chapter four. strange man
revealed. is it orochimaru?
Tanyu held the documents in his hands, bowing as he passed them
on to the lord of the estate. "These are the documents you requested.
Please review them to make sure they are satisfactory."
"No need. I'm sure they are fine. The estate extends you our deepest
thanks. Quarters have been prepared for your team if you so wish to
stay the night, but I trust that you will not overextend your welcome
and leave by noon tomorrow."
Akihiro watched as Tanyu nodded, then followed him out of the grand
hall. The mission had been uneventful. They had met up with a few
thieves on the way, but they were easily dispatched. The documents were
received and the destination reached in less than three days time.
Akihiro was just tired of the whole mission and just wanted to go to
sleep. Eriko and Itachi, on the other hand, were training again. He
didn’t know why Eriko bothered. Couldn’t she see it was pointless to
train? She would never reach the level that Itachi already had.
* * * * * *
"You're too slow. Try to predict where I'll attack, and base your
movements from that."
Eriko nodded, preparing for Itachi's next attack. Even though he was
going easy on her, she had trouble keeping up. Still, she felt the
training with Itachi had helped her, and her skills in jutsu had
improved greatly in their time together.
Now, a simple blink and Eriko had lost sight of Itachi, leaving her
amazed that he could move so greatly. Was he waiting for her to blink
in order to move away unseen? She turned around, analyzing her
surroundings and seeing nothing. Suddenly a noise above her alerted her
to Itachi's coming presence, and she realized she didn't have time to
do anything but dodge. She quickly rolled out of the way as Itachi
landed in the spot she was previously standing on.
"That was a little quicker, but not by much. If I was an enemy I could
have attacked you from above with a weapon as soon as you noticed me.
And if I had been going just a little bit faster I could have reached
you in time."
Eriko nodded again. She was always careful to listen to Itachi.
"If you can't move more quickly, try using your chakra to block the
attack somewhat. Try to focus it around your arms to create a shield."
"All right-" Eriko was about to ask to repeat the exercise again when
she noticed that Itachi's eyes were red.
Itachi was using his sharingan.
"Eriko, listen carefully.” Itachi spoke slowly and softly, barely loud
enough for Eriko to hear. “You should walk towards the creek and hide
there. It's ten yards to your right. I feel some one coming."
"No. If there's trouble I want to fight too. I may not be as talented
as you, Itachi, but I can handle myself with most other ninja."
There was a laugh from behind her, and Eriko turned as she drew out her
kunai, preparing for anything.
"I doubt you could handle yourself against me, genin. Step aside. It's
the Uchiha that I want to fight."
"If you want him, you'll fight us both."
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Who are you and why are you doing this?"
A ninja appeared out of the forest, laughing, his body concealed by a
black cloak. His red hair was cut short, close to his head on the sides
and long in the front. The headband he wore bore the mark of the Hidden
Mist Village. "Since you asked so politely, I'll tell you. I'm a
chuunin from Hidden Mist Village, as you no doubt have figured out
already. My mission is to fight with and gather information on Uchiha
Itachi. It seems as if some one is very interested in you, Uchiha.”
"And if I refuse to fight you?"
The hidden mist ninja laughed again. "It doesn't matter. I think I'll
kill you either way."
The ninja shot forward, his movement barely visible, but Eriko saw her
opening. She poured her chakra into her kunai and threw them at the
ninja as she raced toward him, instantly getting more kunai out to
replace the ones she had used. He dodged the kunai, but they slowed him
down enough so that she could aim correctly. Still, after she threw the
next three kunai, he managed to dodge two. The third barely scraped his
shoulder.
"I see,” he said, smiling at Eriko. “I suppose I will have to deal with
you first."
Eriko was upon him as soon as he said the words and started attacking
with all the speed and strength her taijutsu could muster. Still, the
chuunin dodged her attacks without seeming to move at all, and even
smiled at her before raising his arms. She suddenly found herself
thrown up and back into the air, and used her chakra to aim herself
safely onto a tree branch.
“What's wrong?" she bluffed. "Are you afraid of close combat?"
