Amidst the seemingly peaceful days…
A pair of men in black robes patterned with red cloud symbols observed the South entrance into Konoha.
"Itachi, so you really know this jinchuriki?". Kisame asked his partner.
"Yes… he's the kind of person who is loud".
"Loud? Hah. I am curious how loud he can be".
"... It's time. Kisame, do it".
"Okay~".
The guards standing by the gate noticed mist appearing around them, gradually thickening. The red iris of the sharingan glances at the two guards, and they act as if nothing is happening.
The pair infiltrated Konoha without anyone noticing.
***
The sibling pair, Naruto and Tsuyu had finished their training with Jiraiya for the day. Lots of water balloons were wasted just within an hour.
"I can't wait to master rasengan! Sasuke won't be able to show off to me anymore!". Naruto felt the fire of rivalry in his heart.
"Hm~ The fourth Hokage takes 3 years to master the jutsu. It's a difficult jutsu to master. Remember it takes time, Naruto. So don't put all egg into one basket. You have many things needing improvement". Tsuyu said this to remind Naruto so he won't feel stressed about not being able to do it. Also to herself because she had too many jutsu and techniques requiring her training and focus to completely master one or another. Right now she can be called a jack of all trades but master of none in terms of what she had in arsenal.
"Hey! I will master it in one week okay! Believe it! I am going to continue practicing!".
"Okay. Go on. I have an important matter to attend to". Tsuyu let Naruto leave while she went to Root HQ for the weekly report and to have a casual discussion with Danzo, discussing methods and strategic placements.
Meanwhile, Naruto went to training ground 5, and he saw Sasuke!
Skree! The sound of chidori buzzed in Naruto's ears. He saw Sasuke move at fast speed and completely destroy a whole tree, cutting it down completely.
Sasuke… is so strong!
Sasuke noticed Naruto was here, and seeing his expression, Sasuke smirked in pride.
Naruto doesn't want to lose, so he just said "Just you wait teme! I will master rasengan and show you!".
"Heh… you can try, dobe".
The two didn't notice a pair of strange men in black robes with red cloud patterns staring at them. The ANBU keeping watch on Naruto had already fallen asleep silently.
As the pair of rivals train together, suddenly Naruto feels a chill from his back as if a ghost just appears. Turning around, he felt his heart skipping a beat seeing the bloody red eyes looking down on him.
"Good evening…", Itachi muttered a greeting almost politely, and yet his tone was almost emotionless.
"W-Who…?". This… is that…
"Sasuke's… brother…?". Naruto takes a step back, both in fear, stupor and shock.
Sasuke realised the situation and turned to see the two mysterious figures. But as their eyes met, Sasuke took a deep gasp of air. His entire body shaking,
"ITACHI!". Sasuke's voice was almost like a scream, filled with shock but also rage.
Itachi just glanced at Sasuke, then he ignored him as if he didn't care. He stretched his hand out toward Naruto.
"You are coming with me…".
Sasuke's eyes contracted, his sharingan activates subconsciously.
"NARUTO! GET AWAY!".
Chidori! Sasuke's sharingan flared towards Itachi, quickly dashing towards him.
"Aaarrghhh!!!", Sasuke shouted in resentment, the chidori in his hand left a trail of destruction on the ground whenever he passes.
"Chidori… huh…". Itachi had a hint of surprise in his eyes, but quickly it looked indifferent once more.
"Aaargh!!! DIE!", Sasuke lunged forward, pushing all of his strength.
BOOM!
Dust and debris filled the atmosphere for a second before it settled. Naruto gasped in shock seeing the scene.
"No way…".
Itachi held onto Sasuke's wrist, deflecting and dodging his attack easily, as if it's nothing.
"Too weak…", Itachi muttered coldly. And just then, Sasuke felt a heavy kick deep into his stomach, pushing the content out of his mouth as he was sent flying.
"Sasuke! You- TEME!!!! Kagebunshin no jutsu!!!".
"Heh…~ He's really loud…". Kisame standing next to Itachi made his move. He casually swung a single sword, killing all clones that stupidly charged together towards them.
"One hit…!", Naruto quickly flickered backward to get some space and make more shadow clones.
"Is that all you had brat?". Kisame chuckled. Kisame swung his sword a few times, killing all shadow clones easily.
Naruto grit his teeth, and he finally decides to use 9 tails chakra.
"Grrr… come on…!".
9 tails chakra…! Kisame is slightly surprised that the boy can willingly use it at this point. But, he doesn't care. He flashed towards Naruto that's standing there trying to gather chakra. With a swing of Samehada, all of the chakra absorbed into it while sending Naruto flying.
"Ackk!", Naruto rolled off the ground, his body bruised from the hit of the large weapon.
"Leave it to me…", Itachi muttered to Kisame. He walk step by step towards Naruto that's lying in pain.
Sasuke shakily stood, he felt anger rise even more seeing Itachi approached Naruto.
"Leave him alone!", Sasuke charged once more. Itachi simply block 3 of Sasuke's move, before grabbing his throat.
"Foolish brother…".
Itachi firmed his grip onto Sasuke's neck. At the same time, Itachi stepped onto Naruto's chest.
"With this much strength… you can only watch".
Step.
"Ack…!!!", Naruto screamed in pain, his hands trying to shake Itachi's leg off him. He tried to muster 9 tails chakra, but he couldn't.
