Chapter 11 Ninja Path.

The hit sent me skidding across the lawn, my body covered in bruises as I hurried to stand. To pause was to get another merciless hit, and Fugaku wasn't pulling his punches. I barely dodged his axe kick, left ground cracked under the force and I whimpered.

He wouldn't kill me right? Just beat me to an inch of my life and then stop, right?

Inner wasn't so sure, if her instructions to run like the devil was on my tail, was any indication. Fugaku wore his scowl proudly on his face, I was under no disillusion of what he thought of me in that very moment. I was always told sex was an amazing thing. People ruined friendships for it after all, wouldn't it be even better with your spouse. Fugaku didn't seem to think so, he attacked me the moment I arrived to drop of Sasuke off. He said it was "training" but I wasn't as naive as Sasuke. The killing intent coming from the guy was suffocating.

Sasuke and Mikoto sat on the walk way drinking tea and cheering Fugaku on. I felt betrayed, wasn't Sasuke met to cheer me on? Was I not his bride candidate?

My in-law feed of Sasuke's cheers and attacked faster and hit harder, it was a mercy he wasn't using jutsus. I leaped over his head and managed a leaf hurricane, which he blocked with his fore arm. I pushed off him and put distance between us. This wasn't a good match us, leaving aside him being an adult and I in a child's body, he was simply too fast and to strong. I was an agile person, I hit hard, yes, but those strikes were for openings and overpowering. Fugaku was a clan leader with years of experience, I'd be worried if he did lose to a child, prodigy or not.

"Can't we just talk about this?" I tried not for the first time. "I'm not sure why this training session" my tone said I wasn't buying his crap. "-is so... hard." I'm still trying to figure out how he knew I druged him.

"It was a restless night," he manage to make it sound casual. "Too much lavender tea I suspect." His eyes drilled into me. "I just need to work off my agitation, and as you are my precious daughter, I figured you'd be the perfect candidate to help. After all your such a caring girl."

Sarcasm did suit him, I realized giving him a blank stare as he took a stance. Was that why he was always so serious? Because he knew he wasn't a comedian?

He charged and I leaped onto his fore arm as he threw a punch, using my smaller size to my advantage. I climbed him like a tree.

"You would think a night alone with your wife after drinking lavender tea would be plenty destressing enough." I said getting in his face. He growled at the conformation even as I knees him in the face. I landed a distance away, resorting to hit and run tactics.

"Why?" I heard him say low, but not angry.

"For an experiment mostly, but you seemed so stressed lately I thought you could use a night of destressing" I explained, "sorry I was wrong." I wasn't really, it was a part of my master plan after all.

With the lust stimulated by the drugged making them thoughtless, I doubt they had a chance to use protection. That was probably why he was so mad, with a rebellion coming he couldn't afford to worry about another child. I smirked viciously at the thought.

You need not worry I have a plan.

The blow to my stomach robbed me of air as I fell to me knees, desperately gasping, I didn't even see him move. Fugaku walked by me, as though he hasn't just render me breathless, and not in a good way. My vision had dark spots as I watch him sit down beside his wife and Sasuke rushing towards me.

Ninjas didn't like to be manipulated, I suspect that was the reason for his anger. He was forced to sleep with his wife not knowing why and hated it. For all he knew she was an imposter, its not like the druged left anything in the way of thought process. I would know I had to test it on someone.

The results were reducing the subject to a mindless animal in heat. It was cruel almost but they were marriag so it would be fine. My parent never complained, so it should be fine and he was just stubborn.

The Uchiha district was filled with more woman and children that I thought. The streets didn't have as much as the academy but there was three too many. I had some how thought Sasuke was the only child here, after all how could Itachi be expected to kill children. No such luck it seems.

The area was on the other reign of the vilkage, isolated and out of the way. They are the founding clan and yet this was how they were treated, sentenced to a life of isolation. The villagers thought they were too proud to live among them, some who know of their lineage, believe them a ticking time bomb.

it was all a misunderstanding, starting from the second hokage's pure hatred of the clan and their kin. The war between the two clans caused far too many deaths, blood was washed away with more blood; such was the way of the sengoku era. Some clans didn't even make it into the time of peace, wiped out or absorbed into larger clans. The Sarutobi barely made it into the time of peace and great nations. The thought of what could be different always plagued my mind. What if someone had done something different, woukd the story be different, would it be for the better or worst. I already know how the story goes, what will it be like with all my interferences.

