..::..
Hi there everyone, Piro-san here with the next chapter of Pretty. ^_^
I've received a whole lot of hate mail regarding my decision to delete Uzu's Musketeer in favour of and I quote 'random ass drabble one shots' and to 'go write my plot bunnies elsewhere'. If this lovely guest reviewer had actually read chapter one properly, I said that I was rewriting the story. I don't get how people demand that I update, but when I do – I get slammed because they decide they don't want to read that update. It's getting rather frustrating peeps. Please, please, please use constructive criticism. FLAMING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. If that's so hard for you to accept, then kindly f*** off and leave me alone. Better yet, go write your own goddamn story and get your own jollies off of getting your own flames.
*Sigh* I'm doing my best people – but I'm not going to take abuse from someone just because I didn't update the story that they wanted me to – or if it wasn't up to their standards.
That being said … isn't Fan Fiction a place where you can write your plot bunnies down? I posted them to help others find inspiration as well as offering a story for them to read. Please remember that if you do get inspired by any of the works in 'Piro-san's Fan Fiction Corner', then you can simply PM me and ask to use the material. As long as it isn't a word for word chapter, then by all means PM away and find your own voice on the Fan Fiction website.
I do have to notify you all of my intentions to rewrite for ALL of my side stories – sans the ones that have already been rewritten of course. So Uzumaki Subject Zero and the aforementioned Uzu's Musketeer are in the works to be fixed up. I've also been thinking of doing the same to Legend of a Chakra-less Ninja as well. If that displeases you, then I'm sorry – but on a positive note, I won't be deleting and re-posting, just replacing the chapters when I get another chapter finished for them.
Rant over – thank you for your patience in my sporadic updating schedule, or rather lack of one … =_=
Please enjoy the next chapter, but below is another reminder about Itachi's progression:
Itachi unlocked her Sharingan and chakra at age 4.
Itachi was personally trained by the Uchiha Clan and the academy. Upon mastering the Sharingan became a Gennin at age 6.
Itachi was on a special Gennin squad that consisted of only Shisui Uchiha and herself under the command of her father, Fugaku Uchiha.
Itachi and her team-mate Shisui became Chunin at age 9 and Jounin by age 10.
Itachi and Shisui joined ANBU shortly after obtaining Jounin rank.
Itachi and Shisui were propositioned to join ROOT ANBU at age 11.
..::..
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR THE AVATAR SERIES.
..::..
"Ramen" – Speech
'Ramen' – Thoughts
"Ramen" – Biiju/Summon Speech
'Ramen' – Biiju/Summon Thoughts
"Ramen" – God/Deity Speech
'Ramen' – God/Deity Thoughts
..::..
Inner Itachi was squealing in delight as they were led to one of the pretty child's gardens. The girl in front of her was clearly the very same angel that she'd met years before on that fateful day. Sure, her hair and eye colour had changed, but it was still her angel; the same angel that had comforted her at night in her dreams by keeping the darker memories at bay with her beautiful smile.
"Itachi-san, you're staring," she prompted quietly.
"Of course, forgive me Lady Uzumaki," she replied softly, a slight dusting of pink on her cheeks. 'How embarrassing … caught by a child when you were an elite ROOT ANBU.'
"It's perfectly fine Itachi-san," she replied, an adorable blush on her own cheeks. "I am used to people staring – just not as intensely. And please, you may address me as Naru."
"As you say, Lady Naru," Itachi bowed. She watched in amusement as Naru puffed out her cheeks in slight annoyance. Oh this was going to be an interesting, and dare she say it fun assignment.
"Mou. Not Lady Naru, Itachi-san," Naruto pouted cutely. "Just Naru, I don't like people being overly polite in private. In public you must refer to me as Lady Uzumaki, but here in private just Naru."
Itachi paused in her step for a moment, while Inner Itachi was all but a drooling mess in front of the girl that they'd been a little obsessed with since their first meeting, outer Itachi was as stoic and calm as ever. "As you command Naru-san."
Naruto immediately perked up and beamed at her in delight. "See? I hope we can get along this well in the future Itachi-chan."
'Chan? When did that term of endearment cause my heart to thump?' Itachi pondered as the smiling face of Naruto, coupled with such an affectionate term of endearment caused her heart to beat loudly in her chest.
Naruto hummed a soft tune as he navigated the corridors with practised ease, an overly observant Uchiha on his heels. Internally though, his mind was a whirlwind of activity. 'I hate having to lie to Itachi-chan about really being a boy, but Father said to let her figure it out on her own. He did the same thing with poor Sora-san from the Monk's Temple and he still hasn't figured it out yet – no matter how many times I tell him that I'm a boy. Let's hope that Itachi-chan is much quicker than Sora-san. '
Naruto snapped out of his thoughts as his highly developed senses picked up the essence of nature. A soft smile made its way onto his face as he excitedly grasped Itachi's hand and sped up, not wanting to waste any more time when being so close to the gardens.
