Author's Note: I fail at fighting scenes. Sorry. And Itachi. I fail at writing him too. I feel like he's terribly out of character here, but I suspect that is partially due to my head canon for him. I tend to think he's rather cerebral, more focused inward than out, so a lot of what's going on happens inside his head as he thinks it through and what not. He's not a robot, which we know, but he's not particularly emotive, either. He feels deeply but he doesn't tend to be physically demonstrative of that.

Sennichikou is also being problematic. I'm really trying to keep her in character, but it's difficult. Some of you feel like she's more of an OC than a gender-swapped Harry Potter, and that hadn't been my intention. Again, part of the problem I'm having is that my head canon is apparently quite different from others' head canons. I won't get into it here but if anyone is interested they are welcome to PM me and I can explain it better. Suffice to say, I tend to think canon Harry wasn't terribly realistic in the ways he acted and reacted to events and people. I don't even know that I think he was all that great of a heroic ideal, either. That's just me, though. And, to be fair, I usually judge by Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero (either wholly or at least in part) for what I consider the ideal hero and that is just in general. I don't restrict it by source material genre.

Also, Kishimoto has screwed up my head-canon for Madara, so I'm ignoring what won't work (i.e. Tobi. Freakin' Tobi). It was already ridiculously AU, though, so I doubt it'll make much difference. Not that he's in this chapter, but later. Possibly. If it doesn't get turned into a dark AU of this story, which is a possibility. Probability. One of those. I mean, this isn't considered dark, is it? The AU version would diverge, and involve Madara preying on Sen in a very non-age appropriate manner, and Sen and Itachi being involved in less of a romantic fashion and more of a relationship of convenience fashion since they're both emotionally retarded and somewhat psychotic and it's kinda stupid to pair them with better adjusted individuals when they'd basically destroy their 'better halves' and that's not very nice. And yes, in the AU Sasuke would be considered pretty well adjusted, if only in comparison.

Let It Die

12. Mission to Wave Part 3

Itachi is somewhat fond of his student, in spite of (or perhaps because of) all her contrariness and prickly personality. This is not a secret or something he finds shameful. That being said, he has no idea what the hell he's doing. While he helped Sasuke on occasion, back when he was still an Academy student, he'd never had to actually teach him so much as he would correct and refine what his brother's instructors had already taught him.

He isn't sure of how he's meant to teach Sennichikou. She's smart, yes, but she isn't omniscient. He does need to teach her, but he's not sure of how he's meant to.

Compounding that stress is that Itachi really isn't sure how he's meant to handle a female student. What is considered out of line? He has only a very basic understanding of what he's not to do. Touching her inappropriately is, of course, taboo. But how is he meant to tell if he's crossing that line? Obviously, touching her in any intimate location is out of the question. More than that, he just doesn't know. Because of that, he endeavors not to touch her frequently.

That particular plan goes down in flames when he makes the mistake of trying to teach her the Tree-Climbing exercise. In retrospect, he probably should have thought that one through a little more. Sennichikou is a rather odd child, learning some things abnormally quickly but sometimes taking more time to learn other things. Perhaps she's not so odd though, she tends to excel in things with more practical uses. Though, following that logic, she should have grasped the Tree-Climbing exercise quickly. Although, to be honest, it most likely didn't help that he spent quite a bit of the time after her disastrous tumble barking corrections at her when she was quite obviously unnerved by her experience.

Being a prodigy certainly doesn't help him in this particular endeavor. He expects her to be able to grasp things practically instantaneously, the way he did when he was her age, but she doesn't and she can't. It frustrates him and he tends to take it out on her. While she is certainly quite intelligent, she is most definitely not a prodigy on the level of either he or, loathe though he is to admit it, Hatake. Both were significantly younger than her but also equally better prepared. There's also the fact that circumstances dictated their promotions, while she doesn't have that benefit.

Konoha is not in the midst of either a war or reconstruction efforts following a war, which were the times when Itachi and Hatake had been promoted. There is no reason to push Sennichikou so hard during peacetimes. Even the Hyuuga rookie in the year ahead of her was not allowed to graduate so early, and he is quite the prodigy. Even he can admit that, and the Uchiha clan has no love for the Hyuuga. In the midst of all this, Itachi can't help but wonder if he's missing something, or if he's just not being informed.

