“If you want to survive around here, never let down your guard.” It felt like a lifetime ago when he was the one saying those words.
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It was a perfect day.
The calming, heavy raindrops was heard inside the cave he was in. The cave was dim, and chilly – it was almost uncomfortably cold, and that is saying something with someone like Itachi that usually enjoy cold temperature.
Still, the long-haired Uchiha still consider this a perfect day – a depressing, rainy day for a risky, tripled ‘s’-ranked mission.
As today, was officially the day, he joined the humble organization of Akatsuki.
He was still in his ANBU uniform, drenched in sweat and rain. He didn’t bother changing, feeling a bit sentimental with the hardwork he did just to have this uniform.
The uniform represent many things. It represents that he is more – valuable and important than most nins as not everyone could be given the privilege to be offered to join the ANBUs.
Secondly, it represents that he had more than enough experience when it comes to fighting, as he’s a captain – a leader. The Hokage gave them assignments, mission whilst he lead his teammates how to complete them.
It was like playing chess. The Hokage stands as the timer, the judge, or the audience – whilst Itachi was a player and they were the pawns. He control the next move, he’s the mastermind.
As now, he’ll do the complete opposite of what he is used to. He’s going to blindly follow orders that’s given to him.
The thought was nearly enough to make him retreat. Almost.
Lastly, it represents that he is, strong and strong-willed. That he could stomach nearly everything that is thrown to him. He could stomach the sight of a body that was brutally murdered, he could stomach to and is expert to lie when the situation demands it. He knows hows to manipulate and persuade anyone to give him anything that he wants from them.
Don’t get him wrong. It wasn’t a honorable job. As most ANBUs usually abuse their special privileges in questionable ways. Just like how his fellow ANBUs tortured the Uzumaki boy – those people wasn’t punished with their wrongdoings, they continue to live on and enjoy their life whilst someone’s life was ruined by their actions.
And now . . .
And now, he don’t have a choice but to strip it off and replace it with something else. With a hideous, uncomfortable cloak that’s plastered with horrible, ugly red clouds.
And what’s worse is he is required to wear it proudly.
Uchiha Itachi isn’t one to wear ‘extra’ clothes.
He is still a proud, honorary member of the ANBU Black Corps. He will make sure that when the time comes and he is allowed to take off this thing, he will come home with a positive results. He will tolerate this horrendous uniform for the meantime and put his mission to his first priority; collecting important informations about the organization and spy (and try to bring back) Uzumaki Naruto.
“Uchiha Itachi, was it? Come inside and meet the others.”
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“Goodmorning!.”
Everyone inside the room had to resist the urge to put cottons in their ears to make sure their ears won’t get damage or irritated as their blond, loudmouth member had arrived – with a gift.
“Welcome back.” Konan calmly greeted him. If she were curious by the box that was clumsily wrapped, then she didn’t looked like it.
Konan observe how the blond was practically vibrating with glee. “I assume it was a success?.”
Naruto grinned, showing off his sharp fangs. “Mhm! It was damn easy too!.”
He really should lessen spending time with Hidan, speaking of, “That’s great. I expected no less from you.” She said gently, “However, I remember giving you that mission with a partner.”
It was possible for Naruto’s grin to grew wider, he was lucky to have ears to stop them from reaching the back of his head.
“What do you think this contain?.” He asked cheekily.
From a distance, they could heard Kakuzu snorting in amusement. “I knew there’s a reason why I like you kid.” He said maniacally as he approached them, taking the box from Naruto’s hands and opened it.
“Damn you ‘kuzu! Do you know how smelly and traumatizing it is to be locked in a small space with a head?!.” Hidan screamed to Kakuzu’s face, his voice kept raising octave, turning into high-pitch once he was ending his rant.
“Atleast now you know how your victims feels when they saw you still alive with just a head.” Naruto retorted.
Kakuzu shower no mercy as he gripped on Hidan’s greasy silver hair threw him across the room. “You should give this to them to get the money while it’s recognizable.” He suggested and was already thinking how much money Naruto would receive.