Itachi spotted the soft smile and easily realised the fact that Naru must've really liked nature, if her instant change in demeanour was of any indication. She was startled when the girl quite suddenly took her hand and sped up, Naru had moved so fast and it was immediately clear to Itachi that she must've had some Ninja Training.
'Her hand is so soft and delicate,' Inner Itachi soon noticed and despite her usually composed-self, Itachi blushed at the comfortable warmth that spread through her.
"And here we are, Yuki-kaa-chan," Naruto started, only to gasp frightfully, as there was Yuki, being tended to by Kaoru. "Yuki-kaa-chan!"
Naruto let go of Itachi's hand – much to her disappointment, and ran over to his two mothers. "Is Yuki-kaa-chan okay?"
Kaoru nodded, tears in her eyes as she replied. "Yes, she's fine Naru-chan. Just a little exhausted, but we have some great news for you."
Naruto's two toned eyes shone with worry as he looked at Yuki. She looked exhausted and paler than normal, though upon hearing that they had good news he smiled brightly. Only Itachi noticed that it didn't meet the child's eyes.
"Your Yuki-kaa-chan is pregnant Naru-chan," Kaoru started – only to get a blank look from Naruto. She giggled as she continued. "You're going to have a younger brother or sister Naru-chan!"
Now that snapped Naruto out of his worry!
"You're serious?" he asked excitedly. "That's fantastic, does Tou-chan know? Yuki-kaa-chan, you should be resting! Should I get Tsunade-baa-chan?"
Yuki smiled gently at Naruto's worry and answered his questions. "Yes, your father knows. I am resting right now and Tsunade-sama is on her way already Naru-chan. Now then, who's your new friend Naru-chan?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Naruto sheepishly responded. "This is Itachi Uchiha, my new Guardian Ninja. Itachi's taking over from Asuma-sensei."
'So she has been trained in the Ninja Arts,' Itachi thought before smiling charmingly and bowing in respect. "How do you do Madam Shinji, Lady Shinji, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintances and an honour to be selected to watch your daughter, Lady Uzumaki."
Kaoru instantly liked Itachi – he was respectful and despite not knowing about Naruto, he was clearly the right choice. Yuki was rather hesitant around Itachi, she knew about Uchiha and how they acted – all superior and ego driven. This young Uchiha though seemed to be okay, and if her husband Masahiko had chosen him for the job, then he must be a good choice.
"A pleasure to meet you Itachi-san," Kaoru returned politely, whilst Yuki just smiled hesitantly but welcomingly.
Itachi instantly noticed the smile and she couldn't blame the woman. The Uchiha Clan hadn't been making a lot of friends and ever since that incident … they weren't really respected with the upper echelons of society. Her thoughts were broken by Lady Shinji.
"Perhaps you should show Itachi-san here your secret spot," Yuki commented. "That way he can find you if you doze off there."
"Good idea Yuki-kaa-chan," Naruto smiled. "Please follow me Itachi-chan, this way."
Her little angel pointed to a well-hidden path near the trees; even she didn't think she would have spotted it if she hadn't been shown it. What she didn't know was that there was a special Uzumaki Seal hiding the path, so if Naruto hadn't of shown her, then she wouldn't have found it at all.
Naruto took Itachi's hand once more and led her through the trees until she came to a beautiful clearing that was clearly not manmade. The entire clearing was surrounded by water, but there was a Koi Pond in the centre of the small clearing. Looming gracefully to the side of said pond was an elegant Sakura Tree that wasn't in bloom yet and near the majestic tree were two poles that were joined with a strange symbol that looked similar to the Uzumaki Clan Symbol, but far older.
There were two bridges that connected the bordering ground and the small piece of land in the centre, where the Koi Pond was located. All around her were majestic flowers of all shapes and sizes, and the gentle sound of the flowing water nearby told Itachi that there was a river that flowed into the Koi Pond. The very ground she walked was an intoxicating shade of green that radiated health and for a single moment, Itachi wondered if they'd crossed into another world … everything just seemed so … alive!
It reminded her of the Ancient Uchiha Tales told to her by her mother when she was still free of her father's training. The tales often spoke about spiritual locations where their ancestors found peace and enlightenment. Where the borders of the two worlds met and wondrous things could happen. Yes, surely they had crossed into the Spirit World, as the little clearing just resonated with her soul and radiated peace and tranquillity.
