Prologue: The Establishing Arc

[Loki Odinson]

 
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It was after dinner and rather late into the night when Father required his presence. Having already ensured that Sasuke was sound asleep, Itachi slipped away silently from his room, down the corridor and made his way unhurriedly towards Fugaku's office. He hoped this matter to be discussed would not take quite so long. As an ANBU captain, Itachi was to rise early for the dawn patrol before reporting to the Hokage or the ANBU Commander for further duties. His day would start very early, and while sleep deprivation was nothing new and not something he couldn't overcome with the mildest application of chakra, he would need every ounce of energy to get through the next few days. The brother of the Fire Daimyo and his family would be arriving tomorrow, prompting security to be further tightened, which meant more work for the ANBU teams. A hint of amusement surfaced as he thought out the numerous captains voicing complaints - out of the Commander's earshot, of course - about the unfairness of life.



"Chichiue, you wished to see me?" Itachi greeted mildly as he dipped his head briefly towards his father. Mother was nowhere in sight, causing the teen's gaze to sharpen. Whatever this was about, it was serious.

Fugaku gestured towards the cushion directly opposite him and laid the calligraphy brush slowly upon its stand. With a face more strict than usual, he delivered the verdict bluntly and without hesitation. "After careful consideration and debate, the Elders have petitioned for you to hunt down an A-rank Konoha missing-nin. Born out of wedlock and deserted the Village as soon as he made chuunin. The reason you have been specifically selected is because he is a half-Uchiha.”

"Who are his parents and what of his Sharingan?" Neither Itachi's voice nor facial expression shifted the slightest despite the sliver of annoyance that stirred within him. He could read between the lines well enough and knew that Fugaku had pushed for this to happen, using both authority as Head of a noble clan and Itachi's own prodigious skills to secure this assignment. This was a task any Uchiha clan member can do, so this was meant to be a statement. To whom, he had to find out.



"He has yet to show signs of manifesting the Sharingan, but that does not mean he will not pass it onto any descendants. His name is Daiki, son of Uchiha Meimu." The man replied curtly, not making any mention of Daiki’s father. Interesting. "The Jounin Commander has given you free reign to take whomever you wish, but you don’t need it, do you, son?"

"No, chichiue."


“Good. You leave at first light.”

That meant Itachi would have an hour to inform his team about his side assignment, and perhaps find either Obito or Shisui to inform Sasuke about his whereabouts. Hunting missing-nins usually took a couple of days even if they were in the Land of Fire, and his little brother did not like Itachi disappearing unannounced for a while. When the wave of dismissal was given, the Heir rose smoothly, headed for Sasuke's bedroom to pen a note. However, his father's voice halted him a step from the door.

"You know your duty as Heir, Itachi. So far, you have done your Clan proud. But a shinobi's life hangs perilously, no matter how skilled they are. Coddle him too much...and the Uchiha name will fall with him should anything befall you. Don't forget he is my son too. Some things cannot be avoided no matter how hard you try."

Faced away from his father, Itachi's jaw clenched slightly. This was a longstanding argument between Clan Head and Clan Heir. He desperately wanted to keep Sasuke safe and secure, to not be forced into growing up so fast like Itachi had. He personally knew the strain and stress it caused and for the life of him, he did not wish it on his beloved brother. No, he believed as the eldest, he should bear this burden. Unfortunately, Fugaku thought differently. Maybe Itachi being born a prodigy made him raise the bar of expectation. His father had always been a harsh man, more focused on duty and glory than caring about the emotional state of his children. Itachi was a valuable asset, nothing more. And when it became clear Sasuke was not as talented as his brother, Fugaku had not seen the value in investing time and effort in his youngest son. But Itachi had. In his eyes, his little brother was better than he was in every way. Kind of heart and strong of spirit. Even with the discrimination heaped upon him by his father, Sasuke did not allow himself to become withdrawn. Itachi's only desire was to keep that positivity thriving. And if it meant taking on all the Clan's expectations, so be it. 

"He will grow up with the Will of Fire residing in him. That is enough." Itachi replied lowly, surprising even himself with the amount of conviction coating his statement. Watch me try, Father. For it is clear you will not shed your mask for your youngest son. I will not let him fall into the crevice of the Clan’s flaws. Or be swallowed by the chasm separating the Noble Clans of Konoha.

The sliding door slid shut behind with a whisper, and Itachi wasted no time in checking in on Sasuke one last time tonight, placing the short note by his pillow before heading to bed himself. It saddened him to part with his little brother so soon after returning from another mission, but he knew there was no other choice. His only comfort was that Shisui, Obito, and the rest of Team Seven would be here to keep an eye on Sasuke, if only to make sure the stubborn boy did not overexert himself during training.

He awoke at 0500 sharp the next morning, even before the first light of dawn broke over Konoha. The Village was still asleep, with the occasional stores already preparing for the day ahead. It was considered usual for ANBU and Hunter members not on night shift to be up and about at this ungodly hour. Itachi and his team were no exceptions. The group of five met above the western watchtower of ANBU Headquarters, one of their few set meeting areas littered around Konoha. 

