Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Life Drabbles ❯ The Purpose of Strength ( Chapter 4 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: shattered-words 
In a strange village my sister got lost. As I searched for her, I saw an angel in a mortal’s disguise and now he torments me, in more ways than one as he asks me the purpose of strength. (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing).
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Shounen / Romance / Drama / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.27.2007 | Updated On: 08.16.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 160 | Status: Completed
In a strange village my sister got lost. As I searched for her, I saw an angel in a mortal’s disguise and now he torments me, in more ways than one as he asks me the purpose of strength. (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing).
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Shounen / Romance / Drama / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.27.2007 | Updated On: 08.16.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 160 | Status: Completed
The Purpose of StrengthAuthor: shattered-words
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it’d be called ‘Gaara’. So, isn’t it a shame that I don’t own it? (The quote below was said by Ghandi.)
Summary: In a strange village my sister got lost. As I searched for her, I saw an angel in a mortal’s disguise and now he torments me, in more ways than one as he asks me the purpose of strength. (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing).
AN: A bit more insight into this elusive character. I hope you can understand him better with this story and the bond that started to form between him and another character. Hope you enjoy and please forgive the OOC, but they’re younger here, so yeah.
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“True strength comes to those that fight, not for themselves, but for those who can’t.”
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He turned as a gasp escaped his lips and an instant glimpse of his attacker was all he saw before he succumbed to darkness. A blade of sunlight had cut through the branches and lit him up, and the silver strands of his hair glimmered so they were blinding. The Inu mask had shadows around the eyeholes yet he could feel his gaze piercing through his very soul. He wore black clothing and knew him to be ANBU. His image was branded into his memory forever as he felt his consciousness leave him.
His name is Ashikaga Eizan, as the records will state when they interrogated him. It will also state that he had no idea that where he was treading was forbidden for foreign ninja. All he had wanted was to take a walk. His memories of home, his parents and his younger sibling had been too much for him at the time.
Eizan was only thirteen and any would argue that he couldn’t be blamed for being home sick, but he was ninja. Shinobi weren’t supposed to let things like missing his family cloud his mind. He shouldn’t want to see his sister’s smiling face more than being part of the exam that would allow him to become a Chunin.
The appearance of the ANBU had been quite surprising and he had no time to react before he’d been knocked out. Of course he hadn’t been killed since it would have aroused problems with the Kazekage if one of his Genin were killed. There were already very few Genin squads participating, and with one member dead they’d be unable to enter the exam.
He awoke groggy and with a pounding headache in darkness. Eizan remembered the ANBU and knew where he was as he groaned. That sound seemed to animate everything and a light came on above him as he blinked in rapid succession. He had already noticed that he couldn’t move his arms and assumed they were bound. There was also something that prevented him from escaping from it, and it was mostly likely a chakra draining rope.
“State your name and rank,” a voice growled at him from a darkened corner of the room. He strained his eyes to see but after a moment gave a sigh and slumped back, or as much as the rope would allow.
“Ashikaga Eizan. Suna Genin,” he conceded, since he saw no harm in divulging the information. Honestly, he didn’t see why they were going to all this trouble of trying to scare him. If they asked him nicely, in a bright room, and with his Jonin instructor present then this would go over much easier.
He was snapped out of his musings of how he had managed to get himself in this situation by a question from the interrogator, whose face he had yet to see. A growl left his lips as they asked him about the location of Sunagakure. They might have been allies but not even Konoha knew the exact location of the village that blended within the desert sands. “I already told you that I won’t answer anything until my instructor comes,” he snapped.
The man chuckled darkly and the sound of movement came and he screamed as he felt a weak electric jutsu shock his body. Now that was pushing it! “Son of a bi-aaaah!” He was cut off as the electric effects went through him again.
“Just answer our questions and the pain will go away,” the low voice told him. “You think Suna will care about a single Genin going missing? They won’t be suspicious when your body is found in a training ground after an “accident” during training.”
Eizan felt the color drain from his face at that and lowered his head to think. They only wanted to know the location of Suna. Sure, he could divulge that information and no one would be the wiser.
‘But what if Konoha betrays Suna?’ was his sudden thought. If that happened, they could be attacked by surprise and many innocents would be put in danger. His younger sister’s face floated into his mind and he flinched before he pressed his lips into a thin line.
He lifted his gaze to where the voice was coming from and glared at the unidentified person. “I won’t tell you anything,” he growled. There was a pause from the person as they stepped closer but he only saw their legs before he stopped.
“All you have to do is give us the location of Suna, and you’ll live,” the man told him firmly, and with finality in his voice. He was wearing black pants and the customary sandals but it was too dark to tell what color they were.
Eizan gritted his teeth and clenched his bound hands. “I’d rather die,” he told him firmly, gray eyes flashing with determination. He felt his heart speed up as he had said those words but knew that he would rather die than give away his loved one’s location to them.
The man’s hands clenched as he answered and he turned away. “So be it.” The door opened and it blinded him as the man walked outside quickly. “Take him to a random training ground. You know what to do after that.” The sound of footsteps leaving was heard as another figure entered the cell.
He gulped as he recognized the ANBU that had rendered him unconscious earlier today, or had that been yesterday? Eizan had no idea how long he’d been out before he came to. His team came to mind and wondered if they were looking for him, or if they believed him to still be training. The thought of his distraught parents and sister at learning of his death almost made him give in, but he steeled his resolve.
The ANBU moved toward him and he prepared himself and they faded from the cell in a swirl of leaves. He was panting in anticipation as they appeared and he stumbled back from him. The sun looked to be close to setting and it set the elite ninja’s hair aflame so he was almost awed by the sight.
Eizan snapped out of it as he reminded himself that this person was here to kill him. This ANBU, whom didn’t even look to be too much older than him, was going to end his existence as easily as one snuffed out a candle. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
The silver haired ninja tilted his head to the side at his words. “Do you really wish to die?” he asked him, voice muffled. He was most likely only a few years older than him.
“Of course not,” he responded honestly. He was deathly afraid of dying and what might be waiting on the other end, but he wouldn’t tell him anything. “But I will never betray my loved ones.” His voice was firm despite the fear that laced it.
