Crossover Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ K a z o k u ❯ You're in the Academy now. ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three: Academy Life

December 29, 2006

 

“Hurry niisan, hurry!” Sasuke tugged at his brother's hand excitedly, dragging the older sibling to the ninja academy. Today was his first day of school. He couldn't wait to begin his formal training on following in his niisan's footsteps. Today was the first day for his journey that could make him to a son that his father could brag about just like his otousan did with his niisan.

 

“Slow down Sasuke,” Fugaku admonished, appalled that his youngest was so carefree. “You remember what we talked about this morning, don't you?”

 

Sasuke's enthusiasm wasn't dampened in the least bit but he did pause in mid skip and tug. Uchiha features that were an uncanny replica of his older brother's were carefully schooled into his best imitation of his perception of an Uchiha Look. “Yes, `tousan.”

 

Fugaku nodded, satisfied for now.

 

Itachi felt a little pity for his brother, feeling the noose that was the clan's burdens tighten around his neck. Just yesterday he had an argument with his father regarding his role in the clan. The head of the Uchiha clan expected him to go on that top secret mission he didn't want to accept and they clashed heads. His father accepted the mission without even consulting him, assuming he would say yes because Fugaku himself was going.

 

Well, he was wrong. Itachi hated it most when people presupposed he would do something because he was an Uchiha and that was to be expected of him; he was thirteen now and captain of his own squad. He had the right to make his own decisions.

 

When his father remained stubborn, Itachi reminded him that family members were expected to attend the opening ceremony held for new students in the academy and he planned to be there for Sasuke. Someone had to be, he added in his mind. It was a wonder the younger Uchiha still held an air of innocence around him despite being raised in their household. Itachi had lost that sense of innocence at age eight when he activated his sharingan.

 

Defeated and ashamed that he forgot about his own son's opening ceremony, Fugaku admitted defeat. It also helped in Itachi's favor when he mentioned to his father that the Uzumaki twins were also starting academy tomorrow; they were going to be in Sasuke's class. The proverbial nail on top of the coffin, as others would say.

 

Fugaku carried full responsibility and pulled both his and Itachi's name from the mission list then looked for suitable replacements. He then made sure Sasuke knew exactly what was expected of him because he was an Uchiha.

 

So now here they were a family of four with his wife Mikoto, on their way to the academy.

 

The head of the Uchiha clan was dismayed to find Hyuuga Hiashi talking to the Yondaime when they entered the school grounds. How dare that sneak get there earlier before him and get chummy with the father! He knew Hiashi's daughters were close to the Uzumaki girl. Though not qualified for marriage with the miko, the eldest had the distinct privilege of holding the title `bestfriend', as Sasuke had informed him. When asked if he was also bestfriends with the girl, his son blushed lightly, looked at his toes and honestly told him they were friends too but Kagome was a girl.

 

He was to find out from Itachi that Sasuke was bestfriends with Naruto and had a close friendship with the miko. The source of the blush and sudden bout of shyness, Itachi further explained, could be because Sasuke was still on his `girls had cooties' stage. It was good enough, for now, he guessed. If they could win the favor of the brother and the father, then they would be guaranteed of winning the miko's favor as well.

 

Fugaku thought having two boys, one spare just in case the other failed, was better than having two daughters before, but Hiashi had turned his disadvantage into an advantage. As a girl, Hiashi's daughter could bond with the miko the way Fugaku's boys couldn't. Cunning bastard!

 

While Mikoto mingled to talk with the teachers and parents, Fugaku marched over to the Yondaime and joined their conversation.

 

The Uchiha brothers shared a look of `there they go again' before finding their friends. They found the twins with Hinata. Hinata was a shy girl but she only stuttered when she was talking to Naruto and she had a habit of holding hands with Kagome. No one could tell if it was for comfort or courage, but it certainly looked like a little puppy protecting another even though Kagome wasn't as shy as Hinata was. They both looked really harmless and were so small you couldn't help but feel the need to protect them.

 

Naruto was talking to a boy with markings on his face while Kagome and Hinata were playing with a little puppy when Kagome saw them. “Tachi, Sasu!” Her smile lit up the entire academy. “Look, this is Akamaru and he's a nin dog like Kashi's. He can't talk like Pakkun but that's okay because he's still a baby. Kiba-kun owns him. You wanna pet him? He's really nice, he won't bite.”

 

Itachi felt all the stress from yesterday's debacle melt away when he neared Kagome, unaware of the happy healing aura she was releasing because of her elation from petting a puppy. Kagome loved animals in all shapes and sizes, except for spiders. Spiders were one of her greatest fears and were terribly freaked out by them. She loved puppies though. A little ironic in Itachi's opinion, because she looked to him like an innocent little puppy as well.

 

“This is Sasuke and Itachi,” Naruto introduced his old friends with his new one.

 

Kiba's eyes widened when they landed on Uchiha Itachi. He couldn't believe he would meet the famous Uchiha genius on his first day at the academy. And to think that he was going to be classmates with his little brother! He was already star-struck when the Yondaime himself patted him on the head and asked him to be friends with his children earlier, but this was just too much. There were too many famous people for his young impressionable mind to process.

 

“Kaasan told me to give these to you,” Itachi handed the twins a bento each.

 

“Yay, thank you!” Kagome hugged his leg and whipped her head around to look for the Uchiha matriarch but there were too many tall people blocking her sight.

 

“I'll tell her you said thanks,” Itachi assured her, fondly giving her a pat on the head. Kagome smiled gratefully and hugged her bento. She loved her dad dearly but all he gave them were instant ramen and some change for lunch today. Naruto could live and thrive on ramen alone, like their father, but Kagome preferred oden. She liked real food compared to the junk her brethren favored.

 

Kagome was happy her Tachi came today. She was looking forward to seeing Neji at recess later too, but most of all, the best part was going to school to learn to be a ninja like her papa with her friends and brother. Papa even dressed them the same… Naru didn't have a cute skirt like she did though, because Naru's a boy. She couldn't wait to earn that cool head protector her papa had. Naru wanted one too and he also wanted papa's cloak.

 

Looking around, Kagome found a lot of other boys and girls her age that were potential friends. Hinata was going to be her bestfriend forever and she wasn't looking for a replacement, but the other girls here looked friendly, she was sure they would be fun to play with. A game of tag was always better with more people, and she was tired of losing to everyone but Hinata and Hanabi. She loved Naru, Sasu, Neji, Tachi, Kashi, grandpa Jiraiya, Roku and her papa, but they were always too fast for her to chase. She was no match to any of them and only Hinata and Nabi were the people she could out-speed.

 

It was frustrating.

 

Papa gave her and Naru a kiss each when the sensei in charge told the students to gather and form lines. The families of the students had to go home now, their responsibilities done. Papa had to work but he promised to be back to get them after school. Kagome wasn't afraid because Naru was with her, but unconsciously stuck close to him for comfort. Naru huddled closer to her too, and even though Sasuke wanted to join in the pile, he forced himself to maintain the Uchiha Look so as not to disappoint his father. Hinata stared at her feet quietly, her papa told her not to do anything that would cause anyone to look down on their noble clan. She really wanted to hold Kagome's hand though.