"Captain!" Owl - one Yamanaka Ensei - greeted cheerily from behind his brown streaked mask as soon as Itachi's feet landed on the solid stone surface. "We scheduled for patrol again today?"

"Not today." He replied, before pausing to rephrase it in more detail. "You all may be still scheduled for patrol. However, I was given a new assignment. It’s a clan matter, but one meant to be fairly short and straightforward. I leave in two hours."

"Two hours?" Tiger rumbled, head tilting slightly to the side as he solemnly regarded Itachi. Then with a surprisingly firm nod as if he had a perfect grasp of the unspoken situation, the older man scoffed. "Of course, who else would Uchiha push forward for such a position."


Silence fell between them as the other members were still left in the dark, wondering what this mysterious assignment was. However, they knew better than to ask outright. The mystery of who would take temporary control of Itachi’s team was solved with the arrival of a new presence. 

"Weasel." Cat – Yamato – greeted quietly, tilting his head to the side, signaling that he would take things from here.


Itachi consented with a curt nod and a light comment of “don’t give Cat a headache please, or I would end up owing his twice over. If that happens, I’ll be sure to take it out of your hides.” With that, he took off, back to the Uchiha compound. Avoiding contact with the other wandering shinobi and the police force, he slipped into Sasuke’s room after a heartbeat of inner debate. Chuunin or not, his younger brother was still a little clingy and Shisui had yet to return to the compound. Might as well say goodbye in person rather than having someone else tell Sasuke his older brother couldn’t make it to training again.


“Sasuke?” Itachi murmured, reaching out with a finger to poke his brother on one exposed cheek. “Father sent me on a mission to eliminate a missing-nin. I don’t know how long it will take. I know you are not going to be happy with me for leaving so soon, but…I’ll be back before you know it. It’s only an A-rank, after all.”


This was a familiar routine between the two of them, and Itachi could only spare a second to savour this instant, a split-second flash of the Sharingan. Every moment in this seemingly peaceful time was to be remembered and held dearly, for it would be destroyed in the near future if his plans succeeded. Sacrifices were necessary for the greater good, after all. He only hoped those he truly cared about would be able strong enough to weather the oncoming storm.

Interactions: Uchiha Sasuke @Cynthiera
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Up on the Hokage Mountain, Hatake Kakashi stood between the smooth stone spikes on his sensei’s head, quietly surveying the waking Village below. Konoha was bathed in reddish-orange light as dawn broke, and it was a sight the jounin never got tired of seeing. Handfuls of shinobi were already up and about, and the streets were slowly being filled with people going about on their business. In fact, he should be on his way to his final medical check-up right about now, but he was seriously considering skipping out on it. The medic assigned to him was almost as bad as Tsunade, and that was saying a lot. He probably acquired more bruises coming out of that examination room than he did going on A-rank missions. Besides, he felt fine when he woke up this morning. No lingering dizziness or nausea or migraines. That meant the poison was fully flushed out of his system right? He glanced down at his hands, clenching them into a fist then relaxing, wriggling them about to ensure none of the telltale numbness lingered, or that his fingers trembled the slightest bit. Satisfied when neither of that happen, Kakashi let out a pleased hum before leaping down the mountain in a few short bounds.


He paused on the rooftop of the first building he ran up on, cocking his head slightly to the side as he thought about what he could do to past the time. Now that his cute little students were all chuunins, his schedule felt surprisingly empty in between ANBU and jounin missions. Especially on days when he was benched from taking missions until he has been given a clean slate of health. Hmm…he could probably go and bother Obito, but his friend was most likely still asleep, and would be reasonably pissed off if Kakashi barged into his apartment. Granted, the irritation would be directed more at his deliberately loud entrance rather than him sneaking in. An offer of a plate of onigiri worked wonders in placating his best friend, but the place was not opened yet. So…what to do now…


His answer presented himself in a flurry of green, sparkly teeth and thick eyebrows.


“My Eternal Rival! How Wonderful it is to see you Out and About! To look so lost this early in the Day! Are you perhaps Losing your Youthfulness?!” Gai flipped onto his feet and struck his usual pose. “Have no fear, for I am here to Propose a Challenge!”


Kakashi blinked slowly at Gai, his typical refusal at the tip of his tongue before another part of his brain prevented him from saying it aloud. Ah, how nice of Gai to offer a way to kill some time when he was out of ideas.


“How about a spar instead, hmm?” Kakashi asked with an eye-smile, feeling untold amounts of satisfaction at making the Green Beast gape for a full half a minute. Gai was startlingly adaptable, a consequence of hanging around Kakashi and facing the brunt of his asshole-ish personality ever since they were young, hence, finding new ways to catch him off guard was another form of entertainment. “I want to see if I am back to full health, so don’t hold back.”