The ANBU nodded after a moment and stepped toward him as Eizan tensed. His hand reached out and smacked him on the back of the head as he stumbled in slight surprise. ‘Is this part of my execution?’ he wildly wondered, but he couldn’t say that he knew for sure.
“Congratulations,” the older ninja muttered and flicked out a scroll from his pouch. “Your sensei asked me to give you this. Ja.” He turned and started to walk off.
Eizan took the scroll that had been shoved into his hands and stared dumbly at it for a moment. “M-Matte!” he called out to the elite ninja and watched as he paused. “What the hells’ going on here?”
The Konoha-nin seemed to be debating with himself over what he should tell him and finally seemed to come to a decision. “I was ordered to kidnap and bring you to that room,” he said simply, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
The Ashikaga male was confused by this. “What? By whom?” he demanded, feeling his irritation get the better of him. Inu shrugged and it irked him even more that the ANBU was so nonchalant by the kidnapping and interrogation he had just suffered through.
“Hokage-sama instructed me to bring you to that room by request of your Jonin sensei. Everything should be explained in that scroll I gave you.” It looked like he wanted to stuff his hands into pockets he didn’t have but the very idea seemed preposterous to Eizan.
“Ja ne!” he called out as he started to walk off and waved before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. Eizan was left staring dumbly at the place he had occupied for several moments before he remembered the scroll he had in his hands. It had started to rain as he carefully opened it as if it might explode or reach out and bite him.
The Genin felt his left eye twitch as he saw that it was indeed his sensei’s handwriting. He carefully read what was written and by the end he wanted to strangle him.‘Yatta! You’ve passed my little test and proven that you are ready to take the Chunin Exam. The other members of your squad have already been tested individually and they should pass. You are all competent ninja and I am very proud of you. Good work.PS: Please, don’t try to kill me Eizan-kun, I was only doing my duty as your instructor! Mercy!-Your Beloved Sensei’
The teenage Genin growled and promptly tore the now damp scroll to pieces in a rabid fury, and then stomped the remains into the muddy ground for good measure. When he was done he was panting with the exertion and he took a moment to compose himself, although by that time he had gotten thoroughly soaked. He paused as he heard someone approaching and lifted his gaze from the mess he’d made.
One of his teammates was jogging toward him, his features set in a serious expression that unnerved Eizan but he forced the feeling down. He was shinobi and had to act accordingly. A few moments later the rain had started to come down harder, and he lost all military uniformity and tore out of the training ground.
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Ashikaga Eizan marched out of the ryokan and into the night, and it was still drizzling slightly. A woman exited the building after him. “Eizan-kun!” she called to him.
The teenager paused but didn’t turn to face her. “Don’t try to stop me, Okaa-san,” he almost growled. “I’m going to look for her, and no one will stop me.” He bowed his head. “She went looking for me.” Then he ran and disappeared into the darkness without another word.
Ashikaga Morisue Kiyomizu sighed as she watched her son go and sent up a silent prayer that he would find his younger sister unharmed. She turned around and went inside, and although she would have wanted nothing more than to search for Arisa as well, she had her own Genin squad to think of, and she risked getting in trouble by leaving them alone in a strange village.
‘Find her safely, Eizan-kun.’
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He blinked as he woke up and tried to remember what he’d been doing and where he was. It was still dark around him but not enough to disguise the fact that he was lying on the ground surrounded by trees. He must have collapsed while training last night, but there was something else that he was forgetting.
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Eizan rushed inside the ryokan and saw his mother and father talking with his Jonin sensei. His anger at the man had faded when he’d been told that his sister had gone missing. “Tou-san, Okaa-san!” he called and saw as they lifted their heads and as their faces went from serious to relief.
His mother crushed him in a hug and he hastily pulled away as his father cuffed him on the back of the neck. After a moment he couldn’t help himself anymore. “What happened to Ari-chan?” he demanded from them.
They exchanged looks and he grew more worried. It was his instructor that stepped forward. “She showed up at our room but I informed her that you weren’t there,” he said. “At the time you were being tested but I couldn’t tell her that so I told her you were training at the grounds near the Academy.” He scratched the back of his head. “I assumed she was returning to her parents and thought nothing of it when she left.”
Kiyo placed a hand on his shoulder. “She went looking for you,” she muttered and held something out for him. “This was found in the mud near the Academy.” She held a thin chain with a silver ring and a blood red stone with the kanji for Morisue on it. The child had always worn it without fail ever since her mother had given it to her when she’d woken up from her coma two years ago.
-
The teenager flinched and shot to his feet but swayed and fell against the nearest tree trunk. He’d passed out most likely no more than three hours ago after searching most of the night without rest. Even so, he refused to stop and forced himself to move. He had to search all of the forest surrounding the Academy in case his sister had wandered in looking for him.
He was still searching when dawn pierced the darkened heavens and when he stumbled across someone training in a clearing. Eizan leaned against the tree he was standing beside as the figure moved fluidly and with a grace he had only seen Jonin move with. However, this boy had to be no more than ten or eleven years old.
As he moved, his loose black hair chased him and caught the sun’s rays so it sparkled like starlight. He tilted his head as he watched him move gracefully as he practiced his Taijutsu. Eizan was riveted to the spot as he watched the younger boy train, appearing like an angel come to earth to vanquish the damned.
After a moment, he stopped and took in a deep breath and turned to meet his eyes. It seemed that he had sensed him watching but had said nothing. He was surprised when his eyes shifted to crimson and that made him remember his sister’s eyes, since they had that same color lining her black orbs.
He cursed and felt his energy renewed as he fled the clearing, not seeing the eyes of the younger boy that followed him until he had disappeared from view. By the time he had broken through the trees, it was already around eight o’clock in the morning. He heard his name being called and he saw his other teammate waving as she ran toward him.
“Eizan-kun, they found your sister!” she gasped as she held out a piece of paper. “This is the address of where she’s being kept. Your parents aren’t there so I was sent to find you.”
The teenage boy took it and gave the kunoichi a hug before dashing off, not seeing the blush that had colored her features. He looked the scrap of paper over as he ran and quickly found it by getting directions from an ANBU member that stopped him. Obviously, a foreign ninja running down the street was suspicious, but they’d let him continue on after he’d explained. He could still feel his stare on him so he doubted that the elite ninja trusted him, but that didn’t matter.