 

The kids weren't the only ones feeling separation anxiety. Arashi-papa had to be literally dragged away by four ANBUs, two grabbed his arms and two grabbed his legs, to get him away from the academy and return him to the Hokage Tower to do his work. Sarutobi, the one who gave the orders to drag the Yondaime away, couldn't really blame the man for worrying but there was work to be done and duties to be fulfilled. The paperwork wasn't going to sign themselves.

 

Iruka couldn't help but notice the Yondaime's children. They looked like nervous koalas clinging to each other for comfort and trying to look brave at the same time. He was going to be this class' instructor, he introduced himself, and he led them towards what he said where they would learn to be good ninja to protect the village.

 

“He looks like a dolphin,” Naruto whispered to his sister.

 

A pudgy boy with chinky eyes and swirls on his cheek walking in front of them laughed. “Yeah he does.”

 

“Ssssh!” a blonde girl shushed them, “Iruka-sensei said not to talk. You should keep quiet and listen to him.”

 

Naruto didn't make a good impression on the girl when he stuck his tongue at her.

 

Kagome was thankful the teacher allowed them to pick their own seats when they reached their classrooms. Their new friend Kiba chose to sit in the middle row of the middle aisle. Kagome didn't notice how the other girls have been ogling Sasuke so she was really surprised when she was pushed out of the way by two stampeding fangirls.

 

“Hey!” Naruto caught his sister before she fell flat on her face. “Watch where you're going.”

 

Random fangirl number one turned her nose down at him. She was taller than he was even though he was taller than his sister. “Or what?”

 

“Or I'm going to tell Iruka-sensei that you pushed my sister.”

 

She was unimpressed by his threat. “I'm not afraid of short tattletales.”

 

Kagome frowned at the mean girl. “Naru is not a tattletale.”

 

“Whatever,” the girl replied and caught up to her friend. They wanted to sit beside the Uchiha. The clan was well-known all over Konoha and they wanted to be friends with at least one of them. The fan on the boy's back was very attractive and he wasn't bad-looking himself. “Hi! My name is -”

 

“Leave,” Sasuke said. He wasn't interested in knowing the names of the people who were rude to his friends.

 

“I'm sorry?” Random fangirl number two didn't think she heard right. Why did the Uchiha look so mad? They haven't even introduced themselves yet. Clearing the cobwebs from her head, she tried again. “My name is -”

 

“I said leave. Right now. I'm not telling you again.” Trademark obsidian eyes sent chills down the girls' spines. Sasuke might look like a harmless kitten compared to his father and brother, but that didn't mean he wasn't schooled in the art of intimidation.

 

“Don't you clean your ears or something? He told you to leave so scram,” Naruto shooed them away with both hands.

 

Sasuke slid on the long bench that was big enough to sit three to four people and allowed Kagome to sit beside him, taking the space next to the aisle. That way, he wouldn't have to deal with a seatmate he didn't want. Naruto allowed Hinata to sit next to Kagome before taking the last spot.

 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” The school day hasn't even properly started yet Naruto already had at least three girls disliking him. They gave him hateful glares and harrumphed before they left. Throughout the morning lesson, Naruto and Kagome could feel the pinpricks from the proverbial daggers the girls were throwing at their backs.

 

They weren't able to see Neji during recess, the first years were told by Iruka-sensei to stay inside the classroom. They were allowed to go outside during lunch though, but were advised to stay within the school grounds, preferably within the sight of one of the teachers. When Neji approached, Kagome immediately pounced on him, telling him the story about the two girls in their class who were mean to her and Naru.

 

Neji listened to her sympathetically and made a mental note of who those girls were while chewing the egg roll that Kagome fed him. Sasuke's face had gone absolutely dark and his aura turned positively menacing. All people within the three mile radius except for Kagome and Naruto, the oblivious twins, were choking from the ill intent coming off of him in waves. If you squinted hard enough, you could almost see the hate radiating off his small body, directed towards Neji. The Hyuuga was expecting the clouds to turn dark while thunder and lightning came down from the heavens to ruin their lunch outside. He wondered why the Uchiha was a little feistier today.

 

“Sasuke's mama made it for me,” Kagome enlightened him later on, “and Naru. It's very delicious, isn't it?”

 

Neji nodded, smirking at Sasuke.

 

“You try one too, Hinata.” Kagome stole one of the egg rolls off Naruto's bento and fed it to the Hyuuga girl.

 

“Hey! That's mine!”

 

“I'll trade you my ramen for it.”

 

It was a no-brainer for the blond. “Okay!” Sasuke's mama was a great cook but ramen was still way better.

 

“Sasu, you don't like your bento?” Kagome asked when she noticed Sasuke frowning. Why was he in a bad mood? “Does your tummy hurt?” Kagome worried before her aura let loose a strong wave of concerned healing, causing those around her to feel a little fuzzy. Hinata giggled at her rice. Neji shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the buzz. Sasuke also shook his head, a goofy look on his face. Kiba, who had the least experience with Kagome and therefore had the weakest resistance, swayed in his seat, eyes drooping. Even Akamaru wasn't spared - he wagged his tail while he rubbed his body against his master's, acting much like a cat.

 

Not only that but the students and teachers within the near vicinity were also affected.

 

“W-what was that?” Iruka asked his fellow sensei. He was sitting two benches away from the little miko and the wave of... comfort? Love? ... caught him by surprise. The Chuunin beside him would probably think it inappropriate if he suddenly hugged him.

 

Naruto was too happy about his extra ramen to care about how the others were acting. He was used to this kind of thing from his sister.

 

“Would you like more tomatoes? Here you go, Sasu.” Kagome dumped all her lunch box's tomatoes on the Uchiha's. That would make him happy! See? Sasu was already smiling... inside... because she knew that he was trying hard to be like his papa and Tachi, people who only smiled inside and never showed it on the outside.

 

Sasuke ran out of steam already. His niisan could wipe the smirk out of Neji's face anyway, if he really wanted to, so he still won. The little Uchiha ate his tomatoes meekly.

 

“Hey...” Kiba said when he finally shook some of the cobwebs from his mind. What the heck was that? “Do you guys know that girl hiding behind the tree? She's starting to freak me out, staring at us so much.”

 

The girl ducked further behind the tree to hide herself when the group turned to look at her. Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped, “Her hair is really pretty.”

 

“She has a big forehead,” Kiba stated the obvious.

 

“I like her hair,” Hinata agreed with her bestfriend. She wished she had hair like that but she didn't think candy pink hair would look well with milky white eyes.

 

“I don't think she likes us very much,” Naruto said, not surprised. The only girls who didn't avoid him like a plague were Hinata, Hanabi and his sister. Granny Tsunade didn't count because she was like a million years old and Sasuke's mama didn't count either because she gave him cookies. Not that he cared if girls liked him or not... because he didn't want to be friends with anyone aside from Gome, Hinata and Hanabi either. Miroku would say otherwise but he knew that girls had cooties.