Oh, he was probably going to regret saying that, but an adrenaline-pumping spar would serve well in sapping his abundant energy gathered from sitting on his ankles for three days. They spend the next hour trading blows at a speed too quick for most people to track in the middle of Training Ground Eighty-Four, a wide open field at the southern-edge of Konoha’s shinobi sector. Kakashi was aware that Gai was still holding back, and it would rankle if he was using his Sharingan. But he wasn’t, for it would alert Obito that something was up. If there was any downside to swapping a normal eye for a special freaky eye with his best friend, this was it. When one used it, the other could feel it like a niggling touch. Back and forth they went, sticking mostly to taijutsu and the occasional genjutsu on Kakashi’s part. They broke apart and stood separate at an unspoken signal, just when he felt exhaustion seeping in. Well, it seems a trip to the hospital was unnecessary, for he was able to perform as per normal.


Gai grinned and struck a ‘Nice Guy’ pose. “It is good to see your skills Undiminished by the Ravages of Recuperation, my Eternal Rival! When next we meet, I will Surely Challenge You to a Match of Endurance!” He boomed. “Until then! May you have The Greatest Luck!”


“My, my,” Kakashi murmured. “Sure, Gai.”


“What a Hip and Youthful Response--” Gai started, and Kakashi made good his escape, going on his merry way – read: to Yumi-obaa’s onigiri store. He really didn’t want to face the Youthful Sunset and Manly Tears so early on in the week.


As per usual, he was there right on the dot, when the sweet old lady had just brought out her first batch of rice-cakes. With a cheerful greeting, he ordered two boxes of assorted onigiri and carried it to Obito’s apartment, opting to enter through the window rather than the door this time, disarming the traps as he went and reapplying then as soon as his feet touched the safety of the floorboards.


“Obito…” He warbled in the most annoying, singing tone as he walked uncaringly through the apartment, setting the take-away boxes on the small table. “Breakfast is here…”

Interactions: Uchiha Obito @Fatal Striker
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[Endronus]

The dawn of day greeted Shun's eyes... well, closed eyes which were now shielded by his hand. Had it been day already? Shun felt as if he had only just gone to sleep, but as he opened his eyes, his disappointment was confirmed. Through his shoji door, which led to an engawa, sunlight poured through, encasing Shun in a warm glow. Though Shun did not welcome this glow warmly. He hated mornings, the time when it required the most energy throughout the day. At least that's what it felt like to Shun.


Shun held a groan in, and sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning to wake himself. He had chores to tend to, and training to work on. There was no time to sit around. With speed and ease, Shun stood up and made his way to the kitchen, starting breakfast: a simple meal of toast and a banana. If there was anything Shun had to like about the mornings, it was the food. Breakfast rarely took long to make, given his parents didn't wake up and start a meal of their own. But it was also the silence of the morning Shun enjoyed the most.


When the absence of busy villagers was present, Shun found it easy to focus on his tasks, and he always seemed to work faster when undisturbed by distant noises. Speaking of tasks, Shun needed to complete a few chores. After finishing his food, Shun walked over to the front entrance, picking a slip of paper off the hardwood floor. Once opened, Shun read it over quickly in his head.


'-weed the garden


-wash the engawa


-polish the family emblem


-train your jutsu and other ninja skills'


It was a short list really, but Shun didn't care. In fact, he wouldn't have cared had the list consisted of ten things to do. The boy grew so used to work that it barely became an annoying process anymore. Though Shun did rank his work. He simply preferred some jobs over others. Jutsu training was at the top of the list, if one could even call it a job. According to his current list, polishing the family emblem was next, followed by weeding the garden, and then by washing the engawa. It really mattered what gave Shun time to think without running out of subjects to ponder upon. For example, washing the engawa took long enough where he eventually has nothing else to think about, and he's stuck with his focus on washing wood alone. Though he does complete the chore faster at that time, he does not enjoy the emptiness of his thoughts.


That said, Shun was determined to do the easy work first, though Shun let his Jutsu take last place in his order. He couldn't think of other things when focusing on his jutsu. First up was polishing the family emblem, something that had been done for as long as the house had been built. It was a family tradition, yet Shun didn't mind it. He liked the symbol, and taking care of it was something Shun had no problem with.


At the entrance, Shun dipped a clean cloth in a certain liquid and reached above the shoji door, scrubbing the already shiny silver. With a bucket placed below the hanging emblem, Shun was able to polish every crevice without the worry of the oily liquid dripping onto the floor. It only took five or so minutes to complete the task, and when done, Shun mentally crossed it off his list. Next... wee the garden.


Shun's family garden was also prized, though not nearly as much as the insignia. In the garden, flowers of many types stood next to each other, complimenting each other to give an astonishing view to it's surroundings. It was a relatively small patch of flowers, but it's beauty remained powerful nonetheless. Shun knelt down, and carefully pulled small weeds from within the flower bed. Of course, this took much longer than his first task, and once Shun was finished, he took the time to wash his hands before crossing that task off his list. Now for the engawa.


