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Chapter 28 - Ekyt meets Itachi

Your favorite pack of lovable, hard-headed ninjas in a new adventure!

Chapter 28 - Ekyt meets Itachi

Chapter 28 - Ekyt meets Itachi
As Sakura and Tsunade worked on Ekyt (And Jiraiya had skipped out to a make-out bar), Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke pondered not only his fate, but the fate of the Leaf Village. The chunin exams had been postponed due to the attack on Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Ekyt. That meant that ninja from all the other villages were roaming around the Leaf Village. With tension as high as it was, that seemed to be a recipe for disaster.
Sasuke suddenly tensed up. It seemed Kakashi too had sensed something. Naruto could sense danger, but he couldn’t read WHAT it was. Sasuke spoke two words:
“He’s here.”


“Okay Ekyt, here we go. Don’t resist the genjutsu.”
Ekyt nodded at Tsunade’s words, closing his eyes and relaxing. It felt like his heart was going to beat itself out of his chest, and he had never BEEN so tense. Maybe it was the potentially deadly surgery, or maybe it was the presence of two girls (Ekyt was horribly akward with girls), but Ekyt found it hard to relax, lying shirtless on the cold metal table.
Tsuande made a complicated series of hand signs, calling out the jutsu in her head. Healing Jutsu: Assisting Anesthetic Environment. This jutsu put the receiver in his/her own world until the completion of the surgery, barring death or the jutsu being stopped. The “world” had no pain in it. However, injuries sustained in this “Jutsu world” would become real upon the target’s re-entry to the real world.
“Okay (deep breathe), here we go. Sakura, you maintain the genjutsu, I’m going straight for the chakra coils,” Tsunade told Sakura. Sakura nodded and started to use her chakra.


Ekyt shook himself awake. He had been napping under a pine tree. Looking around, he saw he was laying on the edge of a field, with his head and torso in the shade of the adjacent woods. The grass was the greenest he had ever seen; the sky a vibrant, unmarred blue. He could hear a brook in the distance, babbling over the rocks and sloshing off the banks. Relaxing.
He got up and stretched, feeling refreshed from his nap. Even though in the back of his mind he knew it wasn’t real. With a grin, he decided to enjoy it. He ran off at top speed, occasionally leaping over rocks and small animals. He felt faster than usual. And he felt…strange. In a good way. No anxiety. There wasn’t that pang he felt whenever he did something. He was completely care-free.
Towards the end of the big grassy field, Ekyt saw a giant gold ring. For some reason, he HAD to jump through it.
(ANY GUESSES WHAT GAME I’M REFERRING TO HERE, LOL! SEGA!)
He tucked and rolled, landing on his feet.


“Temari…TEMARI! Hey, you with us or what?!”
“Huh?” Temari had been staring off into space. Kankuro was bringing her back to reality.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just….strategizing,” she managed.
“Strategizing?” Kankuro echoed her with tones of disbelief. “Strategizing? What for? Our strategy is one word: Gaara!” Kankuro exclaimed.
“I don’t know about you, but I actually want to improve. I WANT to be a chunin, and I don’t want to rely on Gaara!” Temari didn’t know why she had snapped at Kankuro like that, but it felt right. She was the oldest, she could make her own decisions.


Kakashi and Sasuke were instantly on their guard.
“Naruto, go in and warn Tsunade and Sakura! Get them and Ekyt out if you have to.”
“Kakashi-sensei, what’s going on?!” Naruto complained. He HATED being left out. It always seemed to be him that was left out. He was too young, or he had a demon sealed inside him, or some other reason.
“My brother,” Sasuke spat darkly, giving Naruto a dark glare. “Don’t argue loser, just go!”