She snapped her gaze to the child and gasped softly. It looked as though Naruto was glowing with happiness and power, all due to the simple action of tending to the flowers and feeding the Koi. That was something else – strangely, there were only two Koi in the pond and they looked ancient. One was purely black in colour with a silvery white spot on its upper body, whilst the other was reversed in colour, being a pure white with an inky black spot on its upper body. [AN1]
Itachi just knew that this place was not of the mortal world, and somehow she'd crossed into another plane, but how? Then she saw her newest charge giving a bow of respect to the Koi in the Pond. The bow itself was clearly not from the Land of Fire, it seemed far more graceful in nature, almost like water. Then she wondered why she was bowing so respectfully to the fish, they were just fish right? As Itachi gazes intently at the fish, they started to swim in a delicate circle. Itachi felt herself drifting calmly with the Koi … it was so peaceful, she could just –
A hand suddenly shook her shoulder and her instincts as a Shinobi kicked in. She flipped the offender over and pulled a Kunai out to silence said offender. What she didn't count on was the appearance of a huge fox that lunged and forced her to let the Kunai go. The clanging sound of the Kunai on a nearby stone brought her back to reality, and she looked down to see Naruto shaking fearfully at her. Then the fox actually spoke to the child.
"Hush Naru-chan, you're fine," the fox's soft feminine tone soothed. "She was drawn to their dance and didn't know that you were forcing her to wake from her daze."
"K-Kura-nee," was the reply from the scared child, "I'm sorry, I thought it'd be okay to show Itachi-san my sanctuary."
Wait – where did the 'chan' go from her name? Oh dear, she really screwed up. Less than a day on the job and she'd almost killed her charge – literally!
"Ninja-san, please remove yourself from Naru-chan this instant!" the fox demanded in a deadly serious tone. It was then that Itachi registered their position. She was using her body and weight to pin Naru to the ground and Naru was shaking like a leaf. She was about to get up when she was forced to dodge a whip made of water, she leapt up and prepared for an attack, but was shocked when the person controlling the whip was her charge – her eyes were glowing with power and she was still shaking.
For some reason, Itachi couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight, but the fox leapt towards the child.
"Naru-chan, calm yourself at once!" the fox ordered. "She had no idea what she did wrong. I know you're scared and remembered the incident but she's not here to hurt you!"
Thankfully, the fox's words seemed to get through to the child, and the powerful glow in her eyes faded. She sniffled miserably, almost like a drowned kitten, and cried into the fox's furry neck. The fox used her tail to rub the child's back soothingly.
"I-I'm sorry," Itachi softly spoke as she started to move forward, before the child – her charge flinched away from her. Itachi instantly stilled and waited for her charge to move.
"Kura-nee, Uchiha-san," the child's soft, bell like voice chimed. "Let's return to the Palace, if we remain then I am at risk, as we are too close to the other side."
Itachi was confused by the statement, but the fox nodded in understanding. They left soon after and returned to the main garden. Strangely enough, when Itachi looked back to the path, it was gone and she could no longer remember the way there. So many things weren't adding up to the Uchiha.
"ITACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" was the first thing that she heard as she came back to reality – a hysterical cry of a person who she thought she'd avoided.
"Shisui," she spoke flatly. "What are you doing here?"
"That's so cold Itachi," sobbed the newly identified Shisui. "Do you know how worried I was when you left without me, I could have cried – and you know how much my manly image would have suffered!"
One second later, Shisui was in Itachi's space. He was hugging her tightly as he rubbed his head against Itachi's, as he was taller than her. There was silence for a few moments before a slap was heard.
The next moment, Shisui was poking the ground miserably as he nursed his throbbing head. "S-So cold Itachi, so cold."
Kurama was speechless at the display – so these were the infamous Uchiha that Naruto had met at the border so many years ago. If it weren't for the current situation, they'd have had a better welcome. A soft tinkering giggle had everyone's attention return to Naruto. He giggled at the display that had almost mirrored their first meeting so long ago.
"Hey, you're the pretty little lady from the border," shouted a suddenly excited and healed Shisui, he rushed forward and took Naruto's hands with his own. "You remember me right – right? The name's Shisui in case you forgot, but how could you?"
Here he flicked his already wild hair dramatically. "For I woo ladies both far and wide, they all remember my name and weep for my face as I leave. My manliness is …"
Itachi was about to slap the idiot again when someone else beat her to it. There looming above a now terrified Shisui – was Jiraiya the Toad Sannin. He glared at the Uchiha boy for a few seconds longer before smiling and wiping an imaginary tear away.
"A man after my own heart!" Jiraiya exclaimed boisterously.
Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a fist that slammed into Jiraiya's face. That snapped everyone back to reality and they all looked to see the highly amused faces of Kaoru and Yuki. Tsunade huffed as she cracked her knuckles menacingly.
"What have I told you about setting a bad example for Naru-chan?" she hissed angrily.
"Sorry Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya murmured in submission.