“That’s enough.” Naruto involuntary straighten when he heard Pein’s cold, emotionless voice. He swears that if a corpse could talk, it would sound like Pein’s voice. That’s just how creepy it is.
“Naruto, both of you are late. Explain.” Pein’s strong voice continue to affect Naruto. “It was all Hidan’s fault! He kept saying he wants to have fun with the old geezer a bit, I kept saying he should just be quick with it.” He reasoned.
“Motherfucker! Am I the one who insist to eat fucking barbeque before returning?!.”
“I was famished because of how long it took you to finish the damn job, asshole!.”
“Why didn’t you helped me then?! Oh right, itty-bitty little Naruto was too affected because Konoha is just a few miles away –” Hidan choked as Naruto started to kept stomping on his face, with enough force to make the back of the head bleed.
Konan grimaced as Hidan’s blood started to messily splurt across the room, dhebwas careful that none of it would lamd on her.
Pein watched with passive face, showing no discomfort nor disgust, as if the scene infront of him was boring him to death.
“Is that true, Naruto?.” Pein interjected at last, grabbing Naruto by his arms and pulling him away.
“Stupid, ignorant – asshat, I’m going to kill even if it’s the last I’ll do! –” Pein dugged his dark, sharp nails into Naruto’s flesh making the blond wince. “With your reaction, you looked really defensive.” Pein said bluntly as he continues to stare down at his blond subordinate.
Pein’s eyes flicked towards the shadowy part of the room, making him remember that they had a new member to welcome. “We will continue this later.” Pein said with his authorative voice, leaving no room for complaints.
“As today, we have a new member to welcome.”
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Once Naruto’s loud ‘goodmorning’ was heard. Everyone had diverted their attention on the approaching figure, Itachi waited in anticipation as the footsteps grew louder and louder.
Their calculating eyes that was previously focused on him was immediately grabbed by the blond, It didn’t escape his notice how they grew . . . softer.
He managed to keep his emotions in check, the surprising revelation didn’t blown his cover.
Itachi grew more calmer as one by one, they left him and converse with the Uzumaki boy.
Itachi ignored the pang of relief he felt once he finally saw the complete image of Naruto. He was relieved to see that Naruto looked well, healthier than he ever did in Konoha.
He just didn’t expect for him to have a dirty mouth. As he personally knew the boy’s parents. Minato, who was the splitting image of him was soft-spoken and too polite for his own good, while Kushina – the redhead Uzumaki had a tendency to curse everything that breathe, especially when she was pregnant – but that was nothing compared with Naruto’s vulgar vocabulary.
Itachi didn’t bat an eye when Naruto displayed a short-temper and a bit of violence. He expected that if one was raised by criminals.
“As today, we have a new member to welcome.”
Alas. Everything has an end and once again, every attention was focused on him. Even the attention of one, Naruto Uzumaki.
“You shouldn’t feel lonely anymore, Naruto, as like you – Itachi here is also from Konoha.” A guy with blue skin and shark eyes interjected, jumping from above and announcing his presence.
“Hm?.” Naruto hummed in interest, one of his blond brow was raised in a questioning manner.
Itachi stilled himself as he felt those blue eyes scanned him from top to bottom.
Itachi didn’t know what to expect from Naruto as he had reputation of being unpredictable when he was still in Konoha. Itachi adjusted his hands, nearing them to his pouch as he expected to get attacked by the Jinchūriki.
Naruto shrieked and launched himself to the unsuspecting Uchiha, wrapping his arms around Itachi’s neck tightly as if they were best of friends that didn’t see each other for centuries.
“Uzumaki Naruto at your service!.” He said playfully.
Itachi could be mistaken as someone paralyzed as he was too still, stunned on the spot as he didn’t dare to touch the blond back.
For the very first time in Itachi’s twenty-one years of existing, he was caught by surprise – someone managed to startled him.
Naruto’s smile was practically blinding him. He looked so . . . happy. As if he wasn’t stomping someone’s face not a minute ago.
