Chapter 17: Itachi Uchiha

After the Hokage's funeral, the Jonin and Chuunin ninja were all being sent out a lot more than usual on missions. As a result, we genin all had a lot more free time to spare. Neji chose to use this time to reconnect with Hiashi, and even make amends to Hinata. I joined him for this, and was proud of my brother for his personal growth. Hiashi decided to start personally overseeing our training, to help with learning more advanced techniques. He even found an attack that can be used between the both of us together that is really strong, it's the eight trigrams Air-Wall Palm. Once Neji and I can master it together, we will be able to send a powerful wave of compressed from our palms simultaneously and with great force towards an opponent. The chakra released will target the opponent's vitals while also knocking them off their feet with concussive force. Essentially, it's like a vacuum. It has to be used by two people with equal power and timing, so it's perfect for us twins. There's also a weaker version of it that can be used individually, it's like a small but precise short distance strike.

The scroll that I stole with the incomplete transportation technique was giving me some troubles. The concepts on it were so vague, it left a lot to interpretation. The basic of it though, that separated it from the Body-Flicker technique that most shinobi know, is that the user is entering another dimension momentarily for the ability to travel. It's a time-space technique, whereas the Body Flicker is a super speed technique. I would also have to create my own 'totem' or marker symbol, one that's unique to me, in order to travel to it. Both of these things are going to be incredibly difficult to learn with since they require intense concentration and focus. It seems the main difference between the Second's version and the Fourths is that the Fourth used his kunai marked with his symbol and could transport to his moving target, whereas Lord Second just had markers set on certain people or locations. I can work with that, it's a lot less risky than jumping through to a moving target. My first step though is to create my own mark.

As I was out on a walk contemplating what I could use as a symbol, I ran into Sasuke. It has been a couple of days since the funeral for Lord Third.

"Ami." Sasuke calls out to me, "What are you doing right now?"

"Just out for a walk, you?" I ask him, he seems irritated, again.

"I was supposed to be training with Kakashi, but he didn't meet up with me. He's normally late, but I just saw him this morning." He complains, and I pause for a second.

"Where did you see him?" I ask casually.

"The teahouse." He answers shortly, "He said he had something to do, then he would meet me at the training grounds. That was over two hours ago. I'm going to find him now."

"I'll come with. Maybe my Sensei distracted him, he does that a lot." I say as an incredibly true cover. I think Itachi is in town, which means Sasuke is about to go off in a rage. I'm not going to let him go alone. We walk to what must be Kakashi's home, and sure enough, he's laid out incapacitated with all the other Jonin standing around him. As Sasuke walks in, I see a random ninja run into the room, and try to stop him.

"Don't!-" I get cut off.

"Is it true that Itachi Uchiha was here, and looking for Naruto!?" Idiot shinobi yells loudly, without surveying the room. How is this guy a ninja?

"Idiot." I glare at him as the other ninja do as well. I look to Sasuke, seeing the rage growing. "Sasuke." I say warningly.

He doesn't say anything, and takes off running.

"Ami, follow him, keep him out of trouble." Guy Sensei orders me, and I nod and pursue my friend. I catch up to him quickly, and we run together. He is asking around the village for where Naruto is, and the ramen shop guy gives him all the info he needs, so we set off again in pursuit.

"You don't have to come." Sasuke bites out as we run, "This is my vendetta. I'll kill him myself."

"Sasuke, I know better than to try and talk you out of this," I start reasonably, "But remember, he's an S rank criminal, and you're a 13 year old genin. No amount of rage can bridge that gap while you're still young. Don't engage him in battle yet, it's too soon. We need to focus on getting Naruto out of harm's way. I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's the hard truth. You need to take a breath and let that smart, strategic mind of yours lead, not your rage." I end with a reassuring but firm tone.

I can see him seethe at that, but I also see that recognition in his eyes. At least for now, he can understand my words. We continued on in silence as we reached the town that Naruto should be in. We went from inn to inn asking for a boy and an old man matching their descriptions. I tried using my eyes, but the town was very populated, so it was taking too much time to focus and find them. Eventually though, we did, and unfortunately, Itachi was already there.

"It has been a while, Sasuke." Itachi says in a detached tone, looking over Naruto's head at us.

"Itachi Uchiha." Sasuke grows out, and I can see my last words are lost on him.

"Sasuke, focus. Remember what's important now. Do not engage recklessly, you're better than that." I whisper to him, hoping he will hear me. 

