8: Whim
She took a deep breath, felt the wind brushing against her hair, and listened to the sound of leaves falling from the trees. For a moment, she stood still, and in the next instant, her body soared several meters into the air. Her blue eyes sharpened, and with a swift motion, the six kunai in her hands flew toward their targets.
Naruko landed gracefully and, with unwarranted confidence, raised her head proudly, speaking in an arrogant tone.
"What do you think? Am I not amazing?"
"You missed one." The flat voice made her stumble.
"Impossible! I practiced this for weeks." Indignantly, she looked at the six targets until she found the one that was missing a kunai in the center.
"Damn it!" She walked over, irritated, and picked up the kunai from the ground. It was the farthest target and at the most unusual angle. She had been having trouble hitting it, and just yesterday, she had finally managed to reach it. She had excitedly jumped around until she realized Sukuna wasn't there to see it.
That had made her feel down, but she quickly composed herself. If she had hit it once, that meant she had already mastered it, right? At least, that's what she thought. So this morning, she dragged Sukuna to their usual spot, which had become her training field, and decided to show him so he could praise her for her good work.
She hadn't expected to fail like this.
"You were too impatient. You jumped earlier than you should have and didn't aim properly because you rushed," Sukuna said as he approached the spot where she had stood before. He moved his hands slightly, and where they had been empty before, suddenly six kunai appeared.
His foot pushed gently against the ground, and as if his body weighed less than a feather, it lifted into the air. The boy maneuvered gracefully mid-fall, skillfully twisting his body and waving both hands, from which the six kunai flew swiftly and precisely. The sound of metal clashing with metal echoed as the five kunai Naruko had hit were displaced from their spots. To add to that, the target the girl had missed was also struck right in the center.
"Show-off," Naruko muttered under her breath, though her eyes sparkled with admiration at the display.
Sukuna ignored her murmur. He wasn't showing off; he was simply showing her how to do it, and If he happened to look cool while doing it, it was because he had been born that way.
'I wonder if you've managed to pick up on any of that,' he thought as he glanced out of the corner of his eye toward the distance, where a pair of white eyes peeked from between the leaves of a bush.
For months now, he had noticed the little spy but hadn't said anything. After all, it wasn't his problem, it was Naruko's. And if the girl was skilled enough to hide from the blonde, then he could let her keep spying as much as she wanted.
Besides, he thought it might be fun if the girl managed to pick up a thing or two by watching him and Naruko train.
"Huh?" He felt a familiar presence approaching.
"For now, keep training until you can do it. I'll be back in a while."
"Eh? Wait, where are you going?" Naruko looked at him in confusion. After all, Sukuna usually didn't interrupt their training sessions.
Sukuna simply waved his hand, and his figure blurred, disappearing from the spot without saying anything more.
"How strange…" Naruko looked in the direction he had gone with suspicion. Yesterday, he had been late to their meeting, and today, he was leaving without saying a word. Something strange was definitely going on here.
Her curiosity piqued, and she debated whether or not to try following him, but she eventually gave up. After all, she had already tried before, and he always noticed. So, sighing, she looked at the training field and began picking up the scattered kunai, ready to keep training until he returned.
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Anko leapt from tree to tree at a decent pace. She would soon arrive at the place she was told to go.
"Well, I thought you'd be spending more time in bed, Are you here for a rematch?" The voice made her stop. Surprised, she looked to the side to see Sukuna standing casually on the surface of a tree, as if he had been waiting for her.
How long had he noticed her?
Anko narrowed her eyes at him before jumping and landing on a branch next to him.
"I have a message from the Hokage," she said, opening one of the pouches on her ninja jacket and pulling out a scroll, which she threw towards sukuna who caught it easily and opened it starting to read its contents.
"So, you accused me," Sukuna asked sarcastically, to which she scoffed before replying.
"Did you expect me not to?"
"You'd be a lousy ninja if you didn't." In fact, Sukuna had already considered that she would talk to the Hokage. It would have been foolish to think she wouldn't. Still, he didn't mind. A long time ago, he had already "manipulated the facts" to make sure the Hokage wouldn't be a problem.
Since deciding to keep meeting with Naruko, Sukuna knew he couldn't hide from the sight of the man and his strange way of looking at things from a distance,. Therefore, he adapted and used his surroundings to his advantage, consolidating his identity in this world.
If you can't hide, then don't. That was part of his life philosophy. Of course, revealing a little didn't mean revealing everything. That's where you had to draw the line, and where things could go wrong if you made a mistake.
