[new timeline]
Promises are always shallow and broken promises are the reason why people are scared to trust again - It is always that this phrase often comes into my mind whenever I'm all alone. It's as if that phrase was imprinted inside me, or maybe someone programed it on me. Sometimes, I wonder why but sometimes I don't. 18 years of living my whole life, I haven't yet experienced being broken, or had my trust broken by someone whom I trusted. I rarely trust someone - and it's a matter of fact.
I only trust my beliefs and that is my principles of being a ninja. I serve the Lord Hokage, I serve the village but sometimes I feel like I once served death.
"Uchiha Itachi died fighting a rouge shinobi from the mist."
Sunlight was covered by the gloomy clouds. It's as if the clouds knew that the people below them are mourning and decided to take an action that sunlight is not appropriate for the mood.
In an instant after hearing the news of my fellow ninja died, I found myself in front of the KIA stone. An oddity - might I presume. I am someone who doesn't possesses compassion. Maybe I feel bad for the clan's heir to die early and young. He's about my age, I guess. This is the first time I joined them mourning over someone's death. My heart aches whenever I hear his family's cries.
Something I can't understand.
They are not related to me, nor am I. I just knew them as a colleague. Nonetheless, they are all strangers.
I was down on my knees, still looking in nothingness while my back leaning on the KIA Stone. I'm not crying like what Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Sasuke was doing. I don't even know what am I doing, or why am I even here but body language tells me that I should stay until Uchiha Itachi's name finally carved in the stone.
Something inside me doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that I feel relieved after they finally carved his name on it. It was obvious that he'll be named hero for protecting the village against rouge but to this extent that I'll feel relieve like this? Absurdity.
"Reika" a voice interrupted my peaceful slumber. It was from Uchiha Shisui - a comrade of mine. we belong to the same unit before but ever since the Hokage requested me to regroup with the Assassination unit, we rarely met. "What are you doing here? Lord Fugaku was here."
I stood up, gently wiping my but to assure that there has no trace of dirt from sitting on the ground, "yeah, I saw him with his family." I told him. "It's not my intention to listen to their cries. I just find it troublesome to stand up and leave so I stayed." I shrugged.
"I see. Everyone's mourning." He said in his mournful voice. Probably because he was Itachi's best friend and closest cousin. I heard they often teamed-up because their abilities matched up whenever they're together. They were proclaimed as prodigies, in lined with Hatake Kakashi.
"Well, it's Itachi." I paused after whispering that. Thankful that Shisui didn't heard that.
'It's Itachi'? I repeated my words. It's not I knew him personally but to utter that word? This day is surely odd. I know that he was a great and fine shinobi. I heard that he once prevented something chaos inside the village with the help of someone I don't know. He was great - it's a confession from me. I heard a lot of great things from him, so maybe that's the reason why I also find myself mourning over his death. He's a great loss because he is Uchiha Itachi.
"How about you? What are you doing here, Shisui?" I asked him after contemplating. "Aren't you supposed to be in cemetery rather than here?"
"I waited until his name was carved." He answered without hesitations. Again, the feeling of being relieved emerges inside me. It's as if my feelings corresponds to how Shisui valued Itachi. It was as if I am glad that someone remembers him as a hero and not just... not just what?
"Are you okay?" Shisui asked upon noticing my sudden groan. "You look pale bro."
Pale? I am perfectly confident that I have taken care of myself well. I do not enjoy putting myself at risk. I am no masochist.
"My head aches a lot today. Maybe I should grab a little nap for a while." I told him. "Today's a bit... unusual."
After bidding goodbyes, I teleported above the Hokage monument. I sat above the branch of the tree and leaned myself on the trunk so I could catch a rest. This is where the best spot to look for the aerial view of the village and this is the spot that often comforts me whenever I feel disturbed.
I told Shisui that I wanted to rest but what I am doing right now was the opposite. I'm overthinking again, the flow of thoughts inside my head was uncontrollable. It's irritating. I understand that my genetics suggest that my clan is good at thinking but to overthink this much, over a death of someone I barely knew? That's unconvincing. The fact that I felt different emotions earlier petrified me. My clan hate uncertainties - we feared something we can't figure out. For it may cause unknown damage to us.
I am from the Nara clan. I am Nara Reika from the second branch.
I mourned over someone's death, I felt relieve, I felt sad, I felt like... I am broke and someone I trusted broke my trust. These emotions - I am not used to feel those. Maybe that's the reason why am I overthinking about this.
"Promises are always shallow and broken promises are the reason why people are scared to trust again" I uttered nowhere.
Suddenly, nostalgia hit myself after the moonlight touched my bare face. I tried to remember but nothing came up. I tried to recall whatever I have forgotten but nothing came up. I feel I'm forgetting something but I can't remember. Maybe I should talk with Inoichi-san so I could figure what kind of dilemma I was facing.