The engawa that surrounded the house was nothing other than a simple architect design. Though is was common in many homes, Shun often sat along one side of the engawa when reading. The simple porch had something of a meaning to him, and Shun didn't mind washing it. After all, it was for his own benefit. Shun started his work, quietly running across the wooden floor with a cloth in hand, and a water basin at each corner. The task took Shun a solid forty minutes to complete, and at last, Shun was down to his last chore, which he would spend the rest of his time on.


At last, Shun had arrived at jutsu practice, something he had been doing every day, though he constantly improved, and improvised upon his skills. In the backyard, Shun knelt on the ground, and concentrated his focus on meditation. He cleared his mind, and did his best to keep it clear, only intensely listening to his surroundings, for at least five minutes before standing up again. He slipped into a relaxed yet offensive posture, moving one leg forward and to the right a little, and keeping his arms pointed towards a single spot. While his left arm sat near his head, his right extended, though not fully. His target: a simple training dummy he had used for as long as he could remember. The dummy had been able to stand against many of Shun's attacks, though he believes his parents infuse their chakra into it to prevent any major damage. Otherwise, the dummy would have been turned into mere splinters ages ago.


With speed that seemed unnatural for a teen, Shun turned his right palm up, quickly pushing the same arm upwards, and pushed his left hand with it's palm facing the dummy straight forward. It was a basic move really, and a basic result ensued. Out of nowhere, a small clump of water formed and shot through the dummy as a hardened spike. There was no need to announce the jutsu, as it required mainly unique hand techniques.


Shun continued the move over and over, starting at a large size and decreasing it each time. The reason Shun used small spikes was for the purpose of accuracy. The larger spikes required more chakra to hold, though they were less accurate, more noticeable, and they could not reach the velocity a small water spike could. Therefor, with each decrease in size, Shun increased it's speed, which made the jutsu even deadlier, and required as much chakra as it would have to project a spike with the size he had started out with. It was true, it did take less chakra to use smaller spikes, but it took almost as much chakra to increase the speed.


It was a moment before Shun noticed his father standing on the engawa, his face stern and his eyes tracking every movement Shun made.


"You are clearly improving, though you are lacking one thing." Lacking one thing? What was that supposed to mean. Shun decided to allow his father to continue speaking instead of speaking out for himself. "Do you know why you practice these jutsu?" A simple question really... but Shun was unsure if he held the right answer.


"It defines us as ninjas. It gives us power over our enemies." His father only closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Shun, directly in his eyes.


"Yes, it does give us an advantage over our enemies. But that is not why we practice them. Had we needed power over our enemies, we would have simply trained in mental being. A ninja does not need weapons to defeat an enemy. No, Shun. The reason we practice these jutsu is to help each other. Though mere thought can take down an enemy, it can not save a friend. The people who you most value are only influenced by your thoughts, not directly affected by them. Use your jutsu for your friends, not your enemies." Shun looked at the ground with an expressionless face. He understood... but that was the problem. Shun had never thought of jutsus in that way before. Had he truly been so clueless? Before he could think any further, Shun's father spoke up once again. "Do not worry, my son. Many ninja do not realize the use of the jutsu, the reason it exists. I do not wish for you to preach this information. Others must explore it by themselves." This quickly raised a question within Shun's mind, to which he spoke out.


"Then why did you tell me?"


"Because you already knew. You would use your jutsu to protect your friends, yes?" Shun nodded a few times, gazing at his father. "They would do the same for you. But not all of them use their jutsu in the same way. You may understand now, but when you are older, when you have experienced loss, you will truly understand." All Shun could do was listen. His father's words had sparked something new in Shun. "Come. You have a team to go to, yes?" With his last words, Shun followed his father into the house.

 

[Dark Enforcer]

Night shift. This is what Obito got for trying to be mister nice guy of Konoha Military Police Force. Fukaku Uchiha, who was the captain of the police force, had caught a couple of new members using their new, yet limited, power to bully some fellow ninjas. This was unacceptable and as such they had to be punished, surely not severely but at least to some degree that would teach them that bad actions would give them consequences.


They were younglings! This was expected of them anyways or at least that's how Obito saw it. However, since it had been Obito the one who tried to lessen the punishment Fukaku had originally planned for them, it was also Obito the one who was to supervise that they actually covered their punishment. What had been the punishment? Well, to cover the night shift patrolling of Konoha. You'd think that it was the best shift because nothing would be going on during the night, but that was wrong. It was during this late hours in which trouble nins would decide to make their pranks or in the worse cases, traitor nins planned attacks. This definitely take a toll on the new police members that Obito was to supervise, but also on Obito himself. The man was used to nights of no sleep and when he knew he had a long night coming he would usually prepare for this things by resting during the day or whenever he could, however, Fukaku had kept Obito occupied all day with some heavy paperwork and so he hadn't had time to rest enough for staying up all night. Awful indeed. 