Itachi Uchiha was a name that was easily one of the most feared, but respected names not only in the Leaf Village, but all over. He was a member of the Akatsuki; an organization of S-rank criminals that banded together for varying, equally nefarious reasons.
In one night, Itachi had all but destroyed his own clan. That was bad enough. But the Uchiha clan was legendary for it’s nearly unparalleled skills. To go through the Uchiha clan relatively unscathed meant that Itachi had easily earned the right to be called one of the greatest ninja of his time.
For reasons only he knew, Itachi had left his brother, Sasuke, alive. Sasuke had made it his life’s mission to avenge his family and to kill his brother. Itachi had repeatedly told Sasuke he was too weak. Now Sasuke would have another chance.
With Itachi was his partner, Kisame. Kisame wielded a shark’s hide sword that was over six feet in length. The shark’s hide meant that this sword was for tearing, rather than cutting.


“Itachi…big brother…it’s time we had our closure! CHIDORI!”
Kakashi squared off against Kisame, knowing it would be useless to talk Sasuke out of attacking. At least he would be here to protect Sasuke is anything went wrong.



“This…is a drag,” Shikamaru complained. From the looks from his comrades, this wasn’t the first time he had complained.
“Enough already Shikamaru (chomp chomp), we know you don’t want to do this!” Choji had heard enough of his best friend’s complaining. But he had heard MORE than enough of their teammate’s complaining.
“We could have done it, now we’ve got to start all over again! Oh well, that just means getting to see Sasuke more! Sakura will give it up eventually, and Sasuke will be all mine!” Ino said in a fan-girl squeal.

“We’re almost done, so far, so good,” Tsuande said happily. She just had one more part of the coil to mend.
“And Ekyt will be okay?” Sakura asked anxiously.
“Barring any sudden changes, yes,” Tsuande said with a smile.
Of course, at that point, Naruto burst in, true to form.
“Guys! We’ve gotta go! Itachi is here! We’ve got to get out of here!” Naruto shouted.
“What?! Is he after MY SASUKE?!”
Sakura clenched her fist. All this stress…I know it makes no sense…but I need to be out there with Sasuke…I’m not holding back anymore! It’s time this flower blossomed!
Tsunade made the last mend to Ekyt’s chakra coils.
Before she could end the genjutsu, an unwelcome visitor came in.


Outside, Kakashi stopped Sasuke from attacking.
“That’s not your brother. It’s an illusion. We need to get inside. I hope I’m wrong, but he might be targeting Ekyt this time…”
“Huh? Why him?” Sasuke wondered, annoyed about the fact that his brother didn’t think he was a threat.
“Because of his second chakra. The Akatsuki will have heard of it. Just like Naruto, they’ll be after him because of it.”


Back in the Leaf Village, Neji, Lee and Tenten were waiting patiently for the exams to resume. They were probably the most well-rounded group in the exam. Lee had the raw strength and drive, Neji had the advanced abilities, and Tenten was the weapon’s master, not to mention more or less the babysitter of Neji and Lee.
Right now, Lee was doing endless free-squats. “I cannot wait for the exams to be resumed! This time we will emerge as chunin!” he declared.
“It is in the fates that I will be victorious. Cousin, you will not have a guardian angel this time,” Neji murmured. He hadn’t forgotten about his scathing defeat and embarrassment at Ekyt’s hands.
Tenten was mildly flipping a kunai from a standard grip to a reverse grip, and then back again. “I guess everyone knows why the exam was stopped. Damn that Kabuto. I hope they were able to find a healer for Ekyt.”
“Tenten, is this motherly concern as usual, or is it something more?” Lee asked. His time with Naruto had given him a small sense of humor.
“Shut up Lee! Can’t I be concerned for a comrade?” Tenten shouted indignantly.
Tenten was so scary at that point that even Neji inched away from her. Underneath that cute little exterior beat the heart of a warrior.
“If Tsunada-hime cannot cure him, there is no one who can! She healed me, and I am certain she will heal Ekyt as well.” Lee said confidently, striking his “nice guy” pose.