There was a reason he had chosen Anko after all. She could report to the Hokage, but he highly doubted she would tell anyone else.
If you don't have to reveal yourself, then don't. That was also part of his philosophy.
Sukuna would only give explanations if necessary, but if he could avoid giving them, he would. In the end, everything depended on the situation, and if he could gain something from it, no matter what, then he would.
That's why he hadn't gotten rid of the little spy Naruko had brought along. Having the future leader of one of the village's main clans as her backer was useful not only for her, but also for Sukuna, who was her "friend."
Useful for what? Who knows? Sukuna didn't have grand plans yet. For now, he was fine staying in Konoha, and so he planned around that. If tomorrow he had to leave the village for some reason, then he would plan around that as well.
As he had said before, he was adaptable.
He finished reading the scroll. There wasn't much in it, just a lengthy explanation about why he shouldn't enter restricted areas because of the dangers they posed and If he wanted to, it would be better to ask for permission beforehand.
The perks of being in the Hokage's good graces, he supposed.
"If that's all, then I'll be on my way. I still have a few things to do." Sukuna tucked the scroll into one of his pouches and prepared to return to the training field.
"Wait!"
"Huh? What is it?" Seeing him stop and turn to look at her with a lazy expression in his eyes, Anko hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Your name."
"My name?" He raised an eyebrow. She nodded.
"You didn't tell me before."
"Oh, now that you mention it, it seems I forgot. How rude of me." Sukuna had completely forgotten. He didn't usually have the habit of introducing himself.
"You can call me Sukuna, but..." he narrowed his eyes at her, "Is that really the only reason you came? You're still injured, aren't you? Why aren't you resting?" If the Hokage wanted to send him a message, there were other ways to do it. Anko didn't necessarily have to be the one to deliver it. So sukuna deduced that the girl chose to come for some reason.
"Sukuna, eh?" What a strange name to give someone.
"Don't underestimate me. You just got lucky, that's all. But it won't happen again."
"Oh? So, you really came to fight again?" Sukuna couldn't help but get a little excited. Anko might not have been the strongest opponent he'd faced, but she was tenacious and didn't shy away from a beating, which, in his book, made her a good punching bag for a bit of fun.
"Not exactly..." How should she mention this? Anko brought her hand to her neck, still feeling uncertain about whether what she had experienced at that moment was real or not. She hadn't mentioned it to the Hokage for fear of being wrong. Maybe she had imagined things, but for some reason, she felt that wasn't the case. The only way to find out was to ask the only other person who had been there.
"Before I passed out... did something happen?" Of course, Sukuna noticed her gesture of touching her neck and immediately knew what she was referring to.
"Well, I had to carry you on my back. It was a bit tricky, if you ask me. Maybe you should lose some weight."
"You!" She wasn't fat! Anko felt her cheeks flush and unconsciously touched her stomach... Maybe she should eat fewer dangos? No, she shook her head. She couldn't get distracted!
"I'm being serious!"
Sukuna merely shrugged, then his eyes sharpened, making Anko shiver without knowing why.
"If you don't remember, then it doesn't matter. Why worry about it?"
"So something did happen!" she said excitedly, as if she had caught him.
"Who knows?" Sukuna was already bored with this conversation. Without waiting any longer, he turned and started to leave.
"Hmph! Fine, don't tell me. One way or another, I'll get it out of you," Anko muttered to herself, watching his figure disappear into the distance.
Then her stomach growled. It seemed it was time to eat. Maybe her favorite dango shop still had some left... "Maybe you should lose some weight," for some reason, Sukuna's words echoed again in her mind.
"I'm not fat..." she grumbled to herself.
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Night soon fell, and a radiant moon rose in the sky, accompanied by the sound of birds' wings fluttering.
In the Uchiha clan compound, within the secret bunker inside the Nakano Shrine:
"I have no intention of having my daughter join the military police force," Fugaku Uchiha, the leader of the Uchiha clan, spoke while looking at all the clan members who had been summoned for the secret meeting that took place every so often.
This time, however, the meeting had been brought forward due to an event that had filled the entire clan with excitement.
His daughter, the princess of the Uchiha clan, one of the greatest geniuses the village had ever seen, had finally become a chunin.
"But sir! If a ninja of her caliber joins the military police force, it could greatly improve the Uchiha clan's position with the village. Then why-" The man speaking was interrupted by Fugaku.
"Because I want her to join The Anbu." His words caused a deep silence to fill the room.
"The Anbu?" someone finally spat, with clear animosity in their voice.
