Of Accidents, Searches, and Itachi
-Of Accidents, Searches, and Itachi-
-Konohagakure; Village Hidden in the Leaves-
Gai, Kurenai and Asuma all gather around Kakashi’s bedside, confused and somewhat perturbed by what transpired only a few hours prior.
All four had found themselves in a skirmish with Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, both rogue ninjas of their own respective villages and both looking for Naruto in order to obtain the power of the Nine-Tails. The fight didn’t last long, however, especially after it became a battle of Genjutsu and Sharingan— the end result leaving Kakashi bedridden and unconscious while the two rogues managed to avoid capture.
“They’re trouble, but from the look of things, it doesn’t appear they’ve found Naruto yet.” Gai muses from his perch on a wooden stool.
Asuma hums in agreement as he takes a seat atop Kakashi’s desk, propping his foot up on a nearby chair. “That’s what’s crazy. It doesn’t add up.” He replies, digging into his flak jacket for his cigarettes. Once he finds them, he begins tapping the bottom of the pack, nudging one loose from the rest. “I mean, they had already infiltrated the Village. It should be easy for them to find Naruto around here. Besides, Itachi knows Naruto’s face already.”
Hearing footsteps approach, Gai shushes the other male and not a moment too soon, seeing as the door swings open almost immediately after.
“Kakashi!” Sasuke calls, his next words tapering off as he catches sight of the three Jounin. Looking around curiously, his eyes then land on Kakashi’s bedridden form that was neatly tucked under his blankets. “Why is Kakashi asleep? And why is this room full of Jounin?”
The three stay quiet as he steps further into the room, their silence confusing and angering him further. “What are you doing? What the hell is going on in here?!”
“Erm— Not much really...” Gai replies awkwardly, not meeting the Uchiha’s eyes.
Suddenly another Jounin, Aoba Yamashiro, rushes through the doorway. “Hey! Is it true that Itachi has returned?! And that he’s come here to get Naruto?!” He questions, not reading the atmosphere of the room or taking notice of the glares directed his way. He opens his mouth to ask more, only to stop himself as he finally realizes Sasuke’s presence in the room. “Uh—“
Gai facepalms, sighing heavily to himself as Sasuke slowly turns to look at the new arrival.
Kurenai closes her eyes, her head tilted towards the floor. “Idiot.”
Sasuke doesn’t say anything in response, still processing the information that was just accidentally given. Eventually, his blank expression morphs into one of pure rage and before anyone can stop him, he’s rushing out of the room.
Gai jumps up from his seat, his own anger evident. “Aw, why does this always have to happen?!”
Sasuke jumps rooftop to rooftop, his anger pushing him to run faster each minute that passes. ‘So, he’s come back to the Village, huh? And he’s after Naruto?! What does this mean?!’ He asks himself as a familiar apartment complex comes into view.
Once reaching the desired floor, Sasuke rushes down the corridor, his eyes focused solely on one door in particular.
As soon as he’s close enough and wasting no time, he grips the handle and swings the door open, nearly running headfirst into Sakura as she tries to step out of the apartment.
The pinkette looks away from her dropped parcel and up to him in surprise, a smile forming on her face. “Hey, Sasuke—“
“Where is Naruto?” Sasuke questions impatiently, cutting the girl off.
Sakura stares up at him, confused. “Oh! Well, I don’t know. I just got here myself. I wanted to give Naruto some...sweets.” She informs, her sentence trailing off as the Uchiha turns and quickly runs off.
‘If Naruto gets caught, he’s dead!’ Sasuke thought to himself as he jumps from the landing and onto the road below, his pace not slowing as he charges down the street towards Ichiraku Ramen. ‘I won’t let that happen!’
By this point, he had reached the ramen shop’s entrance. “Old Man, Naruto stopped in here today. Do you know where he went after he left?!” He asks as he pushes back the curtain.
Teuchi stares at him for a moment before a look of understanding crosses his features. “Oh, sure. Naruto.” He muses, cupping his chin thoughtfully. “That’s right, let me see now... He met Master Jiraiya and Amaya-chan here around noon. Didn’t stay long after that, he finished his bowl and took off somewhere with them.”
“Did they say where?!” Sasuke asks again, taking a step backwards as he prepared to leave, his frustration growing when the older male shook his head. “Damn it!” He growls, pivoting on his heels and rushing back out onto the street, ignoring the mans scoldings for not buying any ramen after asking so many questions.