Before she could turn and fight, a hard blow from Itachi’s chakra-enhanced hand dropped Tsunade in a stunning blow. She could only watch helplessly as Itachi knocked Naruto unconscious and walked over to Ekyt. Sakura had raced outside. Now that seemed a grave error.


Ekyt felt a disturbance in the field. He sensed someone behind him, and somehow he was SURE it wasn’t a friendly someone. He threw two kunai, whipping around to followed up with a kick. He gaped at who he saw.
“Itachi…Uchiha.”
Itachi looked mildly at Ekyt, no Sharingan yet visible in his eyes.
“We’re still in your subconscious…where I do my best work. Unless you decide to help me instead.”
“And what exactly is it you need help with?” Ekyt snarled.
“Our leader is fascinated by your second chakra. Yes, we know about it. And we want to know how it works.”
“Well, good luck. Even I don’t know,” Ekyt replied dryly.
Itachi gave Ekyt a hard look. It was too late when Ekyt realized what he was doing.
Itachi had snared Ekyt in his Mangekyo Sharingan.


“Kurenai-Sensei…d-do you t-think Ekyt is okay?” Hinata stammered.
Kurenai smiled at her concern. “I’m sure he will be Hinata. Besides, Naruto’s group is with him. You just keep focusing on your training, okay? There’s no need to worry about things you can’t change, right?” Kurenai gave Hinata a knowing smile. This girl had changed so much…all thanks to you, Naruto. You don’t know it, but you’ve been quite the inspiration for Hinata…maybe something more…
“He’ll be fine Hinata. I’ve still got beat him after last time! Right Akamaru?” “Arf!” Kiba and Akamaru said. Beside them, Shino hadn’t moved for an hour. Finally, he spoke.
“The tracking beetle I placed on Naruto will tip us off when they are returning.”

This was a genjutsu from hell. Ekyt and Itachi were in a private world. The world was dark, an ashen gray, with fires dotting the landscape. Ekyt found himself bound to a stake at the waist, chest, upper legs, and ankles, with his arms tied behind his back. Standing before him was Itachi.
“I control space and time in this world. For the next three days, I’m going to throw these kunai at you.”
Itachi threw the first one, hard and accurate. It hit Ekyt in the stomach. Nowhere vital, but it hurt. Ekyt had just come out of surgery, and he was in pain from that. The added pain was putting stress on his mind.
“This hurts, I’m sure.” (Throws another) “You have a high tolerance for pain. This is taking far too long…I’m going to speed up the process. No matter how strong you are, you have to give in eventually,” Itachi said in his normal, menacing voice.
With just a glance, the Fireball Jutsu that Ekyt seen Sasuke use so often lit the ground at his feet.


Two days had passed in “Itachi’s World.” Ekyt was panting and bleeding, still bound to the stake, kunai sticking out of all parts of him. His brain was near overload; he could FEEL insanity coming. He had to do something. But he couldn’t call on his chakra…but that was the answer.
Without his regular chakra, Ekyt would be free to access his special Emotional Chakra. Without knowing how, Ekyt could sense it would be highly advanced in this world Itachi had created. He let the chakra flow, finally concentrating on it.
Itachi narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t be sensing this correctly. He felt as though he was losing control of his world.
Ekyt broke free of the ropes that bound him to the stake. This time, he refused to look Itachi in the eyes.
“I know I’m no match for you Itachi…but I can at least end this… KAI!”
Itachi didn’t show any surprise. Ekyt’s blue chakra washed over the landscape. Itachi put a cloaked arm in front of his face, but that was the only move he made.


Both were back in reality. But Itachi’s chakra was very low. He didn’t have a personal vendetta against Ekyt; he already knew the young ninja was no match for him, and no threat to his power. Itachi hadn’t killed in cold blood (in his mind), only to test his strength. He had already shown his brother that he was too weak. He decided it was time for he and Kisame to leave.