"Acckkk!!!". Itachi applied even more pressure to him, white froth and blood spilled from Naruto's mouth. Naruto felt his breathing weakening, his ribcage cracked an inch by inch. His body struggles become slower and slower. Tears flow from his eyes uncontrollable from so much pain.
Kisame frowned because they aren't supposed to kill the brat. But he trusts Itachi knows what he's doing.
"S-Stop… -don't…-", Sasuke is forced to look down on Naruto's figure. His sharingan spun rapidly. No. Don't kill him! Why! Why are you killing everyone I care about!!! An extra tomoe appears in his eyes.
"Foolish brother… you can't protect anyone…". Tsukuyomi!
Sasuke found himself in the past. Dad! Mom! Their smiling faces directed towards him. But all of a sudden, his vision turned all red. A blade plunged straight into his father;s body. And another one slit his mother's throat. The two of them turned into corpses in front of his eyes. Itachi swung his sword, splattering the blood onto the floor.
"AAHHH!!!". Everything keeps on going on repeat, over and over. He watched as Itachi killed them again and again.
"Sasuke!", Naruto suddenly appears, holding onto him.
"Naruto…?", but just then, the same blade pierce from Naruto's back straight out of his chest. Blood splattered onto Sasuke's face.
"N-Naruto…?". He shakily stood there, watching as his blue eyes faded, and eventually his body dropped dead on the ground.
The illusion tormented him for days. And in reality he saw Naruto being killed in front of his eyes. Both reality and illusion intertwined. His eyes turned redder, tears of anger, rage, fear, all filled him. A third tomoe appeared, even surprising Itachi.
This boy means a lot for him.. If I kill him…
Itachi calculated in his mind quickly. To let his foolish brother attain mangekyo, and to prevent Akatsuki from reaching his goal. Besides, killing the 9 tails means war won't happen simply because Konoha WILL have to surrender as they have lost their strongest weapon and had nothing much to protect itself. Even if he had to quit Akatsuki… most of his goals would be accomplished.
This is all, for you, brother. Tsuyu, I will soon have to face you. Forgive my selfishness this time.
Itachi moved his feet away from Naruto's abdomen… placing it onto his neck.
"Acck…!", Naruto struggles in vain. Itachi's cold eyes stared at Naruto like he's a dead person, choking him, crushing his bone. Naruto can't breathe… the air won't enter down throat.
Tsu-chan… Naruto called out to her as he felt his vision fading. Tears rolled down his cheek.
Naruto…! No! The sharingan on Sasuke's eyes spun rapidly. A new pattern on the verge of appearing.
***
Badump!
Out of nowhere, Tsuyu suddenly felt a crushing pressure and sense of crisis in her heart. At the same time, 9 tails chakra inside of her running out of her body as if in crisis. As if the 9 tails in her are telling her Naruto is dying at this moment from their connection.
Naruto!
Tsuyu stood up violently from her seat. The coffee on the table spilled and stained all the papers and files in front of her. Danzo was shocked by Tsuyu's sudden behavior. But before he could ask, Tsuyu already rushed out in shocking speed, destroying the steel door in a single motion leaving cracks on the ground from her burst of chakra.
Danzo recovered from his shock quickly and immediately called the available ROOT member to see what's going on.
***
Just as Itachi decided to really kill Naruto, suddenly a cry of a bird buzzed in the air.
Raikiri!!!
Itachi releases Sasuke and Naruto quickly as he sees the lightning speed figure rushing towards him. He flickered quickly, the raikiri barely graze his cloth.
"Hatake… Kakashi…". Itachi looked at him without much change of expression.
"Sasuke! Naruto! You…!", Kakashi points out with unhidden rage. Kakashi look at both of his students, his heart felt stinging seeing both of them in such bad condition. Naruto almost had a purple color on his face even.
"You… What do you want? Is it Sasuke…? Why harm Naruto?". Kakashi's voice was on the verge of losing its calmness.
"We are hired to take away the Jinchuriki… Sasuke was just in the way". Itachi said calmly.
Kakashi didn't expect Itachi to answer. But Itachi had his plans now that he cannot kill Naruto as he lost his chance. He turned his gaze towards Sasuke for a second, before returning his gaze to Kakashi.
Kakashi's sharingan met with Itachi's. His eye darted to Kisame at the side, one of the 7 swordsmen of the Mist.
I need backup…! Kakashi was about to take a flare from his ninja tool. He was just going here to see the two train originally, and fortunately he realize they are in danger and rushed without a second thought to save them.
Itachi already threw shuriken towards him forcing him to retreat.
Tsukiyomi!
The three-pronged windmill sharingan spun. Sending Kakashi into a realm between reality and illusion.
"This is an illusion…! This is just an illusion…! Get out of it… AH!", Kakashi saw Itachi stab into flesh slowly, the blade twisting left and right in between his bone, scraping his flesh, causing him deep agony.
"Ahhh!!!". Kakashi screamed from the endless torture. With each blade stabbing into his flesh every second… for 72 hours without rest.
In reality, only a single instance elapsed. Kakashi fell to his knees, gasping for air. His body shaking, the pain he felt felt like a ghost still present in his body.
"Finish him", Itachi muttered to Kisame. Kisame draws his Samehada, ready to deliver the final blow.
Before Kisame's blade could swing down - he felt a terrifying pressure locked onto him freezing his movement. The air around them become as heavy as lead. Both Itachi and Kisame felt a heavy pressure in the air, as if a terrifying existence was descending upon them, pressing their body making them feel unease. Their sense of danger was repeatedly screaming at them in this very second.
***