***
‘Somebody has to know where they went!’ Sasuke growls to himself as he begins to take the back alleyways that would get him to his next destination quicker. ‘If Amaya’s with Naruto, then she’s in danger as well! Itachi won’t care, he’ll kill anyone who gets in his way!’
Due to the Minamoto estate being on the outskirts of the Village and so close to that of the Uchiha, it didn’t take long for Sasuke to reach the gates of the compound. Slowing his pace to a light jog, he enters and begins looking around, trying to find the house that his brunette teammate lived in. He had only been inside the gates a handful of times that he could remember— two in fact— once with him, Itachi, and the second being when Naruto and Sakura had dragged him along to find Amaya a day or so after the funeral.
As he rounds the corner, he spots the familiar two-story house and picks up his pace, not bothering with the gate as he hops over the fence. Rushing up the steps and onto the porch, Sasuke brings his hand up and quickly bangs his fist against the door in a harsh knock.
With a small part of him hoping that Amaya was home and that she would be the one to open the door, the Uchiha was met with great disappointment when it swings open with a flourish to reveal a white-haired male wearing a pink apron.
‘Toshiaki... I haven’t seen him in years...’ Sasuke thought to himself, allowing his eyes to take in the older males form, internally cringing at the apron he donned.
“Can I help you?” Toshiaki questions rhetorically with a raised brow, a small twinge of annoyance filling him as he already guessed who the younger boy was looking for.
The question snaps Sasuke from his thoughts, prompting him to reply. “I need to speak to Amaya. Is she here?”
Toshiaki’s face screws up as he attempts to appear thuggish and intimidating— though in Sasuke’s eyes, he just looked constipated. He then leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms, revealing a duster in his right hand as well as blocking off the entrance to the house completely. “That depends, who’s askin’?”
Feeling his annoyance and frustration reach its boiling point, Sasuke scowls up at the male. “Look, I don’t have time for an interrogation! If she’s home, call her here now. It’s important!”
Toshiaki’s own eye’s narrow and he opens his mouth to respond, only to stop as another males voice calls out to him from inside the house.
“Oi, you’re letting all of the cool air out. Close the door—!” Kurai complains as he approaches from the living room, pausing when he catches sight of the peeved Uchiha at the door. “Oh, Sasuke, right?”
Sasuke nods, his jaw clenched. “Maybe you can help me, I’m looking for Amaya. Is she here?”
“Imouto left earlier with Old Man Jiraiya.” Kurai answers simply with a shrug as he shoves Toshiaki out of the way, ignoring his brothers squawk of protest as he steps closer to the door. “They were gonna go find Naruto to see if he wanted to tag along with them. Said something about finding our Godmother and bringing her back to the Village.”
Sasuke nods and takes a step back. “Did they say where they were headed?”
Suddenly, Kou approaches his brothers from behind and peers over their shoulders at the Uchiha, a cherry popsicle pinched lightly between his fingers. “Their first stop will probably be that outpost town a few miles out from the Village.” He replies before looking to his twin. “What was it called again, Kurai? Ota—?”
“Otafuku Town... Yeah, that’s it.” Kurai answers with a nod as his gaze meets Sasuke’s once more. “They’re with Jiraiya, so you can’t miss ‘em.”
“Jiraiya...?” Sasuke asks curiously, the name sounding familiar to him although he was unable to put a face to it.
“Yeah, he’s one of the Legendary Sannin...” Kou informs, trailing off at the boys confusion. “If you wanna find him, you’re gonna want to look for a big guy with a head full of white hair... He’s bit of a pervert, too, so he should be easy to find if there’s a lot of pretty women around.”
Sasuke nods. “A big guy, white hair. Otafuku Town... Got it.” He replies, pivoting on his heels and immediately taking off without so much as a thank you or goodbye.
***
The three Minamoto‘s watch as he disappears from sight, their own curiosity peaking at his obvious rush to find their sister.
“What do you think that was about?” Kou asks suddenly as he quickly tucks into his frozen treat to keep it from melting all over his hand.
Kurai, although he knew differently, sends a sly look Toshiaki’s way, his voice light and nonchalant. “Who knows? Lovers quarrel, perhaps?”
Kou, immediately picking up on his twin’s intentions, smirks widely. “Maybe she ditched a date to hang out with the Old Man and Naruto.”
Toshiaki pales at their words, the duster in his hand falling to the floor with a loud clatter. “D-Don’t be ridiculous... Amaya’s not interested in dating—“
“And how do you know that?” Kou questions, meeting the eldest’s gaze. “Why do you think she’d tell you anything about her lovelife...?”