A ball rolled to me and a returned it with a gentle kick, enough to get it back to the kids nothing more. They smiled and thanked me, going back too their game. Mutely I saw the adults watching the children, no not watching them but over them. They were trying to protect them from all harm. A sad smile crept its way onto my face. Here they were trying to protect their young from an outside threat, only to met their end at the hands of one of their own. I clinched my fist, a determine glare sharpen my eyes. I was gonna save them, no innocents would die I would make sure of it.

I ran to the Uchiha shrine, it was time for case two. I spend most of the night going over the seal, while I figured it out, I still needed time to compose it. For now I needed to mark those for dead row.

Reaching the top of the steps left me winded, I staggered over to the porch and leaned against it. I stretched my senses finding two hiding guards, they wouldn't be a problem. I took out the scroll and unrolled it in from of me. The kanji goal was writes in bold stocks, the instructions forming circles around it. From a distance it would impossible to tell what it was for, and the kanji gave nothing away. I just needed to make them dismiss me and my totally not fuijutsu scroll.

I clasped my hand and clapped twice loudly, I closed my eyes and concentrating.

"May all my goals be achieved," I prayed, clapping my hand one last time and activating the seal. It wasn't visible and the chakra in the air and aroiund the building didn't change. Black ink seeped into the cracks and under the mats if the building. It's function was simple; tag anyone that walk though the door fame and then pass the mat, I knew was a entrance to their under ground lair.

This way I would know who were attending the meetings and then determine if they can be saved. I was the judge and the jury but not the executioner. I felt proud of that fact, I was trying to help; its not like I could make the situation, they dragged them selves into, any worst.

I rolled up the scroll and tucked it way, looking up to the sky I couldn't hold back the sigh.

"Its a beautiful day."

A gentle breeze pasted by and I sighed again, I don't know what I expected from him. His eyes stared down at me as his hair danced in the wind, his small ponytail was suspiciously absent. I narrowed my gaze at him before smiling pleasantly.

"Its been a while, brother."

Itachi's face twisted into a soar frown, he needed like me calling him "brother." To him Sasuke was his only brother, though I do enjoy his reactions.

"Why are you here?" He asked his voice oddly deeper than normal, puberty? I patted the grass beside me in invitation. Surprisingly the took it, walking over and plopping down his legs out before him. He looked tired, has he not been sleeping?

"No one comes here so I'm relaxing." I said sighing in the shade. It wasn't a complete lie, it was peaceful here and there was hardly anyone around. He hummed and relaxed just a bit.

"What did you do to upset father?" The question was so sudden I jumped. Right of course he knew about that, he probably came home to Fugaku yelling.

"I'm honesty not sure, father is very hard to read and understand" I wasn't even lying, why was he mad about sleeping with his wife again? Itachi said nothing and we sat in silence for a while. It wasn't uncomfortable more peaceful especially with Itachi's chakra; much like Sasuke's it was soothing.

I'm running it of time, my mind reminded me, I really didn't have time to sit with the enemy and enjoy the sun heat. Oddly enough I couldn't bring myself to move, or even to care that Itachi was the enemy. I sunk futher into the grass, which was surprisingly comfortable. I looked over to see Itachi with his eyes close his head tilted to the sun; he looked to be at peace.

His black hair flowed down his shoulders In a way I've never seen before, thinking of it, even when Itachi died his hair was in a ponytail. He looked so much like a girl with his long eyelashes. His is face already had stress lines despite him being do young.

You've suffered a terrible fate haven't you?

He killed his family to protect the village, and died to an illness instead of an enemy. No shinobi would want to die outside of a battlefield, though Itachi was a pacifist wasn't he. He probably didn't want to live like a genocidal shinobi. I reached for him, he was one of the most kind and loving person I knew, yet he was suffering because of it. He caught my wrist before I could touch him, crimson eyes peaked at me through long lashes.

"What is it?" He asked in a flat tone, he didn't seem angry or annoyed, just tired.

"You seem tired," I said as much. He didn't release my hand as his eyes faded to black. "Have you been sleeping properly?" I knew he hasn't, with responsibility of a first son, clan heir and double agent on his shoulders, I impressed he could stand at all.

"I'm fine," he said simply, dropping my hand and dismissing me.

"Unlikely." I met his shock expression as chakra treads tighten their hold on his body. I had been tying around him since I reached out and he didn't notice. He was out of it big time. He struggled to no avail, if it were normal chakra treads he would have been free already, as it stood they were conjured from natural chakra.