He doesn't.

"I will kill you." Sasuke growls out darkly, then yells, activating his Sharingan and forming a Chidori. I jump back, not being able to stay close while his attack is forming. "I've been waiting to say this to you. I've lived hating you, and I've also lived only to kill you. I have lived for this moment!" He screams out at his brother, then takes off like a flash towards him.

I see Naruto gathering up chakra to attack, but the fish guy uses his blade to eat it. I prepare myself for an attack, my focus locked on Itachi. A toad appears suddenly, blocking Naruto from getting hit by the giant sword from the fish guy, and Jiraiya pops up making a speech. Itachi steps away from Sasuke, who falls to the ground before getting back up. I advance forward, ready to guard him.

Sasuke pushes me back, "This guy is mine." He growls out to everyone.

"I have no interest in you right now." Itachi dismisses his brother, turning his back on him.

Sasuke yells some more, and then lunges sloppily at his brother. Itachi is fast, insanely fast, and he knocks Sasuke down in only two hits. I take out several knives, throwing them to distract his attention away from Sasuke, who is laying on the ground. Itachi avoids them all, and turns his attention to me. I assume my fighting stance, my closed fans in my hands to give me the added reach.

"A Hyuga, huh?" Itachi says slowly to me, turning to face me. "Stand down. I am not here for you."

"No, but you hurt my friend. I will defend him, and I will stop you from taking Naruto as well." I say boldly. I activate my eyes, and watch him intently. I'm so thankful I thought to take my weights off on the way, I will need all of my speed now. He twitches just barely towards me, and I take off at full speed. "Eight tri-grams, 64 palm strike!" I infuse my chakra into my fans, and lunge forward. He blocks the first several hits effectively, but as I increase the speed of the attacks, even his advanced speed it being challenged. Several of my hits land, though they were not as strong or precise due to his defenses. Once I have him angled away from Sasuke, I open the fans after my first attack is done. I'm not going to wait for him to retaliate, and I immediately go to my next attack. With no one behind him and my path clear, I use my fans to send the micro blades at him.

"An impressive attack." I hear from behind me, "But not good enough." I spin around to hit my opponent, who had somehow dodged the micro blade attack. Turning around was my biggest mistake I could make.

"No..." I breathe out in defeat. I'm no longer in the hallway. I look around, seeing a strange dimension, part of it is animated, and part looks like the 'real world' from my past life. It must be his ultimate genjutsu. I try several times to release it, but nothing is working. I can't move my arms or legs at all, and I look down and see they have chains holding them in place.

"An interesting mind you have." I hear a voice surrounding me. I look around, and find Itachi staring intently at me. "Tell me, who are you to Sasuke?"

"He's my friend. I met him after the massacre." I decide to be honest. There's no getting out of here, and since he's in my mind, there's no telling how much he can actually see. "Itachi... Why use this technique on me? Isn't it making you go blind?"

He stares at me for a moment, clearly thrown off by my knowledge. "An interesting mind indeed." He whispers out. "I do not know who you are, but you seem important to my brother. He will need you in order to grow."

"Itachi wait." I say as his form starts to turn. I debate for a moment then take a huge gamble, "I know you. I know this sounds suspicious, but I do. I know everything. Danzo, Shisui, the truth. I know you led Sasuke to believe the lies, so he could grow up hating you instead of the village, but that was wrong. You took away his hero, and threw him to darkness. He deserves to know the truth, and he should hear it coming from you." I challenge him.

"Who are you?" He asks me skeptically after a moment.

"My name is Ami Hyuga." I say honestly.

"Who are you, really?" His form comes closer, analyzing me. "No one can know what you do, especially not a child of the Hyuga family." He reached and lifted my headband off, spotting my curse mark. "The Hyuga branch family, no less."

"It doesn't matter who I am." I tell him quietly. "What matters is what you do. I know you're a good person, who has limited time left here." His eyes narrow at my words. "All I ask is that you don't torture my friend. It only turns him to another darkness. He is marked by the snake Sannin, and he will go to him seeking power." I plead gently to him.

Itachi stays quiet for a while. "Darkness will help him grow. Only then will he be strong enough. Thank you, Ami, for being his friend, but you are wrong." He says to me, then he released the genjutsu.

