Chương 7: Chapter 7: Gone astray
A shinobi village thrives through income received from missions. Shinobi are living weapons, and we sell our services for varying fees to sustain the village we live in. Missions are sorted according to their difficulty in the following ranks:
D - assigned to genin; C – assigned to more experienced genin or chuunin; B – assigned to experienced chuunin and jounin; A – assigned to jounin and S – assigned to skilled jounin and ANBU level shinobi.
There are three channels through which missions come to a village.
D-rank missions are posted publicly in every village in the country; specially assigned chuunin will choose these missions depending on the pay and difficulty.
C, B, and occasionally A-rank missions come through a private channel. Here, either the client comes to the village, or the mission comes through the Fire Daimyo who directs it to Konoha. It is thus essential for the village to have close connections to the daimyo and the Capital.
Most A and S-rank missions of external matter will come through an Auction channel. Due to the dangerous and delicate nature of such missions, the connection between shinobi and client is made through the neutral Samurai committee. The committee will choose a suitable candidate depending on their status, mission success, and bingo-book data.
-Extract from the Academy Mission Guidelines-
-Gone Astray-
-Yahizui-
Mornings in Konoha were oddly repetitive for a shinobi village, and the Ninja Academy was no exception. Students slowly filled the courtyard, wandering toward their classrooms, some sleepier than others. 'Seniors' would go filed to the left side of the buildings, while those up to the third year would gather on the right side. There was a buzz in the air, the sound of a hundred voices mingling with laughter and youthful energy.
Among them, two figures walked side by side, one tall and long-limbed, the other with long, crimson hair.
"Did you think about your specialization?" asked Yahizui, shifting the scroll-filled bag over her shoulder as she and Tojiro headed to the left side of the building.
They were seniors now, and at eleven years old, they were only a few months away from graduating and officially becoming adults in the eyes of the village.
Tojiro shrugged. "Why should I?"
Yahizui watched him intently, knowing there was more to the answer than that. Funny, she thought, I know him so well. After five years of spending every day together, she could honestly say that he was her best friend. It sometimes hurt her to think that he had taken Itachi's place, but the truth was that they barely saw each other nowadays. Itachi had been chuunin for a while now, and the gap in strength between them was now a gaping pit whose bottom she could barely see.
"The final exam is six months away, and there's nothing in it regarding a specialization," Tojiro continued in a bored voice. "You're not even supposed to choose one before you become a genin."
Yahizui frowned, barely resisting the urge to scold the daylights out of him. "Knowing your specialization gives you an extra five points in the final exam! It can be the difference between simply passing and passing with a perfect score, plus you get more of an advantage when you become a genin!"
"Okay, okay," said Tojiro. "What specialization did you choose?"
"Why, thank you for asking!"
"I had a hunch you wanted to talk about it."
She gave him a mock angry look. "I will, of course, specialize in seals!"
Tojiro sighed. "Of course. Look Hizui, there's not much you can do with Fuinjutsu. I know you're really into that book, and the whole sealing code thing, but this whole thing won't go anywhere. The seal codes are standardized, they've been like that for years, and the whole field is too complex to create something new. I'd stick to something sure if I were you, keep the hard stuff for when you're chuunin or whatever."
"You're such a sourpuss," she said with a huff. "I'm telling you, you'll never make it with this attitude, Tojiro. Plus, if I show my interest in Fuinjutsu now then maybe I'll get a jounin teacher that knows more about it and can teach me more. If they don't know my specialization then how…"
Yahizui was about to say more when a shiver passed through her, sending a wave of goosebumps across her skin. For a moment, she burned as if standing too close to a fire. It was only her frozen body that stopped her from checking her skin to make sure it hadn't blistered in the heat.
Tojiro looked down at her, worry clouding his features. "What's wrong?"
Yahizui's head snapped to the right, trying to pinpoint the source of that terrifying feeling, that pulsing heat. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the crowd before her.
Then it was gone.
It suddenly disappeared, as if someone had put a stopper on the flame, leaving behind only a lingering tremor across her skin. Yahizui looked to the left, yet there was nothing but kids running around on their way to class, going about their day as usual.