You would think that with this 'punishment' this kids would learn their lesson but instead they took the time to mess around in town! Obito caught them several times setting up pranks or fooling around instead of doing their job. Now, Obito wasn't the type to get angry or yell at others, but this guys surely knew how to get on his nerves. 


"We can keep this shift and the day shift too if you guys want. I mean, you two seem to be enjoying it after all. Fukaku taichou will be deliiiiighted when he sees you two working during the day too!" he told the two younglings who seemed unaware that this was Obito's way of getting them to work. They looked frightened and restless. 


"You're kidding us... Right, fuki taichou?" said one of them, looking up at the water tower which was where Obito was currently standing on. Silence followed, for Obito did not answer them and instead merely chuckled. With that type of response they were now truly unsure what it meant. Exchanging glances between each other for a moment they once again turned to look to the vice-captain. 


"I might be kidding, but Fukaku won't so you two better start getting to work. I could be sleeping right now and do you, you know?..." Followed by a heavy sigh and a yawn, Obito waved his hand in a dismissing manner. At least they got the clue because they got to work right away. Finally... he did follow them around to keep tabs on them however and was relieved to see they had stopped messing around. The only sounds in the village came from cicadas, returning ninja who had gone out on missions, or drunken civilians. Thankfully tonight happened to be rather peaceful. Soon enough dawn was breaking in and they could finally go home. Obito went searching for the two scandalous members that had been with him but it seemed the two had already fallen asleep under a tree. Honestly, how did these two made it this far? They weren't taking this job seriously. Perhaps Obito should talk to Fukaku personally and discuss the future of new members.  Seeing how the village had been in peace for a while now, the younger ones weren't taking their training or jobs as serious as they should. I guess I'll leave them here. I was responsible for the night anyways and it's already morning. And just like that, Obito walked away. Getting home was all in Obito's mind at the moment. Perhaps the man could still get a rest for a couple of hours before he turned to his afternoon shift. Seriously, this is the last time I do this... 


He smiled all the way home as he thought of the comfortableness of his bed and quietness of his apartment. Living alone had its advantages after all, and hopefully he wouldn't be stumbling upon the early bird of Kakashi. God forbid that happened because then Obito could kiss good-bye to his sleep. Searching in his pockets, he found his apartment key, and sliding that piece of metal into the keyhole he was finally in. At last! Though, as he took his first step inside his apartment he did feel he wasn't alone. An intruder? Definitely, and there was also the smell of freshly made rice-cakes... There was only one person who Obito knew that would barge into his home uninvited and bring rice-cakes. With the most annoyed tone he could manage at the moment, Obito spoke while walking inside.


"Leave, but the rice-cakes are staying." Obito stated as he removed his sandals and left them by the entrance of the house before he finally stepped into the kitchen. Everything in the apartment was very well organized and kept clean, well except for his bedroom. Obito never made his bed because he was always running out of time in the morning to do it and whenever he came back home he was already either heading to sleep or just to tired to do it. Bad habits, but he did live alone so he didn't have to worry about trying to impress anyone. "Don't you have anywhere else to go at this hour in the morning, Kakashi?" Obito began looking at the mail he received that he had left on his kitchen table the night before. Most of it consisted of bills, actually all of them were bills except for one. "Hey look!" Obito said in a rather pleased tone, "Spa coupons!" Obito didn't even know why he got exited if he didn't have anyone to go with. It wasn't as if he would take Kakashi with him. Perhaps he could gift them to Asuma or maybe even to Itachi and Shisui.

Interactions: Kakashi Hatake - @Loki Odinson
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[Cynthiera]

As his brother walked in, Sauske was preparing himself for the day's training. An everyday routine. Sauske was always happier when he had gotten to train with his brother, who was quite renown for being such a great ninja. Sauske was sure that today would be a great day, he was pumped-up to learn.


Sauske was immediately distracted by Itachi, who called his name before poking his cheek. "H-Oh, hello brother!" Sauske smiled, happy to be approached by his brother. However, Itachi's information came quickly. Itachi was busy again. With clearly expressed disappointment, Sauske sighed. "But! You said- ..." Sauske cut himself off, pausing briefly.


"...That's not fair. Fine." he completed his objection, shaking his head. "Only A-rank? Guess I'll just train with the weakling." Sauske grumbled. "Well, you'll be back soon, right? You won't disappear again?!" He questioned, impatiently. 

Interactions: Uchiha Itachi - @Loki Odinson
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[Iryxa]

The blazing sun rays hurted Kai's eyes. She hated waking up at the time she did just now so without a word, she slowly blinked her eyes to get the surroundings of her room. Just when she was about to fall back asleep, something jumped on her and made her eyes go wide. Of corse she knew it was her dog who just loved jumping on her. 


Even with jumps on her bed she remained still until the dog decided to lock her face all over. Only then Kai actually woke up and sat up. She looked around her room which wasn't in the best shape. Mainly because she was always outside with dog and didn't want to clean until her mom told her to.  She looked at her dog who seemed awfully exhited about nothing. 


"good morning rara."