If possible, Toshiaki’s face pales even more, and his expression does little to deflate the duos amusement. Both then chuckle to themselves and walk away, leaving their brother in a zombie-like state as he became lost in thought.
Toshiaki stands there for a moment longer before suddenly snapping to. He then slams the door shut and rushes after his two younger brothers, bellowing a loud, “TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!”
-Meanwhile; Otafuku Town-
“Naruto! Amaya!”
At Jiraiya’s beckoning, the two Genin look away from the fountain they were admiring and over to where he was standing at the front desk of the establishment.
“We’re gonna crash here tonight.” He informs, motioning them forwards before resting his hands on his hips.
Naruto stares up at him in disbelief. “What? But why? We can still walk...”
Jiraiya’s eye’s narrow slightly out of annoyance. “A disciple should always obey his master.”
“Look, I just want to learn some jutsu, okay?” Naruto replies as they come to a stop in front of the older male.
Jiraiya leans over slightly, wanting to be eye-level with the boy. “Yeah, no kidding. That’s what makes you a disciple.” He retorts before looking over the blond’s shoulder with a soft hum.
Wondering what captured his interests, Amaya and Naruto turn towards the entrance, both watching as a pretty woman with long black hair and wearing a short purple dress stroll by.
As if feeling their gazes, she pauses in her walk and turns to them, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she sends them a small coquettish smile.
Jiraiya and Naruto immediately begin giggling foolishly at the attention, their actions making Amaya flush from second-hand embarrassment as she turns to the receptionist— who sends her a pitying smile in return.
The mystery woman, as if spurred on by their reaction, blows a playful kiss, riling the two up even more.
“Heh-heh-heh, Naruto!” Jiraiya chortles, excited as he nudges the boys side with his elbow.
Naruto’s grin grows wider in response and it’s not long before the two are chanting together in unison. “Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah...!”
However, their rare moment of pervish camaraderie quickly ends as the Sannin turns to the blond and forcefully places a key in his hand, his expression clam and placid though his tone of voice was anything but. “Here’s the room-key. I want you both to go right up to the room... Train for a little, work on your chakra, then get to bed, okay?” He orders with a wide grin.
Naruto stares down at the key gobsmacked. “WHAT?!... Oh, so I suppose you’re gonna tell me it’s time for the grownups to play now?! Is that the vibe here, you big perv?!” He asks, his gaze leaving the key momentarily to send the older male a scathing glare.
Jiraiya lets out a bellowing laugh, clapping the blond roughly on the shoulder as he passes, beginning to strut towards the woman. “That’s the idea! Now you’re getting it, Kid! Don’t wait up...!”
At that point, the older male was at the woman’s side, taking her arm in his and making her swoon over his flirtatious remarks as he began leading her away from the hotel.
Amaya sighs and shakes her head at the Sannin’s actions. She then glances in Naruto’s direction, taking in his seething form for a moment before scooping Jiraiya’s luggage up from the floor and slinging it over her shoulder. “Saa~… C’mon, Naruto, lets go.” She grumbles, taking the key from his still opened hand and tugging him along by the sleeve of his jacket, listening quietly to the disgruntled blond’s complaints all the way up the stairs and to their room.
***
A few minutes later, both are sitting quietly on their own respective beds. Amaya, finishing up the scroll from before while Naruto multitasked by practicing on focusing his chakra and making clones.
The silence is broken, however, by the still upset Uzumaki. “Aw, man. Every single time I’m with that Pervy Sage, I always end up getting shafted.”
Amaya looks over to him, subconsciously kicking her legs in the air as she replies. “Saa~… You can’t tell me that you didn’t expect something like this to happen? It is Jiraiya...”
“I know, I know. But I’m starting to think he has no interest in training me at all.” Naruto grumbles as the clones sitting back-to-back with him growl angrily to themselves.
Amaya smiles softly at that and shakes her head with a small laugh as she returns her attention to the scroll before her. “I wouldn’t say that, Naruto... If he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t have helped you train or asked you to come along.”
Naruto doesn’t say anything in response and makes more clones, all sitting in the same position as him and all groaning in frustration.
Not long after, the sound of snoring fills the silence and Naruto opens his eyes to see all of the clones asleep in their various spots around the room. “Uh, guys, when did we decide it was nap time in here?”
As soon as the words leave his lips, there’s a knock at the door, the sound making the two Genin perk up and the clones disperse as Naruto lost focus.