It was the same smile he have whenever Itachi saw him at Ichirakus.
Then, in a split-second. The smile was replaced with a mischievous one – one that usually led into something unpleasant, the arms around his neck tighten painfully as his face was being pushed down to the ground. Itachi mentally kept cursing himself for lowering his guard as he braced himself with the incoming pain – he just know his nose would get the most damage.
Miraculously, Naruto didn’t smashed his face to the ground. The tip of nose was just millimeters away from touching the ground.
“If you want to survive around here, never let down your guard.” It felt like a lifetime ago when he was the one saying those words.
Naruto’s blue eyes widen a bit slightly when he felt a kunai being pressed on his neck, Itachi’s hands were undoubtedly bend in a weird way to reach his neck, still, it impressed the other occupants in the room.
“I underestimated you,” Naruto sounded remorseful.
“Uchiha Itachi, twenty one, eldest son of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, completed a total of eight hundred and sixty one missions. two d-ranked, ninety seven c-ranked, one hundred and fourty seven b-ranked, three hundred fifty nine a-ranked, one hundred and twenty-eight s-ranked, and one hundred and twenty-eight double-s ranked missions –” Hidan’s impressed whistle could be heard a distance.
“And is a member of the ANBU Black Corps, a captain of four, codename: crow” Naruto’s eyes could be seen turning light purple, slowly transitioning to red.
“ – and so on and so forth.” Pein lips twitched the tiniest as he rounded his fellow members.
“No doubt that your skills will be a great use for the Akatsuki – however, no matter how strong and skilled you are. It will be no use if your loyalty does not lie with us.” Pein said with painstakingly low voice, sending shivers to anyone who listens to it.
“Akatsuki is no stranger having some annoying pests following us around.” The tiniest sound of amusement was heard through the booming voice of Pein.
“I’d be worried if there are no spies or anything being send to us – we worked hard for the fame we have now.” Naruto chuckled with his leader’s words, oh yes, they worked hard for being a famous well-known terrorist alright.
“Do not get me wrong, Uchiha-san, I am not pressuring you because you are from the same village as Naruto – we are merely asking you to pledge an oath with us.”
Pein abruptly turned around and handed Itachi a ring.
“What’s better way to complete an oath other than sealing it with blood?.”
Itachi’s blood grew cold with the subtle implications behind those words.
Yes, Itachi admit, he is a murderer. He had taken countless lives between his mission. Even when he wasn’t on a mission, his first kill was when he was just a child.
But he had never took an innocent life. He have never killed someone that isn’t a criminal – he’d never killed someone that didn’t striked him first.
“Bring me twenty one civilians from Konoha. I want them in the range of their age. One small one-year old child, to a twenty-one year old adult.”
Itachi nodded mutely, accepting his mission with no complaints.
“I want you to kill them here.” Was Pein’s last ordered before he was guided to the entrance. What’s another twenty lives to add on his list anyway.
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「 Kakashi’s Point of View 」
“Naruto, please don’t go!.” Kakashi shouted after the figure of Naruto. It was growing smaller and and smaller. Kakashi felt suffocated as he kept running and running. But the distance between them remained the same, Kakashi could still see him, if he was fast enough he could catch up with his former student and put some sense into him.
Naruto abruptly turned around and stopped. As if he was hesitating and waiting for Kakashi to stop, the relieve he felt was so intense he was afraid he might actually cry.
“Kakashi.” It was Naruto who speak yet it wasn’t his voice. It was too deep and mature to be his.
It sounded like – Minato. But he also heard Kushina’s voice.
“Kakashi.” Naruto said again with the perfect mixture of his late mentor and his wife’s voice.
“Bring him back.”
A sudden sharp pain through his whole body made him go down onto his knees as the same time Naruto continue to walk away.
“Please.”
Kakashi continue to try reaching out. He was practically groveling to the ground.
The atmosphere suddenly change, a scene – a memory he always desperately tried to forget. It felt like he was thirteen again, hands buried deep through Rin’s chest as blood was splattered on the ground and his hands.