Discontent was visible in the eyes of the clan members, and Fugaku could understand it. After all, the military police and the Anbu didn't exactly have the best of relationships, and they could even be called rivals, often clashing with each other for various reasons.
Although their functions were not exactly the same, it was undeniable that the Anbu often assumed responsibilities within the village that belonged to the military police, excusing themselves behind the Hokage.
Taking that into account, it was normal for the clan members to be angered by Fugaku's declaration, and they began to loudly protest.
"Silence!" His voice echoed through the room, causing the flames illuminating the interior of the shrine to flicker.
"I understand how you feel," he finally said more calmly, "It's a sentiment I share myself, and that is why my daughter will join the Anbu. She will serve as the connection between the village and the clan that we have been seeking." His words surprised some people, and confusion was clear on their faces. Noticing this, Fugaku decided to explain further.
"I believe we are all aware of the 'secret' surveillance the Anbu has over the clan compound, something we have endured for long enough. it's time for us to have our own eyes on them too." It was then that Fugaku's intentions became completely clear.
A spy—the clan leader wanted his daughter to become a spy for them.
Agitation filled the place, there was worry as well as excitement. Although no one had said it explicitly yet, it was clear to everyone present that this would cross a point of no return—spying on the village meant betraying the village...
"Why do this? Aren't we all comrades of the same village?" A soft voice was heard, a whisper that shouldn't have attracted attention, but it did. The whole place fell silent as dozens of red eyes turned toward the source of those words.
Fugaku frowned as his own eyes moved to the seat beside him, the seat where his daughter was sitting.
She was looking down, with unknown thoughts deep within her dark eyes.
"What did you just say?" someone asked, barely containing their anger.
His daughter seemed distracted, not looking at anyone in particular, and she appeared to speak more to herself than to anyone else.
"Whether it's the people of Konoha or the other clans within the village, they are all our comrades." Her eyes then focused, and her sharp gaze finally rose, looking at the discontented members of the clan.
"Continuing to create distance from them and fostering this absurd dispute will only end up harming us all. Instead of fanning the flames of conflict, we should work to resolve it, not worsen it."
Resentment grew thicker, as did the bloodlust, but she neither lowered her gaze nor wavered.
"Absurd dispute, you say! Do you have any idea of everything the clan has suffered?" One of Fugaku's trusted members stood up, looking at her accusingly.
"I am also a member of the Uchiha clan, of course I know," she replied sharply, making the man grit his teeth and take a step forward.
"Then you're siding with Konoha? Is that what you're saying?!"
"I'm simply seeing the bigger picture. If you used those eyes of yours to look beyond your own ego, maybe you'd understand." Her words were biting.
"You!" The man couldn't take it any longer and nearly rushed forward, ready to grab the girl by the neck.
It was at that moment that Fugaku finally intervened, stepping between them.
"Clan leader!"
"Calm down, Yashiro." The man seemed reluctant, but Fugaku's stern gaze finally made him back down and return to his seat.
The Uchiha clan leader then turned to look at his daughter.
"Apologize," he said, causing her to look at him with discontent.
Fugaku sighed.
"Listen, I understand what you're trying to say, but that's nothing more than an impossible ideal. Reality isn't that simple, and things aren't that easy to resolve. The Uchiha clan has suffered enough, and the village isn't leaving us with any other options. We must look out for the clan, for our people."
The clan, the clan—it was always about the clan.
Why couldn't her father see beyond that? She couldn't help but clench her fists as she felt her blood boiling with anger.
No, it wasn't just him. Looking at the furious eyes of all the gathered members, she realized something, causing her anger to turn into frustration.
Almost the entire clan was rotten.
"I'm sorry," she finally said, swallowing the annoyance she felt inside, though not for the reasons the people in the secret chamber believed.
In fact, she didn't even know why or to whom she was apologizing. She just felt that she needed to.
Without waiting for a response or reaction, she stood up, bowed to her father, and left without saying anything else.
Dozens of red eyes followed her back as she exited the room.
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In the end, she left the clan compound altogether. She simply couldn't bear to stay there any longer, at least not for the rest of the night.
Her blurred figure darted across Konoha, moving from rooftop to rooftop until she passed the more populated areas and ventured into its deep forests. The village was larger than people thought, only most of its lands weren't inhabited, so they went unnoticed by the majority. She intentionally reached those parts where ninjas usually went to have privacy in their training.
Or to vent by destroying things.