His clothes were filthy and his bangs were falling unchecked across his hitai-ate, but he didn’t care and knocked desperately on the door. The person that answered the door looked familiar but didn’t know why and he quickly explained why he was here. He told him his name, Uchiha Fugaku, and what had happened. Then he stepped to the side as two more figures approached the door.
“Nii-san,” a voice squealed and it sent relief flooding through him so strongly that the child nearly sent him to the ground when she slammed into him. His hand was shaking as he ruffled her hair affectionately and gave a laugh. He kneeled down to embrace his younger sibling and completely forgot that they had an audience. The ANBU member moved on since he saw that Eizan had been telling the truth.
The woman, who introduced herself as Uchiha Mikoto, explained that she’d suffered a fever that had broken at dawn, and he promptly bowed deeply toward her. “Domo arigato gozaimass, for taking care of Ari-chan,” he said, voice trembling. He was exhausted but after a moment they left. When he lifted the girl into his arms, he closed his eyes and sent a prayer to the gods that she had been unharmed.
Eizan collapsed when they’d returned to the ryokan.
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He lifted his gaze from the scroll his sensei had given him when he heard his sister call out to someone as they walked back to the Inn. His eyebrows lifted when he recognized the younger boy as the one he’d seen when searching for his sister.
It had been two days since he’d collapsed in exhaustion but had awoken the next day with his sister by his side. Afterwards, he’d gotten up to train and had been forced to take his sibling but his instructor wasn’t all too pleased at first. Then he’d been charmed by the little vixen and that had been the end of that argument.
“Itasi-kun, Itasi-kun!” she cried out to him, waving one pudgy arm. The boy had stopped and turned to face them. Eizan saw him smile slightly as he saw the girl and then it faded when his gaze came to land on him. He saw recognition in his onyx orbs but then they were turning back to Arisa as she reached him.
“Arisa-san,” he muttered with that small smile again that made Eizan feel jealous. He knew that this was the same boy he had seen that morning and by the name he realized that this was also the one that had found her. That wasn’t the problem though, it was the smile that she had while greeting him, which she had only ever reserved for him.
Eizan stopped just besides them and he saw “Itasi” turn his gaze on him once more. He lifted an eyebrow at the angry expression on his features before his lips lifted in amusement. The Ashikaga male felt himself get angrier as he smirked, but controlled himself as his sister chatted amiably to the other. He saw him reach out to place a hand on her head, but Eizan found the contact too much as he stepped forward and pulled Arisa away from him. “Don’t touch my sister,” he growled.
He could tell that the Konoha Genin found this situation amusing by the slight upturning of his lips, and the flair of life in his otherwise emotionless eyes. “A bit possessive, aren’t we?” he muttered quietly. He moved quicker than Eizan could see and he found his fingers grasping only air. “But you’re a bit careless with your possessions.”
The Suna-nin lunged at him but the other evaded him as Arisa squealed in shock when he jumped into a tree. If he lost him in the forest, he had no idea what would become of his baby sister.
“Give her back!” he yelled as he chased him when he leapt into the next tree. The boy turned in mid jump and gave him a smirk before he twisted so he landed sideways on the tree. Arisa cried in fear at the position they were in and he saw the boy wince as he tried to reassure her.
Eizan took the momentary distraction and attacked him. His fist connected with the side of his face and he released his sister. The older boy landed on the tree branch, bent his knees and propelled himself after his falling sister as she screamed. He reached her before they hit the ground and he curled his body around her since he had no time to slow his descent.
There was gut wrenching pain in his side as he landed and bit his lip to keep from crying out. The Sand shinobi felt blood trail from his lips as his arms fell away from Arisa’s unharmed body and he lost consciousness.
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“Eizan-nii-san,” he heard his sister sobbing his name as if from far away. He groaned as his eyes opened but he saw only blackness and didn’t understand why. ‘Am I blind?’ was his first conscious thought. Then his eyesight adjusted and he realized that he was looking at a mane of black hair.
He shifted and moaned in agony at his stiff side and the person that was lying against him shifted. It was Arisa. Eizan was in a futon and she had spread herself next to him, so her hair was the first thing he had seen when he’d woken up. He felt relief washed over him to know that she was unharmed.
“Do not move too quickly,” a voice muttered close by. He frowned and lifted his head to see “Itasi” sitting seiza-style in the corner. They were in a room and though it was dim inside, it didn’t appear like night had fallen yet.
The teenager felt his anger renewed and he sat up but immediately hissed in pain. “I told you not to move too quickly,” the boy chastised and Eizan wanted to wring his neck. This was his entire fault to begin with.
“Cut the crap,” he snapped at him, sitting up more slowly this time without disturbing his sister. “Where are we?” He wasn’t too pleased with the younger Genin and wasn’t going to hide it.
His lips lifted in that small smirk once more but it wasn’t the same taunting one as before. “I seem to have taken my game a bit too far,” he muttered. He motioned his head to the girl. “She gave me quite the beating.” There was amusement in his eyes but it wasn’t the same as he had seen earlier.
Eizan couldn’t help but be curious by that last statement as his eyebrows lifted. “She gave you a beating?” he asked incredulously. Somehow, he couldn’t really see that happening. He had barely been able to land a single blow.
He chuckled softly and shook his head. The sound of his laughter was a slightly deep timbre and started from within his chest, and fit him perfectly. “I wouldn’t be able to raise a hand to harm her even if I tried,” he answered honestly. Eizan found the answer a relief and he also found this whole situation strangely familiar. “Uchiha Itachi.”
The older shinobi blinked in confusion before he realized that he was introducing himself. He hesitated, since he still wanted to inflict pain on him for almost getting his sister hurt, but in the end his manners won out. “Ashikaga Eizan.”
Itachi nodded and there was a moment of companionable silence that was broken when Arisa yawned. They both turned to glance at her as her blood-rimmed eyes fluttered open and then darted from one to the other. She squealed and jumped at her brother and he bit back a cry of pain.
Eizan returned the embrace and felt his eyes water at the agony of his body being jarred. She quickly released him as if she had realized she was hurting him and stood in front of him and faced Itachi. “Itasi-kun, say sorry!” she demanded.