Kai said and put a small smile on her face as she rubbed one of her eyes. Now she had to make a choice to stay in bed or to wake up and start the day. She wouldn't get much sleep with Rara jumping all over her, so she decided to start the day out. She yawned and stretched before getting out of bed with Rara. After she was done putting herself in place, she sprinted downstairs to the kitchen where her mom stood and looked like she was making food.


"you're finally up eh?"


her mom said only turning her head. She was still focused on making breakfast so she instantly turned her gaze back to what she was making.


"with the help of Rara."


Kai was still a bit sleepy so she wasn't loud like she usualy is outside or on training. 


it was a small silence with nothing heard besides Kai's mom's cooking. Finally when her mom was done, she started putting it on plate and gave one of the plates to Kai. While Kai ate, Rara just sat there looking at her with hopeful eyes which made Kai stop in the middle of eating.


"oh right! How could I forget about you? Here you go! Eat up!"


Kai got up and headed to a cupboard which contained some biscuits which she gave to Rara and got back to her food. Rara was munching on her biscuits happily while Kai and her mom ate the plate. 


When kai Kai was done, she jumped out of her chair and said


"iam goin! Bye!"


she said as she waved her hand which made Rara sprint up to her with joy. Kai ran out the door with Rara and looked around. She never did chores and was a messy type so she instantly forgot about the dish and just kept on running through the village.

 

[EchoTehGecko]

Rock Lee was up training early by himself. He knew that Gai-Sensei was dueling it out with Kakashi-sensei, so his training was a lot more light than usually. That doesn't really mean anything, more of just running a couple less laps around Konoha, slowing down on the push-ups, that's it really. Eventually, he got bored. 



Lee decided to sit out the top of Hokage Rock, watching the sun rising, with more and more citizens roaming the streets. While watching, Lee thought about what he can do. Gai-Sensei is still out, surprisingly... Tenten would be too tired because of her training... And Neji... Hm... Aha! I can ask Neji to fight me once more! After the one-thousand times I have asked! Lee ran around crazily trying to find Neji and attempt to force him into sparing.


After a long time of the Green Handsome Devil sprinting to find his teammate, he gave up. Lee literally checked every place in Konoha where Neji would be. He then did a handstand on a wall and stood there until something would happen.

 

[Loki Odinson]

 
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“Uzumaki Naruto is not a weakling. Surely by his managing to keep up with you proved that.” Itachi replied, mouths canting up slightly at the sides in the face of Sasuke’s dejected grumblings. “I shall be back as soon as I can and if nothing major happens, I will not leave so soon after. Have patience, otouto. You are doing rather well on your own and Uncle Obito would be more than happy to train with you, seeing as cousin Shisui has yet to return.”


Gifting his younger brother one of his rare smiles, Itachi lifted his hand and poked Sasuke on his forehead with two fingers. “Don’t overexert yourself. I’ll be back before you know it.”


With that, he left through the window of Sasuke’s bedroom and headed for the ANBU headquarters, mask obscuring his face once more. If he was to keep his promise and return as soon as possible, he would have to search the archive there, for the growing list of missing-nins roaming the Elemental Nations was stored within. Each individual had their own scroll, sorted by Village, rank and status. Even the scrolls of those who were deemed dead and had their bounty collected were still kept there. It wasn’t unheard of for a supposedly deceased missing-nin to pop back out of the woodworks when they were least expected. Getting permission to enter the archive was easy. All one needed to do was flare their chakra in a particular pattern, which would serve to both alert anyone currently tasked with guarding the door and disabling the traps surrounding it.


Having been in here several times, Itachi didn’t waste any time blindly navigating the maze of shelves, heading straight for the back of the room, where scrolls filed by Noble Clans were placed. The Uchiha section was near the end of the line, and it wasn’t long before he was pouring over the thin file of one Uchiha Daiki. Behind his mask, his eyebrows were raised slightly in surprise. The identity of his father was…startling, to put it mildly. Daiki was incredibly unlucky – or lucky, depending how one viewed it – that either doujutsu failed to surface. He pocketed the scroll and left the archive room, mind already going over the possible options left open. Daiki left because neither Clan wanted him, and putting him down due to the blood flowing through his veins seemed a waste of potential. On the other hand…Itachi definitely could use him.


We shall see, was the only thought that ran through his mind as he cleared the Village’s gates and made his way west. If Daiki was as lost in regards to direction in life as Itachi, well…the heir would certainly not hesitate to offer him a purpose. Banished outcast or not, it was only natural an Uchiha of a Branch family obeyed the will of the Clan’s next Head.

Interactions: Uchiha Sasuke @Cynthiera
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“Kicking me out so early in the morning, Obito-kun?” Kakashi inserted a pout in his reply, visible eye locked on the pages of his book even as he left hand flipped the cover of the first box open and he downed a couple of onigiri. “I’m good as new, so there’s no need to visit the hospital. Hmm…I’ve sparred with Gai, so that’s my energy sapped. My little students have their own things to do, so I’ve got the day off. Nope, I’ve got nowhere to be at this time.”