Itachi's glare promised retribution but I ignored it and straddle him, before staring my examination. I checked his temperature; normal. His eyes; bloodshot and his heart rate; high blood pressure, too high. I unsealed my medic kit and opened it too a collection of liquids. I looked for the one labeled "coco" short for "coconut water" which is know for lowering blood pressure. I took it out and looked back at Itachi's glaring sharingan.

"You caused this on yourself you know," I stated pinching his nose and forcing the bottle in his mouth. Stubborn bastard put up the greatest fight despite his situation, pro ninjas were damn scary. His struggles became sluggish once I begun to drain him of chakra, his reserves were already low, was he fighting? I got the liquid down his troat and he eyed me suspiciously as he licked his lips. I touched his forehead and concentrated chakra flowing over his body and through his system.

Aside from being drained didn't appear too be too hurt. Hmm, in sensed something out of place, a dark spot, a corruption. It was decaying the chakra that went near it and grow just a little. A cancer of some kind, one that reacted to chakra. It too me a moment to realize I was sensing Itachi's killer. An unusual illness that killed him slowly, but speed up when he used chakra. It was so small unnoticeable, and likely wouldn't be until much later. Like this I could easily...

"Hey Itachi," I spoke opening my eyes to met his, "do you believe in fate." His eyes narrowed and I could tell he didn't understand. "Do you believe everything has a grand design, a role they most play, following a specific script? Everyone has a purpose, from the moment they are born fate is pushing them down a certain path, one you think is your own but it really isn't, and is instead someone pulling the strings." I thought of black Zetsu and his manipulation plot. "No one knows their own fate, so if someone knows the plot and all its bad endings, isn't it their duty to change it, after all way else would they know what they should not?" I wasn't sure when but I had suddenly begun to cry, I wasn't feeling very emotional, it was odd.

"If someone knows their own fate," Itachi spoke eyeing me without any emotion. "Then isn't it fates design that they do, surely fate has trusted them with the knowledge that they may prepared for what's to come..." He paused frowning. "Are perhaps change fates design all together, who's to say fate was the one responsible for the knowledge in the first place." I stared at him, if not fate then who would it be, who would want to chance the future so bad they pull my soul to another dimension?

Distant bells jingled in the wind, filling the silence between us. Who would have the power of a god and not want the original ending.

"When one is grated knowledge of a situation, they can do one if two things," Itachi began again, "they can use it to their advantage, advancing themselves, or they can ignore it and let nature run its course." His eyes narrowed on me, "but perhaps their is a third option."

Change to outcome of the situation entirely. Wasn't that what I was already doing? Meddling in fates design. Befriending Naruto, Neji and Hinata, even interacting with Sasuke was not planned. I, no, Sakura was not meant to be a fuijutsu master at 6, I was already screwing up the system. What's one more middle finger to the plot.

A familiar sensation flowed over my hand as ink crawled to cover it. I was a broken gear in this system and I refused to move this broken work. I rammed my hand into Itachi's chest. He jerked, shocked and panicked, if he was paying attention he would have noticed there was no blood and my hand literally fazed through him. Despite his weak bucking I managed to concentrate long enough to find the cancer again. I reached for it and paused a few centimeter away. It wouldn't be good to grab it and it scattered everywhere, so instead I trapped it. A seal appeared on my palm and I touched it, immediately it reacted, trying to fed on my chakra and grow like a fungus. The seal moved around it and a bit futher just in case. Itachi stiffened as everything moved in place, this was gonna hurt. I moved my finger to my lips, and whispered the dreaded word that would but save his life and cause him great pain.

"Seal." The cancer, the blood, the chakra and the flesh it was imbedded into; tore out of place and into my palm and into another dimension where time did not exist. Itachi screamed. It was loud and pained and I was sure someone would come to investigate in a second. Quickly I plunged yang chakra into the missing chunk and it begon to regenerate the missing cells, thankful without the cancer. And not a moment too soon, since I was ripped off Itachi and thrown into a hard chest, before firm hands closed around me. I had a moment to identify the chakra as that of a roaring tiger, dreadful familiar before panic set in.

I begun to struggle in their arms to no avail, either they were really strong or I was really weak, my money is on the former.