 

“Aaaw... she ran away,” Kagome's face fell. She wanted to befriend the girl with the pink hair. What did she have to do to get hair like that?

 

Neji had to go back to his class and them to theirs when lunch ended, but no matter how hard she tried Kagome couldn't get the pink-haired girl to talk to her. They were sitting far apart from each other, and the girl avoided her eyes when their gazes met. Iruka-sensei made them copy notes on how to do hand seals afterwards, so Kagome had to concentrate on the blackboard and quit waving at the little girl.

 

Arashi noticed her drooping shoulders when he came to pick them up in the afternoon and asked about it. Kagome kicked the dirt around with her sandals and told him it was nothing. She noticed that Tachi didn't come to pick up Sasu, so that added to her bad day. She thought she'd see Tachi again... and the pink girl had rushed out of the classroom as soon as class was dismissed too. That, added to the two meanies this morning, didn't make her feel as excited about school as much as she did before anymore. Except for Kiba-kun and Akamaru, no one seemed willing to be her new friend.

 

“What do you say we stop by Ichiraku's and also get some oden on our way home, huh kids?” Arashi was sure he could cheer her up with oden.

 

“YAY!” The twins agreed, proving him right; whatever bothered Kagome was instantly forgotten at the mention of oden. After they waved goodbye to their teachers and friends, it didn't take the trio long to head home with their prized oden and ramen.

 

“Gome, go get the bath ready and Naru, go help me set the table.” The kids rushed to perform their tasks, eager to eat their treats. Arashi brought the food to the dining table and just as he finished unpacking, Naruto dashed to get their bowls and chopsticks ready.

 

A little while later, stomachs full and dishes cleaned, the family sat in their large tub as they bathed together. Since Kagome and Naruto were very young, they have always bathed together. When they became toddlers, Arashi found it easier to bathe with them to keep them from drowning or hitting their heads on the tub rather than to just stand outside the tub while he assisted them. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the family bathing together like they do. The kids have been doing it since they were babies and they were family. It was also common practice in the village; that's what bath houses - separate and shared - were for. There was nothing wrong or malicious in this practice. The family that groomed together stayed together.

 

In fact, Arashi made sure he could do this everyday, or at least during the weekends if his work prevented him from coming home early, with his children. Bathing time in the Uzumaki household was when he could find out what trouble the twins got themselves into during the day, what pranks they did and who they victimized. There was just something with sitting in hot water naked that encouraged his kids to loosen up, let their guards down and `fess up.

 

Kagome played with her pink rubber duckie while Naruto shampooed her hair. When Kagome rinsed the shampoo from her hair and returned the favor, Naruto shot imaginary shuriken at the pink duckie with his yellow rubber duckie.

 

Arashi helped Naruto rinse his hair off before he asked nonchalantly, “So what happened in school today?”

 

Naruto told him about their new friend, forgetting that they introduced Kiba to him that morning. He listened attentively to his son but noticed the sadness back in his daughter's profile. “Is something wrong, pumpkin?” He asked gently.

 

Kagome hesitated for a moment before she told him what the problem was. There were mean people in school and they didn't like Naru and her. Then there was the girl with the pink hair that she wanted to befriend but the girl didn't seem to reciprocate the feelings. Kagome was very frustrated.

 

“Do we have to go back tomorrow, papa? I don't think I like school anymore.” Pink rubber duckie splashed water at Yellow rubber duckie for throwing shurikens at her. Yellow rubber duckie splashed water right back.

 

“Yes you do,” Arashi ignored the warring rubber duckies.

 

“Can't we just stay at home and study here? Mushin-sama can be our teacher and it'll be more fun if we get Neji, Sasu, Hinata and Naru to learn from him too. Roku is the only one I get to talk to when Mushin-sama comes to teach.” Pink rubber duckie was now giving flying kicks (as much as rubber duckies could) to Yellow rubber duckie's head.

 

“But Mushin-sama could only teach you and Miroku, pumpkin. Even I can't learn his lessons,” he explained, wiping off the water splashed on his eyes as Yellow rubber duckie tried to retaliate.

 

As they have agreed, the old monk Mushin became Kagome's tutor. Miroku, Mushin's one and only grandson and successor, started lessons when he was three, but Arashi bargained and had Kagome's lessons start at age five. He sat in on the lessons at first and even tried to follow Mushin-sama's instructions, but he just didn't have the spiritual powers that his daughter had. The little miko learned how to manipulate her spiritual power before she learned how to manipulate chakra.

 

“I'm sure you'll have more fun tomorrow,” Arashi coerced. “Right, Naru?”

 

“Keh,” Naruto shrugged. Yellow rubber duckie was losing, nooooo!

 

“Tell you what. Give it until the end of the week before you decide you like school or not, okay?”

 

Even pink rubber duckie looked skeptical.

 

“I'll take you and Naru to Mushin-sama's temple myself on Sunday if you do.” It was only going to be their second time out of the village gates. He was still too paranoid to let his babies out of the gates, even if he and two ANBU platoons came with them.

 

Kagome brushed the wet bangs out of her face. “Okay...” she reluctantly agreed. Mushin-sama's temple was pretty; she wished papa would take her and Naru there more. Her gloomy mood disappeared a few seconds later when Yellow rubber duckie was sent flying because Pink rubber duckie sent a mighty kick to his butt. “Ha!”

 

“NOOOO!” Naruto cried.

 

ღ

 

The second day of school was a little bit better for both Naruto and Kagome. The meanies Naruto crossed paths with yesterday kept a wide berth around them. It was almost as if they were avoiding the twins. The pink-haired girl proved to be shyer than Kagome originally thought, but she was slowly coming out of her shell. Sasuke, Kagome learned, proved to be good bait for the girl.

 

Sasuke was confused at first as to why Kagome would hide behind him while pushing him to walk forward slowly. Dragged everywhere, he felt like one of those carrots Kagome would use to lure bunnies in their backyard. He couldn't help but feel used like a puppet, especially since Kagome would poke him in the back and whisper “Say hi!” or “Smile, Sasu, you have to look friendly!”

 

Dangling the little Uchiha to lure the little girl in finally paid off by Friday, when the pink-haired girl gathered the courage to come out of her shell just long enough to introduce herself. Her name was Haruno Sakura, she told Kagome in such a cute way that it was all Kagome could do not to glomp her and smother her to pieces. She was shy since the kids in her neighborhood and even their new classmates had begun teasing her about her huge forehead, Kagome found out. The little miko told her she shouldn't worry about it and that everyone teased everyone about something.

 

Why Sasu liked to call Naru dobe all the time, she shared, and some people would even whisper some things she didn't understand about Naru whenever they thought the twins couldn't hear them. Or take her grandpa Jiraiya, Kagome said, Naru didn't call him grandpa like her; Naru called him Ero Sennin and grandpa Jiraiya liked to call Naru shorty to make fun of his height. Kagome tried hard to convince her new friend Sakura that she shouldn't care if she had a big forehead or not.

