Kairos |An Itachi Uchiha Story|

ix.and this journey

She wanted to say her first move against the almighty famous Uchiha prodigy was something brave or amazing. But honestly, she was too nervous to summon something other than a rather not so fluent flame.

Her fingers moved fast to blow the fire of her bird before she jumped away, knowing it would do nothing.

"Lesson learned... The old lady says study water jutsu, learn to fucking listen." She grumbled before hearing a chuckle that made her heart skip a beat.

"I didn't know you swore, Aiko." She jumped back and dodged the ball of lightning that crackled lightly so close to her ears.

"Trying to take me out already, weasel butt?" She jumped away to dodge another before using an arm to swing up a tree and land. Cursing mentally at the slight strain before dodging hits left and right. Sighing mentally in relief when she received an opening.

She felt her chakra draining as she summoned a fireball and wind chakra to enforce it. She sprinted as soon as she got the chance, hopping from tree to tree.

Tub of lard...

She mentally grumbled at the weight that weighed on her shoulder and was glad she remembered her right hand was dominant. It took her forever to learn one-handed jutsu but knew enough to not fail with her dominant hand. Her left hand, however, made her cringe at how horrible it did on its own.

She heard the sound of footsteps behind her and it made her heart beat faster as she realized they belonged to more than one person. She stopped and leaned against a tree to breathe. Closing her eyes she sunk her chakra into the ground and took a breath.

4... 8... 9?

She wanted to scream.

She rarely left Konoha and when she did, she was attacked. She hopped down from her branch and landed in an opening to see two of the rogues close by. She had gently sat the body behind a tree before she felt a presence behind her.

"There's so many.." She whispered to the Uchiha behind her who nodded silently.

"Do you think we can by-"

"Get them!"

"-pass them." She finished in disappointment before going into an offensive posture. She heard Itachi take off toward the rogues as she started weaving hand signs freely.

"Just take it easy girly, Orochimaru offered a nice price for you, so let's make this quick!" She laid her palm on the ground with a glare and watched as lightning attacked over half of the group of men before taking off for the rest with a barrage of chakra controlled weapons. Her hands tried not to shake at the amount of blood spilled, she knew she would have an opportunity to think about it later and that it would make her sick. She was always sick after a long bloody mission and she was even haunted during her nights.

But she knew she was honestly doing this to herself, she was taught that the negative memories of the people she has touched will come back to her if she ever allowed her mind to fall weak. But she has, she's so guilty of being weak, frail and wishing for something that will never happen.

She was only hurting herself.

She jumped back before weaving hand signs once more to summon another flame bird and it engulfed some as she tried to navigate without making contact. Itachi suddenly appeared behind her and it made her jump out of her skin before she took off with another barrage.

When the two had finished off the last rogue of the group, Aiko's breaths were heavy as she took off her mask and sat with a leg bent and another extended.