He watched the Uchiha lift an eyebrow at her statement but his lips turned slightly in that bemused smirk. “And why should I do such a thing?” he asked her quietly. Eizan merely watched, since he was interested in his siblings’ answer.
Arisa’s face scrounged in thought at his question and she glanced at him for help but Eizan smirked and shrugged. She looked back at Itachi as she crossed her pudgy arms over her chest and her small, pink tongue poked past her lips as she concentrated. Suddenly, she seemed to come up with an answer. “You mean and Eizan-nii-san get hurt.” She nodded smartly at the end.
Eizan couldn’t help the laughter that escaped him and he saw Itachi’s hand move to his mouth to stifle his mirth. After a moment, he regained his breath and grabbed his sister and gave one of her pigtails a gentle tug. “Well, you heard her Itasi-kun,” he taunted amiably. “Say sorry.”
Itachi shot him a glare but there was no heat behind it, only annoyance. He glanced at the girl and she crossed her arms over her chest once more as if waiting for his apology. “Ano, Gomen,” he replied after a moment, and he felt awkward saying the word.
He let his sister go and watched as she hugged Itachi. The older boy looked a bit uncomfortable with the gesture and he didn’t seem to know where to put his arms. After a moment he wrapped them around the girl and she grinned and pulled away. “Itasi-kun my bes’ frien’?” she asked.
The Ashikaga male tried not to laugh at her mispronunciation of certain words as he watched the younger Genin try to come up with an answer that wouldn’t upset her. Eizan didn’t even remember that he had been angry at Itachi only moments before. Arisa had unconsciously lightened the mood and brought them to an understanding.
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Itachi and Eizan paused as they neared the park and were slightly amused to see two small bodies wrestling with one another. It was even funnier when they saw Itachi’s younger brother watching warily from behind a short haired blond girl. It seemed that Arisa had once again gotten into a fight with another girl bothering Sasuke.
“You grab the pink top?” Eizan asked Itachi. The Sharingan user fixed him with a pointed stare that clearly said, ‘Don’t make me hurt you.’ The older of the two laughed and nodded, since he had realized that he wasn’t too good with kids that weren’t his brother or Eizan’s sister. “Janken?” He looked like he wanted to sigh, but nodded and they quickly played the childish game.
“Damn it,” the Ashikaga growled as his paper was cut by Itachi’s scissors. “Fine, I’ll get the pink one.” He grumbled as the Uchiha smirked and he resisted the urge to strangle him since he’d seen the flash of red in his eyes.
They quickly advanced on the fighting girls. Soon, Itachi held a wiggling, dirty Arisa, and Eizan held an equally filthy and moving pink haired girl. “Konichiwa, and who might you be?”
The girl blinked up at him in confusion and blushed when she realized he was very good looking. “Ano, Haruno Sakura, Ninja-san,” she muttered shyly. She had seen the hitai-ate he wore on his forehead, but noticed that it had an hour glass instead of the leaf symbol. That meant he was a foreign ninja.
Eizan nodded and set her down, but he was confused when she hugged his legs. Her hair was being held back by a red ribbon smudged with dirt, and she peered up at him with wide teal eyes. “You can have Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig,” she called to the blonde girl. “I want Ninja-san.”
Itachi couldn’t hold back the snort of laughter that escaped him as his little brother blinked in shock at him. Eizan glared at the older Uchiha and then glanced helplessly at the pink haired oddball. “Eh, I’m too old for you,” he told her, but that didn’t seem to dissuade her.
He looked at his sister and saw that she was struggling in the leaf-nin’s grip, trying to lunge at the other girl once more. “Invite me to your wedding, Eizan-kun,” he heard Itachi say seriously. Eizan’s hand twitched but he refrained from drawing a kunai. His mother wouldn’t approve of him using violence on a friend in front of a park full of children, but he was still sorely tempted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eizan was sitting under the shade of a tree as he watched the clouds, when he felt a presence approaching. He didn’t have to look to know it was Itachi, since the younger male had searched him out before without giving an explanation. He didn’t mind, but wondered why he sought his company over the past month.Their first meeting had been no more then a locking of gazes over the distance just at dawn, and the second time had been a disaster. He had thought that he searched him out because he enjoyed being around his hyperactive sister, but at times he would look for him when he wasn’t with Arisa. It confused him.
They sat in silence for several minutes as they each watched the clouds and sorted their thoughts. It was Itachi that actually spoke first and it wasn’t what he had been expecting.“Why do you train to become stronger?” he asked in his quiet voice that still carried over the small distance between them. They had never spoken of anything too serious during their meetings so he couldn’t come up with an answer right away. He could tell, however, that the answer was important to him some how.
Eizan sat up with a sigh. “At first it was to prove my worth and erase the pain of my mother’s death,” he admitted. “Being a ninja like her soothed the sadness a bit.”Itachi glanced at him for a moment before looking away. “Did that change?”
He started to shake his head and stopped. “Hai, sort of,” he muttered. “Now, I train to become stronger to protect those that I care about.”This answer seemed to bother the Sharingan user but he said nothing of it. Instead, Eizan asked him what his reason for being a ninja was. “To please my father,” he quickly responded.The Ashikaga looked at him skeptically. He shook his head as if that would change his answer. “There has to be more then that.”
Itachi didn’t speak right away but finally told him his own reason for being a ninja and getting stronger. “To measure my capacity.”Eizan was silent afterwards because he had no way to respond to that. “Is power everything to you?” he finally asked. “Don’t you want to get stronger to protect someone you care for?”
Itachi gave him an incredulous look as if he’d grown a second head. “Power is everything,” he immediately said. “There’s no need for me to protect anyone to get strong.”He nodded and tilted his head to the heavens. The sky was an impossible blue and the clouds lazed by at a snail’s pace. This village had many things his didn’t but he was still a bit homesick nonetheless. “Then you earn strength only for yourself?” Eizan sighed and shook his head. “In the end, when you’ve attained the strength of the world, who will be there to comfort you? Who will be there to greet you or smile at you and congratulate you when you achieve that power?”Eizan stood and stretched his arms over his head. “Will you be okay living in loneliness?” He tilted his head back to look at Itachi as he peered up at him attentively. A grin parted his handsome feature and the Uchiha felt his heart skip a beat for a single moment.He stuffed his hands into his pockets, turned and made his way down the hill. “Come bother me when you have someone that’s important to you,” he called, lifting a hand to wave without turning around. Eizan disappeared down the hill with Itachi staring where he had been moments before.After he learned to breathe again, he jumped to his feet and hurried after him. Itachi thought he might have already found someone like that. “Eizan-kun!”-
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End, The Purpose of Strength.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it’d be called ‘Gaara’. So, isn’t it a shame that I don’t own it? (The quote below was said by Ghandi.)
