Chapter 16

Beacon of death.

Blood painted the roof tiles as Itachi separated himself from the demon. It hurt to breathe he choked on his blood, staining his jaws in it. His shirt stuck to his skin as he sported a jagged tear in the front and back.

His blood dripped from her spearhead chain, he probably made his injury worst by yanking it out, but the concern was mute to him. The demon, however, looked surprised by his course of action, looking up from where he tossed her in awe. She looked from her chains to him, and a creepy smile spread across her face, her eyes wide.

"Amazing," she praised, getting back on her feet. "I was told Uchihas only care for themselves, taking their kin's eyes to replace their own." She looked at him with unsettling interest. "Are all Uchiha like you, or are you special?" She took a step forward. "I'm curious if you would hurt yourself to protect them. How far will you go? Will your body be able to handle it? I wanna know."

She charged leaping into the air, holding the chains like weapons.

"Ya know!"

Sharingan activated, Itachi preserved the world in slow motion. His hands weaved through hand seals, and he took a painfully deep breath.

"Fire style, Great fireball Jutsu!"

Flames exploded from his lips, forming a ball of fire that grew in size the further it went from him. It was larger than himself when it reached her, providing him with enough cover to retreat. "Shadow clone," two perfect copies of himself, wound and all, appeared next to him. Each took a child in their arms without his input. He would have them retreat with the children while he stalled the demon. He couldn't protect them and fight her at the same time, not while wounded so.

Methodical laughter was there only warning as the demon burst from the flames. With eyes of a hungry predator finding a meaty prey, A smile equally hungry: he attacked. They the Itachis separated, each going in a different direction. The demon's emerald eyes locked on the real one and followed his movements.

It was impossible to differentiate between the originals and their clones without a Dojutsu. He didn't think those green gems had chakra enhancements, but what did he know. There was no issue with having those unsettling eyes on him; he was bait.

He threw a kunai at her as he retreated. She deflected it as he threw another completely missing her. Her vicious smile never wavered as she closed the distance. He throws another two kunai above her head, hitting the previously thrown kunai, deflecting them and changing their trajectory. The

She looked back in time to block them, but the distraction was just that. Taking advantage of this Itachi, attacked drawing blood.

The demon bled red it seemed, he was a bit upset they had the same color blood. The additional red stain was indistinguishable from the ones already present on the kimono. The demon didn't seem bothered by the new wound, smiling at him.

He felt his chakra return to him alone with the vision of dying upon touching a barrier. One of his clones had died, and there was a barrier keeping them from escaping. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He was prey from the very beginning.

Mebuki hit the ground in a small splash, water still 6 inches deep. Like many times before, she tried to get up but fell her strength left her. She was barely conscious, and Guy was impressed. He originally arrived to investigate the origin of the water in town. Imagine his surprise to find a woman fighting anbus in the middle of the village.

He had intervened once she had defeated all her foes, blocking her path of escape. The ensuing fight had been one filled with passion, even in the weakened state she still fought on. She was a worthy opponent, forcing him to use two gates just to keep up with her and her arsenal of water jutsus.

Her reserves were not unlimited, however, and he managed to wear her down without taking too much damage. He wasn't aware of what was happening between this civilian and the anbus, but he thought it wise not to become too involved. It pained him to see the look of desperation on her face, but he had to hope the Hokage had his reasons.

The fallen anbus regained consciousness as he shook them. He leaped away when they began to stir, as not to be seen as a threat. Kakashi had been violent when woken suddenly as while, at least for a while. He was better now, and Guy couldn't be prouder. These men, however, were not his eternal rival.

The masked shinobi jumped to their feet, assessing the situation. The civilian was on the ground unconscious, water was still three inches deep, and there was a Jonin in green spandex. They looked at him and then their target and back again.

"Hello there, my fellow shinobi!" Guy said, staking a pose. "The names Might Guy!" It was best to introduce himself to ward off suspicion. "I came to your aid when I saw your predicament." He flashed his signature smile to put them at ease. It seemed to work as one of them told the others he was friends of "Wolf." He recognized the code name that referenced his rivals Anbu mask. So Kakashi was on an Anbu mission, huh?

A flash of gold drew their attention. A golden wall of light appeared on the outskirts of the village, blinking out of existence just as fast as it appeared. To anyone else, it was merely a blink that left then confused as to if it was even real. To shinobis, it was a lifetime and a destination.

