A/N: Not much to say, besides that Miko will not be placed on a team. A mentor, most likely. Or something like that.

Graduation will almost definitely come in the chapter after the next.

...

Howling at A Starless Night

Chapter 6

...

I remember the first time I gazed into those eyes, darker than the night sky. They found me, and I held his attention for far too long.

I wondered how someone's irises could possibly be so black, as if his pupils extended over them. I couldn't look away from his indifferent gaze, the pools of darkness peering at me. Calling to me. Drowning me.

"This is my Itachi-nii!" squealed out a cute little voice. Sasuke beamed, proudly showing off his older brother.

"Hello, little ones," Itachi greeted us, smiling. Okay, so maybe we didn't really make eye-contact for a long time, but it sure felt like it.

"Kami, he's soooo cooool~!"

"Can you teach us how to do a giant fireball?"

"Do you have any swords? I wanna see your swords!"

"Make your eyes go red!"

The kids went on, badgering the poor man. Funnily enough, he did his best to placate the demanding children, even going as far as unsheathing a tanto. "...That's a big-boy sword," Naruto remarked, inhaling dramatically.

"Indeed it is," Itachi smiled at him, looking for all the world like he actually enjoyed being pestered by a bunch of kids.

"Niiii-chaaaaan, it's gettin' late, we gotta go!" Chibi-Sasuke complained, obviously annoyed at having his brother 'stolen'.

"Alright, otouto, let's head home," Itachi calmed his jealous brother. The kids all 'aawwwed' in disappointment.

"But we haven't even seen your eyes go red!" Kiba cried.

Itachi let his gaze wander over the group and his lips turned upward in a slight smile. "That's not something I would wish upon my greatest enemies, let alone ones such as yourselves," he remarks.

And for awhile I felt complete and utter numbness. Unexplainable and inextricably tied to the Uchiha, I felt numb. He turned to leave, and the feeling left me as well. I thought I was safe from the peculiar sensation.

Only... his head turned to give us one last look, just a slight turn, but enough to expose a single eye. The single pool of black peered at me, and I felt coldness creep up my spine.

It was only for a fleeting moment, but I felt my skin crawling. It was only for a fraction of a second, but I felt my heart drop into my stomach. It was only for a sliver of an instant, but it had felt like time stopped for en eternity, and I was frozen in fear.

Because I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of crimson piercing me. He didn't look back again.

...

But that was a pretty long time ago, and the kids at the academy were not quite as cute anymore.

That was the first time I had met Itachi Uchiha... If being part of a group of kids harassing him counted as 'meeting'.

And while he was out doing S-ranks, we were all still in school. Class was boring as usual.

I surveyed the students around in their desks. Quite a number were asleep, including Naruto, Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, a smattering of kids I was unfamiliar with, and surprisingly, Sasuke.

Our current teacher, for whatever period it was (I wasn't keeping track) was too absorbed in his speech (of something) to stop and wake up the bunch.

The kids were still pretty cute, I guess. Much more so now that they were asleep. The atmosphere in the classroom was relaxing. One almost forgot about the broiling tension in Konoha when subjected to the Academy's curriculum.

I looked around a bit, and spotted Hinata. Shy as always, her demeanor was a stark contrast to the symbol embroidered quite prominently on her clothing. A round-topped cone thing with a little flame in the center - the Hyuuga clan symbol.

Okay, so I'm not the best at describing silly little emblems, anyways, they were everywhere.

All around me, students would display their clan emblems proudly on their clothing. Even me and Kiba were given emblems to sow on the backs of our clothes. You'd think having it basically tattooed on your face would be enough, huh?

The civilian kids probably didn't notice, and I doubt their parents noticed either. Ninjas all over the village started adopting the practice, and it spread like wildfire. Clan pride was taking Konoha by storm.

My eyes found the back of Sasuke's sleeping form, the Uchiha fan on it was a given. Well, it's not hard to guess who started the trend.

Ohh those Uchiha. Sasuke even had a cute little Gunbai - a war fan - strapped on his waist. It was probably to signify prestige, Sasuke being the clan head's son and all.

At first, I had thought the whole clan pride thing would be great for the village. I thought that the bonds between ninjas would be strengthened.