I am back in the hall, only it's all squishy and smells bad, and I'm fatigued and exhausted as if I just completed the first day of Guy Sensei's training. As I look around, disoriented, I see Itachi already grabbing Sasuke off the ground, and casting the Tsukuyomi on him.

"No..." I call out weakly, standing up again. I don't know why, but his jutsu didn't put me into a coma. It's probably because he didn't torture me at all.

"You are weak." Itachi whispers to Sasuke, "And you will always be weak." I glare weakly at Itachi. He has just sent Sasuke on his one way trip to Orochimaru with that. I watch as my friend falls to the ground. I crawl over to him as Itachi calls out for his fish friend to escape with him then. I hear Jiraiya and Naruto trying to follow, and turn and see the black flames blocking their pursuit.

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry." I whisper down to my friend, he's completely unconscious.

"Ami, are you ok? What happened to you? What happened to Sasuke?" Naruto asks as he runs over and helps me place Sasuke against the wall as the toad stomach lining disappears in the hall.

Before I can answer, a kunai is thrown down the hall, and suddenly Guy Sensei is kicking Jiraiya. Once Sensei realizes who he hit, he gives a lame excuse about not having his mirror on him, then he looks around the hall.

"Ami, what happened to Sasuke?" He asks me

"Likely the same as Kakashi Sensei. It was Itachi." I spit out.

"Pervy Sage, what happened to Sasuke?!" Naruto yells at his teacher, "Is he going to be ok?"

"He took a lot of mental damage. He'll need an advanced medical specialist to wake up." Jiraiya says, then turns to me skeptically, "You also received the attack, how are you awake now?"

"Don't really know. It didn't feel like an attack. Maybe he didn't want to waste his energy on me. I just got exhausted from it, but not damaged." I say as truthfully as I can. I can see he doesn't 100 percent buy it, but he moves on anyway.

Naruto starts to go off about how he's going to get Itachi for this, and his teacher has to talk him down. In that time, Guy Sensei comes to check on me, make sure I'm alright. I reassure him that I'm fine, just tired. Sensei lifts up Sasuke, seeing he needs to get to a hospital soon after assessing his physical injuries. He got pretty banged up on those hits from Itachi. For me, it was like hitting a brick wall when I struck him, and my arms are aching horribly. We exit the inn, heading out to the main road.

"Well, I'll get Sasuke here back to the village with Ami, you take care and find Lady Tsunade quickly." Guy says to Jiraiya in way of parting.

"Guy Sensei, Lord Jiraiya, I have a request." I call out before taking off. "May I please accompany Jiraiya and Naruto to find Lady Tsunade?" I bow and ask formally. Both stare at me for a moment in contemplation.

"I have no problem with it, but why come with?" Jiraiya asks me curiously.

"Two reasons." I start, "Sasuke is my oldest friend, I want to make sure this Tsunade will come and heal him, and also to take a look at Lee and heal him too. Second, Naruto was just attacked, I want to make sure he is also safe on this mission. I think I could be a good asset on this journey." I say, making up reasons. I know they are about to fight Orochimaru and Kabuto, and I want to be there for that. Mostly, I want to finish my fight with Kabuto.

"The power of youth!" Guy says exuberantly, "I approve! Show these two the dedication one gets from being a member of Team Guy!" I sigh at his answer, but it works for me.

"Ok, I'll take you with. You can help Naruto train." Jiraiya says while Naruto complains about him passing him off to someone else and having to share.

I turn to Guy, "Thank you, please tell Neji and Lee where I am, and that I will see them when I return. Tsunade should also be able to help with Lee, I will convince her to come to the village, you have my word, Sensei." I vow to him, and he tears up with pride.

"I put my trust in you, Ami! I know you can do it!" He yells proudly, then Naruto makes a similar vow to Sensei. Guy pulls another green jumpsuit out of nowhere and hands it to Naruto with a speech about 'guts' and I just sigh as I watch Sensei run away with Sasuke, back to the village.

"You're uh... not going to actually wear that, are you?" Jiraiya asks as Naruto holds the suit out in front of him with pride.

"Why not? It looks cool!" He exclaims with joy. I take out several shuriken and throw it at the suit, shredding it into pieces. Naruto looks at me with fear and sputters out asking what I'm doing.

"What?" I ask innocently, "I said I would less knives, I never promised not to use any." I say, and walk away heading down the road.

"That, I appreciated." Jiraiya says, walking up next to me. "The last time, I did not." He grumbles out. I smirk at him arrogantly. He deserved it.