"That's the Uchiha district." One Anbu stated, "Does that mean the target is with the Uchihas." There was an ominous silence following their words. It was very apparent they didn't want someone to get in contact with the Uchihas. He was aware of their plans for a coup from Kakashi they could launch an attack at any minute.

Despite the possible threat of a civil war, he could help the grin that split his face. Kakashi was fighting a fierce battle and hadn't even invited him.

"Don't start without me, my eternal rival!" he howled and sprint to the last position of the light.

"Sakura…" the down mother whimpered.

With his body covered in stone, he became slower. As a shinobi, he was naturally fast, but with the weight, he wasn't as quick as he could be. He couldn't fight and protect Sakura. Sacrificing speed for the defense was his only option.

Stone armor was a technique he saw in the war from an earth style user. They would coat their body in stone and tank their attacks. As an earth user himself, it seemed only fitting to use their Jutsu against them. It took a while as he did not have an instructor, but he managed to make a replica of the technique. It was a clash of hulk that day. He had purposely targeted the earth user and managed to take him out of the fight with the help of his wife. As a couple, their fighting style complemented each other. He used brute force, and she used flexibility. Hit like a rock, flow like water" was the teasing words of their comrades.

After the war, they retired in hopes of starting a family. It hadn't lasted long when they realized Sakura didn't need their parental guidance.

He cursed his slower movements when he heard them approaching, even as they were near-silent to anyone else. In his stone armor, he was able to feel the vibrations in the earth. It was the closest he would come to his wife's chakra sensing.

Of course, there was no way of knowing who was approaching or why. But how many shinobis in pairs would be in such a hurry to reach his location? Is wife had a distinctive way of running, a technique she developed to help aid him in combat. He knew how she ran, and this wasn't her patterns.

He surged to the side as wood planks sprung from the ground. He felt then parting the earth to get to him long before they sprung out. In this form, snick attacks were near impossible to reach him. He knew where the enemies were at all times. His only weakness being those in the air, but he wasn't blind.

The Anbu seemed surprised his attack failed, for he hesitated to fire another. It was hard to tell their emotions as they covered them with a mask, no doubt made for that very purpose.

Where the wood user hesitated, the lightening user charged. Earth was weak against lightning; every shinobi wealth a grain of salt knew that. His armor wouldn't protect him from it.

With that in mind, he stood his meeting the attack head-on. His stomach had the most protection. Inside Sakura laid asleep, so it was the most defended part of his armor.

The enemy eyed his stomach like a wolf on a hunt. Changing tactics, Kizashi weaved through hand seals and took a deep breath. The Anbu saw it coming but made the mistake of thinking he could dodge.

"Earth style." He spat rock that grew in size as it traveled through the air. "Stone storm!" Like a machine gun, he fired a hail storm of stones at his enemy. The shock cost him as he succumbed to the stone barrage. During the war, he saw hidden stone ninja shot a single stone at a time. It seemed wasteful and slow, and so he tried using them in rapid-fire. It worked to both caught them off guard and overwhelm them.

The Anbu retreated, raising an earth wall as cover.

So, he can use earth techniques as well.

The wood user moved forward as wood surging under the ground towards him. He raised his foot high and brought it down in an axe kick to the ground. The earth split open, and stone surged outward like a wave towards the two. They abandoned their wall of protection and attacked from both sides. A jagged stone wall formed a crescent around him blocking their attack.

He leaped over the wall and out of the way of their follow-up that broke it entirely. He backpedaled as they rushed him, working together in an attempt to overwhelm him. He sacrificed armor to block their attacks, making himself lighter.

He stockout with punishing blows when he could, stunning the enemy and giving him time to retreat. His fingers to his shoulder were devoid of armor, as was his feet up to his knee. He still had armor where it counted, and he was light and faster.

A wall of light blinked in and out of existence. It came from the Uchiha district, he noted.

The moment of distraction cost him dearly, as wood wrapped around him trapping him. The user was protruding it from his arms and not the ground; he never saw it coming. The lighting user rushed in, his lighting ripping up the street as he charged.

He had no time to think before the attack hit his stomach, cracking the stone armor. The wood around him broke from the indiscriminating lightening, and Kizashi lasted his footing. The stone exploded outwards, knocking him off his feet. Both he and the Anbu were thrown off their feet and away from each other.

Pink hair danced in the wind as Sakura was free from his clothing. She wore a peaceful expression as she flew through the air, unhinged by gravity. Tears came to his eyes as he realized just how low on chakra he was. He wouldn't be able to protect her like this.

I'm sorry, my little flower.

