Homecoming

Sunday morning brought a sense of freedom to the hearts of many, including a dark blue, neck-length-haired girl and a black-haired boy.

The road's surface was uneven, with occasional ruts and small stones. Patches of sunlight filtered through the foliage, creating a dappled pattern on the ground.

The air was thick with the earthy scent of moist soil and growing crops. Rice fields glistened with the morning dew.

In the distance, the horizon was a seamless blend of sky and fields, with the occasional silhouette of waves caused by the swaying green fields.

Yuki was holding Hinata's hand, a happy smile on his face, his eyes full of joy, and his expression radiant with a sense of relaxation and ease.

It was his first time traveling the vast world, and his eyes moved all around the fields, taking in the breathtaking scenery.

His belly was still full from last night's meal, so he wasn't hungry.

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Although he had seen some really scary things last night, like bodies and heads bursting, it was miraculously overshadowed by the person holding his hand.

He tilted his head and looked at her, a smile forming on his face.

She was wearing a samurai kimono, the fabric rich, sturdy, and sky blue, adorned with subtle flower patterns.

The wide sleeves and a traditional straw hat, its broad brim casting a shadow over her face, gave her an air of quiet strength. Strands of hair peeked out from beneath the hat.

At her waist hung a sleek katana, her hand resting on its hilt.

Her fingers continually tapped on it, her mind occupied with the events of the past week. The fight with the monk had been mediocre in her opinion.

'I didn't use Gentle Fist, my eyes, genjutsu, any type of ninjutsu, or even the shinjutsu that I'm best at,' 

She was surprised when the monk managed to discover her identity. At that moment, she thought she had found a worthy opponent, but what she met was disappointment.

'At first, I thought he was someone from the future, but that can't be. If he were truly from the future, he wouldn't have made such a foolish attempt.'

'Hmm, was he an Otsutsuki that I didn't know? In my knowledge, I only know Momoshiki. After that, my memory is blank. Was it Jigen? But he wasn't using any Kāma Seal, and he was too weak,' she pondered, discarding the idea of him being Isshiki.

'The variables have started to appear. Heh, I'll have to act accordingly,' she mused.

For her, it was becoming fun; the uncertainty of things excited her.

'I thought it would occur soon,' she considered, thinking about the butterfly effect. 'Even if it's late, it is mildly appreciated,' she tapped her finger on the hilt of her katana.

Thinking about the past week, she thought, 'It took me a few days to mold the jutsu according to the clan's preference, but it's done. Father has to introduce it to the clansmen, and after that, they'll need to practice it for a few years.' Every possible scenario swirled in her mind.

The major events will occur in three years.

'That's too little time. Hanbi, Arya, and the clan aren't powerful enough yet,' she thought, planning to delay the fated war rather than prevent it.

And what was the best way? 'To kill a tailed beast,' her eyes gleamed.

'Now the question is, which one?' she pondered, deciding the fate of some unfortunate soul.

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly felt a gaze upon her. She looked down at Yuki's smiling face, and her thoughts were dispelled, replaced by a sweet smile that matched his.

"Where are we?" he asked, noticing the unfamiliar surroundings.

They had just trespassed the borders of the Mist Village and were now heading home, passing through a village hidden in hot waters.

"We are in Hot Waters. This village has an inclination toward pacifism," she explained briefly, sharing some of the village's history.

Yuki nodded, recalling an old teaching of hers. "Isn't pacifism a coward's way?" he asked.

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She nodded and simply replied, "It is, but it can be worse when intertwined with hypocrisy."

"Is someone like that here?" he asked curiously.

"Oh boy, there are many," she laughed.

"And guess what? You're going to meet one of them soon."

He looked at her eyes, which were activated, looking in far the distance.

"Wear it," Hinata tossed a mask to Yuki and put one on herself.

Yuki wore the mask without asking any questions.

Swish!

A leaf blew past them, carried by the warm air.

Thump! Thump!

Yuki's heart pounded as his gaze locked onto the approaching duo in the distance.

They wore straw hats paired with long black cloaks adorned with red clouds, a red interior, and a chin-high collar.

Yuki's Sharingan spun frantically, his fist clenching as his eyes fixated on Itachi. He was about to draw his sword.

Itachi and Kisame were heading toward the Hidden Mist Village.

Kisame's grip tightened on Samehada as his eyes darted to the pair in front of him, particularly their swords. They were dressed like samurai.

"Heh," he chuckled, baring his shark-like teeth, "Itachi, look, samurai."

Swish!

When he saw the person holding a sword, the swordsman inside him surged forth. He raised Samehada behind his back and slashed with all his strength.

*Thud!*

A blue head rolled on the ground, blood spraying from its body. His Samehada, his hand, was cut in half. The last thing he saw was Hinata sheathing her sword.

'Huh?' He unconsciously raised his hand to check his neck. It was fine. The duo in front of him continued to approach.

'Genjutsu,' his eyebrows raised. He tilted his head to look at Itachi. 'He didn't notice anything,' he thought inwardly.

On the other hand, Yuki's rage was uncontrollable. He stood in front of the man who had killed his family and unborn sibling, but Hinata held his hand in a tight grip.

"Hello, sir," Hinata asked, her calm tone ringing in their heads—a voice so enchanting it could make you forget about your dead family, even if it happened in front of you.

