Choice of the heart

Disclaimer : I don't own HP or Naruto, they belong to their respective owners. I only mess with characters in my respective alternate universes. Satisfied?

Warnings: Crude language, violence, shonen-ai, later YAOI. If you wanna be sane, heed my warnings - don't like, don't read.

Oh, and I apologize for the delay in the sequel of Naked And Sacred; I didn't abandon story, it's just, I still have work for school, and I don't want to load up crappy story. So bear with me, OK? I may upload the stories and sequels a little - oh, well, a lot! later than foreseen, but I hope you will enjoy the stories even if they came out...at the end of the world. /sweatdrops/

/prequel to NAS; WiP, beginning 2.8.2008; x-over HP-NTO/

The voices of the wind

Will take you home again

The journey home has just begun, my friend…

Konohagakure no Sato

Blue eyes, shining with tears, were looking at the starry sky. The owner of those sad blue eyes was a small boy, no more than five years old, clothed in black shorts and white t-shirt with an orange spiral on the front.

The little boy sniffled, trying in vain, to stop those tears from flowing down the scarred cheeks… wait, scarred?

Who exactly was that child? Why weren't his parents with him? Why did villagers give him evil eye, everytime he passed them? He was just a boy, right?

What had he done to deserve such hatred and harsh words?

If someone would see the small one, the boy would appear ordinary – just like any other kid, except he had … err.. whiskered face. Bright blonde, spiky hair, blue eyes, with tanned skin from the sun, albeit a little on a malnourished side.

But if one would watch the blonde long enough, like just now, he would also find that his cheerful and outgoing behaviour was just a facade that hid behind a small, scared, sad boy.

''Why do they hate me?'' The blonde boy whimpered, his voice thick with unshed tears. He sniffled, wiping his nose into t – shirt that was quite dirty. He curled into himself, shivering in a cool evening breeze. The autumn was coming soon, and he still didn't have any good clothes to wear, except for that orange monstrosity Ojisan had bought for him. In the distance, he could hear a buzz of celebrations, but he didn't think he would be welcome there. No, he knew, he wouldn't be welcome.

The boy was alone. No family, if you didn't count old Hokage as a family. And this little boy was lonely. His only wish was, to have a family, or at least someone of his own.

Lost blue eyes looked up tho the sky, searching for the brightest star he couid find. He still remembered that day.

Flashback

He was hiding from the drunken mob, and he had finally lost them. Winded, he moved to sit on the ground, when he heard a nouse. /Someone is coming!/ the small boy panicked. Quickly, he looked around, until he spotted a relatively large bush. Without hesistation, he snuck under it, making sure the branches hid him. Luckily, the bush had fairly big green leaves…. Unluckily, the bush had also thorns. ''Itai…'' he whimpered, his whimper muffled behind his hand.

He heard a lighthearted laughter, some mother coming with his daughter, both laughing at the unheard joke. Blue eyes widened at the sight of their clothes.

The tall woman was clad into richly colored blue and black kimono, with small white blossoms embroidered on the blue sash. Her hair was long, black mane that tumbled down the slight back. Her face would be described as kind, with warm gray eyes peeking into the world. ''Mama, Mama, look at the star!'' The daughter called, clapping with her petite hands in delight. The woman nodded, smiling. ''Aa, so the star it is,'' her voice was warm and loving. The small boy shivered. How he wished he could hear his mother….''And it's first one in the evening!'' the daughter piped up, excitedly. She was clothed in a pink kimono, and her brown hair was bound in two side ponytails. ''And that means I can wish for something!'' the mother chuckled at the daughter's enthusiasm. ''Of course, you can, Hikari. Now, do you remember those magic words…?'' she trailed off impishly. The daughter pouted, tugging at hear kimono. ''Of course, Mama! You taught it to me, remember?'' ''Taught them, to you, and yes, I remember,'' the woman gently corrected her daughter. The little girl pouted. ''You're being mean, '' she accused the older woman. ''Of course,'' the woman said indulgently, a hidden laughter in her voice.

''Humph,'' the little girl pouted. ''So you can't remember magic words?'' her mother teased her. ''Mou! Mama! I so can!'' the little girl then closed her eyes, cutely screwing her face, and began…''Star light, star bright, the first star, I saw tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, I wish I had my wish tonight…'' she trailed off, then she opened her eyes, looking at her mother questioningly. ''That's it, ne?'' mother smiled. ''Of course, you memorized it perfectly, Hikari – chan. Now, what will you wish for?'' the little girl beamed. ''For daddy!'' she chirped cheekily. The woman gasped, her cheeks heating in a gentle blush.''Hikari – chan!'' she squeaked out.

But the little girl was already on her feet, darting away from the woman, laughing freely at the mother's flustered look. The woman stood up quicky, dashing after her, all the laughing light – heartedly.

The little boy was left behind, looking at them, blue eyes bright with wonder and hope.

Of course, the thorns had scratched him rather painfully, but it was worth it, as he learned the magic words! And now, he would finally get his family!