As soon as his best friend came within arms’ reach, he snapped the book shut and returned it to the front pocket of his vest in one swift move, turning his attention to Obito, scrutinising him with a dark grey eye. It curved into a ‘U’ as Obito lifted the coupons, but he wasn’t exactly paying attention to the letters the Uchiha was riffling through. His friend looked tired. It wasn’t explicitly so. Those who didn’t know him well enough would not be able to see the tightened muscles around his eyes, the exhausted slant to his shoulders and the fatigue clinging to his every gesture. And so Kakashi stood without his usual fanfare, tucking a hand into his pocket as he straightened slowly.


“Mah, I suppose I should see what distraction Konoha can offer during this time.” Kakashi said, patting Obito on the shoulder as he sauntered past towards the door. “Get some rest, Obito. I’ll see you later.”


Exiting the apartment quietly, he stepped onto the now-busier streets, wandering aimlessly along paths both big and small. There was really nothing that could occupy his time, now that he was not a full-time ANBU agent and was therefore not expected to be on call twenty-four seven. Only when things got bad would he be recalled into the black-ops and ordered to take up the mask of Inu. However, such situations were few and far in between theis past couple of years. As it should be, considering the black-ops was considered part of the elite. If they couldn’t handle things on a daily basis, he would truly despair over Konoha’s true strength.


A flash of green and orange drew his attention and he tensed the slightest bit, if only because his body unconsciously prepared to bolt before Gai could spot him. However, the tension dispersed almost immediately after a careful look. The individual was shorter and less-built in bulk compared to Kakashi’s self-proclaimed Eternal Rival. If Lee was here, then where was his team? Gai wasn’t one to leave his team alone to train if he could help it. Sure, they were all chuunins now, but the Green Beast was far too clingy. As if on cue, a familiar signature entered the range of his senses and Kakashi didn’t hesitate for even a split-second before he shunshin-ed out of there. Meeting Gai twice in two hours couldn’t be good for his health. At least Lee would be there to distract him from going after Kakashi.


A light slouch to his posture and hands tucked into his pockets, he walked slowly along the edge of the roof he landed on, all but oozing nonchalance as he approached the familiar signature of one Uchiha Satoshi. Even masked and chakra carefully reigned in as he was, Kakashi knew the signatures of the members of his ANBU team well enough to pick them out with ease. Especially one who worked with him for quite a few years.


“Looking for me?” He drawled as soon as he came within audible range. “What’s the emergency this time?”


Because the Hokage wouldn’t summon him for something countless other agents could do, so it might be something urgent. Or the Sandaime wanted to check on him like he did most of his elite to see they weren't cracking yet. Either way, he wouldn’t be complaining if it were a mundane task. Anything beats wandering around aimlessly or sitting on his hands, after all.

Interactions: Uchiha Obito @Fatal Striker, Uchia Satoshi @ThatOneLunatic
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Passing mentions: Rock Lee @EchoTehGecko (sorry, couldn't think of a good way to interact)
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“Your task will remain as it always has. Observe them for any signs of rebellion and report it to me. Even the slightest detail could lead to uncovering something disastrous. Do I make myself clear, Yami?”


“Crystal, Danzo-sama.” Still in a one-kneed kneel on the floor before the masked man, the young shinobi bowed her head in acknowledgment, just another plain mask amongst a roomful of them.


Danzo-sama was strict in disciplining his agents in that they were only allowed to speak if addressed, and as a result, it was dead quiet when their leader fell silent. The air in the relatively large underground room that doubled as one of the several training ground was heavy, a product of the scarred old shinobi’s killer intent, used to drive home his orders. It wasn’t sharp and cold like the edge of a deadly blade. This one was suffocating, grim and hard. Behind Yami’s blank mask, beads of cold sweat rolled down her forehead despite the calmness grounding her being. The oppressing feel was easier to withstand now compared to years before, but that did not make her any less fearful of Danzo-sama.


Yami had already gotten a black mark on her record for drawing too much attention to herself after a blotched mission, a mission that once again put her under scrutiny and subtle pushes to try her hand in the jounin-test. She had no doubt if holding back in this test didn’t earn her stigma, her leader would order her to take it and fail. It would serve to lessen the amount of eyes watching the only known wielder of the Haiton as well as dramatically lower their expectations of her and her bloodline, allowing her to fade more into the obscure world of Root. Danzo-sama hadn't been pleased, and this mission was her chance of redeeming herself. It sounded rather simple, to merely observe the Uchiha Clan’s core members from afar, but she wasn't as confident as he should be. It wasn’t easy to stalk elite shinobi without getting caught, after all. Her leader said that this was crucial in ensuring the safety of Konoha wasn’t jeopardised by potential enemies within the Village, but she had his doubts. Not that Yami would ever give anyone in Root the chance to figure it out, of course. It was equivalent to a death sentence if word made it to Danzo-sama.