It was as if the world didn't notice anything was amiss. She looked at Tojiro, the need to ask him if he noticed something at the tip of her tongue.
"I –" she stopped. Tojiro looked oblivious, and telling him she had a strange feeling she couldn't seem to shake would just make him ask more questions.
"Nothing, let's go before we're late." She said instead.
Yahizui grabbed Tojiro's wrist and pulled him along, missing the lonely figure of a young boy with skinny arms and sunny-blonde hair at the back of the group walking with his fists tightly clenched and tears in his eyes.
They reached their classroom moments later and took their usual seats. Yahizui tried to start her day the same way she'd done for the past three years and failed. The strange sensation she'd had earlier wouldn't leave her alone. It was in a way familiar, like something she had felt before, yet memory failed her. The worried look Tojiro gave her snapped Yahizui out of her thoughts. With an eye-roll and a slight shake of her head, Yahizui grabbed the hair band on her wrist and gathered her shoulder-blade long hair in a low ponytail.
In a self-conscious effort to seem more feminine, she had decided to let her hair grow. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to help much as her hair proved to be as stubborn as she was. It moved from being short and messy to being long and equally hard to handle, with gravity-defying strands here and there. In the end, Yahizui accepted defeat. She cut those stubborn strands short, letting them curl up by her ears, while longer locks framed her face; the rest was usually tied in a thick, low ponytail.
However, the hair department was the only place where she was willing to give in to the pressure to look more feminine. In contrast, her attire was meant for practicality: a short-sleeved, sand-colored kimono blouse tied with a faded-red obi and dark pants tucked in closed boots held together by leather straps. The shoes had been a birthday gift from Riruka, commissioned from a merchant in Suna, and were a bittersweet reminder of where she came from.
The buzz in the class suddenly quieted as their instructor stepped in, a figure following close behind him. Tojiro lifted his head from the desk, messy hair falling into his eyes. After three years of nagging from Yahizui, he had finally conceded in cutting the mop of dirty olive hair to a more manageable length. The longer front bangs had stayed, though he learned to use his looks and frightening eyes to his advantage.
Yahizui's eyes narrowed in suspicion, her gaze never leaving the figure standing behind their sensei. This was unusual.
Every day Maiko-sensei entered the room at five minutes after eight, giving her precisely fifteen minutes of seal decoding before class started. In the uncertain path in the life of a ninja, this was the one thing she could rely on every morning. And now… someone had fractured that sacred pattern.
"Good morning, today we have a special announcement," said Aburame Maiko, a short, stout woman with large round shades and long, curly hair. "Seiya Hakudoshi will be joining our class. His family has traveled all the way from Water Country to join the rest of his clan here in Konoha, and young Hakudoshi has proven to be more than capable of joining the final Academy year." She stepped aside, letting the class see their new classmate.
From her third-row seat, Yahizui stiffened. Snow-white hair framed the young boy's face, contrasted by keen, golden eyes. His gaze was cold, guarded, as he watched the crowd suspiciously. For a moment, no one moved. The stillness in the room, as they waited for the boy to react, was reminiscent of them waiting for an enemy to make the first move on a battlefield. After an agonizingly long second, Hakudoshi's lowered his head, and spoke in a monotone voice.
"Nice to meet you."
Murmurs exploded in the class. The girls were already whispering about his cool attitude, pretty eyes and exotic hair, while the boys shot him hostile looks.
Yahizui ignored it all, chewing on her thumbnail. Transfer students were a rare occurrence. Transfers from one class to another was a yearly thing – both her, Tojiro, Izumi, and two others had been bumped up a grade at the start of the year – but for someone to just come in the village and jump into the last few months of the senior year… it was unheard of. Either he was very, very good, or his family had a lot of influence. She bit on her nail harder, nervously chewing the already abused finger.
Which one was it? The Seiya clan was nothing remarkable. They didn't have a kekkei genkai like the Uchiha or Hyuuga, and she hadn't really seen many shinobi with their distinctive hair colors in the village, which meant they weren't particularly skilled either.