"In the first place, why would you promise when you know that there's a hint of uncertainties?" I asked, corresponding to the phrases I just uttered. "And why hope for something you can't even grasp? Are people usually this dumb?"
I don't understand.
( -_- )
I feel mad.
"I am confident that I am doing my best in ANBU. I have done a lot of things for the village and for the reputation of ANBU." I hissed, not minding that the people around me are suffocated because of my KI. "I love my job here in this organization." In this gloomy organization - might I add.
After having a talk with Inoichi-san, I never knew that he'll instantly tell the Lord Hokage about my condition. I felt betrayed, I thought that our conversation will remain in secret. Yes, I told him that I am afraid that this disruptions that keeps happening inside me jeopardize my crucial missions but I told him that I can still handle that!
"Reika." I stopped when I heard Lord Hokage's stern voice. He countered my KI - the reason why he's able to talk back. "Lower your KI." He commanded so I did lower. "I have come to this conclusion last 3 years ago after your returned from your assassination mission. It was Uchiha Itachi who suggested that I should reconsider of regrouping you with his unit. He told me that your skills were advance and is suitable in the Special Jonin Unit."
Eyes widened, I absentmindedly cried. I can't believe I cried in front of the Hokage. In the first place, why would that dead man thought about my well-being? Did he just say last 3 years? Does that Uchiha Itachi usually categorizes someone?
A recommendation. I don't know what to feel. A recommendation from someone above me is rare. Recommendation for an ANBU soldier to be placed on SJU is uncommon. I only knew Hatake Kakashi was once recommended to join SJU and the recommendation was from the Hokage himself.
For a façade, it was a demotion but it was not. Special Jonin Unit is one of the higher Unit of ANBU Organization. The members of this unit are not to be discrete unlike what the other units was doing. SJU was under the command of the Hokage and Jonin Commander.
So how in hell did Uchiha Itachi figured my abilities? Does he had hawk-eye?
"Lord." I called. "Are you really serious? This is the Special Jonin Unit we are talking about. If this is a prank, I would reign chaos, I am serious." I warned him, only to earn a light chuckle from him. I sighed of relief. I have so many questions about that man who recommended me but he's already dead. I can't ask someone who's dead. So, I have no choice but to bury these questions in depths of wherever.
Our conversation was cut when Uncle Shikaku entered the office. He was surprised to see my eyes shine - a reminder of being thankful for interrupting my dreadful conversation with the Lord. Well, he made me cry. I do not enjoy crying.
A shinobi must not cry.
"Did you make her cry, Lord?" Uncle Shikaku stoically asked, not really concerned whether the Hokage made me cry of not. Lord God, I just really hope his child won't become like him. "Never mind, anyways..." And there he walked up towards the lord and handed him a bunch of papers, probably finished important papers.
"Oho, so the genin graduation is up?" Lord Hokage asked.
"Uh... can I leave now?" I deadpanned. I am not supposed to heard about this conversation. Besides, I have to contemplate again. I just received another promotion-demotion from the Hokage himself. It's not something I can take in one shot. I am an overthinker myself.
I left his office after he approved my request to leave now. Uncle Shikaku asked me to join their dinner but I declined since mother said that father will come home after his diplomat mission to the land of the wind. I could only think that mother will surely prepare a banquet-type of a meal tonight and I can't hide my excitement.
I stopped at the convenient store in the town to buy a bottle of alcohol. And then I found myself walking towards the KIA stone. I sat myself down the grass while my eyes are fixated on the stone, carefully scanning Uchiha Itachi's name. I opened the bottle and drank it up before releasing a sigh of disbelief.
I can't acknowledge the fact that it was a dead man whom recommended me for the position I have always wanted. Every genin probably wanted to join ANBU Assassination unit or Intelligence unit but as for me, what I wanted was to join the SJU. It was a cool unit - I first thought. I feel like I'll gain a lot of experience there, I'll grow more because Special Jonin Unit was always exposed. I feel like my childhood dream is in front of me by now, and is just waiting for me to grasp it and never let it go but I don't know why am I hesitating. Maybe because my recommendation comes from someone about my age and is now dead? Or maybe because I can't thank him enough for making me achieve my dream? I don't know.
I was intrigued on how he categorized my abilities. I want to know, from someone who was great as him, how he graded my abilities. I want to know his feedback, his remarks... and how he view me. I don't know, I have no recollection of feeling like this before.
Uchiha Itachi - something was telling me that I should forget his name by now. It's urging me to forget about him now. I was torn in between - the reason why I'm here, drinking like a madwoman.
"Ever since you died... something has changed." I drank another bottle after feeling my throat dried. "Who are you Uchiha Itachi?"
How in hell, does your death affected me this way? Up until now, I feel like someone robbed the light inside me. I feel like I have no grasp of my emotions ever since that man died. I feel like I'm another person, feeling a lot of oddity every day, every single day. It was confusing.