 

Sakura found out that someone named Kashi didn't even mind the stares he got from wearing a face mask all the time. Then there was this guy Roku, who was only several years older than them that Naru and the others liked to call a pervert, and his grandfather whom Naru called `old bald man'. The pink-haired girl only giggled, not sure if she should believe all these people existed. How could so many people have weirder nicknames than her, the forehead girl? Why shouldn't she care about what the other kids called her?

 

“And look at Sasu's hair,” Kagome added when Sakura didn't look convinced, “it looks like a duck but he doesn't care what people think about him.”

 

Sasuke unconsciously patted his hair and checked it out in the mirror. I didn't know my hair looks like a duck?

 

That seemed to do the trick though, because Sakura loosened enough to allow Kagome to introduce her to her other friends. Hinata was probably just as shy as she was but she was very friendly for a Hyuuga. Sasuke was still wondering about his duck hair so he only gave a noncommittal grunt in reply when Sakura was introduced to him. Naruto shook her hand enthusiastically and asked if she liked ramen. Kiba waved a greeting and Akamaru barked hello. Sakura was amazed at how these kids from famous clans didn't seem to mind a girl with a big forehead like hers hanging out with them, so she relaxed. She felt so warm and at ease in the group, especially when she was around her new friend. School was enjoyable for Kagome again.

 

Later in the week, as her father promised, they went to visit Mushin and Miroku.

 

ღ

 

The tenth day of October had always been a special day in Konoha's history. A lot of its citizens commemorated their loved ones' death on this day, all of the surviving ones remembered the heroism their fourth generation Hokage showed, and in the humble Uzumaki household, this day was the day when they celebrated the twins' birthdays.

 

“Naru, have you seen your sister?” Arashi looked around the Uzumaki backyard but had no luck in spotting his daughter. Where had she run off to? They were about to sing the birthday song and he needed both twins to blow out the candles.

 

The birthday boy paused his game of tag with the other children and nodded his head. “Gome said she'll be back later.”

 

Cerulean eyes looked at exact replicas expectantly. The smaller pair blinked cutely. “Did she say where she was going?” Arashi asked when his son didn't say anything else.

 

Naruto shook his head.

 

Arashi sighed. Where was she? He patted his son's head and allowed him to return to his game. “Hey Kakashi, have you seen Kagome?” He asked the silver-haired ninja who was trying to blend into a tree.

 

Kakashi cursed under his breath; his former sensei's question gave his location away. “No Yondaime-sama, I haven't seen Kagome anywhere.” He felt a sense of impending doom and found the reason why when he saw Gai now walking towards him. Damn!

 

Small fingers tugged on his clothes. “Yondaime-sama, Kagome said to tell you she had to meet a friend and will be back as soon as she can. Itachi-san followed her to make sure she was safe,” Neji informed him.

 

Arashi's brows wrinkled in confusion. Didn't they invite all of Kagome's friends in the village and even Miroku, who lived in a temple outside the village already? Everyone was here, even their new classmates at the academy, so who could be missing from the guest list? “Did she say who it was she was going to meet, Neji-kun?”

 

Neji's pretty hair swayed when he shook his head in a negative. “No, that's why Itachi-san followed her discreetly.”

 

The thought of his daughter going off with a friend he didn't know about bothered him greatly. The panic he should have felt wasn't there because Itachi was with her. “Did you see which direction they went?”

 

Neji pointed to a line of trees that concealed a hidden path leading to a small stream behind the house. He thanked the boy before taking off in that direction. At times like these he debated with himself regarding the merits of placing a permanent collar or a tracking beacon on his children. They were too fond of going off to god-knew-where and caused him to panic for nothing a lot.

 

It didn't take him long to spot his daughter sitting near the stream, a basket of apples beside her. She was humming and using a stick to draw lines on the ground. He was about to call out to her but a hand on his shoulder surprised him. Itachi was sitting on the same branch of the tree he was currently perched upon. How had he gotten there without him noticing? It was a little unnerving, considering he was Hokage and was supposed to be on his guard all the time. He blamed it on his divided attention and the sense of safety he felt because he was on his own backyard.

 

“Wha-”

 

The teenager held a finger to his lips, motioning for silence, and tilted his head towards the child on the ground. From their vantage point on top of the tree they could see everything clearly.

 

Humoring the Uchiha, he watched and listened. What did Itachi want to show him? A soft breeze blew past them when Kagome perked up and spoke.

 

“There you are! I've been waiting for you!” The birthday girl pointed an accusing finger at the thin air. “You said to meet you here with your presents but you were late. I don't understand why you've turned shy suddenly when you've just made yourself at home before.”

 

Itachi and Arashi shared a confused look on top of their branch. Who was she talking to? None of them could see anyone or sense any chakra within the vicinity. All the guests and people were all at the birthday party in the backyard from where they came from.

 

Kagome huffed, continuing what seemed like a conversation between her and herself. “I got new friends from the academy and they all brought their parents that's why it's more crowded than last year. They're really nice people, you don't need to be shy.”

 

Arashi could feel the first signs of panic creeping on his chest. His daughter wasn't insane, was she?

 

“Hm, I guess…” Kagome said thoughtfully, “I wish they could come and meet you though, especially my brother.” There was a pause before she giggled. “Silly, papa's not going to be scared of you! You said so yourself that whatever happened between you two happened a long time ago. I'm sure he'll be glad to be your friend now. Papa is really cool and the nicest papa in the whole wide world. He's the bestest papa ever.”

 

Arashi basked in the warm fuzzy feelings his daughter's compliments gave him. Itachi activated his sharingan beside him but still couldn't see who or what Kagome was talking to.

 

“Oh!” Kagome gasped, putting the Hokage and ANBU squad captain on their guards. “I'm sorry, here, I totally forgot about these. Papa bought these this morning so they're really fresh. Thank you for coming today, are you sure you want these instead of cake?”

 

Kagome picked up one of the apples in the basket and held it up in the air. It was weird but since neither ninja felt any danger in the immediate vicinity, they decided to sit back and watch. Just imagine the surprise Arashi and Itachi felt when a piece of the apple was bitten off.

 

The Hokage picked up his daughter in a flash, causing her to drop the basket on the ground, kunai drawn. Itachi also had the same idea; he had his own weapons drawn and was assuming a fighting stance back to back with his Hokage, red eyes activated darting to find the invisible threat. Sharp senses strained to hear, see, smell or feel anything before they could make their move.

 

Kagome's blue eyes were wide, apple still in hand. “Papa, what are you doing?”

 

“Hush pumpkin, let papa take care of it,” Arashi whispered urgently, preparing to do his body flicker technique as soon as he figured out where the attack was going to come from. His plan was to grab Itachi with them and flicker to the birthday party to warn the guests.

 

Kagome frowned at her papa. He was acting weird and Tachi too. “Stop it papa, you're upsetting Ryuk.”

 

“Ryuk?” Itachi dared not to let his guard down even when he asked the question.