That would mean that…
A figure appeared next to her, pulling Yahizui out of her thoughts. She glanced up and promptly froze, her eyes meeting Seiya Hakudoshi's golden ones.
"Is this seat free?" he asked in the same toneless voice.
There was something about this boy that gave her the creeps. Her eyes narrowed.
"No."
On her other side, Tojiro gaped. "Come on Hizui, don't be rude," he said, his large hand patting her back. "Aa, you can sit down, Hakudoshi."
The boy's golden eyes narrowed as anger flashed over his face. A moment later the feeling was gone, leaving his voice cold.
"Do not presume to call me by my given name." He sat down, ignoring the shocked duo.
Before Yahizui had the chance to jump up and defend her friend, Maiko began their lesson for the day, gathering everyone's attention. Yazhizui was only left with the option of ignoring the mysterious boy by her side.
-Itachi-
That morning, Itachi woke up well-rested and with the faint hope that he would finally get to spend some time with his increasingly cute and attention-demanding little brother. His chuunin career was blooming, and he enjoyed the excitement of his missions. He worked well with everyone so far, and each mission had been completed not only to the utmost satisfaction of their clients but also with zero casualties. Death was part of their job, their life; he knew that now, had learned it the hard way. But as long as he was strong and kept his teammates out of harm's way, then death was a consequence he was happy to continue avoiding.
Deciding to take his usual morning walk, Itachi quickly got dressed, greeted the silent figure of his mother, and left the house, heading to the small bread and sweets shop that Aunt Chia owned. The Uchiha that 'refused the noble call of the shinobi' as his father named them, were usually looked down upon as something barely above the level of a traitor, but he disagreed. Every person should be allowed to choose their own path in life, and if in a family of shinobi, one decided to go away from the beaten path, then all the more respect for them. He liked Aunt Chia, with her kind smile and warm, sweet bread. She was a great woman in Itachi's eyes, although no battle tales were coming from her, or scars to show her bravery.
As he reached the front of her shop, Itachi smiled brightly.
"Chia-san, good morning!"
"Good morning, Itachi! Headed for another mission already?"
He shook his head, hand digging into his pocket for a few spare coins. "No, I returned yesterday evening. May I please have a sweet bean bun and a melon bread?"
Chia took the coins from him with a smile and quickly placed the items in a bag. "You know, there will be a time when you'll have to stop eating all those sweets, or you'll get fat like Uncle Umo!"
Itachi smiled back at her. "There's nothing wrong with being fat, Aunt Chia. It just shows that you have a comfy life." He took his sweets with a thankful bow and headed toward the training spot next to the lake, planning to enjoy his morning off.
-Yahizui-
"This sucks!" shouted Yahizui.
For academy goers, break time was always a time of relaxation, socializing, and the occasional confrontation with bullies. As usual, the seniors were in a separate courtyard, leaving the bigger front yard to the youngsters.
Over the years, Yahizui and Tojiro made it a habit to have their lunch on the roof of the building. There were no rules against it, and from their vantage point, they could easily spot any stray aggressors that dared to attack weaker, civilian-born students. After her second year in the Academy, Yahizui's moniker of 'scarlet demon' and the reputation that came with it, spread like wildfire. Most knew who she was, and since she got bumped into the senior year, no one dared to torment those she took under her wing.
From their perspective, the 'scarlet demon' pounced on them out of nowhere, attacking all bullies without discrimination. They didn't seem to notice that whenever they picked on a clanned kid, nothing would happen. For them it was luck; the truth was that the scarlet demon wasn't as impartial as they believed.
"This really sucks!" Yahizui grumbled again as she kicked a stray rock.
Sitting at the edge of the rooftop, Tojiro sighed, his gaze minutely straying from the courtyard. "Why are you so bothered by it?" he asked.
Yahizui gave him an incredulous look, but Tojiro had already turned his attention to the yard as he lazily threw a rock in the air. Telling him that the new transfer student's gaze gave her the creeps was too irrational. What if Tojiro asked for reasons? That wouldn't do. She would have to mention the demonic yellow orbs that still haunted her dreams. She will have to mention what that monster did.