Naruto couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing at the scene. It was like an impromptu comedy rehearsal, and he found it all very funny. Kurama sighed in relief, Naruto would be fine after a little while. Being flipped the way that he had earlier in the Spirit Oasis had triggered the memory of the events when Yuki had been injured and he had been tortured. That was why Naruto had defended himself by Water Bending, and why he had almost gone into the Guardian State in fear. Thankfully, she had been able to calm him – but she saw the flinch and knew that the Uchiha had a long way to go to get back into Naruto's good graces. The appearance of the second Uchiha boy helped though, his timely intervention had lightened the mood enough to distract Naruto from the bad memories.
That being said, there mere fact that Naruto brought the Uchiha – Itachi was her name, to the Spirit Oasis spoke of a strong connection to each other, as Itachi wouldn't have been able to enter at all if she didn't know or care about Naruto first. And if the look that Itachi had given after returning was of any indication, then that bond was very weak right now as she could no longer remember the path. Kurama found herself wishing that they would repair that bond soon, as poor Naruto needed true friends and allies outside of the comfort of his makeshift family.
..::..
Itachi stared at the roof of her new home. She heard the soft snores of Shisui echoing from the room next door and she sighed in exasperation. Apparently, they'd both been chosen to protect the Fire Daimyo's child, Naru Shinji. Naru confused Itachi greatly … the child was the epitome of grace and beauty – but at the same time there was a power behind her that demanded respect and radiated authority.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she instead found her mind wandering to her journey – from that fateful day at the border to now.
The adorable child seemed deep in thought, she sniffed the air for a moment before returning to her thoughts and then repeated the process many times … she tilted her head briefly and chewed on her bottom lip before she glanced to Itachi and then to Shisui.
"Ne? Ne? Itachi-san a-are you a boy or a girl?" the girl asked, innocent face tilted to the side in thought "You certainly look like a boy Itachi-san … but you smell like a girl."
It had been that fateful moment that had cemented the adorable child's place in her heart and mind. She remembered returning to Konoha with an irate Fugaku Uchiha since he had not been permitted to see the Fire Daimyo, as was his right … or so he thought. The Fire Daimyo had no need to see the Uchiha Clan's figurehead, so the figurehead wasn't permitted to see him. Her father had been particularly cruel in her training after that – almost like he relished in any pain that he inflicted upon her … the bastard. Then he and the Uchiha Clan Elders vanished into the Sacred Uchiha Temple for their yearly conclave, and Itachi loved the freedom that came with it.
She and Shisui had decided to train themselves how they wanted to train – not by what their sensei thought they needed to know. So the duo of Uchiha turned to Elemental Manipulation to further their skills. For Gennin, the thought of learning Elemental Chakra Manipulation was unheard of, but they managed to coerce an older Uchiha that owed them a favour to buy some Chakra Paper for them. Oh were they surprised by the results.
Itachi showed a remarkably strong affinity to Fire and Lightning, whilst Shisui's was even rarer as his primary Chakra Nature was Earth, with a secondary to Fire, as he was an Uchiha. The revelation of the uniqueness of their Chakra Affinities led them to see Itachi's mother, Mikoto for advice. Mikoto revealed that Fugaku, despite his pandering about, was actually only half-Uchiha. His father was apparently a one night stand from the Sarutobi Clan. The father had a remarkably high affinity to Fire, just like Itachi and Itachi actually felt justified in saying that she was more than happy to be different.
Though for Shisui, she was unable to shed any light on his odd affinity. That was until Shisui's father revealed that while he was an Uchiha, his mother had been his first love – and a Kunoichi that had defected from Iwa during the war. The revelation that Shisui's mother was from Iwa was shocking to all parties – and when Shisui revealed to his father the reason he'd asked was because of his unusually high affinity to Earth, his father beamed with happiness.
"You must realise Shisui that I knew you were special," his father, Kagami Uchiha had said. "I'm glad that part of your mother survived the war, for as you know – your mother was targeted and killed by a spy that had infiltrated the Village during the war."
Shisui had excused himself that day and didn't reappear for a further three days. When he returned, it was to a worried and irritated Itachi, whose first reaction was to smack him in the back of the head, before hugging him tightly in relief – something that Shisui never let her forget. Despite everything, by the time their sensei had returned, they'd deliberately gone behind his back and had received permission to enter the Chunin Exams from the Hokage himself.
Though it was just before the Chunin Exams that Itachi was prompted by her mother to visit the Hokage and tell him of the suspicious actions of the Elders and her father. That had led her to giving the Hokage her opinion of how they'd screwed up with their missing Jinchūriki.