 

“My friend,” Kagome replied without a care in the world, unaware of the tense fighting auras of her papa and Itachi. She thought about doing those calming aura release exercises she did with Mushin-sama but decided not to since it made Ryuk act loopy when she did it. She looked around her papa to talk to Itachi. “He says that your sharingan wouldn't help you see him even if you have the” she paused and frowned, “man - mang - manek - mangey - mangekyou,” Kagome pronounced slowly.

 

“Mangekyou?” Arashi and Itachi asked at the same time.

 

Itachi was thunderstruck at how Kagome and her friend even knew that word. He only found out about it more or less a year ago, just as Sasuke entered the academy. After completing several ANBU missions with flying colors, his father and the clan higher ups pulled him aside to talk about the clan. He was instructed to go to the Nakano Shrine's Main Temple, on the far right side. Under the seventh mat was the clan's secret meeting place and what looked to him like a shrine for tengu. He wasn't aware his clan worshipped humanoids with bird-like features but he didn't have long to ponder over it because the clan started the meeting. He was told that only the trusted members and those who have shown potential were allowed to enter this elite circle of Uchihas.

 

He was later given a scroll to read about their clan's origins and about the awesome power that was the Mangekyou Sharingan. The information on the scroll was both thrilling and dangerous. In order to obtain Mangekyou Sharingan, a sharingan-using Uchiha had to kill their closest friend and only one Uchiha has ever achieved that so far, according to the scroll. Itachi secretly contemplated killing Shisui for a brief millisecond to obtain such power and follow in the steps of Uchiha Madara, but the image of a little girl with bright blue eyes and a smile that warmed his heart popped into his head. Shisui should thank his lucky stars Kagome was fond of him.

 

“He says to let him eat his apples in peace and he'll teach me how to help you activate it without -” Kagome gasped and glared at the thin air behind her, “That's not nice to say, Ryuk.” She crossed her arms in disapproval and refused to repeat what he said. She liked Shisui-niichan. He was funny and he gave her and Naru candy.

 

Itachi correctly guessed that she found out about the bestfriend requirement and he frowned at how the unseen person knew of the advanced form of his clan's sharingan, wondering just how much he knew and how much information this friend could share. Was he an Uchiha? If the invisible person knew how to bypass the kill-your-bestfriend part, he was willing to participate in it.

 

When Itachi and Arashi still didn't relax, Kagome sighed. “Papa, Ryuk's not going to hurt me, you, Itachi or anyone who doesn't have to go yet. If you still don't trust him, you know you could trust me, right?”

 

“Go where?” Arashi asked and made the mistake of looking into his daughter's eyes. He was powerless against her puppy dog eyes no jutsu. Reluctantly relenting, he dropped his fighting stance but kept his weapon unsheathed just in case.

 

Itachi thought he was crazy but had no choice but to follow his Hokage. If Kagome's friend wanted to be left alone while he ate apples in exchange for information on the Mangekyou, he was willing to humor him.

 

“Who is Ryuk, pumpkin?” Arashi refused to let Kagome go even when he wasn't preparing for a fight anymore. “And where is he?”

 

“He's right there,” she pointed to the air in front of Itachi, making the teenager jump a little. You would too if you were one of the (or probably the most) top ANBU in your village and couldn't even sense your enemy even when he was standing right in front of you. “You remember him, don't you papa? Ryuk says you met him years ago during my and Naru's birthday.”

 

Arashi tried hard but couldn't recall any of his friends or acquaintances having the power of invisibility. At least none that he knew of and none of his friends were even named Ryuk for that matter.

 

Pink lips formed into a thoughtful pout. “He says you made a deal with him,” the innocent child relayed what her friend said to her father. “He says I was there too but I really don't remember since he says I was only a baby.”

 

Arashi's complexion quickly turned to a deathly shade of ghost white. He had to make sure... “T-tell me, pumpkin, just what is your friend and why is he here?”

 

“He's a shinigami and he's here to wish me a happy birthday,” Kagome answered, squirming from his tight grip, unaware of her father's cold sweat and Itachi's incredulity. “He'd wish Naru a happy birthday too but Naru can't see him.” Kagome was sad. Ryuk was really fun to be with and she was sure that he and her brother would get along nicely if they met face to face. It was a pity that she was the only one who could see and talk to Ryuk. She tried to introduce him to Hinata once, but not even her bestfriend's byakugan could make her see him.

 

“Are shinigamis real?” An unbelieving Itachi couldn't help but ask.

 

Arashi nodded his head, “More than you'll ever believe, Itachi-kun.” And to think that he was very familiar with this one... “Are you sure he's the exact shinigami, baby?” He bounced Kagome on his hip like she was a three year old out of nervousness. He wasn't trained to handle these types of situations. Was he going to die?

 

“Yup.”

 

“Is he here to reap my soul?” He had to know. Eight years was a long time for someone who should be dead by now but he didn't want to keel over anytime soon.

 

Kagome giggled. “You're so silly papa. I already told you Ryuk's here for my birthday. He comes more than once a year when he has to fetch someone from or near the village and he makes sure to greet me a happy birthday each year. He says he's been doing it since I didn't even know who he was and he loves apples so I feed them to him.”

 

Itachi was still skeptical. “Why is he invisible? How can we see him? Can you ask him to show himself?” If gods of death were real and they weren't here to escort his soul to the afterlife, he wanted to meet one.

 

Kagome was quiet for a long moment, listening to what her invisible friend was telling her. “He says that ordinary humans cannot see him and intentionally interacting with humans is prohibited under normal circumstances. He says he won't get into trouble with talking to me because we didn't do anything to break the rules and I could see the others too so it's normal. He says that you can see him if you wanted, without him getting into trouble, but you have to give him your soul for it.” After she repeated what Ryuk said, she turned back to the invisible being with a frown on her face. “Don't take my papa's or Itachi's soul, Ryuk. I won't give you apples anymore if you do that.”

 

Itachi knew for some reason that Kagome wasn't lying but this was just so out of the ordinary and nothing he was familiar with. Kagome never lied to him and the Yondaime was sweating bullets so he was forced to believe it was true. This was just so bizarre though, no matter how you looked at it. All the other sane people couldn't fault him for his disbelief.

 

Arashi didn't feel comforted in knowing that all that was standing from the grim reaper and his soul were apples. Kagome brought a whole basket with her but were they enough? He would buy the reaper a whole truck load of apples if it meant sparing his life. He was dying to know what happened all those years ago but didn't mean to do anything to offend this `Ryuk'.

 

“Here you go Ryuk,” Kagome held the apple she was still holding up and the shinobis watched as it was devoured in mid air. “Yes, all those are yours too.” Kagome continued talking to him. “You should save some to give to Rem-san and the others you know. Shidoh prefers chocolates but Jealous told me he likes apples too. You should be kinder to him.”

 

Arashi didn't really want to ask but he had to know. “Who are Rem-san, Shidoh and Jealous?”

 

“They're my friends like Ryuk. They come here sometimes when they have to get someone and they're really nice.” Itachi and Arashi now knew `get' and `fetch' were Kagome-code for someone dying and the grim reaper reaping their souls.