Summary: In a strange village my sister got lost. As I searched for her, I saw an angel in a mortal’s disguise and now he torments me, in more ways than one as he asks me the purpose of strength. (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing).
AN: A bit more insight into this elusive character. I hope you can understand him better with this story and the bond that started to form between him and another character. Hope you enjoy and please forgive the OOC, but they’re younger here, so yeah.
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“True strength comes to those that fight, not for themselves, but for those who can’t.”
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He turned as a gasp escaped his lips and an instant glimpse of his attacker was all he saw before he succumbed to darkness. A blade of sunlight had cut through the branches and lit him up, and the silver strands of his hair glimmered so they were blinding. The Inu mask had shadows around the eyeholes yet he could feel his gaze piercing through his very soul. He wore black clothing and knew him to be ANBU. His image was branded into his memory forever as he felt his consciousness leave him.
His name is Ashikaga Eizan, as the records will state when they interrogated him. It will also state that he had no idea that where he was treading was forbidden for foreign ninja. All he had wanted was to take a walk. His memories of home, his parents and his younger sibling had been too much for him at the time.
Eizan was only thirteen and any would argue that he couldn’t be blamed for being home sick, but he was ninja. Shinobi weren’t supposed to let things like missing his family cloud his mind. He shouldn’t want to see his sister’s smiling face more than being part of the exam that would allow him to become a Chunin.
The appearance of the ANBU had been quite surprising and he had no time to react before he’d been knocked out. Of course he hadn’t been killed since it would have aroused problems with the Kazekage if one of his Genin were killed. There were already very few Genin squads participating, and with one member dead they’d be unable to enter the exam.
He awoke groggy and with a pounding headache in darkness. Eizan remembered the ANBU and knew where he was as he groaned. That sound seemed to animate everything and a light came on above him as he blinked in rapid succession. He had already noticed that he couldn’t move his arms and assumed they were bound. There was also something that prevented him from escaping from it, and it was mostly likely a chakra draining rope.
“State your name and rank,” a voice growled at him from a darkened corner of the room. He strained his eyes to see but after a moment gave a sigh and slumped back, or as much as the rope would allow.
“Ashikaga Eizan. Suna Genin,” he conceded, since he saw no harm in divulging the information. Honestly, he didn’t see why they were going to all this trouble of trying to scare him. If they asked him nicely, in a bright room, and with his Jonin instructor present then this would go over much easier.
He was snapped out of his musings of how he had managed to get himself in this situation by a question from the interrogator, whose face he had yet to see. A growl left his lips as they asked him about the location of Sunagakure. They might have been allies but not even Konoha knew the exact location of the village that blended within the desert sands. “I already told you that I won’t answer anything until my instructor comes,” he snapped.
The man chuckled darkly and the sound of movement came and he screamed as he felt a weak electric jutsu shock his body. Now that was pushing it! “Son of a bi-aaaah!” He was cut off as the electric effects went through him again.
“Just answer our questions and the pain will go away,” the low voice told him. “You think Suna will care about a single Genin going missing? They won’t be suspicious when your body is found in a training ground after an “accident” during training.”
Eizan felt the color drain from his face at that and lowered his head to think. They only wanted to know the location of Suna. Sure, he could divulge that information and no one would be the wiser.
‘But what if Konoha betrays Suna?’ was his sudden thought. If that happened, they could be attacked by surprise and many innocents would be put in danger. His younger sister’s face floated into his mind and he flinched before he pressed his lips into a thin line.
He lifted his gaze to where the voice was coming from and glared at the unidentified person. “I won’t tell you anything,” he growled. There was a pause from the person as they stepped closer but he only saw their legs before he stopped.
“All you have to do is give us the location of Suna, and you’ll live,” the man told him firmly, and with finality in his voice. He was wearing black pants and the customary sandals but it was too dark to tell what color they were.
Eizan gritted his teeth and clenched his bound hands. “I’d rather die,” he told him firmly, gray eyes flashing with determination. He felt his heart speed up as he had said those words but knew that he would rather die than give away his loved one’s location to them.
The man’s hands clenched as he answered and he turned away. “So be it.” The door opened and it blinded him as the man walked outside quickly. “Take him to a random training ground. You know what to do after that.” The sound of footsteps leaving was heard as another figure entered the cell.
He gulped as he recognized the ANBU that had rendered him unconscious earlier today, or had that been yesterday? Eizan had no idea how long he’d been out before he came to. His team came to mind and wondered if they were looking for him, or if they believed him to still be training. The thought of his distraught parents and sister at learning of his death almost made him give in, but he steeled his resolve.
The ANBU moved toward him and he prepared himself and they faded from the cell in a swirl of leaves. He was panting in anticipation as they appeared and he stumbled back from him. The sun looked to be close to setting and it set the elite ninja’s hair aflame so he was almost awed by the sight.
Eizan snapped out of it as he reminded himself that this person was here to kill him. This ANBU, whom didn’t even look to be too much older than him, was going to end his existence as easily as one snuffed out a candle. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
The silver haired ninja tilted his head to the side at his words. “Do you really wish to die?” he asked him, voice muffled. He was most likely only a few years older than him.
“Of course not,” he responded honestly. He was deathly afraid of dying and what might be waiting on the other end, but he wouldn’t tell him anything. “But I will never betray my loved ones.” His voice was firm despite the fear that laced it.
The ANBU nodded after a moment and stepped toward him as Eizan tensed. His hand reached out and smacked him on the back of the head as he stumbled in slight surprise. ‘Is this part of my execution?’ he wildly wondered, but he couldn’t say that he knew for sure.
“Congratulations,” the older ninja muttered and flicked out a scroll from his pouch. “Your sensei asked me to give you this. Ja.” He turned and started to walk off.