They passed the Chunin Exams effortlessly, and in the process they gathered the praise of the Village as true protectors of the Will of Fire. Shisui had bathed in the praise and it wasn't long after that, that he earned his moniker Shunshin no Shisui or Shisui of the Body Flicker – so named for his incredible ability to utilize the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) without suffering the common side effects. Itachi on the other hand, had taken a step back from the Village's praise of 'his' skills. 'He' had earned the moniker: Itachi no Yume or Itachi of the Dreams – so named for 'his' incredible prowess in Genjutsu. Kagami had eventually deemed them worthy to try and sign the Karasu or Crow Clan's Summoning Scroll. Both had signed it and were eventually granted permission by the Crow Clan to call them Allies. They both started to learn the ways of said Clan and excelled at staggering rates.
Now Chunin and free from Fugaku, the Hokage watched with great interest as they climbed the ranking ladder. It was during this time however that a Financial Representative visited Konoha on behalf of the Uzumaki Heir. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was thrown into chaos as the Representative visited each and every business that owed the Uzumaki Clan funds, as they hadn't been paying the Royalties for years. The dirt uncovered by the Representative's Investigation only worsened the blow to the Village's Coffers. Especially when the news reached the ears of the populace that the village pariah that they had shunned was also in control of not only the Uzumaki Clan's Assets, but the Namikaze and Senju Clan Assets as well.
Oh they were feeling rather foolish now, especially since the Village Hidden in the Leaves had not paid any Royalties, Rent or Homage to any of the Clans for years. The Representative was only too kind to point out that the very land that Konoha was built upon was owned by the Uzumaki Clan, and that their refusal to pay rights or royalties for that, whilst still claiming to be in friendship – since they still bore the Uzumaki Clan's Crest on their Flak Jackets and Hitai-ates. For these reasons, and the fact that they wore the crest, they were essentially declaring themselves Oath Breakers and Dishonouring their Alliance. An Alliance that made the Village Hidden in the Leaves one of the wealthiest Villages in the Elemental Nations. If Naruto didn't like their response and declared them Oath Breakers and Traitors, then any and every noble patron allied with Konoha would instantly pull their support, as Naruto: The Royal Heir of Uzu was the only reason they supported Konoha at all.
The Uzumaki Clan was truly a feared enemy to have, and they had done nothing to make the Uzumaki Heir feel welcome or loyal.
It was soon after the Representative left that Danzo had petitioned the Hokage and Shinobi Council for permission to hunt down Naruto's location, retrieve him and return him to the Village – by force if necessary. Despite the Hokage warning them not to be foolish, the various Ninja Clans on the Council were nearly bankrupt by their own foolishness and short-sightedness. The petition passed and both ANBU and ROOT were mobilized to track and hunt the Uzumaki, Namikaze and Senju Heir.
They returned with nothing but casualties. As it turned out, the Daimyo had instated new Guardians, and despite their identities being hidden, their power was equal to the Sannin in strength. Truly dark days had come to Konoha.
Soon after the attempts to force Naruto to return, the Representative returned and issued them with a warning: Attempt to repeat their actions and Konoha would burn. Though it seemed that after the warning was delivered, the Representative was most agreeable. He even set up payment plans for the Village. Things seemed to look up for Konoha after that, as they were making enough money to make payments and still remain the wealthiest village. That was until Danzo tried again in secret – his attempt backfired so miserably, that the body count totalled their entire fresh crop of ROOT ANBU. They had been set back in their Black Ops Program by years, all because Danzo grew impatient.
Then the Representative returned, this time with the entirety of the Fire Daimyo's Samurai Forces and two oddly dressed Guardians that had so much chakra that they each dwarfed the Sandaime's own chakra – and the only two individuals that came to mind were his two students, Tsunade Senju and Jiraiya. That being said, these two individuals were not his students. The sheer potency of their Killer Intent was so thick that it couldn't be them, as his students couldn't possibly wish to harm Konoha so much. What he didn't know was that it was Jiraiya and Tsunade but they had an Uzumaki Seal on them that changed their chakra signatures enough to be unrecognisable to any sensor or Byakugan.
This time it was their last warning: Keep a leash on your dogs, lest they and their owners be exterminated.
One of the Guardians, who Itachi now knew to be Jiraiya, had said, "Any further action taken against the Uzumaki, Namikaze and Senju Heir, and it would end in Konoha's complete and utter obliteration."
The words were spoken with such power and hatred that every Shinobi and Kunoichi, even Danzo had started at the words. The final warning delivered, the Guardians and Samurai left, while the Representative stayed and tightened the repayment plans … Konoha would be in for a long winter.
