The Eagle and the Eyes

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"So the Uchiha have decided to go against the Leaf?" Kaoru mused, feigning surprise. He sat in his living room, facing Itachi across the low table. They had waited until the end of the birthday party to finally talk.

"I'm surprised you're telling me something this sensitive," Kaoru added with a smile, then reached toward a bowl of fruit. He pulled out a large red apple and bit into it so deeply that juice spilled from the corners of his mouth.

"Your sister is the Kage, and you're head of the strongest clan in the village. By this time tomorrow, you'd know anyway," Itachi replied with a shrug. "Well... your position is the main reason I'm telling you all this." His tone was unsteady. He wasn't used to asking for help, he was always the one others relied on.

"So your clan wants to form an alliance with Takimura," Kaoru said flatly, considering whether the village council would be interested in taking the offer.

'It's obvious the Uchiha want this alliance not to deal with Kumo, but to stand against Konoha when they make their move.'

Kaoru knew Ao and Akura were sharp enough to suspect that much. But they didn't know that Uchiha had two shinobi with the Mangekyo sharingan, so they would think Uchiha would not make a move. However, two Mangekyos alone made a full-scale rebellion feasible.

He remembered the original plan. The one Itachi stopped in the timeline he knew by murdering his entire clan, sparing only Sasuke. But now everything was happening much earlier. The timelines had diverged.

'It makes sense. Takimura's presence threw the balance off. Of course, the chaos we created with two wars would accelerate everything.' He glanced at Itachi, who sat quietly, letting him process it all. Waiting.

'Are the Uchiha still planning to abduct Naruto and release the Nine-Tails?' Kaoru wondered. 'But with Jiraiya as Hokage, that wouldn't be so easy. And if Itachi and Shisui are both on their side, maybe they don't even need a Nine-Tails distraction…' from Kaoru's perspective, Itachi joining the Uchiha's side meant that Shisui was with them as well. He was so confident in this deduction that he did not even question it.

"So you want me to nudge Maki into accepting the deal," Kaoru murmured, more to himself than to Itachi.

"No. I'm asking the exact opposite," Itachi said calmly, catching Kaoru off guard.

'Wait… so he's not on the Uchiha's side?'

Kaoru had assumed Itachi's visit meant he was supporting the rebellion this time. That he'd chosen his clan over Konoha.

"If the Uchiha can't gain your help, they won't have the backing they need to start a rebellion," Itachi continued. "I want them to leave the Leaf peacefully. If you don't get involved… me and Shi…" He paused, realizing too late that mentioning Shisui wasn't a good idea. Even if he trusted his life savior, Kaoru's loyalty was to Takimura above all else.

"I think… my friend and I can convince the council to stick with our original plan. A formal request for separation, not bloodshed."

He finished with a faint, awkward smile. One that barely hid how much he hated making the request. It went against his instincts, his pride. But he had no other option.

"I can't promise anything," Kaoru replied, without hesitation. "But I'll see what I can do."

In truth, he was fairly certain the council wouldn't agree to the Uchiha's request regardless. But that didn't matter. Kaoru already had a different plan in mind, one that could benefit both Takimura and Itachi, and avoid dragging either into unnecessary war.

'As much as I'd love to see both Konoha and the Uchiha weakened, I don't think Kumo winning would be good for us. The moment Konoha falls, A will turn his focus on us.'

Kaoru remembered how talented Kumo's younger generation was, eventually they would become strong enough to make a difference. If the Leaf had to face both Kumo and the Uchiha at once, they wouldn't be able to hold the line. And if Konoha fell Takimura would be left alone against Cloud.

'The best path for Takimura is to separate the Uchiha from Konoha peacefully. That way, we'll have an anchor in the Land of Fire to keep Konoha in check. More importantly, two new independent villages rising would set a strong precedent for other clans to follow.'

Kaoru was hoping that Takimura's success, and the Uchiha's, would inspire other powerful clans in the great nations to carve out their own paths.

"I'll visit Maki tomorrow morning," he said aloud, turning toward Itachi. "Hopefully I can convince her."

He reached for another apple from the bowl just as Itachi shifted the conversation. Now that Kaoru had promised him help, Itachi was more than happy to change the subject.

"I heard your friends say you're leaving soon…"

Itachi's words were cut short by a loud thud from outside. At the same time, Kaoru's face lit up.

"Haha, I didn't expect him today," Kaoru laughed, already on his feet. Then he signaled Itachi to follow as he darted toward the door.

The moon shone brightly above Takimura, casting a silver sheen over the mist-draped village. The air shimmered with the veil of the waterfall, giving the entire scene a magical glow.

Above them, a vast silhouette cut through the clouds, a massive dark bird circling the village. The moment it spotted them, it let out a sharp, deep scree and turned toward the waterfall, wings slicing through the air.

'Heh… still obsessed with the Takime waterfall,' Kaoru thought, chuckling. He knew exactly how much Maru adored beautiful scenery.

"Are we following that eagle?" Itachi asked, following just behind him.

"You could tell it was an eagle?" Kaoru shot him a surprised glance. But when he caught the glow of two tomoe spinning in Itachi's Sharingan, he immediately understood.

'I thought he'd have three tomoe by now. Seems like staying with his clan eased some of the emotional pressure.' Kaoru looked ahead again as they crossed the village boundary.

Like the Mangekyo, the progression of the Sharingan's tomoe was tied to intense emotional upheaval. Itachi, in this timeline, was much more relaxed. That peace, ironic as it was, might be the very thing slowing his eyes' evolution.

