Hanabi's P.O.V
Our meeting at the gazebo had ended with both Itachi and Shisui heading back to the Uchiha district while I go back to my apartment.
Shisui, being older than both Itachi and I had informed us to start a series of training together for the time being. Starting from tomorrow.
The fatigue had killed me from the inside. During our farewell Itachi kept a close eye on me. He's still not over the fact that I have a Sharingan. I don't blame him either, since it's still news to me too.
The sky had fallen dark and the wind was getting cold. I shivered as I took the flight of stairs. With the shadows being completely dark, I'd overlooked the figure that leaned against the wall. From the looks of it, he was waiting for me.
"I have a lot of questions", Kakashi stepped into the light, revealing himself.
I had already anticipated this which is why I shift my weight on one leg and cross my arms over my chest.
"I'm tired of getting investigated", I inform nonchalantly. My life had took a major turn during less than forty-eight hours.
I've always resented our higher-ups and now I'm at risk of getting targeted by Danzo. Love that for me.
"Hanabi there's so much I want to ask you", Kakashi says, his voice was laced with some worry.
"I told you I'm tired", I insisted, giving him a stern look.
"Not so fast", Kakashi persists and stands as a barrier between me and my apartment's door.
"Why did you lie?", he narrowed his exposed eye and inspected my features, "you suddenly disappeared from the hospital when I checked in. Where'd you go?".
I sighed, rolling my eyes away from his gaze I slipped my index finger through the ring of Minato's Thunder God kunai and whipped it out, "I disappeared in search of this since I knew you're too busy to actually do it for me".
His eye darted to the kunai. I have subconsciously acquired the habit of holding out the Thunder God kunai like Minato always did. Which is why Kakashi was staring at me in recall.
"Hanabi, I waited for you all night at the hospital", Kakashi said sternly, his expression was accusing, "don't treat me like I'm clueless. Where did you go off to last night?".
"And don't you treat me like you're my chaperone or something!", I hiss back at him, my patience running thin, "those who had the right to question me like this died a long time ago". My chest tightened as these words left my mouth.
From Kakashi's current expression it was clear that I've pushed a button. I bit my tongue. I wanted nothing more than to take that back those words.
What've I done?
"Hanabi Namikaze", his abrupt voice alter made me flinch. His entire expression had become so formal, I'd have to blink twice before confirming that I'm talking to the same person, "Lord Third had summoned you to his office, you shall go tomorrow".
Yes. I have messed up indeed. I just took another person for granted.
"Yeah whatever", my tongue had moved on its own. I didn't wanna show any sort of weakness, not now anyways.
Internally, I was cursing myself out.
Externally, my pride had taken over, leaving me acting like a total brat.
Kakashi gave me the cold shoulder and began to walk away. I lowered my head and stood cemented to my place. I held my breath tight as he passed me, our shoulders brushed against one another then he suddenly halted.
"You know we're the same, Hanabi. When the darkness of the Third Great Ninja War finally ended, I was left hollow. It wasn't until I was appointed the mission to babysit a four-year-old Hanabi Namikaze that I finally began feeling human emotions again. Love it or hate, I won't let any harm get to you".
As he left these words hanging in the air, he instantly disappeared, leaving me to finally unleash the muffled shrieks I've suppressed.
I frantically searched for the apartment key and inserted it in lock. Once I was in I closed the door shut. I didn't bother changing my current attire, instead I jumped on my bed and buried my face in my pillow.
I have no idea why I started crying so hysterically like this. I just know that it hurts, right in my chest. It aches like no other time.
Minato, Kushina and Kakashi.
It feels like I have never been fine in my entire life, but at the same time, this feeling wasn't alien at all.
All I remember is that I cried myself to sleep afterwards.
The next morning, I woke up, my eyes sticky and crusty from the dried tears of last night. I forced myself out of bed and hopped in the shower.
Today was training day, when I dried off my hair I draped out some new clothes on my bed.
My normal attire was dirty from the encounters of the past two days. And now, I was left, not knowing what to wear.
After about ten minutes I decided to go for the fishnet tank top and wear a black turtleneck over it. The long sleeves should keep me warm.
I picked out some baggy pants to go with, finishing off the look with my silver knee-high ninja shoes.
I tied the leaf headband around my right thigh. I rarely tie it around my forehead.
I made sure to take my ninja tools with me before heading out.
Shisui had said that we'll train on formations as well as help me utilize the Sharingan. If we were to ever fight Root Anbu again, we'll have to be stronger, together.
I decided to skip breakfast today since I wasn't feeling it.
I frowned when I spot the Hokage's building. I decided to ignore Lord Third's request for now, since I wanted to train first.
I scurried off to where Shisui had told us to meet.
The location was somewhere in the darker woods of the Hidden Leaf Village. From the corner of my eye, I spot a speeding kunai targeting me.
I twirl swiftly on my heel, successfully dodging it.
"You're good", Shisui hurled through the shadows of a giant tree.
I look over my shoulder and spot Shisui and a smirking Itachi who fixes his gaze elsewhere.
"What's up with the attire change?", Itachi inquires, making sure to busy himself by tracing his finger along the sharp tip of a kunai.
"Nothing that concerns you", I remark, whipping out Minato's kunai.
I really need to get my hands on more Teleportation kunais. The problem is that Minato had custom made his, which makes the formula somewhat a secret.
Itachi was stretching out his muscles at the moment.
It was an off day for both Itachi and Shisui, making it the perfect opportunity for us to train.
"So I was thinking", Shisui began, darting glances between us, "I've had this formation in my mind since last night".
"Which is?"
"Well...um...technically there's a flaw", Shisui began rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "Hanabi I'm guessing you can't do the Fireball Jutsu?", Shisui had held his breath in anticipation.