The Financial Backlash was more severe than they first believed though, as once word reached the Courts in the Imperial City, they began to send less missions Konoha's way. It reminded the Ninja and Civilian Councils that to attack the heir was to attack the Land of Fire itself. They had immediately sent envoys to apologise to the Heir and the Fire Daimyo, but they instead met with a beautiful child that radiated grace and power. At first, Hiruzen jumped at the news that they'd possibly seen Naruto again, but the Inuzuka that accompanied the envoy delivered the sad news that it was not a boy that they'd met, but a young girl. At his insistence, they returned to the Capital to double check but the Inuzuka returned informing him of the same facts. They could only smell the pheromones of a young girl, there was no Naruto Uzumaki in the Imperial City.
..::..
Despite the hard times, Itachi and Shisui continued to grow as Ninja and they soon decided that they should ask to be granted the right to take the Jounin Exams. The Sandaime Hokage had obliged the two Uchiha and watched with the rest of the Village as they became Jounin worthy of Konoha and the spirits of the village had risen with their rise in rank.
They had been Jounin for only six months before they were formally invited to join ANBU. ANBU was difficult, and the training proved to the Uchiha duo that their own difficult, and sometimes impossible training regime, was in fact tame in comparison. Nevertheless they excelled and even thrived in the ANBU Program.
It was unfortunately then, that they encountered Danzo personally. He extended an invitation to join the elite ROOT ANBU Program. Itachi was hesitant in accepting, as she could see an edge to the man that made him unstable. Shisui however was never that concerned and accepted easily, therefore Itachi joined to stay by her only friend's side.
Then reality kicked in.
It turned out that Danzo had an experimental drug that allowed the performance of a Shinobi/Kunoichi to skyrocket, and her father readily agreed to let Danzo test them on her. The pain that she felt every night was unbearable – it was as if her insides were on fire as the drug took effect. Shisui suspected something was up but before he could enquire, he'd be shipped off on another S-Ranked Mission. That was how it progressed for two years, experimental drugs and training that bordered on torture more than training. It was about that time that Itachi started to notice the changes in her own body.
Her body began to develop and it while she welcomed the changes, her father did not. He took it as a sign that the drugs and experiments weren't working, so Danzo started to implement Hormonal Conditioning into the tortuous training regime. Itachi endured it all, all the while memories of a little angel smiling at her chased away the bad memories and nightmares.
Quite some time after Itachi had adjusted completely to the experimentations and drugs, she and Shisui had made it to the elite of the elite: they were ROOT Captains, and they only answered to Danzo or the Hokage – not even the ANBU Commander had command over them.
It was around this time that she and Shisui had noticed the erratic behaviour of the Uchiha Elders and Fugaku. They spent longer periods of time with each other and they were getting very jumpy around even the smallest of issues. Fugaku had become increasingly paranoid, and triple-questioned everything their 'family' did. Mikoto had started to wear longer sleeved dresses and despite the heat, she smiled and cared for them the best that she could – only Itachi noticed the strain in her smile and the flinching around Fugaku or whenever Sasuke got too jumpy and hugged her too tightly.
Shisui had been attacked. Luckily she had been on route to a pre-planned training spar. They tag teamed the opponents and killed them without remorse or mercy. They were quick to notice that their attackers were in fact ROOT ANBU, their own comrades. She and Shisui had immediately sought out the Sandaime – soaring through the village and not stopping for anyone that may try to stop them.
They found him in his gardens, found outside the Hokage Mansion.
..::..
"Sandaime-sama," Itachi intoned as she knelt in respect to the Hokage. "Please hear us out, we've been attacked by our own comrades. They were ROOT ANBU sir!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply, he believed them, for if anyone else displayed the Will of Fire, it was these two, fine shinobi. "So Danzo has made his move then Shisui-kun?"
Itachi whipped her head to Shisui and choked on a gasp at seeing the face of her longest friend shine with something she'd never seen before – seriousness that looked so foreign on his face.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," he replied. He gave a wan smile to Itachi. "I wanted to tell you Itachi-chan, really I did, but I was under orders not to mention my mission – I've been spying for Hokage-sama ever since Danzo approached us."
Hot tears of betrayal rolled silently down her pale cheeks. "T-That means you didn't trust me – YOUR BEST FRIEND!"
Shisui flinched in shock, why was Itachi so pissed about him following orders? He didn't have to wait long for an answer.
"We've been together for EVERYTHING! I even joined ROOT to be by your side you Baka! Those years of sheer agony, the t-torture and the e-experiments … the drugs they forced on me – all that was for NOTHING?" Itachi let the frustration out, she'd bottled it up for so long that now that she started, she couldn't stop – she never noticed the looks of horror from the Hokage and Shisui.
"AND FOR WHAT? For you to be a double agent and to ignore everything but your mission?" she hissed menacingly. "Fine – after this is sorted I never want to see you again, you bastard."
Shisui felt like his heart was going to explode – that's what he'd been ignoring? The bastards experimented on her and drugged her? But to do that, Danzo had to have had permission from her … Clan Head … shit! That bastard Fugaku wanted the perfect poster boy Uchiha that much?