In the face of all this, Itachi has to fight to keep his temper. He can be patient, yes, but it isn't his strongest suit. It's one of the reasons why he'd never pursued teaching as a profession, not that his clan would have stood for it in the first place. Surrounded by brats, most of them not even understanding how the things they're being taught will be applied practically, it's a nightmare of sorts to him. He doesn't understand them, doesn't understand how they and their parents can just smile and see being a shinobi as something to be proud of, as something to actually aspire towards as though there is no other choice.

Being a ninja is not an honorable career. It's a necessary one, to be sure, but it certainly isn't honorable. He can understand how children like Sennichikou and the Uzumaki boy would be drawn in, because it is one of their only options since they are orphans with no clans, but the Haruno girl is another case entirely. Her entire family is composed of civilians and merchants; she will be the first ninja in her family. This is not a life she should have fallen into, and yet she did. He won't even get started on the clans who've made being a shinobi a hereditary career, as the Uchiha and others have done.

That's neither here nor there, however.

Seeing the black marks painted on her fair skin, Itachi needs to know just what the hell is going on with Sennichikou. Is she another jinchuuriki, like Naruto? Is she part of a clan, one that has a kekkai genkai? What is going on with her? When she tries to play dumb, tries to just brush it off as something inconsequential, it's not something that he's willing to just accept and leave alone. He can't. If this is something that was deliberately kept from him, Itachi isn't sure what he'll do.

Granted, manhandling her is probably not the smartest decision he's ever made. Touching her so aggressively, particularly in plain view of their civilian client who just doesn't understand how important this could be to the village and possibly it's actual security, is unconscionably stupid. He freely admits that. Never before has he acted so thoughtlessly, so impulsively. That she is the cause is perplexing to him. He tries to chalk it up to his strung out nerves. This entire mission has been trying.

On that note . . . Itachi loves his little brother. That doesn't mean he's blind to Sasuke's faults. He's well aware that Sasuke is at least partially responsible for Hatake deciding to continue the mission, the boy no doubt having been goaded on by Uzumaki. Granted, Hatake should not have given in but Itachi is perfectly aware of just how obstinate, how utterly headstrong his little brother and Uzumaki are and can be.

They don't have any reliable information on the mission, so, while it's possible they can handle things perfectly fine, they just don't know. The client lied from the start, knowing that he was being targeted, and still had the gall to apply for a lower priced escort mission rather than a protection detail mission. It's only been luck that so far they haven't run into anything more challenging than a two-bit pair of Kiri nukenin. Fortunately, they haven't run into any further trouble after that first engagement.

He shouldn't have thought that. Really.

Swallowing back a slew of curses he doesn't regularly use, Itachi dodges another swing of the massive sword aimed at his torso. He'd made the mistake of not getting completely clear of the sword earlier, and is still suffering for it as his still bleeding forearm can attest to. The abrasions are, thankfully, not serious but are nonetheless annoying and decidedly distracting.

What kind of sadistic person came up with a sword that shaves rather than slices, anyway? Apparently, that kind of person is whoever forged Hoshigaki's sword.

While that's bad enough, it's the sword's other ability that is the most serious problem. It 'eats' chakra, and most of Itachi's strategies rely heavily on jutsu. Together, both abilities make this almost the worst match-up Itachi could possibly face. His doujutsu and taijutsu are all that's keeping him in the game.

It doesn't help that Hoshigaki's apprentice or student, whichever he is, is an irritating little bastard who apparently doesn't know how to shut the hell up. While he isn't directly involved, the fair-haired youth keeps goading Hoshigaki into stepping up his efforts. If he doesn't end this and quickly, Itachi isn't sure if he'll be able to get out of this with his life and skin (mostly) intact. Obviously, that would be bad.

He just hopes Hatake is having less trouble. Given the mission so far, however, he's aware that chances are low at best for that. Then, he leaves that thought in order to dodge another swing by the grinning swordsman he's facing.

Hoshigaki's bloodlust is heavy, almost tainting the air with its' intensity. While it doesn't faze Itachi very much, he is still relieved that the others aren't here. He wouldn't be able to concentrate if he was trying to defend others in addition to himself and he doesn't trust the brat Hoshigaki has taken on not to interfere if anyone else showed up.

"Oi, Fuka (1)-sensei, what's taking so long? Finish this joker off already!" The brat snarks.

"What have I told you about calling me that, Suigetsu?" Hoshigaki growls, without taking his eyes off Itachi.

"You think I care? You're wasting time, sensei." The brat, (Suigetsu, was it?), sneers the last word.

"What, you have an appointment you need to make or something?"

"As if. Just because you're so ugly you can't get a date doesn't mean I can't. This shithole has to have some redeeming feature, hopefully their girls are pretty or at least easy."