"Can you tell us where the nearest town is? We seem to have lost our way," she asked politely.

Her hand was constantly calming the fury inside the boy. She understood what he was going through and didn't want him to die a meaningless death.

'What a pleasant surprise to meet them here,' she thought, 'but it is also welcomed.'

She continued to walk, her eyes covered by the straw hat and her face hidden by the mask.

Itachi's pupils constricted when he heard her voice. He didn't find anything overtly wrong, but his instincts told him something was amiss.

He slightly lifted his head, revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan.

"My apologies, sirs, if I have behaved inappropriately," she said, bowing slightly when her question went unanswered.

She continued walking forward, 'I believe they're heading to meet the Jinchuuriki of the Three-Tails,' she assumed, considering their route.

As she glanced at Itachi, a grin began to form on her face. 'How should I troll him—mentally or physically?' she chuckled inwardly.

Itachi's suspicion grew even more when he couldn't find anything wrong, even with his Sharingan.

"The nearest town is 2 kilometers ahead," he finally responded.

Hinata nodded. As they passed each other, she spoke, her voice filled with elegance and a hint of mischief, "Thank you... Kin Slayer," she whispered.

Swish!

As her voice echoed in his ears, Itachi's hand moved in a blur, swinging so fast in an arc to strike that it seemed like a mere shadow.

"Hehe, that was not so gentlemanly," she giggled, her body vanishing like a mirage.

Itachi's eyes snapped to the front. Hinata and Yuki were standing at the same spot as if they hadn't moved at all.

"Who are you?" Itachi's Sharingan began to change its pattern.

Kisame, still in a daze, shook his head and swung Samehada onto his back. His hands moved in a blur as he weaved hand signs.

"Water Style: Great Shark Bullet Technique!" he yelled. A large water shark formed, expanding as it barreled toward the pair, destroying everything in its path.

"Sir, that is rude," she chuckled, clasping her hands in front of her. A shockwave rippled through the area, and when it collided with the water shark, it erased everything in its path, eventually overpowering and killing both Kisame and Itachi.

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'huh,' Kisame's Samehada was tightly gripped in his hand.

'Genjutsu,' he realized, tilting his head to glance at Itachi. 'He hasn't noticed anything.'

He looked at the pair of samurai still approaching them.

"Who are we?" she asked, tilting her head, her index finger twirling around her temple as if trying to recall something.

Her behavior set off alarm bells in Itachi's mind. 'If this person is left alive, it could cause serious problems,' he thought, his gut instincts flaring.

"You don't know me, huh… maybe you should ask little Sa.su.ke..." she emphasized Sasuke's name deliberately as if they were close friends.

'Sasuke? Does she know him? Sasuke had no friends. Is she preying on him?' Itachi's thoughts swirled.

He had always kept a close watch over Sasuke, infiltrating the Leaf Village wasn't difficult for him. As far as he remembered, his brother had no interactions with anyone.

Sasuke was always distant, sitting in the corner of the class. Itachi could even predict his thoughts to some degree—Sasuke just wanted to kill him.

There was no one to train him. After returning home, Sasuke practiced only one jutsu, the Fireball Jutsu. Then he would make some tomato soup, sleep in the graveyard of their clan, and wake up in the night due to nightmares. This was his daily routine.

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"Little Sasuke is such a cute boy. I wonder what he'd say if I presented your head on his plate," she mused as if genuinely considering the thought.

"Amaterasu," Itachi's voice echoed through the green field.

'Huh?' Hinata looked at Itachi, then down at herself. Black flames began to engulf her.

"That's hot," she remarked, feeling her skin start to churn, her mask beginning to evaporate along with her.

Tilting her head, she raised her hand and observed the flames. "The Amaterasu. Black flames that will continue to burn until they turn their target to ash. But it doesn't matter... whatever you throw at me." She spoke before completely disintegrating.

"How do you know about Amaterasu?" Itachi asked, tilting his head to look at the figure still standing before him.

"Hehe," she giggled, not offering an answer.

"Enough of this," Itachi's anger burst forth, manifesting as an orange skeleton around him.

The foe in front of him was unknown, and he knew he had to deal with her here and now.

"Susanoo," Yuki muttered, watching the skeleton's muscles still forming.

"It's getting late, and we still have many things to explore," she said calmly, her hand slowly moving, the katana in the death started to reveal itself. 

'Distance and any type of defense don't matter to me,' her right eye glowed faintly as she slightly pulled her sword back and thrust forward.

A ripple appeared in the air at the tip of her sword, and the blade vanished.

Slick!

Another ripple appeared in front of Itachi's chest, and the tip of the sword pierced through his heart, bypassing all of Susanoo's defensive abilities.

*Thud.*

Itachi's Susanoo dispersed, and his body collapsed to the ground, his eyes growing lifeless as he lay in a pool of cold blood.

"Huh," Itachi's eyes regained their clarity as a hand shook his shoulder.

"Itachi, what are you looking at?" Kisame asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"Don't you see the pair of samurai?" Itachi replied, looking into Kisame's eyes and glancing around.

"Samurai? What are you talking about?" Kisame looked confused, scanning the area but finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"I see," Itachi said quietly, not pressing the matter further. Without another word, he turned and continued walking toward Kiri.

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End of the chapter, how do you like it? 

give your brother some powerstones...