End flashback

The little boy remembered those words. Looking up at the evening sky, lost blue eyes sought after the brighters star they could find. This will be the last one… the little boy thought to himself, a small sniffle escaping him. Determinedly, he clenched his fists, and began. ''Star light, star bright, the first star, I saw tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, I wish I had my wish tonight…I wish for someone, anyone that would love me… I wish for a family… Please…'' His voice was desperate. But nothing has happened, as hadn't the many times before. The little boy hung his head dejectedly, cheerful laughter of the villagers down in the village echoing mockingly in his ears.

Uchiha compound, Konohagakure no Sato

A black shadow sneaked into the main house. In the small light, a man would see a slight body, encased in ANBU armor and with a white mask of weasel on the head. Experessionless quality of the mask made the person seem more like a robot – but unusually stealthy and lithe robot. It was scary, how he seemed to slunk from shadow to shadow noiselessly, and almost invisible to the other eyes of the people here. There wasn't many, as the majority was at the festival, but the customary guards were still here, and even they didn't notice the entrance of the mysterious shadow.

The return of an Uchiha prodigy was anything but glamorous. Heaving an almost unaudible sigh, the slender shadow removed the mask, showing under it an expressionless face. Dark, unreadable eyes and shoulder –length sable hair, secured with bandanna of a head protector, part of the hair tied behind in a small ponytail. But even if the teen was so young, he already had the sharp lines beneath his eyes that signified exaustion and stress he was exposed daily in his job as village's weapon and Uchiha prodigy.

Itachi was tired. Tired from missions, tired from blood, tired from all the violence he was expected to execute as the village's weapon, tired from all the expectations heaped on his shoulders from the early age. Tired from wearing the mask of indifference and stoicness, tired from behaving as the 'proper heir'. He was so tired he couldn't even hate anymore. Of course, he still resented his father and Uchiha council for pushing him so much, but what could he do? He was pulled from his thoughts as his ears caught a small shuffling noise. Turning around, he saw a small boy, not more than a five years old. Yawning, sleepy black eyes looked into his, as the boy tilted his head up.''Aniki, you re back?'' He smiled at the chibi. ''Aa.. I'm back.'' The little boy smiled sleepily, as he moved forward to hug his big brother. ''Welcome home, Itachi-nii,'' the childish voice said sleepily.

Itachi had to bite back a chuckle. Sasuke was so cute when he was sleepy. Like a lost little kitten. He hoisted his otouto up, and carried him bridal style into his room. The boy was snoozing peacefully all the way, making him smile. Sasuke was his reason to carry on. Without him, Itachi would of broken a long time ago. Sometimes, he envied his little brother's innocence. He wished he could see the world in such a trusting light as Sasuke did, but almost immediately, the thought left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. And so, he endeavored to preserve his otouto's innocence for a little while, even if he felt it was futile.

The world in which they lived was harsh. As a prodigy, Itachi was almost immediately labelled as a prime material for a shinobi, and he didn't disappoint. But in retrospect, he became irrevocably jaded, as his young eyes saw the ugliness of the world much too soon. With eleven years, he already had a hefty sum of missions below his belt, most of them concluding with blood and death. When he had returned after he made a first kill – some rogue nin, that was hell – bent to kill his client, he was shaken, not that would anyone see it. He was roaming through the streets, and saw people living there laugh, argue and carry their tasks as if nothing happened, as if it was all right in the world. Itachi was, mildly speaking, dumbfounded. /How could they live so carefree? Don't they know that I killed someone? Don't they care they could be so easily killed, within a snap of fingers? And yet, they live, as if they would live forever…/

This was incomprehensible to his young mind. He had seen his client squealing like a little pig, when they were attacked, and when Itachi had killed the nin, the fatass had the galls to cheer! Itachi had been in a state of mind to strangle the dumbass, but the mission was mission, and so, he satisfied himself with scaring the idiot shitless – literally. The pig had soiled himself as he saw Itachi's eyes – cold, mercilless red, with the three tomoes swirling in each eye.

In his short life, Itachi had learned that people weren't any good; most od them had ulterior motive for helping someone, and he had seen more than his share when someone backstabbed the person for their personal gain, friendships, and kinships be damned. Itachi had learned to be distrustful to everything and everyone, and sometimes, the feeling drove him on the brink of insanity. He became paranoid – too paranoid for his own good. But this paranoia had saved his life on many occasions, where his teammates were either killed or at least seriously wounded. Itachi had learnt not to underestimate someone, and that made him for such a terrifying force to be reckoned with.

And yet… all he wished to have, was a little bit of peace, and someone to come home to. The Uchiha district wasn't his home anymore. He returned here for his little brother, to take care of him, to protect him the best he could, but this big house wasn't his home. He was weary, and tired, not only body, but his mind. Itachi looked at his little brother he had tucked into his bed. The small boy was snoozing peacefully, without care on the world. The youth smilled a small, brittle smile, tender hand caressing the unruly blueish – black hair gently.

Tiredly, he sat at the windowsill, looking up at the starry sky, his katana at his feet. Dark, emotionless, tired eyes involuntarily sought the brightest star, and Itachi felt himself sigh.

/Please… if there's someone, anyone out there…. Please, take us away. I can't take it anymore…./

And the wind blew, sneaking around the houses, whistling through the trees, singing an age-old lullaby to the world.