Eizan took the scroll that had been shoved into his hands and stared dumbly at it for a moment. “M-Matte!” he called out to the elite ninja and watched as he paused. “What the hells’ going on here?”
The Konoha-nin seemed to be debating with himself over what he should tell him and finally seemed to come to a decision. “I was ordered to kidnap and bring you to that room,” he said simply, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
The Ashikaga male was confused by this. “What? By whom?” he demanded, feeling his irritation get the better of him. Inu shrugged and it irked him even more that the ANBU was so nonchalant by the kidnapping and interrogation he had just suffered through.
“Hokage-sama instructed me to bring you to that room by request of your Jonin sensei. Everything should be explained in that scroll I gave you.” It looked like he wanted to stuff his hands into pockets he didn’t have but the very idea seemed preposterous to Eizan.
“Ja ne!” he called out as he started to walk off and waved before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. Eizan was left staring dumbly at the place he had occupied for several moments before he remembered the scroll he had in his hands. It had started to rain as he carefully opened it as if it might explode or reach out and bite him.
The Genin felt his left eye twitch as he saw that it was indeed his sensei’s handwriting. He carefully read what was written and by the end he wanted to strangle him.‘Yatta! You’ve passed my little test and proven that you are ready to take the Chunin Exam. The other members of your squad have already been tested individually and they should pass. You are all competent ninja and I am very proud of you. Good work.PS: Please, don’t try to kill me Eizan-kun, I was only doing my duty as your instructor! Mercy!-Your Beloved Sensei’
The teenage Genin growled and promptly tore the now damp scroll to pieces in a rabid fury, and then stomped the remains into the muddy ground for good measure. When he was done he was panting with the exertion and he took a moment to compose himself, although by that time he had gotten thoroughly soaked. He paused as he heard someone approaching and lifted his gaze from the mess he’d made.
One of his teammates was jogging toward him, his features set in a serious expression that unnerved Eizan but he forced the feeling down. He was shinobi and had to act accordingly. A few moments later the rain had started to come down harder, and he lost all military uniformity and tore out of the training ground.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ashikaga Eizan marched out of the ryokan and into the night, and it was still drizzling slightly. A woman exited the building after him. “Eizan-kun!” she called to him.
The teenager paused but didn’t turn to face her. “Don’t try to stop me, Okaa-san,” he almost growled. “I’m going to look for her, and no one will stop me.” He bowed his head. “She went looking for me.” Then he ran and disappeared into the darkness without another word.
Ashikaga Morisue Kiyomizu sighed as she watched her son go and sent up a silent prayer that he would find his younger sister unharmed. She turned around and went inside, and although she would have wanted nothing more than to search for Arisa as well, she had her own Genin squad to think of, and she risked getting in trouble by leaving them alone in a strange village.
‘Find her safely, Eizan-kun.’
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He blinked as he woke up and tried to remember what he’d been doing and where he was. It was still dark around him but not enough to disguise the fact that he was lying on the ground surrounded by trees. He must have collapsed while training last night, but there was something else that he was forgetting.
-
Eizan rushed inside the ryokan and saw his mother and father talking with his Jonin sensei. His anger at the man had faded when he’d been told that his sister had gone missing. “Tou-san, Okaa-san!” he called and saw as they lifted their heads and as their faces went from serious to relief.
His mother crushed him in a hug and he hastily pulled away as his father cuffed him on the back of the neck. After a moment he couldn’t help himself anymore. “What happened to Ari-chan?” he demanded from them.
They exchanged looks and he grew more worried. It was his instructor that stepped forward. “She showed up at our room but I informed her that you weren’t there,” he said. “At the time you were being tested but I couldn’t tell her that so I told her you were training at the grounds near the Academy.” He scratched the back of his head. “I assumed she was returning to her parents and thought nothing of it when she left.”
Kiyo placed a hand on his shoulder. “She went looking for you,” she muttered and held something out for him. “This was found in the mud near the Academy.” She held a thin chain with a silver ring and a blood red stone with the kanji for Morisue on it. The child had always worn it without fail ever since her mother had given it to her when she’d woken up from her coma two years ago.
-
The teenager flinched and shot to his feet but swayed and fell against the nearest tree trunk. He’d passed out most likely no more than three hours ago after searching most of the night without rest. Even so, he refused to stop and forced himself to move. He had to search all of the forest surrounding the Academy in case his sister had wandered in looking for him.
He was still searching when dawn pierced the darkened heavens and when he stumbled across someone training in a clearing. Eizan leaned against the tree he was standing beside as the figure moved fluidly and with a grace he had only seen Jonin move with. However, this boy had to be no more than ten or eleven years old.
As he moved, his loose black hair chased him and caught the sun’s rays so it sparkled like starlight. He tilted his head as he watched him move gracefully as he practiced his Taijutsu. Eizan was riveted to the spot as he watched the younger boy train, appearing like an angel come to earth to vanquish the damned.
After a moment, he stopped and took in a deep breath and turned to meet his eyes. It seemed that he had sensed him watching but had said nothing. He was surprised when his eyes shifted to crimson and that made him remember his sister’s eyes, since they had that same color lining her black orbs.
He cursed and felt his energy renewed as he fled the clearing, not seeing the eyes of the younger boy that followed him until he had disappeared from view. By the time he had broken through the trees, it was already around eight o’clock in the morning. He heard his name being called and he saw his other teammate waving as she ran toward him.
“Eizan-kun, they found your sister!” she gasped as she held out a piece of paper. “This is the address of where she’s being kept. Your parents aren’t there so I was sent to find you.”
The teenage boy took it and gave the kunoichi a hug before dashing off, not seeing the blush that had colored her features. He looked the scrap of paper over as he ran and quickly found it by getting directions from an ANBU member that stopped him. Obviously, a foreign ninja running down the street was suspicious, but they’d let him continue on after he’d explained. He could still feel his stare on him so he doubted that the elite ninja trusted him, but that didn’t matter.
His clothes were filthy and his bangs were falling unchecked across his hitai-ate, but he didn’t care and knocked desperately on the door. The person that answered the door looked familiar but didn’t know why and he quickly explained why he was here. He told him his name, Uchiha Fugaku, and what had happened. Then he stepped to the side as two more figures approached the door.