"Tch, you think you'd even know what to do with a girl if you got one? Face it, brat, you haven't even properly hit puberty." Hoshigaki scoffs.

Itachi is slightly annoyed. Just a bit. Hoshigaki and his brat aren't even pretending to take him seriously anymore, and that is not something he's willing to tolerate.

He has let this go on for long enough. He hasn't let his skills rust so much in the short time since he's left ANBU that he can't beat Hoshigaki. Itachi just needs to step up his efforts and end this.

And he does. It's not as simple as that, of course, but he does end their confrontation in better shape than he'd expected. A few abrasions, bruises, and fatigue are the worst and that's not bad at all.

Then, he returns to where he can sense his brother and the rest of the team.

Hatake is unconscious and the genin are visibly ruffled. The three assigned to Hatake are fussing over their unconscious commander, well at least Uzumaki and Haruno are fussing. Sasuke looks slightly concerned but otherwise uncaring.

Eienno, though, is scowling. And even from where he's positioned, he can feel her annoyance and frustration smoldering. When she senses him, which occurs sooner than he had expected, she shoots him a vicious glare and opens her mouth, undoubtedly to berate him for abandoning them, before taking in his condition, such as it is. The glare melts away to something remarkably akin to concern before she schools her expression to something a lot more neutral.

The show of positive emotion, brief as it was, surprises him. Such shows are exceedingly rare, coming from Sennichikou. Her general apathy has been a source of concern for both he and Hatake, and her rare emotional outbursts tend to happen under negative conditions so seeing that she can feel and experience more positive feelings is a small relief.

". . . You need help?" Itachi catches the last part of what she'd said, if not the beginning, and responds automatically.

"I'm fine." Which, for the most part, is true. His ego is a bit bruised, of course, but he's in fairly good shape all things considered. He's certainly in better shape than Hatake currently is.

She gives him an unnervingly knowing look, distinctly unimpressed.

"That doesn't tell me what happened. Do we need to be on the look out for anyone in particular or have you taken care of it already?"

Ah, so that's what he'd missed from her. And now he's feeling annoyed again, both at himself and at her.

Does she not trust him to do right by her, or at least by his brother? It's rather insulting that she's making such an assumption, that he wouldn't eliminate any threat to someone he had a responsibility towards.

Then again, much to his chagrin, he has to admit that her conclusion isn't far from the truth. True, he got away from Hoshigaki and his brat, but they're still alive as well and he has no way of knowing if they are going to make this mission even more complicated than it already was.

"Possibly. I came into conflict with a Kiri nukenin, Hoshigaki Kisame, and an adolescent boy he appears to have taken on as an apprentice, Suigetsu. I'm uncertain if he was working for anyone, but I wouldn't rule it out." He admits grudgingly.

And isn't that galling? He doesn't know, and he should. Information gathering is a skill he'd prided him self on, and now he can't even tell if an opponent he'd actually fought was working for someone else? It's insulting and embarrassing. Has he really allowed his skills to deteriorate so much since he'd retired from ANBU? Truly?

Sennichikou looks eerily blank. "Oh. That's . . . Unfortunate."

And isn't that an understatement of impressive proportions? Unfortunate? The word hardly does it justice; given just what kind of mess they've gotten themselves into.

"Itachi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei is passed out and we don't know what to do!" The civilian girl finally notices his presence, sounding far too relieved for his comfort.

Fortunately, Sennichikou apparently has more sense than apparently the rest of her teammates.

She sighs in exasperation.

"Naruto, Sasuke, I don't care which, help me get Hatake-sensei up and we can carry him."

"No way, Sen-chan! Me 'n the Teme can carry Kakashi-sensei ourselves, you don't have to do it!" Naruto immediately protests.

"Then please do so. We should hurry up and get out of the open. I don't fancy running into anymore enemies when Hatake-sensei is out of commission and Itachi-sensei is somewhat compromised."

Well, that's uncalled for. He's perfectly fine, if a little fatigued.

"Leave it, Sennichikou. I'm still in fighting condition if the need should arise." Itachi says, feeling rather insulted by her lack of faith in him.

"You're tired, Itachi-sensei. Even I can see that. It's better to be safe than sorry when the mission is on the line." She counters, just as sharply.

She has a point. He's not about to admit it, but knows she's right. It's a little embarrassing that she's serving as the voice of reason as well as the team leader for a squad she technically doesn't belong to, but no one is contesting it and she seems to have everything in hand so he doesn't have a reason to complain or interfere.