The explosion knocked both Kakashi and Mr. Haruno off their feet and flying in different directions. Their target got thrown from her protection and now sailed through the sky. Beautiful pink hair danced in the wind framing a peaceful sleeping face.

Tenzo had not seen the target say for their academy photo. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it surely wasn't what he got.

He leaped into the air catching her before she fell and injured herself. She was small in his arms and oddly soft, her pale skin was flushed, and she smelt of Sake and cherry blossoms. Had he not been told she was a threat by Danzo, he would be sure she was just a regular child with terrible parental guardians. Who allowed their child to drink herself unconscious?

Mr. Haruno struggled to his feet, his armor was in tatters, falling off him as he moved. Not wanting another fight, Tenzo bound the weak man in wood. The mission was harder than the other thought it would be. They were merely supposed to collect the girl and bring her back to the Hokage and lord Danzo. They hadn't anticipated resistance from anyone but her.

Is this what it means to have a family?

The question surfaced despite his attempt to maintain a clear head. He didn't have a family outside of lord Danzo. He had met people who claimed to be his family, but nothing had come of it. He learned his name sure, but they were still far away, and he wasn't allowed out of the village on his own.

He couldn't help but wonder if they had fought to keep him as Harunos did if he would still be with them. He knew the answer, even as Kakashi rose to his feet. Orochimaru was not someone they could fight; they would die protecting him.

A cold night breeze blew-by and the girl in his arms snuggled into him for warmth. He wasn't sure what to do, she was a traitor to the village, yet she seemed so harmless.

Kakashi walked up to him; he looked as beaten as he felt. The fight had been a constant beating the man was strong and wasn't pulling his punches. Tenzo was sure he had broken bones everywhere; it was a miracle he wasn't on the ground now.

"Target acquired." He reported needlessly. Kakashi nodded, looking down at the girl in his arms. She looked comfortable in his arms – happy even – he felt uncomfortable. She was far too relaxed around him. She had to realize he wasn't her family, right? He was – for all intents and purposes – the enemy. She shouldn't be burying her face in his chest plate, smiling like that.

"I think she likes you," Kakashi teased with suspicion filled eyes. Kakashi reached out and took her from his arms, immediately her face lost its peaceful quality. She looked about ready to cry. Without thinking, Tenzo took her back, and she relaxed again. Kakashi looked at him oddly, and he blushed under the mask. His body moved on its own he did want her to cry.

"It would be bad if she woke up and fought us as well," he said, the lie coming easy. It would be bad if she woke and begun to fight them. Nodding in agreement, Kakashi looked to the struggling Haruno and then into the distance. He saw it too, a wall of light blinking in and out of existence. It came from the Uchiha district, no doubt.

He looked to Kakashi – the defector leader – for guidance. It would be unwise to leave something like the Uchiha unsupervised. If something was going on there they needed to investigate, but they were already on a mission. They couldn't leave the girl to investigate, and they couldn't bring her with them.

They were trying to stop the traitor from reaching the Uchiha district, were they going to deliver her there themselves?

"Kakashi-senpai," Yamoto said, looking at his troubled senor.

"Itachi must have returned to his clan by now," Kakashi said, "He had his brother and the Uzumaki with him." The news made Tenzo still. They had a mission to capture the traitor, Itachi was their comrade and unlikely to betray them. The problem laid with the Jinchuriki's location. He was in the middle of the Uchiha clan.

Itachi would never betray them, he was sure. The clan had been acting up lately; this could be the start of a coup.

"Senpai!" Tenzo said urgently.

"I know."

His senpai was conflicted; they had to get the target back to the Hokage before she woke. They could send her with a clone, but there was the possibility of it getting attack before reaching the Hokage. They could also send a clone to investigate the Uchihas, but the reverse was true. It was one or the other; the mission or the village's safety.

"We're going to the Uchiha district," Kakashi announced. "We're taking the Harunos with us. We'll figure out what is going on, and return to the Hokage once the problem's resolved."

"Right!"

Yamato wrapped wood around Mr. Haruno, raising him off the ground. The man eyed his "daughter" in his arms. She was still asleep with a face of bliss. Something flashed across the man's face. He could have sworn it was envy, but that was ridiculous.

The prisoner secured, they turned to the outskirts and took off. There was the possibility this was a trap, but it was a risk they needed to take. He held the child a little closer to his chest. If she seemed pleased at the nearness, it was merely a coincidence.

It had been a while since he's been to the leaf village.