"No...", I shook my head in a disappointing way, "I'm sorry.."
"Don't be", Shisui smiled genuinely, "But I need to know what kind of releases you can perform".
"Right", I fidgeted with Minato's kunai in one hand and informed.
"Lightning release, Fire release, Wind release, Yin and Yang release".
Shisui and Itachi swapped a glance.
"Splendid! You have Fire release as well?", Shisui questioned in disbelief.
"Yes"
"Ok, that's somewhere to start. I also realized that your Teleportation Technique and my Body Flicker Technique are somewhat similar".
"Right, so for this formation to work, I need to know how to perform the Fireball Jutsu, right?", I ask, involuntary disregarding his last remark.
"Pretty much, the formation mostly depends on you being able to perform the Fireball Technique", Shisui elaborates while Itachi listens.
"What about my Sharingan?", I inquire, my brows creasing, "I want to put it to good use".
"You already can", Itachi chirped in, his voice calm like usual, "combining the prowess of the Sharingan with your Teleportation Technique makes you quite formidable".
"But how much can I extend the Sharingan's power? How do I unlock other powers of the Sharingan?", I ask, which makes Shisui and Itachi exchange a curt glance.
"Listen", Shisui began, his tone serious again, "tell when you first unlocked your Sharingan".
I took a moment to remind myself of yesterday's indiscretions.
"When that shop keeper was going to hurt Naruto..."
"And how do you exactly feel towards Naruto?".
I sighed and answered, "He's Minato's orphan, you can already piece how I feel about him. He's like a little brother..."
For some reason Itachi's eyes had lit up as I said those words.
I'd only watched over Naruto on several limited occasions. Lord Third had strictly forbade me from telling him about his parents. Which he has all the right to take such measures, but he failed to make the villagers understand that Naruto isn't a rampaging monster.
This is a part of the reason why I feel bittersweet towards our Hokage. He'd let Orochimaru go after all that he's done and now, his rogue disciple has set eyes on the village.
"Sharingan awakens when the life of a beloved one is threatened. You feel like you can't accept losing them, as a result, your visual prowess evolves", Shisui explains, but I already know that..
"I'm talking Mangeykō Sharingan, Shisui", I lucidly say.
My statement took Shisui and Itachi by surprise.
"You...want to...unlock your Mangeykō?", Itachi inquires in disbelief.
"I've...heard that it allows you to use some strange humanoid...", I trail off, my mind trying to make me recall the information I'd gathered about the Sharingan.
"Susano'o", Shisui whispers as he looks at my face intently.
"Yes, Susano'o", I affirmed.
Shisui looked surprised for a moment. Itachi didn't know what to say to this.
Then, Shisui placed a firm calloused grip on my shoulder and said, "let's taking this easy. We still need to learn about your origins. So let's not rush things. You Sharingan is the biggest evidence that implies to some Uchiha heritage. It's traditional that every Uchiha learns the Fireball Jutsu. So please don't rush because of impulses".
I remained in my place, taking in what he'd just said.
"I could help you learn Genjutsu", Itachi offered, taking me by surprise.
"You'd...do that?", I muttered, looking at him wide eyed.
"Sure", he assured, giving me one of his vibrant smiles.
"But since you're an Uchiha Rookie then you should learn the Fireball Jutsu", Shisui chirped in, his tall figure looming over me.
"Pfft, bring it on", I smirked with full confidence.
The Genjutsu part thrilled me.
Shisui had smirked back and said, "now observe the hand signs closely".
He positioned himself carefully.
"Horse, serpent, ram, monkey, boar, horse, and tiger", Shisui finished weaving the hand signs, "you'll be able to do it without weaving hand signs once you get more advanced".
"An now", Itachi's voice catches my attention, "you focus your chakra at a single point in your chest and release".
"...uh...Roger..."
"Now", Shisui ordered, his voice a bit high, "activate your Sharingan", he orders.
"What?", my brows creased.
"We're not actually going to take a whole day trying to teach you the Fireball Jutsu now are we?", he smiles, "you'll copy it with your Sharingan".
"What?!", I stammer, staring between them, "can I do that?".
"Well of course silly".
That does not sound like something Shisui would say, but yeah..
"Fine...", I mutter under my breath and inhale. I close my eyes, feeling the intense stare of Itachi upon me.
The shocked expression on Itachi's face meant that my Sharingan was activated.
Shisui had smirked then and backed away.
I still need to get used to this 20/10 vision I currently have.
"Ok"
Instinctively, Shisui had started blurting out the hand signs all the while performing them.
"Horse! Serpent! Ram!..."
Automatically, my hands had followed lead as I involuntary began repeating Shisui's words. My eyes were fixated on on his hand signs. It's like my body had totally moved by its own will rather than mine.
"Monkey! Boar! Horse! Tiger!"
"Monkey! Boar! Horse! Tiger!"
I was doing everything in a haste, which seemed to be the whole basis of the Sharingan.
Instinctively, both of us raised two fingers and I made sure to focus my chakra at a single point in my chest like Itachi had said.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
And let's just say that of it weren't for Itachi's water release, this place could've caught a wild fire.
"Woah..", I mumbled.
"You did it", Itachi chuckled, making me...blush...
My eyes were broadened and my mouth parted when Shisui announced, "now let's work on the following formation".
Itachi had gave me a heads up then gave me a wink which Shisui didn't notice. I blushed...what?
"Formation A: The Three Spots of Flames"
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A/N:- The good parts are on their way, don't go anywhere. Also, I know it's probably a little too late to say this, but excuse any grammatical errors you've encountered throughout reading this story. It's either that I didn't proofread or I messed up my writing. So yeah...English is actually my third language.
~A