"Hey, now, kids. Let's not fight. We're almost to my house." Their client tries to mediate.

Kid? Kid? He had thought he was feeling insulted earlier, but that takes the cake! He is not a kid. None of them, technically, are kids. The hitai-ate is proof of that, being granted one means the village considers a shinobi to be an adult or at least close to one. There are a handful of age specific restrictions mostly relating to alcohol and/or sex, but by and large a nin with a hitai-ate is considered of age.

Before he can protest, Sennichikou intercedes. Again.

"Exactly. Let's go."

She is, of course, correct. That doesn't mean they won't be having words later on. Even if she is correct, he is the jonin and is currently in charge of the mission while Hatake is incapacitated. For her to usurp command is not appropriate. Not to mention they still need to discuss her 'body art'.

Still, they have a job to do and they'll damn well do it to the best of their abilities.

It's about a day before he gets around to finally cornering Sennichikou. Itachi knows it's probably something he should have taken care of as soon as they arrived at the client's home but there was so much that needed to be done he just couldn't find the time. It's a poor excuse but it's the truth.

With Hatake down, he's been trying to keep on top of everything and managing four genin is not an easy task. Fortunately, Sennichikou hasn't been giving him any trouble the way he'd half-expected her to, given her recent behavior. None of the others are acting out either, which is a blessing Itachi is grateful for. Even so, it's still tiring. They need to watch the client and his family and also take surveillance of Nami no Kuni, since clearly most of their information is outdated. Gato's presence shouldn't have made such an immediate impact, no matter how savvy he was in business. Then again, Nami isn't one of the larger villages so it's entirely possible any changes made simply weren't noted as being worth paying attention to.

With all of that said, he knows that it's time he talked to his student. Sennichikou has been taking care of all the duties he's assigned her without complaint or argument so he knows she'll be right where he told her to be, on watch duty from the roof.

It doesn't take her long to acknowledge his presence, once he's made his way up to the roof. She doesn't turn to face him, however, instead murmuring a quiet, "Sensei." Then, she continues to scan the area with her eyes.

He studies her for a moment.

Long dark hair, longer than most women care to wear theirs whether they are kunoichi or civilians, is partially pinned up. Females tend to be vain about the oddest things and that is the only reason he hasn't ordered her to cut her hair to a more reasonable length, but he can admit that it does look nice even if it isn't at all practical. Her fair skin is almost luminous in the low light from the moon and stars, more white than he's ever seen it but somehow not unhealthy looking. At night, Sennichikou looks fey, like some otherworldly spirit or kami. He hadn't been paying much attention before, but now he can see it quite clearly. All that said . . .

She's so damn young looking. Tall for her age, perhaps, but she certainly doesn't weigh as much as she ought to. He knows she eats well, has partaken of her cooking a time or two even, but she doesn't look like she's getting all the nutrients she needs. There's none of the 'baby fat' he's so used to seeing in children her age to soften her features. It's not that they're unpleasantly sharp because they aren't; in fact they're very nice though that's (obviously) not something he'll actually be telling her. He'd prefer that his student not suspect him of being a pedophile, as he isn't one, and he isn't old enough to get away with saying something like that without such a conclusion being drawn. She's very much a child, only just beginning to develop the way Haruno has already started to.

Idly, Itachi wonders if he'll need to find a kunoichi to speak with Sennichikou before too long once they get back to Konoha. He's not sure if she went through all of the kunoichi courses and lectures about expectations for kunoichi, both in terms of their duties and their bodies once puberty begins, given that she skipped two grades ahead at the Academy. Uzuki would be a good choice, he suspects. They were comrades in ANBU and were on fairly good terms even without that consideration, so he could ask her easily enough. She'd probably agree, too. Sennichikou has quite a bit in common with the woman he would almost dare to consider an older sister figure, very serious and driven and a bit unorthodox as well.

"Sennichikou. I think now would be a fitting time to have our discussion." He finally says, trying his damnedest not to sound accusatory or suspicious. The last thing he needs is for her to go on the defensive about something that may not even be an issue, causing her distrust to grow towards him and others in Konoha. Itachi isn't blind; he knows very well that Sennichikou doesn't much trust either him or his clan. She doesn't much trust anyone, to be honest, but it's particularly evident towards the Uchiha clan as a whole. He doesn't blame her, but it does make it difficult to relate when he knows she's almost constantly wondering if he's going to stab her in the back or cut her throat the very instant she shows any weakness.