He would visit her grave whenever he could find the time, with his teleportation abilities distance was no obstacle. He walked under the cover of darkness through the forest surrounding the village. It was on high alert, he noticed. The number of guards increasing since his last visit.

Not knowing their reason for the extra security, he took a hidden path. It was located deep in the forest, and well hidden under boulders of rocks. It was well used he noticed upon arriving. Outsiders wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but he could. There were always three layers of genjutsu surrounding the area, though, with his Sharingan, he could see through them all.

The rock covering it had moved. Though it had been years since he'd last seen it, he could still remember its position. There were footsteps of children dented the surrounding grass. The genjutsu prevented anyone from seeing it, however, so there was no risk.

He found himself uncharacteristically amused by the idea that only children used the path these days. He could be wrong, the adults, shinobi or not, knew better than to leave tracks behind. The children had no such knowledge and would not watch where they stepped.

Casting aside his thoughts of the past, he walked through the stone, not bothering to open it. Many said he was becoming lazy because of his ability to past through anything, even people. He would be inclined to agree, just not to their faces.

The tunnel was rundown and abandon, its flooring damaged. It only served to reaffirm that this passage was mostly used by children, or children without an adult to cover their tracks for them.

There were subtle cracks in the wood and line in the walls from a kunai dragging against it. There were carvings on the wall, "Hidioshi was here," one said. He shook his head at the madness; they would learn from their stupidity in time.

Making his way through the tunnel, he found himself thinking about the past. Times he would sneak beyond the village walls through these tunnels. As a child, he wasn't allowed outside of the village for his safety.

Like most boys filled with curiosity and balls of steel, he sneaked out. His grandmother nearly killed him when she found out, but it was worth it. He told his friends of his ventures only to find out that he had ventured beyond the gates with his father.

The memory severed to sober him as he reached the end, he fazed through the hatch. The exit to the tunnel led to the back room of a shop. It would defeat the purpose of the secret tunnel if it led to a public place.

He looked around the place was a mess, boxes felt with produces for sale littering the small room. A decade ago, boxes were blocking the path to the hidden hatch. As it was, one could easily walk it provided they knew where to go.

He was seeing how much his clan had changed over the years. It was an unsettling feeling. His grandmother would be long dead by now and he didn't even come to her funeral. He shook his head, dispelling the thought. He wasn't here for memories.

He was here to visit his former teammate's grave…

He groaned as he made his way into the storefront. It was a café now, he realized. It was an antic store the last time. He made it to the front door before the smell hit him. He fazed through the door and stepped out into the street. He froze at the sight that assaulted him.

Blood was everywhere, pooling around bodies as they bleed out. Unmoving, dead bodies. It took him a second to gather himself; the sight was shocking. He never anticipated his clan would be slathered, but it seemed the leaf village was done with them. A shame.

He walked over to the closes body, a rugged man with a look of horror imprinted on his face. He had a hole in his chest, no doubt the cause of death. It must have been a weapon attached to a chain, either way; it was a cruel death.

He looked at the man's black eyes and found them lacking. They were smoky-grey and seemed to have lost their function.

He must have been blind.

Getting up he went to another, finding the same to be true. The man's eyes were smoky gray and useless.

He moved to another and then another, finding the same result. They all lost their eyes. It couldn't be a coincidence, there was no way they were all blind. He found one with red eyes, that lack the signature tomoe. He inspected the body and found a mark on their leg, an 'X' infused with chakra and slowly fading.

Fuinjutsu!?

He heard of the barbaric methods the Hyuga used to keep their members in line, but never saw it firsthand. He looked at the bodies, and the housed whose lights were off despite it still being early. If the same was true for all of the clan men then…

He saw a wall of light blink in and out of existence. He recognized it. The Fourth Hokage's wife had used a similar technique to trap the nine tails. An Uzumaki?

Desiring answers, he made his way through the Uchiha clan to the source of the light.

Greetings nightwalkers, Luna here, after a week with no internet. I'm not salty what are you on about. The story is still going and heating up. Yes, I named it Beacon of death. If you think about it, it is a signal that attracted everyone.

No Tenzo isn't in love with Sakura. If you were paying attention, you might be able to figure out why she's so comfortable around him. The final bit is going to test your knowledge of the story. I have drop tidbits here and there hinting to my plans. I know some of you weren't paying attention. I never write something for the sake of having it there. Every inner thought, assumption, and misunderstanding is on purpose. But you all knew that.

I just wanted to warn you so you don't fall off the handle when I make the big reveal. Its gonna be glorious.

See you all next time for that. Until next time, Night song.

Next chapter June 12.