"That eagle is going to take me where I'm going," Kaoru explained briefly as they reached the waterfall where the gigantic bird had landed.

Maru stood at the edge of the massive pond formed by the waterfall, drinking slowly. He looked even larger than when Kaoru had first met him - his feathers more vibrant, tinged now with a deep crimson sheen.

"Maru, you've clearly changed. I didn't say anything a few days ago, but your feathers are definitely a different color. And you've grown bigger," Kaoru said, eyes wide with wonder.

"Kid, have all your senses dulled? Do you even realize how long I've been circling your village? I had to flap my wings so brutishly I nearly fell from the sky, just to make you notice me," Maru snapped the moment he opened his beak.

Kaoru only laughed. He was long used to the eagle's temper. Pleasing Maru was about as difficult as not laughing when Yko Uzumaki was ranting about ink quality.

"But why didn't you just call me? Or land inside the village? No one would've harmed you…" Kaoru began, but stopped himself as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Harmed me? Harmed me? Who do you think I am, kid? How could any human possibly harm someone like me?" Maru scoffed, puffing his chest. There was no real anger in his tone, just irritation and mockery.

Itachi stood nearby, watching the two with amusement.

"Sorry, sorry. I misspoke. But then why didn't you land?" Kaoru pressed, unwilling to drop the subject.

"I don't like that creature you've got living in the village. Where did you drag that monstrosity from?" Maru turned his head sharply, looking away with a huff. He tried hard to sound superior, but both Kaoru and Itachi could see the unease.

'He's still just a bird, no matter how proud he tries to act,' Kaoru thought, suppressing a smirk.

"What are you talking about? There's no monster in the village, at least not that I know of…" Kaoru kept a perfectly neutral expression, poking fun without revealing it.

"You humans call them tailed beasts. Their chakra and connection to nature is unnatural. They're not like us. They're monstrosities," Maru declared, puffing his chest again. But this time to nearly comedic levels, making Kaoru and Itachi wonder what would happen if they poked him with a needle.

"Kaoru, who's this kid you brought with you?" Maru asked, his tone shifting. He lowered his massive head and stretched his neck out, golden eyes with crimson accents narrowing as he examined Itachi. "His chakra… it's different from yours."

"He's a friend. I know you don't like strangers, but you can trust him," Kaoru said. "And he's interesting. Look at his eyes."

He knew that the moment Maru saw the Sharingan, the eagle's curiosity would be impossible to contain.

Maru peered in closer. Then, abruptly, he straightened.

"I've seen those eyes before. Kid, since you're Kaoru's friend, I don't mind you being here. But don't use them around me," Maru said in a calm voice. But both Kaoru and Itachi heard the underlying seriousness. It was a warning, not a suggestion.

"I understand. I'm sorry," Itachi responded politely, completely ignoring that he had done nothing to apologize for, as the crimson glow in his eyes faded. He was deeply curious about Maru's reaction, but chose not to press. This was Kaoru's companion and a being worthy of respect.

"Kid, are you ready to leave?" Maru asked, spreading and folding his wings like a pre-flight check.

"Maru, I told you I'd leave a few days after my birthday. And you showed up on my birthday," Kaoru sighed, pressing a hand to his face. "Besides, I can't just leave Itachi here alone, he came all this way just to see me."

Maru missed the sharp look Itachi shot at Kaoru when he saw how casually Kaoru lied to the eagle.

Maru considered Kaoru's words in silence, then let out a dramatic sigh and gave a small nod.

"Fine. I'll wait a few more days, but you better feed me well. I can't exactly go hunting in this land," he grumbled, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

"Of course. What kind of food do you prefer? Lamb? Pork? Fish? Maybe chicken?" Kaoru asked, maintaining poker face.

"I can catch all of that myself," Maru snapped, clearly offended by the implication. "You're supposed to give me food that's unique to you humans."

"I hear you humans make sweet meals…" he finally revealed what he wanted, lowering his voice in an attempt to sound casual. "Akura once gave me a strawberry pie. It was... edible. I doubt you humans can make anything better than that, so I'd rather eat that than die starving." He clacked his beak a few times in mild irritation or maybe in excitement.

"Maru, are you going to stay when I meet that creature?" Kaoru asked, already imagining how much more amusing the journey would be with Maru tagging along. Unlike Akura, Kaoru was never bothered by the eagle's eccentric personality. If anything, he found it entertaining.

"I wanted to," Maru grumbled, shaking his massive head, "but I was told I can't."

"Maru, are you going to tell me why you're bigger now and why your feathers changed color?" Kaoru pressed, refusing to let the question drop. He'd noticed how Maru had deliberately ignored it earlier.

"Hmm. I suppose I can tell you, considering..." Maru paused, hesitant for a moment, his tone quieter than usual. "Eagles and other creatures from the continent where I'm from change physically as they grow stronger. When our... what you call chakra increases, our bodies change too. That's why I'm different now." He explained briefly, but unlike what Kaoru expected, considering Maru's personality, he showed absolutely no signs of arrogance or pride. 

"But how did you grow stronger in such a short period of time?" Kaoru asked, raising his eyebrows. "What's it been… two, three years?"

Maru tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Kid, that's thanks to you."

**

A/N –

Character Notes:

Maru – Drama Bird Supreme – "Ascended mid-flight, insulted a tailed beast, demanded dessert like a chakra-enhanced diva."

Uchiha Clan – Independence Seekers – "Step one: ask politely. Step two: back it up with two Mangekyo and a smoldering history of betrayal."

Reminder - Break Tomorrow

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