 

“I see.” No, he didn't see at all but he could only imagine his daughter friendly chatting with shinigami who could take human souls and it was very disturbing to him as a father.

 

“Ryuk says that papa shouldn't worry about him or the others eating or taking my soul when they come and talk to me because that won't happen until after a long, long, long, long time,” Kagome suddenly said, startling Arashi. Could shinigamis read minds? “You and Naruto and Itachi and Kashi and Hinata and Neji and Hana-chan too!”

 

“Uh… thanks… I think,” he told the air. “Can shinigamis read minds?” Arashi felt safe enough to ask.

 

“Ryuk says no but he says you looked like you were worried he would eat my soul for lunch,” Kagome giggled. “He's just here for the apples.”

 

Arashi breathed a little easier, resigned to the fact that he was powerless against the god of death. He planned to ask Mushin-sama later if there was anything that could help him to deal with grim reapers but he doubted even his best jutsu could save him if the reaper really wanted to do them any harm right now. He had to trust in his daughter's trust in the repear. Itachi seemed to be thinking on the same lines as he was because they both sheathed their weapons at the same time.

 

They stayed near the stream a few minutes more, watching the apples disappear into thin air and listening to Kagome talk to her friend. Arashi and Itachi watched silently as the unseen Ryuk told Kagome about how to help Itachi make this so-called mangekyou work, but all they heard was one-side talking to the invisible other. After that, the two Konoha shinobi had questions of their own (How old was he? Why does he love apples? How often do you visit Konoha?) And Kagome acted as a bridge for them. Curiosity finally got the better of him and Arashi asked if he could explain what happened all those years ago, but the shinigami's answer was vague.

 

“Ryuk says he's not allowed to talk to ordinary humans about it and you wouldn't understand it if he explained it to you anyway,” Kagome relayed to him. She defended her papa to Ryuk of course, telling him that her papa was smart and would understand anything, but Arashi said it was okay. If Ryuk didn't want to talk about it then he wouldn't ask about it anymore. He was just thankful, he said, and left Itachi to wonder how his Hokage met the shinigami before and what exactly happened.

 

When the invisible Ryuk finally finished all his treats, he bid them farewell and promised to visit again. Kagome was happy about it but Arashi and Itachi weren't really looking forward to it. Their strong male ninja egos have taken a fair beating, considering that an eight year old child wasn't even the least bit freaked out by her unusual friend's visit, and they'd rather not get visits from grim reapers at all.

 

No one sane, sober and attached to their souls would.

 

The promise of cake and ice cream delighted Kagome and pushed her to seek out Naruto when they returned to the party telling him excitedly that “Papa says we could open the presents after we blow out the candles!”

 

Naruto was just as excited with his presents as Kagome was, so they all sang the twins a happy birthday while Arashi pulled Itachi to the side and made him promise not to breathe a word about what happened at the stream earlier. Itachi nodded to the Hokage, taking his request as an order.

 

And then it was time for opening presents.

 

Gai observed from spying on Kakashi what their preferences were, so he was extremely proud of his gifts for the children: a green spandex suit with a specialized dog logo for Kagome and another green spandex suit with a specialized fox logo for Naruto. People bit their tongues and the insides of their cheeks to prevent laughter, and when that wasn't enough they coughed into their hands to cover it up.

 

`Grandpa' Jiraiya gave Kagome a huge white stuffed dog and Naruto received a framed autograph paper with his signature on it. When the blond birthday boy asked `Ero Sennin' what he should do about the autograph, the old man told him to take good care of it because it was a collector's item seeing as how he was a famous celebrity author now. Naruto snorted at him disrespectfully.

 

Miroku and Mushin gave Kagome ofudas and scrolls to study. Naruto received protection charms. Gifts from the twins' new classmates consisted mostly of toys, clothes and ninja gear. Both got a lot of different toys and clothes. Ninja gear, typical and special, were also a popular gift. It was only normal that the twins got a lot of matching sets, one for a boy and the other for a girl, but where their toys and clothes differed were the patterns. Naruto held great fondness for foxes while Kagome was more partial to dogs. The cute shirts that Kagome received had doggie drawings on them while Naruto had foxes; the pajama set that Konohamaru gave Kagome was pink with dog patterns while Naruto's was orange with fox patterns. Kakashi gave them nightcaps to match.

 

Neji's gift to Kagome was a sturdy backpack in the shape of a dog. She loved it. Naruto also received a backpack. It wasn't girly cute like Kagome's, but it had fox patterns on it, of course.

 

Tsunade was travelling the countryside in search for new medical jutsus and wasn't able to come home in time (she hasn't gone back to Konoha for years), but she did send the twins special packages. She kept in constant touch with Arashi's family, but going back to live in the village that had taken so much from her just wasn't in her list of priorities. She would stop by the vicinity once in a while, check on the kids' health, Naruto's seal and have a drink with Mushin at his temple, but that was it. Kagome received a bunch of medical scrolls from her and Naruto gained possession of coupons to Ichiraku's.

 

Out of all the gifts, the twins probably loved Hinata's the most. Naruto received a whole box of instant ramen while Kagome got a charm bracelet that had two charms in it: one Uzumaki clan symbol and one Hyuuga clan emblem. It was unheard of for anyone else to bear another's clan design on their person, however inconspicuous it might be, but the Hyuuga heiress obtained special permission from her father.

 

No, that wasn't exactly the truth. The truth was that the Uzumaki emblem was Hinata's idea and the Hyuuga clan symbol was Hiashi's. He gave Hinata the suggestion of doing both clan symbols under the pretense of a sign of their friendship which was a perfect cover. His daughter's idea had been genius, and he didn't pass the opportunity to rub it in Fugaku's face that the miko was wearing the Hyuuga symbol on her arm.

 

The imaginary scoreboard that kept track of Fugaku and Hiashi's scores chalked one up to Hiashi's corner. Hiashi gloated some more when Naruto proclaimed his love for Hinata over and over because she gave him the best gift ever. Fugaku wished Hiashi's gloating face would crack when even Arashi commented how great a gift it was and how he was thinking of adding a charm of his own to his daughter's bracelet. Hiashi offered to introduce him to the jeweler he commissioned for the job and scored more ramen points with the pleased father.

 

The party was a big hit with the children. The cake was delicious. Arashi got help with some of the female Chuunins at work deciding on what party games to play and food to serve aside from ramen and oden. Ichiraku's shop closed down to cater to Naruto's whim. People craving for oden also had to do without the oden shop in Konoha that day because they were closed to cater to Kagome's whim. Oden was to Kagome as ramen was to Naruto.

 

Itachi thought that Arashi might already have forgotten about what the shinigami promised the Uchiha in exchange for eating his apples in peace earlier, but Arashi certainly didn't. The Yondaime would've chalked it up to the weirdness of the shinigami but quickly revised his opinion when Itachi requested to see Kagome alone about what was said earlier. When Arashi asked why, Itachi hesitated to tell him, unwilling to let Arashi tell anyone else. After he made the Yondaime promise on his children and his honor as a Hokage, the Uchiha prodigy told him the censured version of the truth.