I was wrong. Now, factions had very clear barriers between them. I mean, there was always a degree of separation, but now the divides were so glaring that the social structure of Konoha now included very obvious sideways divisions.

Konoha has always had a certain feudal element, and a fairly restrictive social caste system. It used to be fairly simple, though. You had the underground, those seedy faceless organizations that held the slums and red-light districts.

Then the peasants and merchants, although one was far superior to the other depending on who you asked. Merchants brought trade and commerce, but peasants working the land were the backbone that kept us all alive; opinions varied, but in general, they were around equal.

Then there were the ninja. Deserving or not, the ninja were almost the highest caste in society. Ranks like genin, chunin, and jonin only served to differentiate the degree of respect and power a ninja was given. All ninja, even genin-corp dropouts and retirees, were among the social elite of Konoha.

That's all changing now. In between the ranks of 'genin' to 'hokage', ninjas now took into account which clans were the most powerful.

Clans like the Akimichi who owned multiple restaurants and farms were quite high up the food chain, so to speak. Clans with powerful kekkei genkai and a multitude of techniques to share (or you know, hoard) like the Uchiha were pretty high up there too. The only thing really stopping the Uchiha from taking the number one seat would be their terrible relationships with most other clans.

After the ninja, the royals. The daimyos and lords of the world were socially above ninja. However, many of them were simply puppets and held little real power. Of course there were some exceptions.

And that's a fairly general summary of our feudalistic society.

Once upon a time, ninja were viewed as a single entity in the village; they were all part of the same social construct, a community within the community. Petty clan squabbles were seen as nothing more, and would not get in the way of shinobi cooperation. Rivalries were healthy, creating an atmosphere where clans had to continuously improve upon and develop techniques.

Now, the emblems, the banners, the gunbai... They all served to darken the once invisible lines that separated the clans. Ninja social structures were slowly constricting around themselves; differing clans relied on each other less and less.

Most of the Inuzuka medicinal supplies and herbs were from clans like the Yamanaka and Akimichi, who controlled a fair portion of the production. Now, Tsume's definitely been grinding her teeth at the prices they've been offering.

'Extortionist bastards,' she'd grumble every so often. This was just one of many examples. Clans were hunkering down on techniques, supplies, culture. Everything. Things were bad, and they were getting worse.

I suppose it's not really something new. Clan pride and prejudice must have been boiling beneath the surface for who knows how long. I had thought that it was relatively harmless, with the exception of the Uchiha and maybe the Hyuuga who were just a bit too proud. But it's become frighteningly obvious that many of the clans see themselves in a much more individualistic light.

Ultimately, the idea of village unity was slowly fading, and the needs of the clan were now almost on equal consideration with the needs of the village. Of course, the Uchiha probably don't give a flying fuma-shuriken about the rest of the village.

Okay, so they probably care about the village too, but see what I mean? My clan bias is talking!

...

...

On the way home from the Academy, I can't help but feel a sombre presence hanging in the air. Villagers are milling about, but the daily commerce of the markets and the hustle and bustle of Konoha are strangely diluted.

Hushed whispers and worried expressions glaze the streets.

"Did you hear, about the outpost?" a woman asks another, and I listen in, curious.

"Who hasn't!" her companion replies. Well I certainly haven't.

"What do you think-" she suddenly stops speaking midway through her sentence, and I wonder why. I take a closer look at the two, another figure has joined them. He towers over them, like a stone sentry.

"It would be unwise to continue this line of discussion, don't you think so, ladies?"

The voice is polite, but with a hint of danger. He wasn't there a second ago.

I can't make out too much of his face, but he's wearing some kind of modified flak jacket. His has large plated shoulder-pads that extend to his elbows, and a raised neckline. It's also a coppery-brown color, instead of green.

I try to get a better look, then I see it. Emblazoned on one of his shoulder pads, a shuriken-like star shape, the Uchiha fan in the center.

The symbol of the Military Police.

It seems that they've had a change of uniform, and for some reason, I think I've seen it before.

Abruptly, the streets turn dead silent. No one is moving, and the two women look terrified. The Uchiha stands before them, silent like a statue. I wonder what he's waiting for.

"Is there a problem here?" a voice calls. Asuma casually moves to stand in front of the two civilian women.