"He just appears here during the last half of our final year, knowing everything, and it's just annoying!" she said.
Tojiro turned once more, his attention straying from the courtyard. "So basically you hate that he's better than you?"
Green eyes narrowed. "I worked my ass off to be the best in our class!" Yahizui stood, suddenly filled with a nervous energy. "Then this… this guy comes along and simply gets shoehorned into our class?"
Tojiro shrugged, his dark eyes following her nervous pacing. "Maybe he's a genius or something."
Yahizui stopped. The possibility had naturally crossed her mind, but it felt too infuriating to acknowledge it.
"What are the chances that he'd be such a genius?" she said, resuming her furious pacing.
"Well, he did know the answer to all of sensei's –"
"No." Yahizui's stubborn look cut his sentence short. "That… that was just a fluke!"
There was something in her look that dared him to contradict her. At Tojiro's sigh, she turned around and continued building her theory.
"I bet that big clan of his pulled some strings, and now he's being put in the final year. I mean, it's not fair! He didn't come here from the beginning, and now he's just gotta work for a few months and then become a genin? How's that fair?"
"Wasn't Itachi the one that finished Academy in one year? How's that –"
"That's different!" she countered, fist raised before her.
"First," One finger went up. "Itachi is really a genius. Second," Another finger followed. "His family is full of asses. Third, Itachi was not being an ass and didn't rub his knowledge in my face. And fourth," A fourth, perfectly stretched finger joined the others as Yahizui's voice pitched. "Whose side are you on anyway?"
Tojiro moved back in the wake of her irrational ire. "Whoa! I was just saying," he said with a forced smile, his hands raised in a pacifying gesture. "But, for the record, Itachi did rub his knowledge in your face all the time; he just didn't realize he did it. And the new kid, he technically didn't even talk much to us. So really… what's with the resentment?"
"That's not the point!"
"What is the point?"
Yahizui took a deep breath, ready to defend her idea to the very end when something caught her attention. She moved to the edge of the building, and Tojiro followed her line of sight to the courtyard, where a snow-white-haired boy was being surrounded by four other boys. Tojiro tightened the rock in his hand – ready to throw it with the deadly precision he was already known for – when Yahizui stopped him.
"Hizui…" he said in a worried tone. "We have to help him."
"No, we don't." Yahizui's eyes were flinty, shoulders tense. She watched as the boys taunted him, moving closer and closer, boxing him in. They were saying something she couldn't hear, probably mocking the Seiya boy. He didn't react.
Tojiro tensed by her side, visibly upset with her reaction.
Yahizui's hands gripped the edge of the roof, eyes wide, jaw clenched. He didn't deserve it, he wasn't like the two of them or other helpless civilian-born kids. They didn't have to help him.
"I'm helping him." Tojiro suddenly said in a forceful voice.
There was a disappointed look in his eyes before he turned around and threw his rock at one of the boys. The projectile hit the boy in the forehead, instantly knocking him out cold. A moment later the bullies pounced on Hakudoshi, thinking that he was the one responsible. Tojiro cursed, jumping over the rail and landing in the courtyard before pushing off in a cloud of dust to reach the fight. He grabbed another rock from his pocket and threw it mid-run, hitting the second bully in the back of his head. With one powerful thrust of his long legs, he leaped into the fight, landing a kick on the already disoriented boy he'd previously hit. With a swift turn, Tojiro threw a punch at the boy behind him, only to be caught by the smaller hand of Hakudoshi.
Eyes wide, Tojiro looked behind him, seeing that the Seiya boy had already knocked out his opponents with minimal effort. He pulled his hand back, giving an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, didn't see you there," Tojiro said.
For a moment there was silence. Hakudoshi looked at him with wide eyes of molten gold, the adrenaline of the fight flushing his features. He blinked once, twice, and then the cold exterior from before returned like a mantle of ice around him.
"No problem." Hakudoshi bowed his head, bangs concealing the striking color of his eyes, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" said Tojiro.
Hakudoshi stopped moving, though he didn't turn.