She's not best pleased. She retorts with, "If we must."

He consciously decides not to take affront to her cheek. It's bound to be an uncomfortable discussion, and he knows she has a tendency to lash out with words more often than with fists though the latter isn't unheard of with her, either. A little sarcasm is a far preferable response and one he's perfectly happy to accept.

She refuses to meet his gaze, still scanning the area with her eyes. She hasn't yet learned to lie with her eyes, and he can definitely use that so he needs her to actually look at him while they talk. He proceeds to take matters into his own hands, literally. Gently but firmly, he grasps her chin and turns her face towards him. Even in the low light, he can just barely make out the slight darkening of her cheeks that suggests blushing. Curious.

"Indeed. These markings . . ." he traces some of the elaborate curling marks tattooing her upper arm with his index finger, "They aren't natural. They certainly aren't old. How did you get them?"

He inwardly curses his impulsive actions. Touching her so suggestively is . . . unwise. He knows that. Itachi was trying to make his point, which he suspects he rather did although perhaps not in the way he should have. He is not usually so tactile, a trait they both share.

Itachi definitely knows he ought not to take note of the way his touch makes her shiver. She is a child, one younger, even, than his own brother. Why is he noticing the way she reacts to him? It's not a sexual thing, thank all the kami that be, but it's certainly not appropriate. Even less appropriate is his absent realization that her skin is quite soft and even the markings have the same texture as the rest of her skin. They aren't raised or rough, all have the same smoothness.

"I . . ." Her voice falters, breath slightly hitching. "Could . . . Could you stop that? Touching me? Please? It's hard to concentrate with you doing that." She admits, distracted.

His hand drops as though he were burned. Itachi dearly hopes she doesn't realize how off-kilter she makes him. Sennichikou is showing a certain, rather regrettable, knack for putting him off-balance.

Haltingly, she begins her explanation. "Um. It's going to sound stupid, but I really did wake up like this. And . . . This wasn't the first time. The marks have spread with each incident. I haven't noticed any other changes or differences so I just . . . Didn't mention it. I didn't think it was important."

She genuinely seems to believe her words, though he can tell she's still holding something back. He's not sure what it is, or even if it's all that important, but he needs to know.

"So it's natural, then?" He hums his question, noncommittal.

"Right."

"And you're certain you haven't noticed any other changes, no new abilities or anything?"

"I don't think so, no."

He pauses at that response. She doesn't think so? What does that mean?

"That's an interesting way of answering. You don't think so?"

"I've been learning a lot and learning it pretty quickly, but I've always been a bit odd so I can't say if that's unusual or not." Sennichikou clarifies.

Again, he rather suspects she's holding something back but doubts he'll get any more out of her at this point so he supposes he must move on.

"Aa. That makes sense. If this happens again, or if anything changes, you will report it to me immediately. I can't help if I don't know what's going on."

This is said to warn her, though he doubts she grasps the implications. If anyone found out about her changes and reported them, Itachi knows they would drag her into interrogation and the hospital to determine if it's a proper kekkai genkai that can be passed on to her offspring and if it belonged to one of the other villages who could attempt to lay claim to her. More than that, she would probably wind up being hauled before Homura, Koharu, Danzo, and the Hokage himself. If he knows beforehand, he can at least intervene on her behalf and possibly take her under his protection and that of his clan until she is ready to begin a family of her own. If he doesn't know, he can't help her at all.

"Un." She nods, though her doubtfulness is readily apparent.

He is less than impressed. She should be able to trust him implicitly but she clearly doesn't. Itachi wishes he could blame her for that but . . . Well, the Uchiha do have a certain reputation and, unfortunately, it is not completely undeserved. He can see why she might doubt him.

"Get some sleep, Sennichikou." He finally sighs, too tired to deal with all this.

"Yes, sensei." She inclines her head slightly as she says this before quietly leaving.

Itachi doesn't watch her exit, doesn't let his gaze trail after her despite his desire to do so. It would be inappropriate and, besides, he has a job to do. Fixating on his student won't help him do what he's being paid for.

He spends the rest of his watch determined to put all such thoughts out of his mind until they're back in the village and perhaps even longer than that.

They aren't productive thoughts, after all. More than that, they are rather less than healthy.

His clan, as a whole, has a rather unfortunate tendency to obsess. His father is obsessed with gaining and holding power in any form he can. His mother is obsessed with being the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko (2), the personification of the feminine ideal according to tradition. Even his brother is beginning to show signs of starting to obsess, though his interests appear to be split between surpassing his clan and his desire to claim and dominate Sennichikou. And all of that is just in his immediate family, there's an even longer history dating all the way back to their ancestor, Madara. Itachi is at a particularly high risk for becoming obsessed with something, given all that. His recent interest in his student is quite alarming, as a result.