"Ah, Sarutobi-san, so good to see you," the MP member greets, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "These two civilians were discussing classified information. I was merely stepping in to stop them before they said something they shouldn't."

"Well, you've stopped them. No harm, no foul, right?" Asuma laughs in mock cheer. The two women visibly tense up.

Asuma's voice takes a threatening edge, losing all traces of his former aloofness. His eyes narrow into furious slits, "Besides, it's not exactly classified if everyone knows about it, is it?"

He slips his hand into his jacket, a glint of metal peeking out catches my eye. The Uchiha stiffens, his hands travel to the tanto on his back.

Asuma is calm and collected. Surprisingly, the Uchiha twitches every so often. As if he cannot wait to sink his blade into a comrade's flesh. Maybe this was what he was waiting for all along.

It only lasts for a few seconds, but it feels like time passes in slow motion.

Suddenly, the Uchiha makes a move.

He rushes forward, and only a fraction of a second later, Asuma follows. They collide... But not with each other. It happened in a blur, and if I wasn't seeing it now, I would have thought one of them was hit.

A figure stands in between them. He is shorter than both men, but no less imposing. His hands extend in both directions, one arm to stop one combatant.

He shares the Uchiha's coppery flak jacket. Another MP, then.

"What's going on here?" he asks. I don't know why he needs to question them, as he obviously knows what's happening.

Asuma's trench knife digs into the man's extended shoulder pads. They must be armored, maybe with metal plates. The man is too far to determine, and moving in closer would not be wise. On the other side, he holds his fellow Uchiha's wrist in a vice grip. The tanto is inches from his body.

"A little misunderstanding, yes?" he answers his own question when neither of the other two speak.

"Go home," he commands the other Uchiha. The Clan member hesitates for a moment, but ultimately sheathes his tanto and disappears in a swirl of leaves.

With the other Uchiha gone, the man relaxes and steps away from Asuma. Asuma's stance does not change. He does not put away his knives.

"No need to be so hostile," the Uchiha says to the Sarutobi. His words have no effect.

Asuma refuses to budge, staying resolutely silent. The street remains frozen. "It was just a misunderstanding, after all," the Uchiha attempts to placate the Sarutobi.

Asuma grunts in reply.

"Very well," the Uchiha sighs, and walks away.

It is not until he is out of sight that the street begins moving again. The civilians return to their previous moods. Asuma relaxes, pocketing his trench knives. Inwardly, I wonder if I had misjudged him as unworthy of my attention.

"T-thank you so much, Sarutobi-san!" the two women express their gratitude.

Asuma turns and grins, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, it was nothing. What kind of man would leave two beautiful ladies undefended!"

...

Stupid Asuma.

At this point, I decide it's better for me to drown out the conversation. I continue to my destination. Home.

Suddenly, I realize where I've seen the new Military Police uniform. The copper flak jacket resembles the samurai armor once worn by the Uchiha before the founding of the village.

The armor once worn by Madara Uchiha.

...

...

Sighing, I take a seat by the dinner table. I am the only one home for now. So the Uchiha are changing their uniforms to match the ones they once wore during the Warring Era, huh?

That's probably not a good thing. I fold my arms on top of the table and crash my head into them.

I feel something furry resting on my lap. Ah, so... not completely alone, then.

I stand up, holding Iromaru in my arms. That's what I decided to name him. Tradition dictates that the family of the clan head name their partners after colors. I don't know why, but I'm sure I'll find out one day.

'Iro' basically means color. Not the most creative, but I didn't really feel anything else was right. In the past, there have been a couple 'Iromarus' as well, so it wasn't that stupid. Tsume gave me a funny look when I told her my partner's new name.

'It wasn't that stupid,' I tried convincing myself again.

I made my way to our backyard, and let Iromaru down. The sun was setting. I love the orange sky of sunsets. They're just so... Enchanting.

I breathe in the fresh air. It's fantastic, so pure and free. I take a seat on the ground, the grass somewhat soft. Iromaru is by my side, looking contented. Funnily enough, I used to hate the outdoors. Now, the wildness and freedom the outside offered was something I loved.

I take a few more moments to admire the yellows and oranges of the sky, changing into vivid red. Suddenly, I am reminded of a flashing scarlet eye, and I look towards the ground. Blanching at the reminder, I try to flush away the memory. Or the imaginary memory?