"Itachi-kun!" A heathy head if silver and the scent of dog, reached my notice. They were in a jonin outfit, currently leaning over Itachi's still shock and very much tied up body. "Are you okay!? Talk to me!" There was a clash of lightning on a clear day and I instantly knew who it was. Dark eyes glared over their shoulder at me and I blinked in confusion and surprise.

What the hell is Kakashi doing here? I had a moment of clarity and looked back to my capturer. Then who's this?

Green met narrow black, with the thickest brow I have seen since my rebirth.

The power of youth! A disembodied voice yelled and the image of a man walking on his hands flowed my mind.

Might guy held me hostage and my either body was filled with dread. My lips begun to tremble and my vision became blury, I shock as my nose she begun to leak. Their were few time during my second life were I allowed my child body to dictate my actions. This oddly seemed like a justified reason at the moment. I was being held captive by the greatest taijutsu master in the whole shinobi world, and I wanted nothing more than to go home and pretend this was a dream. A sob was my only warning before my ears rang with the whale of a child. My throat vibrate with great force and my face as instantly covered in salt water. My senses spread out searching for some one familiar and strong enough to help me. All I got back was Itachi, my mind still in terminal I reached for him.

"Help me! Big brother please help!" The desperation was thick in my voice. Itachi looked at me with pained eyes, the pain form the instant cell removal most not have worn off. He looked even more tired than he did before but that was to be expected, it didn't matter in the end he was my only method of escape. I knew how these thing work, they met you, they analysis you, see that there's something wrong with you and insist that they should be your friend. I got enough of his in my work place I refuse to sit through another youthful story.

In the back of my mind, something said that wasn't whybhe was there and that I had other things to worry about, but for the life of me I couldn't bring myself to care. Guy had me in a bear hug and I needed out! Now!

"Wait Kakashi!" Itachi protested, reaching for me as the treads fell away.

"Don't move so much we don't know what she did to you." Kakashi ordered trying to hold him in place. Itachi seemed to come to his senses and touched his chest, lifting his shirt revealed nothing but ripped muscles. The seal allowed me to past through the skin and not damage it. I wanted what was inside, not outside after all. Kakashi looked at his stomach, second guessing himself as to what he just saw. "But I thought," I breath, "and your scream!"

"Brother!" I whined, while he was busy trying to determine what just happen, in was in the jaws of a tiger. "Get me out of here!" Kakashi looked back to me as I struggled in Guy's arm.

"Hoho. Non shall escape the power of youth!" Guy laughed tightening his hold. My eyes bugged and I looked to Itachi who still hasn't come to rescue me.

"Father, I'm telling father." In yelled "if you don't get me out of this I'll tell father you bullied me!" I threatened. Thinking about it, Fugaku would probably be proud as would Mikoto those two currently hating me. "Sasuke," I said instead, "it'll tell Sasuke that you were mean to me!" Itachi would do anything for Sasuke so I'd definitely save me. Once again something in the back of my mind said I wasn't in danger but they clearly didn't have their facts straight. Guy without a ducktaped mouth is a danger to my sanity.

"Itachi," Kakashi said getting his attention, "just who is this girl?" Itachi sighed and leaned back watching me whine with tired eyes.

"She's my little brothes ... Friend" he said after a pause. "I don't think she was doing something bad, it just caught me unaware." Kakashi didn't seem convinced, he eyes my seal covered hand and walked over taking my hand in his. Was his hand always so big? He inspected the seal with narrowed eyes before looking back to Itachi.

"She took something from inside your body." He stated after a pause.

"I noticed." Itachi deadpanned "hard not to when you can feel it."

"Sorry I don't know a way to do it with pain yet," I said my head hanging in shame. I probably should have warned him. Lesson learned.

"What did you remove?" Kakashi demanded, scary.

"A cancer?" I tilted my head in thought, what did you call that thing any way. "It was using his chakra to grow and kill his cells so I ripped it out, sorry."

"Cancer?" Itachi touched his chest again eyes wide, before glaring back at me. "What did you do with it?" I raised my inked hand displaying the seal in my palm.

"I was gonna seal it in a storage scroll and burn it."

"You know fuijutsu?" Kakashi sound suspicious, I nodded and his eye narrowed. "You sure this kid is the one you know?" He asked Itachi never taking his eyes off me.

"Yes, she's always been a genius at fuijutsu," Itachi replied and I could have sworn he had pride in his voice.

Kakashi nodded to Guy and he let me go. Before anyone could have second thoughts, I booked it for Itachi. They reacted of course reaching for their kunai as I hugged Itachi hiding behind him. I did a quick medical scan of his body and chakra system. The cancer was gone, I hadn't miss any of it thank the heavens.

