A tryst with destiny (Tales of a Gutsy Ninja - 2)

Chapter 6 : The first hurdle

Aira P.O.V

Gaara...

Sorry...I had to this but...I feel an odd sense of freedom. I know that Gaara doesn't face anymore troubles until the fourth great shinobi war.

All I have to do now is look out for him from afar. He doesn't need me...

"Aira?"

I turned around to find Itachi watching me rather intently. He didn't look expressionless rather...a faint blush coated his cheeks as he turned away.

Aira: Itachi?

Itachi: I'd ask consider asking you to change into a more 'appropriate' attire.

Huh?

My eyes widened in shock when I looked down at myself. Itachi was right...It was high time I changed my outfit.

'S-Sorry...it's just that the link with Shukaku took a lot of chakra. I could no longer focus chakra on you.'

I see...but then Isobu still did a good job hiding my real appearance for three years. You see, thanks to Isobu's time manipulation ability...I looked like a 13 yr old kid despite being 16yr old...just a year younger than Gaara. It made people underestimate me and used up 90% of Isobu's chakra making it easier to hide his chakra since there was less of it available for other use.

But maintaining that link took a lot out of him. If it's true that it takes a lot of chakra then I should use Isobu's power as little as possible so that I could devote to reviving jinchurikis using the tailed-beast chakra sealed in me. But looks like I've hit on a limitation. I won't be able to save more than one jinchuriki at a time.

But...more important things first. I was wearing a 13yr old girl's dress despite being bodily 16 yrs old. The dress that adorn me was...too short.

Aira: And that is a wonderful suggestion...one that I shall take into consideration...immediately!

I turned beet red. Itachi is a guy! The hell am I doing, dressed so scantily in front of him. I quickly too a kimono and wore it. Due to the height difference, it only came till me knees.

I looked at the mirror...wow...I look different. Just like the other characters of Naruto. Long Silver tresses and sharper face features. My body was more mature as well...but unfortunately my 'assets' were nothing compared to Hinata or Tsunade. Guess they are not exceptions without reason...

But overall, I looked so different that no one who knew me in the past would realize that it was me.

Then it struck me...how did Itachi know it was me? Because I still had the same silver hair and scarlet eyes? That makes no sense...I definitely look different...unless...

Aira: Itachi, how is it that you realized it was me? The outfit?

Itachi: No. I knew you were hiding you age from the very beginning. My suspicion was only confirmed when you used a space-time jutsu to materialize the chakra strings that 'defeated' me. So...I expected you to look different. Seems like whatever you did consumed too much of your chakra.

Aira: Is it because of your Sharingan?

Itachi: Exactly. Even if the others become unable to recognize the three-tails, any Sharingan user will be able to sense it since our dojutsu allow us to 'see' chakra no matter how small or weak it is. Surely we'll be able to make out if you have one or two types of chakra in you.

I see...that would mean that I won't be able to fool any Sharingan and there are six Sharingan users in this world : Sasuke, Itachi, Danzo, Kakashi, Obito and Madara and...later on Kaguya. I won't be able to hide Isobu from them.