It's no use. I suppose it's a good thing. I'm not out here just to watch the sky, after all.

Right.

I focus inwards, grasping the energy within my coils. I feel it flow through me. There, my chakra. Now onto the real stuff.

Gathering my chakra around my fingertips, I focus on sharpening my nails. They extend ever so slightly, but not enough. I feel too much chakra escape, expelled through my hands. A bead of sweat rolls down my forehead.

Exhausted, I release the chakra from my fingers, and collapse backwards onto the ground.

Raising a single hand above me, I examine it. The sharpened tips have already disappeared, and the skin of my fingers is cracked. The chakra has dispersed. Not enough control, then. I let my hand collapse onto the ground with the rest of my tired body.

'Not good enough,' I tell myself. These were the basics. Even Kiba could form claws at this point! I trace my steps, wondering where I went wrong.

I felt it. My chakra escaping my fingers. Control. I needed more control.

But I could do the stupid leaf sticking exercise, which was fine I guess. Surprising, actually. I doubted I would be able to do anything since I had been having chakra issues all throughout my life. Practical application of chakra was probably my worst subject in the Academy. I wasn't the absolute worst, but I was pretty close.

Something wet dragged itself across my face, breaking me out of my thoughts. Surprised, I shot up into a sitting position.

Iromaru ended up on my lap.

He licked me. That was weird. Iromaru was usually pretty reserved. I pat the top of his head, feeling slightly awkward. He curls up into himself, closing his eyes. Maybe he was uncomfortable on the grass. He seems to like his current position on my lap.

We won't be training together for some time. Not really, anyway. Not until I get the basic transformation down. I swallow this bitter realization to get motivated. We can't begin learning the clan techniques together if I can't so much as hold a basic transformation.

Kami, I suck at this. Kiba and Akamaru were making great progress!

Annoyed, I look up at the sky again. It's getting darker, the sunset fading into night. I wonder at the piece of news that caused such a commotion on the crowded street. Something about an outpost? I'll ask Tsume about it later.

Watching the day fade into night, I drift off.

...

...

Hana came home later than I expected. I suppose she has the chunin exams to worry about. She mentioned she was planning on competing this year.

She might have been training.

Hana walks into the living room, expression downcast. The Haimaru brothers trail behind her.

I examine her for a bit. Her eyes are shadowed by deep bags, like she hasn't slept for days. Exhaustion marred her face, but not the kind of exhaustion you get from physical activities. No sweat, not a scent of it. Her skin and clothing are not coated with dirt. Her hair is not a tangled mess.

It seems she hasn't been training. I worry a bit. She takes a seat on the couch, facing away from my position on the dining table.

The Haimaru brothers trail out into the backyard, joining a napping Kiba and Akamaru. Iromaru's prone form sleeps across them.

"You alright, nee-chan?" I ask.

"I'm...," she trails off. For a few moments, the air is heavy with silence. I can't see her face from here, but that's probably for the best. "Not really, no, I'm not," she finally answers.

I see my chance, and I take it. It's a shot in the dark, but I hope for the best. "The villagers are all talking about it," I gamble, that it wasn't a coincidence, that her mind is occupied with whatever it is that has the whole tenser than ever.

"So you've heard?" she asks, resigned. "Well, don't believe whatever those gossip-mongers say."

"Then what should I believe?" I question her, fishing for information.

"Well, for starters, that they haven't left for Cloud," she says angrily. "Can you believe it? Some people actually think they've gone over to Kumo!"

Wait, woah. 'They?' 'Left?' I process the information. People are up-in-ams about some defectors?

It couldn't just be that. Ninja defected all the time (which is sad, but true). Usually people don't care too much. The hunter-nin are tasked with finding them, and their names and faces are plastered on our bingo books. Civilians rarely bothered with ninja-business like this.

"Did you know any of them?" I ask.

"Nah, not really," she states a little bitterly. "But I have run some missions with a lot of them." She knows enough. I hear a tang if longing in her voice. Loneliness? Maybe. Regret? Possibly.

"A whole outpost, they say?" I continue, trying to find out how some defectors had anything to do with an outpost.

"The whole place was cleared out. Rations, documents, even the ninja."