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura burst into the room, finding a barely-conscious Ekyt leaning on a table, staring at Itachi’s feet, a kunai in his hand. The genjutsu-laced strikes on Tsunade and Naruto were released upon Ekyt’s “Kai!” command. They were stirring too. The only one who seemed to be in the mood to fight was Sasuke.

Itachi and Sasuke stared off. It was a rarity when the two Uchiha brothers met. Sasuke knew that; he didn’t waste any time.
“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!” he called, taking a deep breath, then releasing the flame.
Itachi only put his hand up; that waved out Sasuke’s powerful flame.
“Listen to me little brother. You are not strong enough yet. We’ll both live to fight another day.”
“That’s not how it’s going to work Itachi! I’m going to kill you!” Sasuke had become unglued. He rushed forward to attack, but only dust remained from where Kisame and Itachi had stood.
“Dammit! Damn you Itachi!” In disgust, Sasuke threw a kunai into the ground.

Ekyt helped Tsunade up, thanking her for healing him and apologizing for the trouble all this had caused. She waved off the apology and the thanks.
“I hate to see a good kid with talent go to waste. It’s incredible that you can even walk or stand right now, you should be in nearly unbearable pain,” Tsunade’s voice held tones of questioning.
“I AM in pain. But I know I’ll live, so it’s not freaking me out,” Ekyt explained. It was a strange pain. Kind of like someone had a hold of his stomach and was yanking it up and down. It wasn’t as painful as Ekyt thought. Of course, that could be because of Itachi’s attack.
“Either way,” Ekyt said allowed, “Any recommendations for the pain?”
“Sake.”
“I’m underage,” Ekyt protested with a small grin.
“Doctor’s orders. For all of you.” Tsunade seemed to be in high spirits, and that was rare, so everyone wanted to take advantage.

Ekyt inched his way to the far end of the bar after a short time with the others. Jiraiya had rejoined them. It was quite the sight when he made a rather lewd comment to Tsuande. It seemed her healing prowess would come in handy- IF she decided to forgive him.
I should be thrilled…I’m alive after Itachi Uchiha attacked me…how many people can say that? Not to mention the surgery was a success…still…I can’t help wondering what would have happened if I had just picked a normal life. Not that I had a choice, in retrospect. But what if I was the type to find a girl and settle down? Aw hell, it would take a special girl to put up with me. The kunoichi around here seem to be my type, but who can tell?
And what about my training? I should be happy with where I am…but I’m not. I feel like I’m wasting any potential I have. I’m drawing A-rank missions, and I’m passing them…but there’s no rhyme or reason to them, I don’t have a specialty. That’s not bad normally, but everyone wants a place, I guess…
Ekyt decided not to think about it any more. Still, he couldn’t enjoy the night like the others.


Kakashi looked over his shoulder briefly at Ekyt. Depressed…it seems Sasuke has a rival in the regard of top loner. Of course, I have my suspicion that he acts that way because of Sakura’s attention…This one is driven by something else…from what I can tell, wanting to belong…join the club Ekyt. You’re not alone… Kakashi thought, looking at his own team. Naruto knew what it meant to be alone, as did Sasuke. Sakura, however, could probably relate to him the most. They both saw what they wanted, but neither could reach their goal very easily.

Very quietly, Ekyt paid for the round (Somehow Tsunade had managed to convince the bartender to let everyone have a cup of sake), drank his cup quickly, and got up to clear his head.


NEXT ISSUE: MOUNTING TENSION IN THE LEAF VILLAGE LEADS TO SOME INTERESTING SITUATIONS! EKYT HAS A GIFT FOR LORD HOKAGE, AND AFTER THAT, BACK TO TRAINING! THE CHUNIN EXAMS ARE STILL ON THE HORIZON FOR THE INTREPID GENIN!

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SharinganKakashi on October 8, 2007, 12:45:48 PM

SharinganKakashi on
SharinganKakashilol cant wait 4er the next chapter