foolishness. That is the only thing I can do to even begin to redeem myself."
Naruto nodded viciously, "I'll take this to my grave." He swore, and he meant every last word.
Itachi smiled, as he opened the door. "Thank you Naruto. Goodnight."
Naruto mumbled out a good night in reply, watching the older man's sillouhette disappear behind the door. He stood there for a moment, still reeling from the Uchiha's story. He scratched his head a few times, and then decided to crawl into bed. Sleep wouldn't come too easy that night, as his thoughts centered on the tragedy that was Itachi Uchiha.
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And I'm so sorry this took so long. I was under the weather this past week, but I'm better now. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the next one will be out soon. This was a bit more Itachi centric than I had originally planned, but it serves a purpose. Next chapter we go to Uzushiogakure!
Until next time,
Shinobi no Ryu