Itachi watched as Eriko fought the chuunin, analyzing the mist ninja's
abilities, ready to step in if Eriko found herself in real trouble. He
watched as the chuunin leapt into the trees and began to spar with
Eriko. After a few moments Itachi realized that the chunin was clearly
more talented than Eriko. In fact, he could have ended the fight easily
several times already. Itachi leapt towards the two ninja, landing on a
nearby branch.
The chuunin grinned when he saw Itachi so close by. "So you've decided
to fight. In that case, I'm done playing."
Eriko was completely unprepared for the chuunin's next move. Before she
could even register the action, the chuunin had hit her in her stomach
with a blast of chakra that sent her spiraling backwards. She had no
time to prepare to land, and she was falling straight for the ground...
the fall might break her neck and even kill her. At best, she would
have a few broken bones. Eriko barely registered Itachi coming at her
and hitting her chest with his arm. The move hurt, pushing all the air
out of her lungs, but it changed her path so that she collided in a
tree and landed in its branches. Her limbs were exhausted, and all she
could do was watch now.
"Who hired you?" Itachi sped at the chuunin, and Eriko could see that
he was holding back, being cautious.
"Is that all you have?" The ninja smirked. "You're slow for a prodigy."
The ninja made his move, rushing at Itachi, aiming his attack. He was
sure he would hit when Itachi dodged at the last moment, appearing
above him and attacking him from the top. The chuunin found himself
plummeting to the ground, but quickly prepared himself to land
properly.
"That was alright for a genin. But you're not the only one with a
bloodline."
Itachi watched from the shadows as the chuunin performed several hand
seals... it was a jutsu he hadn't seen before. It was... some kind of
transformation? The chuunin's appearance was changing, his hair growing
longer, his teeth sharpening into fangs. His chakra had also changed
colors.
"You should feel flattered that you were able to see mine."
Itachi's eyes widened as the chuunin propelled toward him... the older
ninja had managed to target him, even though he was so well hidden.
He'd have to deal with the man now, and soon. He used some of his
chakra to propel himself backwards, and gathered some more as he
performed his own hand seals. When he finished four streams of fire
shot out of his hands, and he guided them towards the chuunin. They
wrapped themselves around the other ninja, setting his skin on fire
wherever they touched.
"These flames!" The chuunsin was suddenly and effectively bound by the
fire. It felt as though the flames were eating through him.
"These flames are special. They will not stop burning until their
target is reduced to ashes. Your mission is over, chuunin. You have
failed."
Itachi watched as the ninja was eaten alive in the fire. Eriko was
awestruck in the branches, wondering when Itachi had mastered that
move. She had never seen a fire jutsu like that. And the way he had
read his opponent... he must have mastered the sharingan as well. The
chuunin's movements were far too fast for her, and she estimated most
ninjas, could see. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard
clapping from below, and saw a figure approaching Itachi.
"That jutsu was most impressive. You were right to kill him before he
reached you. Otherwise, he may have ripped you apart."
Itachi turned to the other man, recognizing his face. "You are the lord
of this estate."
"Not exactly." The lord's diplomatic face and regal bearing shifted,
and Itachi found himself staring at a pale man with long, black hair.
"I'm afraid he is currently indisposed."
"You sent the chuunin after me."
"No." The strange man smiled. "I am only here to watch. My organization
might have an interest in you, Uchiha Itachi."
"I am a ninja of Leaf Village. I have no interest in your
organization." Itachi tried to step forward, tried to attack the man,
but found that he couldn’t move. He was somehow bound in his position.
The man started to walk away. "Really? It seems to me as though you
have no interest in Leaf Village either. You are an automaton, Itachi.
You fight because it is what you were taught to do."
Itachi made no move to fight, no attempt to answer.
"Is it not true? If it's not, then what do you fight for? As I said, my
organization has an interest in you. But first, we'll see how you
mature."
It was a moment after the strange man disappeared before Itachi could
move again. He went to collect Eriko, picking up the bigger girl and
closing his sharingan. "Eriko. Don't tell any one about what happened
today."
Eriko nodded. It was the first order Itachi had ever given her.