“Nii-san,” a voice squealed and it sent relief flooding through him so strongly that the child nearly sent him to the ground when she slammed into him. His hand was shaking as he ruffled her hair affectionately and gave a laugh. He kneeled down to embrace his younger sibling and completely forgot that they had an audience. The ANBU member moved on since he saw that Eizan had been telling the truth.
The woman, who introduced herself as Uchiha Mikoto, explained that she’d suffered a fever that had broken at dawn, and he promptly bowed deeply toward her. “Domo arigato gozaimass, for taking care of Ari-chan,” he said, voice trembling. He was exhausted but after a moment they left. When he lifted the girl into his arms, he closed his eyes and sent a prayer to the gods that she had been unharmed.
Eizan collapsed when they’d returned to the ryokan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He lifted his gaze from the scroll his sensei had given him when he heard his sister call out to someone as they walked back to the Inn. His eyebrows lifted when he recognized the younger boy as the one he’d seen when searching for his sister.
It had been two days since he’d collapsed in exhaustion but had awoken the next day with his sister by his side. Afterwards, he’d gotten up to train and had been forced to take his sibling but his instructor wasn’t all too pleased at first. Then he’d been charmed by the little vixen and that had been the end of that argument.
“Itasi-kun, Itasi-kun!” she cried out to him, waving one pudgy arm. The boy had stopped and turned to face them. Eizan saw him smile slightly as he saw the girl and then it faded when his gaze came to land on him. He saw recognition in his onyx orbs but then they were turning back to Arisa as she reached him.
“Arisa-san,” he muttered with that small smile again that made Eizan feel jealous. He knew that this was the same boy he had seen that morning and by the name he realized that this was also the one that had found her. That wasn’t the problem though, it was the smile that she had while greeting him, which she had only ever reserved for him.
Eizan stopped just besides them and he saw “Itasi” turn his gaze on him once more. He lifted an eyebrow at the angry expression on his features before his lips lifted in amusement. The Ashikaga male felt himself get angrier as he smirked, but controlled himself as his sister chatted amiably to the other. He saw him reach out to place a hand on her head, but Eizan found the contact too much as he stepped forward and pulled Arisa away from him. “Don’t touch my sister,” he growled.
He could tell that the Konoha Genin found this situation amusing by the slight upturning of his lips, and the flair of life in his otherwise emotionless eyes. “A bit possessive, aren’t we?” he muttered quietly. He moved quicker than Eizan could see and he found his fingers grasping only air. “But you’re a bit careless with your possessions.”
The Suna-nin lunged at him but the other evaded him as Arisa squealed in shock when he jumped into a tree. If he lost him in the forest, he had no idea what would become of his baby sister.
“Give her back!” he yelled as he chased him when he leapt into the next tree. The boy turned in mid jump and gave him a smirk before he twisted so he landed sideways on the tree. Arisa cried in fear at the position they were in and he saw the boy wince as he tried to reassure her.
Eizan took the momentary distraction and attacked him. His fist connected with the side of his face and he released his sister. The older boy landed on the tree branch, bent his knees and propelled himself after his falling sister as she screamed. He reached her before they hit the ground and he curled his body around her since he had no time to slow his descent.
There was gut wrenching pain in his side as he landed and bit his lip to keep from crying out. The Sand shinobi felt blood trail from his lips as his arms fell away from Arisa’s unharmed body and he lost consciousness.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Eizan-nii-san,” he heard his sister sobbing his name as if from far away. He groaned as his eyes opened but he saw only blackness and didn’t understand why. ‘Am I blind?’ was his first conscious thought. Then his eyesight adjusted and he realized that he was looking at a mane of black hair.
He shifted and moaned in agony at his stiff side and the person that was lying against him shifted. It was Arisa. Eizan was in a futon and she had spread herself next to him, so her hair was the first thing he had seen when he’d woken up. He felt relief washed over him to know that she was unharmed.
“Do not move too quickly,” a voice muttered close by. He frowned and lifted his head to see “Itasi” sitting seiza-style in the corner. They were in a room and though it was dim inside, it didn’t appear like night had fallen yet.
The teenager felt his anger renewed and he sat up but immediately hissed in pain. “I told you not to move too quickly,” the boy chastised and Eizan wanted to wring his neck. This was his entire fault to begin with.
“Cut the crap,” he snapped at him, sitting up more slowly this time without disturbing his sister. “Where are we?” He wasn’t too pleased with the younger Genin and wasn’t going to hide it.
His lips lifted in that small smirk once more but it wasn’t the same taunting one as before. “I seem to have taken my game a bit too far,” he muttered. He motioned his head to the girl. “She gave me quite the beating.” There was amusement in his eyes but it wasn’t the same as he had seen earlier.
Eizan couldn’t help but be curious by that last statement as his eyebrows lifted. “She gave you a beating?” he asked incredulously. Somehow, he couldn’t really see that happening. He had barely been able to land a single blow.
He chuckled softly and shook his head. The sound of his laughter was a slightly deep timbre and started from within his chest, and fit him perfectly. “I wouldn’t be able to raise a hand to harm her even if I tried,” he answered honestly. Eizan found the answer a relief and he also found this whole situation strangely familiar. “Uchiha Itachi.”
The older shinobi blinked in confusion before he realized that he was introducing himself. He hesitated, since he still wanted to inflict pain on him for almost getting his sister hurt, but in the end his manners won out. “Ashikaga Eizan.”
Itachi nodded and there was a moment of companionable silence that was broken when Arisa yawned. They both turned to glance at her as her blood-rimmed eyes fluttered open and then darted from one to the other. She squealed and jumped at her brother and he bit back a cry of pain.
Eizan returned the embrace and felt his eyes water at the agony of his body being jarred. She quickly released him as if she had realized she was hurting him and stood in front of him and faced Itachi. “Itasi-kun, say sorry!” she demanded.
He watched the Uchiha lift an eyebrow at her statement but his lips turned slightly in that bemused smirk. “And why should I do such a thing?” he asked her quietly. Eizan merely watched, since he was interested in his siblings’ answer.
Arisa’s face scrounged in thought at his question and she glanced at him for help but Eizan smirked and shrugged. She looked back at Itachi as she crossed her pudgy arms over her chest and her small, pink tongue poked past her lips as she concentrated. Suddenly, she seemed to come up with an answer. “You mean and Eizan-nii-san get hurt.” She nodded smartly at the end.