"Even the ninja?" I press her.

"It seems they planned it beforehand. Everyone guarding the outpost at the time disappeared."

She left it unsaid. They all abandoned their posts. The commotion in the streets seemed to make more sense now. That was at least twenty ninja, gone. Probably chunin or above. I thought back on Asuma's altercation with the Uchiha. Nothing about the information I had now told me how the MP was involved.

"There was an... argument, in the streets. Two Uchiha and a jounin," I comment offhandedly, hoping she knows why.

She twists on the couch to face me. Her features speak of tiredness. Her eyes are ringed by darkness. She has not been sleeping, I am sure of it now.

"It's no wonder," she sighs deeply before continuing. "The older ninja say that they were signaled to leave."

"By... one of the Military Police?" I guess.

"Yeah, rumor has it that he had a run-in with some ANBU before he made a break for it."

She turns around again, facing away from me. Then, she continues, "They probably thought he would have been caught by the outpost patrols."

That's when he joined them. That's when they left. Shit, this is not good. Ninja are leaving, Uchiha among them. What could that possibly mean for the future? This did not happen in my memories. This should not be happening.

"Do you know why?"

"No. No one really knows why," Hana answers. She sounds a slight bit angry. "Most of them were a few years older than me," she adds offhandedly. She stretches her arms in an arc above her. She lets out a yawn, and shifts on the couch. Her hair is no longer visible from my position. She wants to rest, to sleep.

Hana signals the end of our conversation. She has given me much, but I still have so many questions. I decide to ask just one more. "Last question," I let out.

"... Only one more," she replies.

"Who was it that escaped first, the one who signaled the rest?"

Her reply is short. Only one name. A name that shoots chills through me. A name that makes me realize just how utterly screwed Konoha is. I stay shock still for a few moments. Then a few seconds. Then minutes.

Thirty minutes pass and I cannot bring myself to move.

I find it hard to breathe, I grasp my lungs in an effort to get them to work. I open my mouth to call for help, but no sound comes out. Hana is asleep now. I claw at my throat, my nails sharpening to lengths I have never achieved before. I am ironically proud. I squeeze hard, and I feel no pain. Blood slithers down my throat.

It takes a few moments. Luckily, I breathe, slowly and deeply. I rub my abused neck. Blood, but not too much. Cuts, but not too deep.

Not too much and not too deep because, I am still alive, after all.

I wipe my bloodstained hands on my sleeves. Shit. My fingers have not yet returned to their regular state, and I cut my sleeves. Consciously, I allow my nails to shrink back into what they were. Not dull, but not sharp enough to damage.

I eye my tattered sleeves, covered in blood. At least it's not Itachi. Itachi might have been worse.

The name. I rationalize as best as I can.

Shisui Uchiha.

He left. He's not dead. At least twenty ninja, I realize. How many of them as strong as Shisui? As Itachi?

'No, this is not good,' I repeat to myself over and over again. Not good. Not at all.

They might be friendly, they might not. Whatever they are, they are a wildcard. I cannot account for them.

My trail of though brings me to the scene of a Sarutobi and two Uchiha. A Sarutobi. The line of the Hokage. Student and chosen successor of the Nidaime, Tobirama Senju. What were those old stories about the two brothers, the sons of the Sage of Six Paths? One gifted in body, one gifted in... something else.

Was it sight? It had to be, right?

How fitting, I laugh. The chosen of the Senju and the Uchiha themselves. Suddenly the face off in the streets feels like much more than a 'misunderstanding'. It feels like an omen, and I am inclined to fear it.

All is not well in Konoha.

I grasp my scarred neck, massaging it. It is caked in my blood. I wonder, absorbed in my thoughts, If the Uchiha were blessed with sight; what did Shisui Uchiha see, that caused him to leave?

My thoughts give no answer. My throat is ravaged. I cough once. Twice. Then it hits me, a racking set of coughs that double me over, and I fall out of my chair. I rub my throat, my knees barely keeping me from buckling.

"Are you okay?" a voice calls from across the room. Hana, but she is still half asleep on the couch. No, she is in no shape to help me. In no shape to see me like this.

"I'm fine," I tell her, and make my way up the stairs, into my room.

Into solitude. Into silence.