The shinobis relaxed when Itachi didn't

protest, honestly shinobis these days, no trust.

"Why are you here captain kakashi?" Itachi asked as I busied myself with unsealing a scroll. Theoretically I could keep the cancer in my arm sealed away indefinitely, but I'd rather not. That would be just asking for trouble.

"Oh! I was passing through after a mission," kakashi explained and I could only roll my eyes. His senses might be sharp but there was no way he heard Itachi's scream and made it here so fast; nothing short of teleportation could do that.

"I see," Itachi eyes became sad, "I hope you were successful in your mission." They were speaking in code for mine and Guy's sake. It was oddly pointless as I knew exactly what they were doing. Kakashi was watching the Uchiha, what other reason would he have for being so close to the Uchiha shrine.

I pulled open an empty storage scroll and placed my ink arm in the center.

"Transfer," I whispered and the ink on my arm slivered down my arm and onto the paper. When I pulled away my arm was clear and a nine gate seal was printed on the sheet. It was a bit of over kill but it prevented chakra from interacting with the seal. That and I only really knew heavy duty seals. The onevi used to phase through Itachi was one from the; Reaper Death Seal.

Signing I rolled up the scroll to find all eyes one me, watching me warily. While I did have the ultimate weapen in my hand it was unnecessary. I paused lost in thought, fingers cupping my chin the other on my hip. I did hold a very powerful weapen that would kill someone the longer they used chakra. It wasn't treatable and not transferable, for all I know, it was merely a one off mutation. I glace down at the scroll; I would be able to destroy my enemies without any way of it being traced to me. I coy smile spit my face thinking of the possibilities; slowly I tucked it away, I'd have to pull an Oruchimaru and experiment.

My mission was over, I planted the seal and saved Itachi, one of the most op person in the village. With him not dying a lot of things that happened originally won't have a chance to. My good mode blossomed on my face as I stood and walked a bit away from them.

"Thanks big brother," I said my backs to them. "You've help me to find my ninja way." I looked back my eyes radiating glee. "It would be dreadfully boring if all my love ones died." Poor choice of words as every one stiffened, but I pushed on. "So it seems only fitting that I would protect my main source of entertainment." Was it me or did I sound like a villain. "I won't let the people I care about die." I spun to face them the wind picking up. "To that end, I declare war on all those who stand in my way. Be it a rogue ninja, a dead man walking, a legendary shinobi, or a God. I'll beat them into submission starting now." I looked in their eyes daring them to stand against me. "I will have my way, Sasuke will keep his innocent smile. Tell those that stand in the way of my happiness." I formed a hand seal a grin on my face. "That their days are numbered and counting down."

In an explosion of cheery blossoms I vanished.

They stood shocked at the declaration. It seemed to imply more than it should; like the young Uchiha losing his smile. Such a circumstance could only really be caused if the Uchiha went to war with the village like they planned, and lost. Kakashi gritted his teeth, did she know? He looked to Itachi, did he tell her? His gaze landed on the flower petals that laid on the ground and his stomach twisted in knots. Was Itachi covering for her and she wasn't a child at all? No, he saw her once before. His mind flashed to the academy where one child had take on her peers. She had to be a child, because if she wasn't she was a spy planned in the village. An adult pretending to be a child to get information on the village. Or perhaps a child that has a mission and sometimes mascaraed as an adult. Lady Hana had some explaining to do.

Itachi didn't know what to think.

if someone knows the plot and all its bad endings, isn't it their duty to change it

Her question pounded in his head; did she know? He was planning to kill his clan should they threaten peace, but no one should know about that. If he killed everyone then Sasuke would surely be unhappy. How did she know? Did she at all or was he just paranoid. She had said she wouldn't let her family die; was she referring to the Uchiha as well.

He gripped his chest gritting his teeth, she had saved him from something he didn't even know existed. If he had continue on then surely would have died before long. She had saved him, her family.

Big brother

His eyes became misty and he hide it under his band. Shisui had said love was stronger than blood. He choked, Sakura was truly annoying.

Guy found himself standing beside his two comrades in the silence, that was born from the little girls exit. He had seen her before of course. No jonin had fail to talk about the little kunoichi that had challenge her class and won. He thought she had spunk, but seeing the look of determination in her eyes. She trying wielded the power of youth!

Next chapter April 24.