 

The eldest son of Fugaku was certain that even the Hokage didn't know the inner dealings and secrets of each clan in Konoha, so he told the Hokage that it had to do something with the next level of sharingan and he wasn't allowed to reveal anything more than he already had to someone who wasn't part of the clan. Arashi understood this well enough and respected their privacy, but he insisted on being there when Itachi talked to Kagome or they wouldn't do it at all, regardless of what was promised by whom.

 

Itachi wanted to keep his clan secrets and Arashi wasn't going to force them out of him, but he wasn't going to just abandon his daughter to the unknown either. What would an eight year old child know about the secrets of one of the oldest clans in Konoha and what would happen if the clan elders found out she knew? Itachi knew his father wanted to assimilate Kagome into their clan but he couldn't anticipate what his father would do if he found out Kagome knew about their secrets or how to unlock them.

 

It was a hard choice but in the end Arashi won. The bottom line was that Itachi wanted to know what Kagome knew and if she could really help him, and Arashi wasn't going to force any information out of him or blab it to others. Arashi even promised to make Kagome swear that whatever her friend Ryuk told her should remain a secret between just the three of them. It was a win-win situation for everyone that way. None of the other Uchihas would know about Kagome's involvement in their clan's secrets and Kagome wouldn't tell a soul about it because she promised Itachi and her father.

 

Jiraiya thought it was odd when Arashi left Naruto in his care but didn't question it. He figured he was going to have a talk with Fugaku's eldest regarding an engagement with his daughter when the three of them went to Arashi's room. What other reason could it be aside from that? The sannin felt a little sad; if Arashi was arranging an engagement with Itachi, then he would miss seeing the competition between Fugaku and Hiashi. He'd already won more than his fair share of bets from it with Kakashi and was looking forward to more betting in the future.

 

If Jiraiya only knew...

 

After making Kagome understand that she couldn't tell anyone about it, not even Naru, her father said, the three of them started. Kagome remembered the earlier promise, saying that Ryuk gave the answers to questions she's had since she could remember.

 

Since she was a baby, Kagome had always been fascinated by the intricacies of the Sharingan and Byakugan. She told her papa and Itachi that it was because they looked the same. Itachi and Arashi couldn't see how they looked the same but Arashi explained that Kagome could see things that ordinary people couldn't. Itachi accepted this, knowing all along that there was something special about the girl.

 

The eight year old tried to explain it as much as she could, using words and terms she learned from school and Mushin-sama to make it understandable. However knowledgeable she was though, she was still just a kid. She used really common analogies but they managed.

 

The Byakugan, she said, was like a blue-colored circle. Compared to that, the Sharingan was purple-colored because someone probably added the red to it. Kagome was surprised to find out that the Sharingan originated from the Byakugan. Arashi had to explain what `originated' meant and Kagome nodded in understanding when he said that the Byakugan was like the Sharingan's mother.

 

“That's why they look the same,” she replied and nodded, looking as if she solved one of the mysteries of the world.

 

Further more, Kagome added, the Sharingan had a `secret treasure' inside its circle. Some sharingan users like Itachi's papa and Shisui, she continued, had really tight locks on their treasure boxes. The lock could only be opened by the person himself and no one could help him. She could see how strong or weak the locks were, telling them that she liked to check up on it regularly. Uchihas like Teyaki (brother of Fugaku) and Uruchi (wife of Teyaki), the shopkeepers of the Uchiha sweet rice crackers shop, didn't have any treasure boxes. Itachi and Arashi noted that they didn't have the sharingan.

 

“Is that why you like to look at Hinata's, Neji's, Hanabi's, Sasuke's, Kakashi's and Itachi's eyes?” Arashi asked and his daughter nodded.

 

She liked to compare, she told him, like a race of who was going to get the treasure first. Only a child could make such comparisons.

 

“Tachi's was the fastest to loosen the padlock, but Kashi's was already unclasped a long time ago. I don't think he knows he has to take off the lock before he could get the treasure.”

 

Itachi was surprised to know that Kakashi, not a natural sharingan user, could be so close to obtaining mangekyou. He heard that Uchiha Obito, Kakashi's teammate, had given him the sharingan eye before his death. Ah, now it made sense. Obito was probably Kakashi's bestfriend and seeing Obito die released this `lock' on the mangekyou that Kagome was talking about. The clan scrolls called it `requirement'.

 

“Kakashi might need to train more to make up for not being a natural-born Uchiha,” Arashi speculated. “His stamina and body's abilities need to catch up to his eye.”

 

Kagome shrugged. All she knew was that Itachi's lock was also loose and it only had to be taken off.

 

“How could I do that?” Without killing Shisui, he silently added, not willing to let the Yondaime know.

 

“Ryuk told me I could take it off for you and told me how to,” Kagome quietly replied. She was content to just observe the weakening of those locks before because she was afraid to tamper with them.

 

Itachi could feel the adrenaline increase.

 

“Will it hurt?” Arashi asked.

 

Kagome shook her head.

 

“Is it safe?”

 

Kagome nodded.

 

“Let's do it,” Itachi decided.

 

Arashi knew he had no right to forbid the boy from what he wanted and the glint in Kagome's eyes was also unmistakable. They were going to do it whether he said yes or no. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Blue eyes watched carefully as Kagome got into the normal position she made whenever she practiced her favorite hobby of `look into the sharingan'. Arashi sent a silent prayer of thanks that Kagome was still young because no father in his right would allow his grown daughter to climb on a man's lap and straddle him while looking into his eyes intently.

 

Itachi didn't even tense or bat an eyelash when Kagome's hands moved. One gripped the back of his head to hold it in place and the other glowed ethereal pink. It was always a sight to behold since the color in itself was unusual. “Don't close your eyes `kay, Tachi?”

 

Itachi would have nodded but Kagome was holding his head so he grunted instead.

 

Arashi stepped a little closer to the pair when his daughter started drawing patterns on Itachi's face with her glowing fingers.

 

After a few seconds, Kagome stopped and frowned.

 

“Is something wrong?” Arashi asked.

 

“Yeah, Tachi lay back so I can use both hands.”

 

Arashi waved his hand to go on when Itachi looked at him for permission. Itachi shifted on the couch inside the Hokage's room a little and then rested his head on the headrest, putting all his trust in Kagome. When he was done, Kagome didn't give him any warning when she seized his right eyelid and started drawing patterns again. For a little girl half his size, her grip on his eye was strong, preventing him from blinking.

 

Seconds ticked into minutes and when she was done, she did the same thing to the left one. Sweat gathered on her furrowed brow and Arashi could tell Kagome was exerting herself. He couldn't even begin to fathom what amount of chakra or power she was using to do this.