The Sandaime had also had the very same thoughts – if he had known, then he would have done everything in his power to stop them from happening. Flashes of his failures with both Orochimaru and Naruto reminded him of just how much he had fallen into complacency over the years. Even after he swore to be the God of Shinobi once more – to never bow to the whims of others … he had failed.
"Let go, you bastard!" Itachi's scream brought him out of his thoughts – Shisui had hugged Itachi tightly and wasn't letting go. "L-Let g-go … p-please – j-just let me g-go."
"No, I won't!" Shisui replied firmly, another voice that he rarely used. "I'm so sorry Itachi-chan, if I had known I … I would have gladly swapped and taken your place – I swear on my family's honour!"
Itachi started hitting him in a feeble attempt to make him let go, but eventually she just whimpered and cried into the hug, her resistance slowly dying as she wept for her lost childhood and supressed pain. Hiruzen watched on, pain evident on his face as he finally saw Itachi for what she was – a tortured child that had only ever had one friend in her life, and he had thoughtlessly broken that bond by asking Shisui to spy on everyone – even his friend. In doing so, he had caused a child to suffer far more than she should have!
"I too, am sorry for what you have endured Itachi-kun," Hiruzen replied with a slightly broken tone. "The fault is mine and not the fault of Shisui-kun, please believe me when I say that if I had known what was going on – I would have stopped it. It was my own ignorance that caused this."
Itachi had heard what the Sandaime had said, but her mind was in turmoil. Her grip on Shisui became desperate as she started to become hysterical – her usual Uchiha composure all but gone. Shisui felt even more guilty now – he had never seen Itachi like this. It honestly scared him because he had developed this image that if Itachi could remain stoic, then the world made sense. His own world shattered as the formally proud and stoic Uchiha became little more than a broken teenage girl.
Their mutual pain caused something buried deep down to burn to the surface. It started like a slight burn, then it spread like a wildfire … it burned through their chakra networks and then to their eyes. They both fell to the ground in agony, whilst the Sandaime watched on sadly as he knew what was happening.
When the pain died down they both raised their heads and looked into each other's eyes. They gasped in shock and exclaimed to each other at the same time. "Mangekyo Sharingan." [AN2]
"The curse of the Uchiha Clan lives once more," Hiruzen muttered to himself, though both Uchiha heard him.
"What do you mean Sandaime-sama?" Shisui asked. "Curse of the Uchiha Clan?"
The Hokage spent about thirty minutes explaining what he knew about the Cursed Eyes of the Uchiha – along with the revelation that constant use would lead them to blindness. He debated internally about informing them of the rumoured cure for their eyes, and all it took was a glance at Itachi for him to resolve himself – he told them.
After digesting the information given to them, the two Uchiha looked to each other before Itachi offered a small, but bitter smile. "We can discuss this later – duty calls. Your orders Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen pondered his options before sighing – in regret he gave them their orders. "Itachi-kun, Shisui-kun … your orders are to eliminate those involved in the Coup d'état. Loss of innocent life is not acceptable – am I clear?"
"Understood, Hokage-sama," they both promptly responded.
..::..
They both silently slipped between the many homes of those involved, like wraiths they silently killed them – leaving no evidence in their wake. The toll on their hearts was heavy as they completed their objective – and soon they only had one more perpetrator to eliminate: Fugaku Uchiha.
They found him in the most disgusting and compromising situation that he could be in – he was yelling at an irritated Danzo, their argument reaching their ears.
"You said only a few Sharingan, not a whole section's worth you cheating bastard!" Fugaku shouted at the normally stoic elder of the village. "Stop this at once, we had a deal Danzo-san!"
Itachi had honestly felt conflicted at killing her father at first. Despite being a complete bastard – he was still family. That confliction ended the moment she and Shisui discovered that he had been working with Danzo and had granted him permission to kill Uchiha to harvest their Sharingan.
"I grow weary of this conversation Fugaku-san," Danzo spoke through a clenched jaw. "Our deal is off – ROOT: destroy the rest and harvest their Sharingan."
Fugaku roared in anger and charged Danzo, only to be sliced by a razor sharp blade of wind that he couldn't dodge. Fugaku hit the ground with a thud and Danzo snapped his fingers to a nearby ROOT ANBU. "Add Fugaku-san's Sharingan to the others."
It was then that Itachi and Shisui pounced. They sprung out of their hiding spots, flaring their chakra three times as they did so, before they effortlessly slaughtered the ROOT ANBU accompanying Danzo. Danzo actually paused and gulped – he thought that these two were taken care of.
"Itachi-san, Shisui-san, I find myself surprised that you came here," Danzo commented idly. "Though this provides me with a means to dispose of you for good."