"Dismissed." Danzo-sama growled before disappearing from the room, taking the heavy atmosphere with him. Only when she counted down slowly from ten did Yami finally stood in unison with the handful of agents present. Chatter started up once more, tones clipped and topics extremely different from what normal Konoha shinobi would discuss. Not seeing a reason to linger, Yami off her mask, transforming from Root agent Yami to chuunin Haigara Yoruichi, and walked out of the room. 


"Damn, I don't envy you. You've got the hard job." A voice drawled, falling into step next to Yoruichi. "But that's what you get for pissing him off."


"Shut it, Raiden." She snapped, not exactly all that willing to work up a temper and get violent despite her sharp tone. She had a team meeting – and possible training session – to get to in a mere hour's time, hence the need to conserve her energy. It didn’t help that she was engaged in the mandatory quarterly free-for-all yesterday, and the lingering aches still made her body slightly stiff. "I'm not the only one who can screw up. You and your little minions may fail in…what was it again? Ah, replacing the northern border’s outpost. How badly were you shot down by the jounin there the last time?"


"You - I never fail at - " Raiden spluttered, sneer curling the corners of his lips. How things changed since the times of the Third War. During Danzo’s earlier reign over Root, operatives were discouraged to show emotions, making them unable to blend in with the normal population, which in turn made them stand out more. Now, there were several Root agents within the organisation that were trained a little differently in that their emotions were not erased entirely. Merely...controlled. 


They turned down the corridor, and Yoruichi shut the door in the older boy's face before he could say anything further. Finally alone in the peace of her room, she changed quickly into a clean set of clothes – the black decorated battle kimono that was unique to her, securing the brace of senbon around her left forearm together with one tessen and slotting the other through the folds of the obi before swiftly doing her hair up. The mask was tossed carelessly onto her made bed, her Konoha hitai-ate taking its rightful place around her neck. Set and ready, Yoruichi left the underground base silently, emerging just outside Training Ground 44. She glanced up to gauge the position of the sun, and promptly cursed. Less than twenty minutes until their appointed meeting time.


Without further ado, she took off in a sprint towards the Training Ground by the river, moderating it to the level of a slightly above than average chuunin. Across rooftops and up walls she ran, noting the crowds already up and milling around the village as she raced past. As she drew closer, she noted that no one else had yet to arrive. Slowing to a jog, Yoruichi decided to sit herself on one of the thicker branches of a random tree to wait for Shun and Kai to arrive. Both chuunins weren’t in her original genin team, and so she wasn’t extremely well-acquainted with them besides knowing what they were capable of as they did take a few missions as a team. Nothing harder than a B-rank, of course. But one thing led to another and somehow she found herself gravitating towards them more often than not. Sometimes, the stray thought of “what of Danzo-sama wanted them gone, or wanted me to disappear into Root forever” left her wondering if she was compromised, especially when she found herself hesitating when she imagined needing to silence them for whatever reason. If things ever came to that, she would let the other agents take care of it. After all, her loyalty to Root’s cause was absolute, even if she inwardly questioned Danzo-sama’s methods from time to time.


Interactions: Misaki Shun @Endronus, Inuzuka Kai @Iryxa

 

[ThatOneLunatic]

Satoshi had been trying to sneak up on Kakashi. It was his thing, it was almost like a training exercise to him. He was crouched at the curve of the rooftop behind Kakashi. Hearing his voice surprised him. He stood up and chuckled "You always figure it out." He smiled as he stepped out. He was clad in his ANBU gear. His mask that of a fox and he didnt remove it. Knowing Kakashi he knew exactly who Satoshi was, he could always tell. He then added "Leave it to Kakashi of the Sharingan." He laughed softly. After a few moments passed he took on a serious tone. And he stepped closer so that any eavesdroppers wouldnt hear the conversation that was to come. "On a more serious note we have a small mission. Nothing big. Just a patrol. Probably just to get you moving again. Otherwise I have no clue as to why they would send us." He spoke in a calm yet serious tone and he yawned. His last mission was long and tiring. He had only just come back two days ago. A patrol was a nice change of things but he was suspicious of the reason why ANBU were neaded for a patrol. He dismissed the thought and simply waited for Kakashi to reply.


@Loki Odinson

 

[Endronus]

Shun sped through the village, running high along walls, or ducking under carts. He didn't want to be too late when he arrived at the training site. Though with everyone already awake, Shun was garunteed a late arrival. Unless his made him own path. Focusing his chakra into multiple spots, Shun created a thin bridge he could hop onto. This proved to be much easier than dodging everything in sight.


Within less that a minute, Shun jumped down from the end of his bridge, directly beside Haigara. After looking around, he noticed the other comrade missing. "Where's Kai?" Though Shun asked the question, he didn't seem all too curious. He just wanted to get the day started. The bridge behind Shun had already dissipated, as Shun was now focused on starting his training. He was glad he didn't have to traverse the rooftops this time. It would mean he would have to jump from place to place instead of running in a straight and simple line.