"I'm Ashiyama Tojiro… nice to meet you."
He said nothing, but Tojiro could see a small nod before their enigmatic classmate walked away. A moment later, Yahizui walked up to him.
"He didn't need saving," Yahizui said, her eyes following Hakudoshi's figure.
Tojiro shook his head. "He could have definitely beaten all of them. He's strong, I felt that when he caught my punch." He looked down at her, but Yahizui refused to meet his gaze.
"Still, that doesn't mean we shouldn't help him. He's got no one here, and even if he's part of a clan, Konoha is not his home. You should understand that."
Yahizui's fists tightened, but she said nothing.
-Itachi-
The midday sun was shining high above his head. Sasuke should be on his break right about now, thought Itachi with a smile. His academy time had been much too short, but he hoped that at least Sasuke will have time with his classmates. Bonds were essential, and friendships were formed during those precious, peaceful academy years. Sasuke had to have that time, especially with his shy nature.
A gull landed on the lake, searching for his next meal. Itachi watched it dive and come back with a struggling fish in its beak.
Life and death. A never-ending circle. A fish had to die for the bird to live, cattle had to be sacrificed for people to eat, and people… Itachi still couldn't understand why some people had to die for others to live peacefully. With a deep sigh, he turned to look at the training post nearby. He'd spent his morning lazing around, but now his body was starting to hum with energy. Doing nothing didn't quite suit him. Itachi jumped up and readied his shuriken, hoping to do a bit of target practice. He was just about to throw his first kunai when a falcon flew overhead.
The Hokage was calling.
-Shisui-
Shisui headed toward the mission center at a sedated pace. Life as a jounin used to be surprisingly uneventful until that mission. Six months on the road with a team of three other freshly promoted jounin had tested his limits, but after months spent tracking an annoyingly elusive enemy, Team Shisui – as he had dubbed them – had finally managed to get a clear trace on the Mist shinobi that had been making incursions on Konoha's borders. It only took one brutal confrontation to show them that, what Mist thought would be a weak, freshly promoted Konoha team, was anything but.
That had been two months ago, and since then the Bingo-book had placed a flee-on-sight warning on him. Some might call that a blessing: less conflict, better payment, and a lot of auctioned missions that he would otherwise never get his hands on. Better for him, better for Konoha.
Shisui considered his newly acquired status as a curse. At sixteen years old, Shisui had fire in his veins and wanted nothing more than to release all that pent-up energy on… something. How was he supposed to do that when every potential enemy ran in the opposite direction when they saw him?
With a sigh, Shisui stuck his hands in his pant pockets and followed the circular corridor along the lower level of the Hokage tower. When he finally reached the mission room, Shisui was surprised to see that not only was the Hokage present, but also a figure he was always happy to see. A smile spread across his lips as he headed toward Itachi.
"Yo, cous'! Getting your mission?" he asked, one arm leaning on Itachi's shoulder.
"Actually Shisui-san, this mission is for both of you," said the Hokage as he took a deep drag of his pipe behind the large mission desk. "The third member of the team should arrive shortly."
The door then opened, revealing the other member of their team. He was a tall man, towering over both Uchiha boys, with dark purple hair bound in a short, high ponytail. Severe, bright blue eyes studied the room as he walked in, the scar that marred the left side of his face only enhancing the expression.
"Kaito-san," said the Hokage. "Thank you for joining us."
Murasaki Kaito bowed respectfully, speaking in a deep voice. "I am honored to answer your call, Hokage-sama. I am at your service."
"Hokage-sama, if I may ask," Shisui asked cautiously. "What's the mission?"
"You are surely aware that there were a series of disappearances three years ago. Several members of the Uchiha clan went missing, and were found dead weeks later."
Shisui and Itachi nodded in response. Shisui remembered it well. The string of disappearances had been solved by ANBU, something Shisui had only found out about when Fugaku had presented the report during the clan meeting that followed. The information had been a strategic move on the clan leader's side, forcing Shuko to pull back as Fugaku regained the clan's trust. Shisui had noticed that Shuko's play had people whispering around the corners that Fugaku was no longer fit to lead the Uchiha. They blamed their leader and the village for being unable to solve the case. They blamed Fugaku especially for not wanting to take revenge on those who lost their lives. To them, it was an insult to the Uchiha ways.