“Ah, what now?” Naruto groans, hopping off the bed and slipping his shoes on before making his way towards the door. “Are you telling me she dumped you already?” He asks and when the knocking gets more insistent, he gets louder. “I heard you the first time!... Okay, hold on. Let me just unlock it.”
Amaya, deciding that watching Naruto was more interesting than reading, raises up to sit on her knees. It’s then she realizes that there were two chakra signatures outside of the door and that neither belonged to Jiraiya.
The realization has her springing up from her spot and putting her own shoes on. “Naruto, wait—“ She begins as she stumbles forward slightly, her words and breath catching in her throat as he opens the door to reveal a familiar, tall, and dark haired male with blood red eyes.
Itachi Uchiha.
Naruto stares up at the man, his own eyes wide and full of confusion and worry. ‘Sasuke...?’ He thought to himself before quickly shaking the thought away. ‘No. Who is he?’ He then focuses on the males eyes. ‘The same Sharingan as Sasuke’s.’
It’s then another voice speaks up as a second male steps out from behind Itachi, revealing his blue skin and shark-like features to the two Genin. “Heh, hard to believe that such a child carries the Nine-Tailed Fox.”
Naruto’s heart sinks to his stomach, his hand becoming clammy around the doorknob. ‘How does this guy know about the Nine-Tails?’
“Naruto, you’re coming with us.” Itachi informs, and when Naruto only continues to stare, he continues. “Why don’t we take a walk?”
At his words, Amaya surges forward and grabs Naruto’s collar, roughly pulling him out of the doorway. “NO, NARUTO!” She roars as she shoves him back, her eyes never leaving the two nins as her free hand finds purchase on the door, attempting to slam it shut.
Suddenly, a blue hand stops the door in its place, nearly cracking the wood from the force of its grip. Amaya looks up at the appendage, baffled, before trailing her gaze up the arm to the unknown nins face. He grins down at her, showing off his sharp teeth and Amaya bares her own in response as she presses her shoulder into the door. “Naruto! Go find Jiraiya! Hurry!”
Before the blond could do or say anything in response, the nin on the other side of the door speaks up again. “Now, now. There’s no need for that.” He simpers before his expression falls flat. He then pushes in on the door with a strength and speed the brunette wasn’t prepared for, making her stumble back with a yelp as it slams open with a loud bang.
Then, before she could regain her footing, he steps forward and grabs her arm, forcefully pulling her out of the room and pushing her roughly into the wall adjacent to the door.
“Amaya!” Naruto exclaims fearfully, taking a step forward.
The brunette sends him a sharp glower in response, the look making him pause. “Don’t just stand there! Get out of here, Naruto!”
“Hey, Kid...” The nin holding Amaya in place calls, immediately earning Naruto’s attention. “You don’t really wanna leave your friend here alone with us, now do you? C’mon, we just wanna talk.”
Naruto stares between the three for a moment, eventually deciding to ignore Amaya’s pleading gaze and step out into the hallway.
“Naruto—!” Amaya begins, exasperated, though her words catch in her throat once again as Itachi turns his attention to her. Blue clashes with Sharingan and although she tries, the brunette finds it hard to avoid his gaze.
“Amaya Minamoto.” The older Uchiha drawls apathetically, his expression blank and giving nothing away. “How long has it been?”
Amaya sneers up at him, her eyes fierce. “Not long enough! So why don’t you go and crawl back into whatever hellhole you’ve been hiding out in, huh?”
Itachi’s companion chortles at that and gives a wide, sharp-toothed grin. “Ooh, I like this one. She’s got spunk.”
Itachi doesn’t reply right away, opting to instead keep his gaze and focus on the brunette before him. However, when he does finally speak, his words make Amaya’s stomach knot up with unease. “Spunk gets you nowhere when you’re outmatched.”
Amaya barely has time to register the three tomoe of his Sharingan shifting before a dull pain begins emitting from her temple. It increases in intensity, forcing her to close her eyes and clutch at the side of her head with a grimace.
“Amaya!” Naruto exclaims, his eyes widening as the girl goes limp in the nin’s hold, her eyes glazing over as if she were in a trance.
...
As the pain fades away almost as quickly as it came, Amaya opens her eyes and feels nothing but dread.
The color red fills her vision.
It’s speckled on her cheeks, leaving behind an uncomfortable moisture. It coats her hands and runs down her wrists in thick streams, tainting them, staining them like dye to a white cloth.