So no, he is quite aware that he needs to avoid those sorts of thoughts if he doesn't want to become one of the few shinobi banned from ever taking a genin team. It doesn't occur frequently, but there have been a few instances where it has happened. For all that being a ninja is not considered a terribly honorable career; there are a few things that even they will not tolerate. Abusing children is one of them, and that is exactly what would be assumed if it got out he was inappropriately interested in his first student. Even if it isn't a sexual interest, people tend to assume the worst and that's what would happen.

He won't think about the way her skin feels (soft, so soft he can hardly believe it).

He won't let his mind linger on how vulnerable he can make her feel (even if he can't forget the way she looks, eyes bright and skin delicately flushed with fear and apprehension).

He will ignore the tattoos scrolling down her limbs and body (he wonders how far they go, if the marks extend everywhere, but he knows it's not something he'll ever ask her because he can't).

He has to. For both their sakes.

Hatake comes too the next day. It's a mixed blessing, particularly when he informs them that their foe, Momochi Zabuza, is most likely still alive and the so-called Oinin (3) was his associate.

Itachi can't even blame him for that, given he'd passed out soon after their confrontation with the nukenin and didn't have much time to do anything.

Itachi can and does blame himself, though. He was foolish to engage Hoshigaki when he did, although he will admit it hadn't been entirely his choice. He had known the circumstances were already messed up, that their information wasn't up to date, and he'd still left his student and brother to check the perimeter. He could have helped Hatake, could have stayed close, but he hadn't. The kids could have been killed, particularly if Momochi's associate had gotten involved while their sensei was otherwise occupied. That's unforgivably careless.

It has, understandably, alarmed everyone. Even Sennichikou and Sasuke, usually so unflappable, look startled and ill at ease with the newly revealed information. Itachi doesn't blame them; it's not a comforting thought that such a powerful foe survived despite appearances to the contrary.

When Haruno and Uzumaki demand an explanation about how Hatake didn't realize Momochi wasn't dead, he wants to chide them for questioning their mentor in plain view of their client and his family but bites his tongue. They need to know, if only to avoid a similar situation in the future. Sasuke and Sennichikou don't question Hatake so vocally, but there's no doubt their listening closely to his explanation.

Sennichikou is also glancing pointedly at the civilians, though she isn't saying anything. It's pretty obvious that she doesn't think they ought to be here, but there's nothing Itachi can do about it even if he does agree. This is their home, after all, and the ninja are visitors to their place of residence. They can hardly be forced out, given all that.

"I did make sure Zabuza was dead but a deathlike trance could have created a very convincing illusion of the real thing. Those senbon (4) that Oinin used can be deadly if they hit a vital spot. If not, however, the mortality rate is surprisingly low. Remember, too, that they were originally designed as medical treatment tools. Hunter-nin and all members of any village's corpse disposal squad must possess an intimate and thorough knowledge of human physiology. It would be simple for one of them to place a person into a near-death state."

"Other than all this circumstantial evidence, how do you even know if that Hunter-nin was in league with Momochi? Isn't it possible that Kirigakure has their own secret methods or jutsu involved in corpse disposal that they don't want other villages to know about?" Sennichikou asks suspiciously.

"Possible, yes, but it's not likely. There are a few reasons for that. For one, because of all those things you mentioned, most villages use a pretty standard method of body disposal, decapitation and dismemberment, before destroying what's left. As for why I think the masked boy was an accomplice of Zabuza's, there's two reasons. First of all, the masked boy went to all the trouble of hauling Zabuza's heavy carcass away. Secondly, the senbon he used, while potentially deadly, can also be used to inflict non-fatal injury. These two points suggest that the kid's objective was to give the illusion of killing Zabuza while he actually rescued him. Things may be just the way they seemed, but we have to consider the other possibility." Hatake concedes.

Itachi hates to say it, and he probably won't admit it out loud, but Hatake is right. A ninja who doesn't take all possibilities into account is a ninja who winds up dead. That's just the way it is.

"Aren't you just complicating things by over-thinking them? Hunter-nin are supposed to hunt nukenin, right?" The client asks.

"Usually, yes, but ignoring something that smells this fishy is a great first step to being caught completely unprepared. And preparation is a shinobi's most important skill!" Hatake tells the genin pointedly.