"The case was solved; we received a document with your personal seal," Shisui said cautiously.
The Hokage took another drag of his pipe. "Yes, the culprit had been found and executed." He paused once more. "The safety of the Uchiha is of great priority for Konoha. Ever since those incidents we've kept a lookout for any possible future occurrences. ANBU have been keeping track of members and the compound itself. Every move was monitored. For the safety of those involved, naturally."
Shisui's eyes narrowed. Beside him, Itachi stiffened. Neither liked where the discussion was going, not the implication of the words, and Shisui had the sinking feeling that this conversation wasn't going to get any better. Still, one did not question their Kage or show displeasure in front of them. That much they knew.
"The Root division of ANBU was the one that captured and executed the perpetrator, yet we don't know if they had others with them, or what their goal was. Root was too quick to act, which meant that precautions had to be taken," Hiruzen said.
"Sir, we understand the necessity of the act," said Itachi in a carefully controlled voice.
"You wish to know what this has to do with your mission," said Hiruzen calmly. "Very well."
Shiusi's heart beat loudly in his chest, the tension and uncertainty getting to him. Beside him, Itachi was as stiff as a board, muscles coiled in anticipation while his face remained deceptively blank.
Hiruzen took a deep drag of his pipe. A glance at the older jounin at their side was all it took for the man to understand his purpose of being part of this mission.
"A few hours ago we received a mission request from a desperate mother. Her daughter failed to return home after school, and upon asking at the academy, it turns out that the girl never made it there in the first place. The client's name is Uchiha Shiori, and her daughter is –"
"Uchiha Izumi," said Itachi in a hollow voice. His eyes were wide, shoulders squared and tense, hands balled in white-knuckled fists.
Shisui placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder, his thoughts racing. Shiori was almost an outsider to the clan. She had married into the family and came from a humble, civilian background. Her husband, Uko, had died during the Kyuubi attack seven years ago, leaving Shiori alone with her daughter Izumi. To say that the clan did not extend their hospitality to Shiori was putting it lightly. She's been given a small house at the edge of the compound and largely ignored, while her daughter received limited acceptance due to her early awakening of her Sharingan. It didn't surprise Shisui that Shiori would first seek aid from the village before turning towards the clan.
Suddenly, it dawned on Shisui. The clan wasn't aware of Izumi's disappearance, not yet. If they were to hear of another case after Konoha had claimed the case closed, then their trust in the village would waver and the fragile standing between the clan and village would shatter. Bringing this to the clan's attention when there was no clear solution and no clear culprit could be the spark that lit the fire.
Still, something didn't fit.
Why put them on this mission when it was so personal?
"Hokage-sama, is it not possible that the girl simply skipped school or ran away from home?" asked Kaito from behind them.
"No," Itachi said in a certain voice. "Izumi wouldn't do that."
Hiruzen nodded. "Shiori-san mentioned the same thing. The girl is studious and always heads straight home after school. From the academy records, she hasn't missed a single class and was even bumped up a year, waiting to take the final exam in a few months." He took another deep drag from his pipe, blowing the smoke toward the closed window. Long shadows stretched through the office as the sun set over Konoha. They would have to hurry otherwise all their secrecy would be for naught.
"Kaito-san is an excellent sensor. Furthermore, he has my complete trust and more experience than both of you combined. He will be in charge of the search. Head out now and don't return until you have found the girl. Dismissed!"
The three of them were out of the building in the next second, Kaito leading the party as he spread his senses in search of Izumi. Shisui followed close behind with Itachi by his side. They quickly flashed over the buildings and through the trees, neither saying a word.
Itachi was clearly tense. He'd been in the same class as Izumi and knew each other personally. This mission was personal for him. Shisui wondered if it would compromise his focus, but quickly brushed it off as a secondary concern. Itachi was exceptional; he'd known that for years. He will not fail.