“Ka-Kakashi.”
He unconsciously looked behind her. There behind her was Obito, looking seething with rage. “You broke your promise! You killed her!.”
“You’re the reason why everything happened!.” Obito continues to shout at him.
“You swear you’re going to protect her, yet you killed her with your own hands!.” Kakashi took a step backwards, leaving Rin’s body fall to the ground.
“You failed at keeping Kushina-san and her baby safe! She and Sensei died because of you!.” Obito took two steps forward, Kakashi turned around and see he was on the edge of the branch
“Naruto left because you were selfish enough to let him go to the orphanage. Because you’re a lying coward and hide the truth to him – if only you were careful enough then maybe Naruto didn’t chose to leave the village!”
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Kakashi sprang out of bed with a jolt, feeling his heart beating rapidly, he listens to his loud heartbeat, it was loud enough for him to hear it loud and clear. Taking deep breathes to calm himself, and waited for his heartbeat to slow down to a normal rhythm.
He felt the beads of sweat began rolling down his face, he slowly wipe them away before removing the comforter. Suddenly feeling hot, he then felt the need to drink a glass of water. Thinking it might lessen his anxiety.
Kakashi then gently put his feet down the cold floor, shivering because of the sudden coldness. He proceed to his door, carefully sliding them open carelessly.
But, Kakashi didn’t expect to see his ‘rival’ standing outside his balcony, looking worried with his big brows furrowed together.
“I just wanted to ask if you wanted to train, then I heard you scream.” Gai informed him lean on the woodstand beside him.
Gai then took three bottles of alcohol from his vest. Shaking it infront of Kakashi’s before smiling, “Let’s see who would get drunk first, my rival. The first one to get drunk would be a slave for a day!.”
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The next day, Kakashi was standing in the middle of the Hokage’s office. Sporting large, dark spots under his eyes as his head was practically vibrating in pain.
He swear he would never drink again.
His team was infront of him, Sasuke was standing on the center with his hands clenched tightly, as the veins were starting to show. His thin brows were furrowed tightly as his lips were on a nasty scowled.
Sakura was impressively six meters away from her teammate. Afraid that he might let out his anger on her.
Team Seven is – for a lack of better word – is a horrible team. There’s not a single bone of ‘teamwork’ in their body. Sasuke was too arrogant and prideful to work with someone, Sakura was too self-conscious to suggest as Kakashi – simply didn’t care. Therefore, they usually end up having low-class mission.
Until today.
“Welcome, Team Seven, I hope all of you had a pleasant morning.” Hiruzen said with his voice lacking enthusiasm.
“I am bestowing a b-ranked mission on your hands –” Sasuke’s tense figure dramatically relaxed, his smug expression wasn’t unnoticed by everyone in the room.
“Regarding about Orochimaru’s supposedly hideout. Apparently, one of our Konoha-nins had figured out where it is – his source is from one direct prisoner of Orochimaru, who supposedly managed to escape and somehow survive.”
“The reason why I chose you three to check the location is because –” Hiruzen cleared his throat before continuing, “The Konoha-nin I am talking about was originally on a mission to find –” Another pause. “Naruto Uzumaki.”
Kakashi was audbily heard to take a sharp inhale. “The nin reported that while he was finding, he met someone on the road, someone that is severely traumatized. The nin helped the person and brought him to the nearest hospital, The nin interrogated him and asked the person what happened to them – as it turns out, he was a prisoner of Orochimaru and he was free’d by none other than –”
“Naruto.” Kakashi filled in for him. Hiruzen nodded solemnly as he continue his tale.
“Apparently, Naruto and one of Orochimaru accomplice made a bet. Naruto won and free’d the person. Hence, how he survived.”
“Your mission is to confirm if the location was indeed Orochimaru’s hideout and see if Naruto is staying with him.”
The three of them nodded obediently. “I wish you three good luck.”
To Be Continued . . .
©aquillaruiz, 2021