"Oh well! Whether Zabuza is alive or dead, there may still be more and even deadlier ninja in the service of your enemy, Gato." Hatake almost sounds flippant, but Itachi knows better.

And now he has to own up to his own little clash.

"Hatake is right. While I'm not certain he's in Gato's employ, Hoshigaki Kisame is also in the area and I have already come into conflict with him. He, too, appears to have taken on a student or apprentice in a young man who seems to be in his early teens but perhaps even younger than that."

Sennichikou narrows her eyes in thought before speaking, "The apprentice . . . Could you gauge what level he's at? Is he as advanced as the Oinin? In case we come into conflict with those two, I mean."

"I didn't engage him but I highly doubt Hoshigaki would take on any student who was less than exceptionally talented. I can't really say what level he might be, but I would advise against engaging him if at all possible." Itachi tells her, seriously.

"Any idea why Hoshigaki is even in the area?" Hatake asks.

"No. He could just be passing through the area, of course, but it is better for us to be overly cautious than under prepared."

"Should we abort the mission, you think? An A-rank nukenin was one thing, but an S-rank one is completely out of our league." Sennichikou asks worriedly.

"We don't have any probable cause to believe he's in Gato's employ, and we already agreed to take on the mission. Unless we get confirmation of Hoshigaki's involvement, we will continue as planned." Hatake reminds her.

Sennichikou bites her lip but doesn't say anything else. Her eyes say what her voice doesn't, however. She's worried, and justifiably so. Nonetheless, Hatake is also correct.

They have to continue the mission.

Haruno chooses then to pipe up, "Sensei! You said preparation is a ninja's most important skill but right now you can't even move. What are you going to do?"

Hatake snickers, "Heh. I'm going to increase your training schedule!"

Sennichikou glances at Itachi, "Am I included in this or am going to be working with you, Uchiha-sensei?"

"It depends on what Hatake-san is planning on teaching. We will still be working together, however."

"Oh, I imagine you've already started Sen-chan on what I plan to teach my cute little genin. You didn't need to worry about teamwork exercises, after all, so it would be a shame if you hadn't taught her what I intend to teach the other three." Hatake says breezily.

Itachi tries not to glare daggers at the older man for his thinly veiled jab at Itachi's teaching abilities. Given Sennichikou's arched brow, he suspects he rather failed.

The other genin don't seem to notice the byplay.

Haruno raises her voice, "What?! Training?! But Kakashi-sensei, what will a little extra training now matter with what we're up against? Our opponent is a ninja so powerful that even with your Sharingan, he almost defeated you!"

Hatake gives her a flat look, distinctly unimpressed. "And when I was beleaguered, Sakura . . . Think about who it was that rescued me. You are all maturing, progressing rapidly, and your powers are growing exponentially . . . Especially you, Naruto! You've grown the most!"

Sennichikou, he notices, hides her slight smile at the way Uzumaki practically lights up at Hatake's praise. She isn't coloring, not the way she had when Itachi had confronted her in any case, but it's unusual for the reserved girl to show anything so openly. He wonders if she, perhaps, fancies the blond boy. It would be . . . surprising, given how they are almost diametrically opposite in personality. He wonders why the thought is so discomfiting. Is it because his beloved younger brother is similarly interested in the girl, and Itachi doesn't want him to be hurt? It doesn't matter, of course, but he still finds it curious.

Speaking of his brother, Itachi casts a side-glance at the boy, wondering if he'd seen Sennichikou's response. The black look Sasuke is currently giving the blond affirms that, yes, he did see Sennichikou's slight smile and no, he was not pleased to see it directed at another. Itachi suppresses a sigh. Ah, young love. He's rather glad he never faced such trials and tribulations at that age. Granted, he was in ANBU and was more preoccupied with staying alive and completing his missions than contemplating whether Inuzuka Hana was smiling at Shisui or at him. Regardless, it's one experience he's never had to deal with before.

He turns his attention back to Hatake, who has continued speaking while he was distracted.

"The skills I'll be teaching you will only be a temporary measure, until I've recovered enough to . . ."

Haruno interjects again, "But, sensei! Even if Zabuza's alive, how can we just train if we don't know when he'll return and strike again?"

"An excellent question . . . But once a person has been placed into a near death trance, it's quite some time before their body returns to its previous state of health and readiness."

Uzumaki is still grinning, "So we'll train while we're waiting! Could be fun, ne?"