The smell of iron invades her senses. It emits from the fatal wound she just caused. It’s in the nin’s breath as he gasps out in pain through his final moments of life. It’s so strong she can almost taste it on her tongue.
“It seems your hands are just as red as my own.” She hears Itachi murmur, and she can feel his gaze burrow into her in the most uncomfortable and invasive way.
Amaya squeezes her eyes shut, not wanting to meet the deceased nin’s gaze as the light fades from his own orbs, leaving them a murky and dull green. She wants to move— to back away— however, an unseen force keeps her in her place, making her relive the moment the Sound Ninja slumped further onto the blade.
“It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real....!” The brunette chants to herself, a sob bubbling from her throat as tears prick the corners of her eyes.
“A permanent reminder of the sin you committed.” Itachi voices again, making the brunette chant louder.
The atmosphere suddenly changes after that. Every sensation and sound fades, leaving the girl in an almost deafening and numbing silence. Then, out of nowhere, there’s a small wail— a cry that wasn’t her own.
Hesitantly opening her eyes, Amaya takes in the familiar room and her heart immediately drops into her stomach once again.
Dull walls, cold stone floors, and dim lighting that casts a harsh shadow upon the ANBU’s mask as he stands next to her in the doorway. She knows this place, and all too well.
Blue eyes take in the members of her family, all who were lost in their own feelings of grief, before they finally land on a stone table that sat in the center of the room— Or more specifically, the cloth covered form resting there.
There was a large hand peeking out from underneath the cloth and at its discovery, Amaya’s feet move on their own accord, taking her closer and closer until her hip grazed the tables edge.
She reaches out tentatively, her smaller fingers wrapping around her fathers much larger digits. Her heart shattering at the realization that what once provided a warm and comforting touch, was now cold and lifeless.
“Fate always has a way of coming full circle.” Itachi drawls from his place on the other side of the table. “A penance perhaps? A life for a life...”
For the first time since opening her eyes, Amaya’s gaze meets his. A sudden anger courses through her veins, replacing any trace of grief or fear that remained in her body. Her skin begins to tingle, almost thrumming as a heat begins burning in her chest. “Get out of my head.”
Itachi does nothing but stare back blankly, his face passive.
Amaya clenches her jaw, her anger growing as the heat began to spread like wildfire. “Get out of my head!”
“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”
Naruto, Itachi, and the unnamed nin watch in surprise as Amaya’s eyes snap open, her once vibrant blue orbs now replaced by a milky sheen.
Small and intricate patterns then begin to form on every visible portion of her body. They spread quickly, dancing across her skin in playful swirls and bold curves before giving off a faint glow. This, however, wasn’t the only visible change.
There’s a surge of chakra that surrounds the girl, practically emitting from her skin like the heat from a raging inferno. It’s pure and raw, and the power behind it makes the air crackle with energy. So much so that the three males next to her find it hard to breathe as a heavy pressure settles in their chests, forcing them to take a step back.
However, as soon as the changes appeared, they vanish without a trace— almost as if they never existed in the first place. Amaya slumps in on herself, crumpling to the floor unceremoniously with harsh pants, her eyes drooping from a sudden exhaustion.
Naruto softly calls out to the girl, though is unable to move towards her, his own body feeling heavy as lead from what he just witnessed.
Amaya doesn’t say anything in response, her face turning a sickly green color as a sudden bought of nausea washes over her.
The unnamed nin grins at this and turns to his partner. “All out of chakra... Heh, I forget how cruel you can be sometimes, Itachi. Though I’m surprised she was able to break free from your Genjutsu at all...” Trailing off at that thought, his grin grows wider. “You’re not goin’ soft on me now, are you?”
Itachi doesn’t dignify that with a response, his eyes remaining locked with Amaya’s as she musters just enough strength to glower up at him heatedly before falling unconscious. ‘Impressive. She broke through Tsukuyomiwith just her chakra alone— a feat not many can achieve easily... But still, I’ve never seen a Minamoto use such a technique. Not even him. Toshiaki.’
His companion chortles at his silence, shaking his head before turning his attention to a still horrified Naruto. “Hey, Itachi, it’ll be a pain in the neck if this one makes a run for it. Maybe I ought to chop off a leg, just in case?” He muses and when he receives no answer, he reaches for the hilt of the large sword strapped to his back and takes a step forward. “Right.”
It’s then that another chakra signature makes itself known at the end of the hall, immediately garnering Itachi’s attention. And even though he doesn’t move an inch, his words make the two males next to him freeze in their place.
“It’s been a long time... Sasuke.”