She landed in a clearing surrounded by tall trees, a perfect spot to train until she felt ready to return to the clan compound.
At least, that was her intention until she sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching.
"Who's there?" A kunai appeared in her hand at the same time her eyes gleamed with blood-red color.
"I was wondering when you were going to stop. I didn't expect you to come this far, but I won't complain. This works for me too," the voice was somewhat childish yet strangely mature.
Slow, deliberate steps were heard as a figure emerged from the shadows, and she couldn't help but be surprised when she saw him, as she hadn't expected someone who seemed even younger than her to confront her.
The most surprising thing was that he had followed her all the way here without her noticing.
"Who are you?" she asked coldly, not lowering her guard. She had already realized this wasn't a genjutsu meant to confuse her, but that didn't mean she would be careless.
"Ah, of course, introductions. You can call me Sukuna," the boy said as he stepped closer, seemingly unconcerned by the Uchiha's defensive stance.
"You're shorter than I expected." His comment made her frown slightly.
Sukuna looked at her, studying her appearance until he came to those "mythical" red eyes.
He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't have even sought her out. Sukuna had no real reason to interfere with this girl or her fate, and to say that he cared about her wouldn't be correct either.
Just like with Neji and the whole affair with Hinata's kidnapping, he could have easily looked the other way and let everything follow its destined course.
He could lie to himself and say he was doing this for some future benefit—maybe to deal with Danzo or perhaps for something else.
But Sukuna didn't lie to himself.
He was here for one reason only.
"I want you to fight me," he finally said, breaking the silence and causing her to frown even more.
"Why?" Her question was understandable, and Sukuna answered with honesty.
"Because I want a good fight."
Yes, that was all it boiled down to.
There wasn't a more convincing or logical reason, no grand future plan or extraordinary goal.
Sukuna just wanted a good fight.
He had felt it ever since his battle with Anko, like an addict relapsing. His mind had been restless, and the reason was simple: his long-dormant thirst for battle had awoken and was eager for an opponent who could set his heart ablaze.
So why her? With so many other options, why choose her?
Again, there was no great reason,. Unlike the situation with Anko, in this case, Sukuna was simply acting on a whim. He had heard of her recent promotion to Chunin, and his curiosity had been piqued. It was simple—he wanted to face her because he wanted to measure himself against the famous "Uchiha prodigy."
"Is that a good enough reason to risk your life?" she asked, though Sukuna understood that she was really speaking more to herself than to him.
"Are you assuming my life is in danger?" He couldn't help but mock. Whim or not, Sukuna wasn't stupid—he had already died twice and wasn't looking for a third time. If he truly thought his life was at risk, he wouldn't act so recklessly.
The Uchiha girl sighed, then her eyes sharpened with a trace of anger in them.
Was she really going to do this? She asked herself while looking at Sukuna. She didn't really know how strong this boy was. If she lost control, she might actually end up killing him. Even so, the frustration of everything going on with her clan and the village had already pushed her to the edge. She had come here to vent, and now someone had interrupted even that, pushing her already frayed patience to the breaking point.
She felt like she was about to explode.
"I won't say it again, leave." Last chance.
Sukuna smiled, feeling the anger radiating from her like a blazing fire.
"No..." Their gazes met for a moment, the three tomoe in the girl's red eyes began to spin rapidly at the same time as the atmosphere in the clearing shifted, growing ten times heavier.
"Fine…" and just like that, before the words had fully fallen, both of them vanished in a blur of speed.
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Note:
First of all, if you notice any grammatical error of any kind, please point it out so I can correct it.
About the "Uchiha girl," ever since I decided to go down this path for the character, I imagined that if Itachi were a woman, she would be quite different—not completely distant from what the character is in the canon, of course (her goals should remain mostly the same)—but different in various aspects.
Mainly in the emotional aspect. Itachi in canon is more "depressed," so to speak, or maybe "calm" would be a better word? At least that's the impression his character gave me. For that reason, I think a female version would be more "aggressive" in a certain sense. (I don't know if that makes sense.) Maybe more "impulsive"? More emotional?
I can't exactly explain why, but that's the impression I have based on how most of the women are in Naruto canon (many are quite crazy in some aspects). Also, because of how the Uchiha clan is and all that about the curse of love.
Love, after all, is the most terrible curse that exists, and they say women tend to suffer it ten times worse than men.
With that said, you can get an idea of how different this character will be, and why, even though her goals may not differ much from canon, her way of approaching them will and I think that will become noticeable as events unfold....
remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader )All the support received is appreciated ;D