Eizan couldn’t help the laughter that escaped him and he saw Itachi’s hand move to his mouth to stifle his mirth. After a moment, he regained his breath and grabbed his sister and gave one of her pigtails a gentle tug. “Well, you heard her Itasi-kun,” he taunted amiably. “Say sorry.”
Itachi shot him a glare but there was no heat behind it, only annoyance. He glanced at the girl and she crossed her arms over her chest once more as if waiting for his apology. “Ano, Gomen,” he replied after a moment, and he felt awkward saying the word.
He let his sister go and watched as she hugged Itachi. The older boy looked a bit uncomfortable with the gesture and he didn’t seem to know where to put his arms. After a moment he wrapped them around the girl and she grinned and pulled away. “Itasi-kun my bes’ frien’?” she asked.
The Ashikaga male tried not to laugh at her mispronunciation of certain words as he watched the younger Genin try to come up with an answer that wouldn’t upset her. Eizan didn’t even remember that he had been angry at Itachi only moments before. Arisa had unconsciously lightened the mood and brought them to an understanding.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Itachi and Eizan paused as they neared the park and were slightly amused to see two small bodies wrestling with one another. It was even funnier when they saw Itachi’s younger brother watching warily from behind a short haired blond girl. It seemed that Arisa had once again gotten into a fight with another girl bothering Sasuke.
“You grab the pink top?” Eizan asked Itachi. The Sharingan user fixed him with a pointed stare that clearly said, ‘Don’t make me hurt you.’ The older of the two laughed and nodded, since he had realized that he wasn’t too good with kids that weren’t his brother or Eizan’s sister. “Janken?” He looked like he wanted to sigh, but nodded and they quickly played the childish game.
“Damn it,” the Ashikaga growled as his paper was cut by Itachi’s scissors. “Fine, I’ll get the pink one.” He grumbled as the Uchiha smirked and he resisted the urge to strangle him since he’d seen the flash of red in his eyes.
They quickly advanced on the fighting girls. Soon, Itachi held a wiggling, dirty Arisa, and Eizan held an equally filthy and moving pink haired girl. “Konichiwa, and who might you be?”
The girl blinked up at him in confusion and blushed when she realized he was very good looking. “Ano, Haruno Sakura, Ninja-san,” she muttered shyly. She had seen the hitai-ate he wore on his forehead, but noticed that it had an hour glass instead of the leaf symbol. That meant he was a foreign ninja.
Eizan nodded and set her down, but he was confused when she hugged his legs. Her hair was being held back by a red ribbon smudged with dirt, and she peered up at him with wide teal eyes. “You can have Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig,” she called to the blonde girl. “I want Ninja-san.”
Itachi couldn’t hold back the snort of laughter that escaped him as his little brother blinked in shock at him. Eizan glared at the older Uchiha and then glanced helplessly at the pink haired oddball. “Eh, I’m too old for you,” he told her, but that didn’t seem to dissuade her.
He looked at his sister and saw that she was struggling in the leaf-nin’s grip, trying to lunge at the other girl once more. “Invite me to your wedding, Eizan-kun,” he heard Itachi say seriously. Eizan’s hand twitched but he refrained from drawing a kunai. His mother wouldn’t approve of him using violence on a friend in front of a park full of children, but he was still sorely tempted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eizan was sitting under the shade of a tree as he watched the clouds, when he felt a presence approaching. He didn’t have to look to know it was Itachi, since the younger male had searched him out before without giving an explanation. He didn’t mind, but wondered why he sought his company over the past month.Their first meeting had been no more then a locking of gazes over the distance just at dawn, and the second time had been a disaster. He had thought that he searched him out because he enjoyed being around his hyperactive sister, but at times he would look for him when he wasn’t with Arisa. It confused him.
They sat in silence for several minutes as they each watched the clouds and sorted their thoughts. It was Itachi that actually spoke first and it wasn’t what he had been expecting.“Why do you train to become stronger?” he asked in his quiet voice that still carried over the small distance between them. They had never spoken of anything too serious during their meetings so he couldn’t come up with an answer right away. He could tell, however, that the answer was important to him some how.
Eizan sat up with a sigh. “At first it was to prove my worth and erase the pain of my mother’s death,” he admitted. “Being a ninja like her soothed the sadness a bit.”Itachi glanced at him for a moment before looking away. “Did that change?”
He started to shake his head and stopped. “Hai, sort of,” he muttered. “Now, I train to become stronger to protect those that I care about.”This answer seemed to bother the Sharingan user but he said nothing of it. Instead, Eizan asked him what his reason for being a ninja was. “To please my father,” he quickly responded.The Ashikaga looked at him skeptically. He shook his head as if that would change his answer. “There has to be more then that.”
Itachi didn’t speak right away but finally told him his own reason for being a ninja and getting stronger. “To measure my capacity.”Eizan was silent afterwards because he had no way to respond to that. “Is power everything to you?” he finally asked. “Don’t you want to get stronger to protect someone you care for?”
Itachi gave him an incredulous look as if he’d grown a second head. “Power is everything,” he immediately said. “There’s no need for me to protect anyone to get strong.”He nodded and tilted his head to the heavens. The sky was an impossible blue and the clouds lazed by at a snail’s pace. This village had many things his didn’t but he was still a bit homesick nonetheless. “Then you earn strength only for yourself?” Eizan sighed and shook his head. “In the end, when you’ve attained the strength of the world, who will be there to comfort you? Who will be there to greet you or smile at you and congratulate you when you achieve that power?”Eizan stood and stretched his arms over his head. “Will you be okay living in loneliness?” He tilted his head back to look at Itachi as he peered up at him attentively. A grin parted his handsome feature and the Uchiha felt his heart skip a beat for a single moment.He stuffed his hands into his pockets, turned and made his way down the hill. “Come bother me when you have someone that’s important to you,” he called, lifting a hand to wave without turning around. Eizan disappeared down the hill with Itachi staring where he had been moments before.After he learned to breathe again, he jumped to his feet and hurried after him. Itachi thought he might have already found someone like that. “Eizan-kun!”-
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End, The Purpose of Strength.