 

Itachi would've widened both his eyes if Kagome wasn't holding his left hostage, for he could feel the right changing and he wished he had a mirror to see what it looked like. The little girl on his lap seemed to have read his mind because after caring for the left just as much as she did for the right, Kagome asked her father to let Itachi borrow a mirror before slumping against Itachi's chest in exhaustion. Using her pink chakra instead of her normal chakra always tired her, but she would gladly do it again for her Tachi.

 

Arashi lifted Kagome off Itachi and handed him a mirror.

 

“Is she okay?” Itachi's concern overrode his curiosity. Kagome was asleep and breathing evenly, he mildly brushed the stray ebony locks that made their way to her angelic face.

 

“She's fine; she gets like this when she exhausts her chakra.” What did Jiraiya-sensei say? Oh, right. `It runs in the family'. Naruto had the habit of training until he dropped from exhaustion. “She just needs a good night's sleep and -” Arashi gasped, noticing the change in Itachi's eyes when he looked into them. “Itachi-kun... you... your eyes... they're...”

 

Itachi held the mirror up to find that the three dots that should have been in each of his eyes were now merged into one big wheel.

 

“Is that...?”

 

“The Mangekyou Sharingan,” Itachi's voice was filled with just as much awe as the Hokage's. “She did it. I can't believe...” For the first time in his life, the new Mangekyou Sharingan user was speechless.

 

“Itachi-kun?”

 

There was no response. The boy was still admiring his eyes in the mirror, touching his hands to his face in disbelief.

 

Arashi cleared his throat. He shifted Kagome in his arms and laid her down on the bed, making sure to tuck her carefully in.

 

Itachi was still staring at the mirror when he finished.

 

The Hokage waited some more. The only sounds in the room were Kagome's even breathing and the ticking of the clock. He hummed a soft tune while running his fingers through his daughter's hair. The little girl snuggled deeper in the pillow.

 

Suddenly, Naruto burst through the door (Arashi could never teach him how to knock) and almost crashed into the statue in the middle. “What's wrong with Itachi?” Naruto poked the unmoving Uchiha curiously.

 

Itachi made sure his eyes were back to normal before he moved. “Nothing, Naruto-kun.”

 

“Are you fit to go home by yourself, Itachi-kun?”

 

“Hai, Yondaime-sama. I...” he looked at the small girl in the middle of the Hokage's bed.

 

“We can talk more about it tomorrow, ne? I think Gome-chan's had enough excitement for today.”

 

Naruto gently climbed next to his sister and got under the covers, kissed her forehead and went to sleep cuddled beside her.

 

“You can thank her tomorrow,” Arashi added.

 

Itachi bowed gratefully to his Hokage. This gratitude thing was new to him.

 

The full moon was shining brightly in the night sky when Itachi finally made his way home with a definite bounce on his step. He felt like he finally had a purpose and had the power to reach his goals.

 

“Did you have fun, Itachi?”

 

Itachi turned to where the voice and chakra were. “It was enjoyable,” he allowed. Oh, if he only knew. “Where were you, Shisui? Kagome was looking for you.”

 

Shusui stepped out of the shadows, chuckling. “Ah yes, itty bitty ickle Koneko-chan. She's cute, isn't she? Such a bundle of joy and sunshine, that girl is.” He smiled widely. “I was on a mission, I'm sorry I missed Kagome-chan's birthday. I'll give her a belated birthday present soon.”

 

Shisui, in Itachi's opinion, was a little unstable. The guy liked to laugh too much, for no apparent reason, and it wasn't the kind of laugh his little brother or his friends did when they were little and they found something amusing either. No, Shisui's laugh was almost cynical at times, but Itachi couldn't be a good judge for that since he rarely or never even laughed at all. He smiled and chuckled in the presence of his brother and Kagome sometimes but that was it.

 

Itachi shrugged when Shisui looked at him for a response.

 

“She's special, isn't she?”

 

Itachi shrugged again but grunted in agreement. Of course she was special! It probably blow Shisui's mind if Itachi told him what happened tonight.

 

“I still remember years ago when she cleaned that curse seal from that Hyuuga Branch boy's forehead...”

 

“Neji.”

 

“Ah yes, he's a friend of your brother's isn't he?”

 

“Hmmm...” He doubted Sasuke would claim Neji as one of his friends. They addressed each other by `Uchiha' and `Hyuuga', and acted much like Fugaku and Hiashi did when they were in the presence of the other. Sasuke often needed assurance that he could beat up Neji if he really wanted to, for some reason.

 

“Someday I'm going to find out what she did for sure,” Shisui told him.

 

“Hn.” Good luck with that.

 

“We never hang out like we used to anymore. You keep getting assigned all the good missions and the ones you do reject are passed on to me. We should ask for the same assignment one of these days.”

 

“Mhm,” Itachi replied as they stepped foot inside the Uchiha compound. Had the full moon looked this interesting before or was it just him?

 

“You never know when we never get back from those dangerous missions and all...”

 

Itachi could see his house already. “Surely you have more skills than that, Shisui.”

 

Shisui laughed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, pal.” They paused on the threshold of Itachi's house. “You've changed,” Shisui said.

 

Itachi blinked. “I have?”

 

“Yeah, you're different somehow. You used to be like me... and now you aren't.”

 

“I don't understand.” He never considered himself similar to Shisui other than sharing the same clan.

 

Shisui smiled something suspicious that didn't reach his eyes. “Well, this is goodbye for now, I wouldn't want to keep you up tonight from an important mission tomorrow.”

 

“See you, Shisui.”

 

Shisui looked back when the door behind Itachi closed. He stood in the middle of the street for several minutes, unmoving and silent.

 

“Goodbye, Itachi.”

 

Naruto slept peacefully, cuddled next to Kagome and Arashi that evening.

 

Itachi stayed up most of the night staring at his newly acquired Mangekyou. His father was going to freak. Out. It would be best if he never found out how exactly he got this. How was he going to explain this to his clan without involving Kagome? He couldn't wait to try it out in action. Too bad he didn't have any missions for the next few days. Where could he practice the techniques he read about in that scroll last year?

 

The next morning, the body of Uchiha Shisui was found floating face down on the Konoha river. The Konoha Military Police, mostly under the control of members of the Uchiha family, ruled the death as drowning. The cause: suicide.

 

I'm tired of the duties...
there is no future for the Uchiha...

and for me...

I cannot walk out the “path” any further...

 

ღ

 

Notesand Disclaimer: Sorry for grammar and spellings errors. English was not my first language (and that's all I'm willing to share to strangers on the internet) but I think I've improved since. If you're really that appalled by my grammar/tenses, suck it up and just be thankful I can spell... mostly. :P

 

Thank you very much for the reviews last chapter. Cookies for all of you and Naruto plushies to Falling Right Side Up for suggesting a Kagome Harem. ♥

 

I'd like to give my apologies to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata for references in this chapter. This is not and never going to be a Death Note crossover, I just wanted to name that shinigami in Naruto and “L, do you know shinigami loves apples” inspired me. The shinigami in Naruto definitely doesn't need a Death Note to kill and I just wanted to play with that angle, do a shout out to my favorite series.

 

Omake: ALT + 3 equals ♥

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!