"It won't be fun for you." A small boy says gloomily. He looks quite a bit like the client's daughter, Tsunami, so Itachi assumes he is her son. He's wearing a pair of loose teal overalls with a high-collared off-white tee shirt and a striped bucket-like hat that looks a little too big on him. His face is quite gloomy, his dark eyes too old and tired for his apparent age of eight-years-old. Itachi doesn't think he's ever seen a child as utterly depressing as this boy is, and finds it rather annoying.

"Who the heck are you?" Uzumaki demands, squinting at the younger boy and pointing rudely.

"Inari! Where have you been?" Tazuna says, surprisingly cheerful given the circumstances and what they had just been talking about.

"Welcome home, Ojii-san." The boy, Inari, responds slightly less moody as he moves forward to hug Tazuna.

"Inari, greet our guests properly! They're the esteemed ninja who brought your Ojii-san home safely!" Tsunami scolds her son.

"Ah, it's all right, right, Inari?" Tazuna chuckles, while patting the boy's head fondly.

"But, Okaa-san, they're all gonna die." Inari argues sullenly.

"Oi, you little . . ." Uzumaki is getting irritated.

"It's no use. No one can beat Gato and his men."

That, apparently, is all it takes to send Uzumaki over the edge and soon Haruno is trying to hold him back.

"You gaki (5)!" Uzumaki roars.

"You idiot, he's just a kid! Calm down!" Haruno snaps when Uzumaki tries to lunge forward.

That, at least, seems to have a somewhat calming effect. Itachi doesn't care to speculate whether Uzumaki is calming down because it's the rational thing to do or because of his crush on Haruno and not wanting to upset her.

Uzumaki's next outburst has him wanting to groan at how utterly stupid it sounds.

"Listen up, kid! I'm going to be the next Hokage, dattebayo! That's the most powerful, most respected ninja in the village, a hero! Gato? 'Gateau'? This guy's named 'chocolate'! You can't seriously expect me to be afraid of that!"

Sennichikou's closed her eyes and looks almost pained following his exclamation. Itachi doesn't blame her. How did he even get to chocolate from Gato? Honestly.

"Hero? You're stupid, there's no such thing." Inari scoffs.

"Wha . . . What?!" Uzumaki splutters, completely thrown.

"Calm down, Stupid! I said quit it!" Haruno hisses.

"If you don't wanna die, go home now." Inari advises them apathetically, turning to leave.

"Where are you off too, Inari?" Tazuna asks.

"I'm going to watch the ocean from my room." Inari tells him, continuing to walk away. He slams the door behind him.

"Please forgive him," Tazuna asks them half-heartedly, but doesn't expand on that.

Uzumaki storms after Inari but nobody moves to follow him.

"Uchiha-sensei, what do you want me to do?" Sennichikou asks him flatly, breaking the silence that fell over them. Itachi is surprised she didn't follow after the blond boy when he'd taken off; he'd expected her too. She seems quite fond of him, after all.

"Come. We'll work on your training."

"Mm. Sounds like a plan." She gets to her feet from where she'd been kneeling. It's a surprisingly graceful motion, but not one he's unused to seeing in her. For all her faults, being truly clumsy is not one she can be accused of.

Itachi feels a stab of annoyance at seeing the way Sasuke's gaze follows the younger girl, a slight heat he didn't expect to see so early in the boy giving an intensity to Sasuke's expression. He determinedly ignores it, and resists speculating about why it irritates him so much.

Itachi leads the way out. They've got a few hours of daylight left, and they might as well take advantage of it. Now that Hatake is conscious again, he can decide what he wants his brats to be doing and it's none of Itachi's concern unless it unnecessarily endangers his brother.

Translations:

1. Fuka – large shark (Kansai dialect) To be honest, this was more about wordplay and Suigetsu's less than reverent attitude. I don't know if he speaks in the Kansai dialect or not. If you don't get it, sound it out. Same is roughly equivalent since it means 'shark' and is more common in use, hence Samehada meaning 'shark skin'.

2. Yamato Nadeshiko – This is a cultural reference, obviously. According to Wikipedia, 'Yamato Nadeshiko' is a Japanese term meaning 'personification of an idealized Japanese woman'. Also known as an ideal Japanese woman per Confucianism, it revolves around acting for the benefit of the family and following instructions or acting in the best interest of patriarchal authority figures. Virtues include loyalty, domestic ability, wisdom, and humility. Given what we know of Mikoto, isn't that particularly fitting?

3. oinin – hunter nin, shinobi hunter

4. senbon – acupuncture needles

5. gaki - brat