Maybe I half-agreed to Inoichi-san's suggestion that I should leave the gloom. That maybe I feel tired for staying for so long and now that my mind wanted to have a new environment. Half of it doesn't want to agree.
I was just shocked and confused. "Why do I have to feel pain after your death?"
( - _ - )
"Uzumaki Naruto?" I asked the lord third after he handed me the profile of a fresh-graduated genin. "If my memory serves me right. This is the Lord Fourth's... and is now the Nine Tails's vessel." I told him. My pacifism tells me not to be angry but as a human, I can't accept the fact that the current lord agreed to treat the child like this. He was hated by the village! He didn't do anything wrong. He was just a child!
"Yes. I understand why your chakra spiked but this is for the better." He said. I almost scoffed. Better? Kushina-sama and Minato-sama would never do this to anyone. The council.. yes, the council must be the one who's behind for that kid's isolation. I heard that Shimura Danzo was killed years ago for a treason - one of the reason why the council should undergo renewal. They are now bunches of oldies that is needed to be replaced. Thankfully, Uchiha Shisui's a member of the council and is now a moderator.
He was the one who proposed protection for Naruto's well-being. That proposal was backed up by the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clan which surprises everyone. Perhaps the clan heads were once friends with Minato-sama, they wanted to protect the child. Later on, the Hyūga, Aburame, Inuzuka and Hatake backed Shisui's up - they won and defeated the two councilmen. Well, that's one of the controversial before.
I sighed, "what do you want me to do with him?" I could only think of one thing but I wanted to hear it from him.
"I have Hatake Kakashi in my mind to be his Jonin leader." So, Hatake Kakashi is now handling two unit. A teacher? Really? I think it's out of his character or maybe not. "But I doubt he could take care of Naruto. I have him teach Uchiha Sasuke."
Brilliant but I find it agitating. Hatake Kakashi possesses a Sharingan from Uchiha Obito, and having him as the Uchiha's heir Jonin leader... a non-Uchiha but possesses the Sharingan. But as long as this was approved by Lord Fugaku, I would not say anything... for now. I have a bad feeling for Hatake Kakashi's Sharingan. I can't figure it out.
"This decision was approved by the Uchiha council themselves." He said upon finding out my thoughts.
"I see, then what do you want me to do? Aren't the genin teams composed of 3 in a group? Who's the other one?" I asked.
"Haruno Sakura. I'll leave that child to you also." He said, inhaling another smoke from his pipe. "You are to help Kakashi, Reika. Naruto is a Jinchūriki and is a hybrid of Namikaze and Uzumaki and Sasuke is an Uchiha. Both were from powerful clans. I suppose you now understand."
Of course, having a word gets out about Naruto's lineage will put our village in threat. Lord Minato has a lot of enemies until now. Lord Fugaku as well. It's a no wonder why he's concerned but the thing is, Naruto is a vessel for the nine tails. It is something that should be concerned.
"I have thought of placing you with Asuma's team since it was composed of your clan, Yamanaka and Akimichi." Hmm, so the second generation of Ino-Shika-Cho was born. Asuma can take care of them. He's as good as his father. "But I think Kakashi needs you more than your clan. Your skill in Fūinjutsu is needed - while it was branded as uncommon to your clan, you possesses the ability to use it."
Indeed, uncommon. My clan specializes shadow possession and intelligence but I am different. I can't use shadow possession so I doubled my training when I was a kid. I opened myself for Fūinjutsu and Kenjutsu. Ninjutsu is my core but I still excel in two, making them pronounce me as one of the aces of the leaf.
"You want me to secure his seal every time."
"Yes."
"Very well." I told him. "I'll do as you plan, Lord."
I want to ask about Naruto's seal key but I refrained. That matter is out of my grasp so I shouldn't pry too much. All in all, I only have to make sure that his seal would not be weaken to avoid the resurrection of the Nine Tails. Jiraiya-sama, the toad sage must have the key. For he was Naruto's grandfather and is Minato-sama's teacher. I know that he's also a Fūinjutsu master like me. So, I guess, the key is with the safe hands.
"Another thing, Reika." I paused. "Hatake Kakashi is unstable. He'll probably think of his team as his previous one. I want you to help him."
Help him. I think that is a ridiculous request. The only thing that I could do was to make him realize the word of moving forward. But who am I to tell him that? It's not that we're close, or already close. I don't to pry over his life but the Hokage wanted me.
"Why would I?" I asked nonchalantly. "His life, his choice - might I conclude. Lord, if a person were bound to fall in darkness, their life will be swallowed in nothingness. I don't know Hatake Kakashi, nor have I seen him, but I only knew one thing... his loyalty lies within the village that he wouldn't do something that may harm those kids."