The Real Me

63

The young man happily slurped his bowl of noodles and told them to stay safe and not go out during bad weather. His quiet companion paid for the food and they all left the shop.

"That young kid reminded me of him..." Teuchi's daughter spoke with a sigh, picking up the bowls and washing them.

Teuchi lowered the curtains and shut the shop with a heavy sigh as well, "Yeah...me too."

Both of them quietly closed the shop and continued work, as they reminisced about that bright child who came to their shoo every other day. The were blissfully unaware of the fact they had just met him once more, but couldn't recognize him.

The three men continued to walk along the river, while the villagers rushed to get in.
Rain had already started falling lightly, covering the village in a hazy screen.

For a while no one spoke, and they continued walking. They finally halted when two figures appeared from the other end.

Asuma and Kurenai casually walked up the road, chatting about something. Maybe it wouldn't have been as suspicious if they weren't walking randomly in the rain.

Both parties stopped when they came face to face, and stood there silently for a while.

"Who are you?" Asuma asked. Obviously he knew who they were, but still he asked, trying to act relaxed.

Kisame sneered.

A second later both parties were at each other's throat.
Kisame and Asuma were locked in a deadlock, with Kisame's sheathed Samehada pressing down on Asuma Chakra blade knuckle, while Asuma pushed back with equal strength.
Kurenai had leaped behind Itachi and put a kunai against his neck, while he simply stood there.

There was another person, who had been left unattended. But he just stood there and watched. Kurenai and Asuma exchanged glances and Asuma kicked back Kisame and rolled back, throwing a few kunais in the third person's direction.

Surprisingly, they hit him square in the abdomen and lodged in his stomach.
For a second the Konoha Jonins dared to hope that they actually got him.
But that hope soon dissipated when the person vanished in a poof if smoke. Just a clone.

A bead of sweat appeared on Kurenai's forehead as she realised that there is probably one more member out there in the village somewhere.

She was still thinking when she felt Itachi move.

"Don't you dare move." She spoke sternly, pressing the kunai down upon his neck.
Itachi ignored the knife as he glanced at the lady behind him.
They locked eyes and Kurenai's eyes widened as she saw him activate his Sharingan.

Quickly jumping back, she cast a genjutsu on him, which distorted the distance between them.

At the same time Asuma punched Kisame and he pushed into Itachi, making Itachi stumble towards a tree. Kisame scoffed as he picked himself up, sparing not even a glance at his partner. He turned to Asuma and spoke, "You're good."
Asuma flicked his wrists and adjusted his blade knuckles, "You think so?"

Kisame finally fully faced him, and unwrapped the bandage around Samehada, "But no match for me." He grinned as he landed heavy blows on the Jonin before him, Asuma doing his best to defend himself.

At the same time, Itachi was trapped in a genjutsu under the tree, immobilising him.
To the naked eye it would seem that he was just standing under the tree and not moving, but in the genjutsu, Kurenai had appeared out of the tree, ad held a chakra string to his neck.
Itachi looked at her with unimpressed eyes, causing Kurenai to frown.

"Do you really think such low level genjutsu could ever work on me?" Itachi spoke slowly.
Kurenai tightened her grip on the kunai, pressing down on his throat. To her surprise, a thin line of blood appeared on her neck.