Shisui tensed, ready to fight at a moment's notice, but Itachi just looked at Danzo impassively. Danzo began to run through one handed hand signs and prepared to attack, but he was cut off from continuing as a flash of hatred crossed Itachi's face and her eyes morphed into their Mangekyo form.
"Amaterasu," she hissed quietly.
Quicker than he could dodge, a strange black fire that seemed to have a mind of its own appeared from out of nowhere and engulfed the ROOT Leader's only good arm. [AN3]
He screamed in pain and Itachi almost got a sick satisfaction from seeing him squirm, but a gentle touch on her shoulder from Shisui had her take a breath and dispel the Flames of Amaterasu. How she instinctively knew how to do so confused her, but they had obeyed her command. The Sandaime Hokage appeared seconds later – responding to their chakra spikes.
"Danzo, you are under arrest for your crimes against Konoha and one of its most respected Clans," Hiruzen spoke firmly. "ANBU, take the traitor away and seal his chakra permanently until his fate has been decided."
A gurgling noise rang out, and they all turned to see that Fugaku was still alive. Like she was possessed, Itachi slowly walked up to her father.
"Itachi-kun – am I glad to see you," he blubbered. "You have to believe that I had no choice in my going along with his crazy plans … I …"
His pleas fell on deaf ears as she screamed in fury and plunged a bloody kunai into his heart – his look of shock remained on his face as he died. Instead of scolding the Uchiha, the Sandaime simply sighed and shared a look with Shisui. He nodded in understanding and gently grasped Itachi's shoulders.
"Let's get cleaned up okay Itachi-chan," he softly spoke.
Itachi just nodded softly and let him lead her to the main house, where Mikoto was crying tears of joy – her family was free from Fugaku Uchiha!
..::..
The decision to have Danzo publically executed passed through the Shinobi Council with no problems, and Itachi herself was voted to be the executioner – she of course had no complaints. The Fire Daimyo had to be present for it to be legal, and he had arrived two days later. He presided over the ceremony of preparing Danzo for execution.
On the strike of twelve noon, Itachi used her Mangekyo Sharingan and burned Danzo alive with her Flames of Amaterasu. Her display of justified vengeance had sparked interest in the Daimyo – and he suddenly recognised her and the other Uchiha boy with messy hair as the Uchiha children that he had spotted at the border long ago.
He observed them interacting with each other and others around them – well, he watched Shisui talk people to death whilst Itachi had re-adopted her mask of indifference. Yes, these two were perfect for the job of a Guardian.
He offered Itachi a position first, and then spoke to Shisui. By the time Shisui had said yes, Itachi had already gone to pack – she needed to get away from Konoha. She left with the Fire Daimyo less than twelve hours later in the early hours of the morning – their destination: The Imperial City.
..::..
Then she had been re-acquainted with her angel, and then the events of the day occurred and then Shisui had magically appeared – and now she was unable to sleep. She got up and dressed in a light training outfit and left the two bedroom quarters that she and Shisui had been given at the barracks.
She wandered aimlessly without purpose for a while, but she somehow found herself right back at the gardens from earlier – the vast garden wasn't as mesmerizing as the Spirit Oasis, but it was still peaceful.
"Itachi-san, are you okay?" came the slightly nervous voice that could only belong to her angel.
"How did you know I was here, I checked and no-one was here when I arrived." She replied softly.
"I can sense chakra and supress my own, I was actually in that tree – over there." Naruto responded. Itachi followed his pointing finger and the gigantic tree that he had pointed out.
She sighed softly. "I am sorry if I woke you Lady Uzumaki," Itachi bowed.
Sighing in response, Naruto just smiled softly, causing Itachi to blush lightly. "You're not at all what I was expecting you know? You and Shisui-san are both unique. I was actually scared of you after this morning, but I'm not now. Let's start again shall we?"
"How do you do Itachi Uchiha, I am Naru Shinji," Naruto bowed gracefully, reminding Itachi of when she did the same at the border years ago.
"And I am Itachi Uchiha, a pleasure once more," Itachi politely responded, taking Naruto's hand and kissing his knuckles.
Naruto giggled (manly – or so he thought) but he stopped and sniffed the air.
"So … care to tell me why you're pretending to be a boy Itachi-san?" Naruto smiled as he questioned Itachi.
"W-What?" she replied dumbly. "Just who is this child?"
..::..
And that's it! I hope you enjoyed it peeps.
AN1 – Picture the actual Spirit Oasis from Avatar: The Last Airbender, complete with the two Koi.
AN2 – Please just google their Mangekyo Sharingan for a picture aid.
AN3 – In this version – Danzo had yet to strike a deal with Orochimaru.
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AS ALWAYS: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
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