Shisui's muscles tensed, another thought worming its way into his mind. It made no sense to put him and Itachi on this mission. It was too personal for them, and they didn't have the necessary skills to track her. They'd have to rely on Kaito and his abilities, which shouldn't be the case. Were all other trackers out on missions?
Possible, but unlikely.
But that wasn't all. Any Inuzuka member was a tracker, and their sense of smell was unparalleled. Why not put them on the mission? Was it due to secrecy? Sure, the Uchiha and the Inuzuka were on good terms. The current leader of the canine breeding clan had been Fugaku's teammate back in the day, and word traveled quickly. The real question was: what were they doing here? Why not put Kaito as a tracker and pair him with ANBU that could assist him, and with considerable discretion?
Unless…
It suddenly dawned on him. They weren't here just for Izumi's sake, this was a test.
The look in Itachi's eyes and slight nod confirmed that the genius boy by his side had reached the same conclusion. Shisui looked once more at Kaito, searching for any hint his expression might give away, but the man's scarred face betrayed nothing.
Suddenly, Kaito stopped.
"Tch." He angrily spat to the side, half turning to look at the two Uchiha boys before biting his thumb and smearing his bloody palm on the ground.
Kuchiose!
A puff of smoke preceded the appearance of his summon, a dog-sized white rat with bandaged front paws wearing a washed-out violet vest.
"What do you want?" said the summon in a gruff voice.
Kaito ignored the lack of respect and pulled a feminine-looking shirt from his hip-pouch. "Find her," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.
The rat snapped his jaw at him, then with a grumble sniffed out the piece of cloth Kaito was holding out. Shisui and Itachi held their breath as the animal leaned on his hind paws, nose twitching in the evening air.
A moment later, the rat took off, Kaito motioning for them to follow. They dashed forward at a blinding speed, their eyes never straying from the fair colored rat running ahead of them. Itachi wasn't sure how long it took; a minute, an hour, or maybe just a couple of seconds, but as soon as they left the high walls of Konoha, the summoned rat suddenly veered left and led them towards the river. If her captors had taken the water route, then their scents could have been washed away, and there was the possibility of losing the trail.
Then the rat stopped; his snout twitched as it took in the different scents. It paused, then inhaled deeply.
"This way," it said, dashing away a moment later.
Itachi followed immediately, leaving Kaito and Shisui behind. A feeling of pure dread was quickly spreading through his body. How far had they taken her? Where were they going and what had they done with her since this morning? He might have been eleven, but he was by no means stupid. Terrible things happened to kidnapped children, and though Izumi wasn't a weakling, she was far from being able to handle herself in such a situation. He shuddered, fear of what could have happened and anger at what might have already come to pass battling inside his heart as adrenaline pumped through his veins. His vision sharpened as his eyes bled red with the power of the Sharingan.
Ahead of him, running at a speed that would have typically impressed him, Itachi carefully watched the white fur of the summon rat. The moment the animal stopped, Itachi's heartbeat roared in his ears, his eyes widening.
There she was.
"IZUMI!"
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Itygirl2412
Itygirl2412 Allow me to give a few words on Itachi and his presentation here in the Pain and Hope universe.
First of I will mention canon Itachi, who even as a young child was… not much of a child. He’s a genius, that is clear and he somehow has the maturity of thought of an adult. His emotions are guarded; he’s a clear introvert and seems to be just the perfect shinobi. Naturally, the visual medium of the anime and manga simply can’t offer a good insight in a character’s thoughts and real inner workings.
Well, in my Pain and Hope headcanon, Itachi is a genius as well, but the emotional development still needs some work. Even now as a chuunin he’s merely 11, so he still has the impulsiveness of youth. Manga Itachi accepted the faith of the world, but I want him to first struggle with it. So he will question the system, struggle with what means to truly be a shinobi and go through a lot of hateful feelings before he becomes the dutiful ninja he is. And I hope to show you this change in him and partly in Shisui as well. So if they seem OOC, it’s for a reason and I assure you, a good one.
With that being said, I'm really looking forward to your opinions on this chapter and your predictions for the next!
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