The Lost Ninja

Following Itachi

I enter the office by slamming the door open making both occupants look up at me. I slide my Anbu mask off putting it away before placing my hands on the desk staring Pein in the eye. I breathe deeply knowing I shouldn't have used my chakra again, but it was necessary. It's only a matter of time before I start throwing blood up and I want to make sure and get my point across before then.

"Did you send them after the nine-tails jinchuriki? Don't bullshit me because I'm not in the mood to be fed lies."

"I wanted them to test the child to see what he is capable of and if necessary they were to capture the jinchuriki. Why are you so upset over this Yuki? You knew this day was coming."

"Just know if you make a move against the one-tails or the nine-tails there will be hell to pay. They are under my protection and I won't allow anyone to harm them under my watch."

"You can't possibly think you can protect both of them can you? You're no match for any of the members that I would send. They will kill you if you ever fought them head on." He says just as Ita-nii and Uncle Kisa show up.

"I went against them today and you believe me incapable to fight the members that are lower than them? What the hell do you think I've been doing? I know things now that you can't even imagine me knowing. Leave the jinchuriki out of this! They have enough troubles as it is!" I shout at him, but I get cut off.

I bend over to throw up blood breathing quickly in the hopes I won't throw up more. I lose my hold on the desk and fall to my knees throwing up blood again more violently. My arms begin shaking as the chakra exhaustion begins to set in and I feel a hand on my shoulder. I throw up blood for the third time making the person gasp when they realise I have no wounds that need to be healed. I give a shaky laugh as I try to wipe the blood from my mouth knowing I'll pass out soon. I've been reckless in using my chakra and this is the price I'll have to pay for it.

"Konan she is fine and does not need healing. She's just simply used almost all of her chakra quite recklessly and this is her price. Set her in her room and we'll have a member watch her in shifts to make sure she regains her chakra."

Konan picks me up easily making me frown before we leave the room and she leaves me alone in my own room. I slip my weapons off and place them against the wall within arms reach before sitting on my bed against the wall. So far, I've been lucky the Elders haven't summoned me and I hope that can hold out for a few days so I can regain my chakra. Once that thought passes trough my mind a quiet knock on my door pulls my eyes to the door. Itachi stands in the doorway watching me as if he is asking permission to come in the room making me raise an eyebrow at him. He must think he's terribly upset me if he wants to ask permission to come in.

"What are you doing standing in the doorway Ita-nii? Are you taking the first shift to watch over me?"

"So you are not too upset with me then?"

"I know you had your orders plus your brother was being a Baka. Pein made it clear that you aren't actually using the jinchuriki just yet so everything is fine."

He slips into the room before coming to it next to me on my bed with a tired sigh making me give a small smile. It's just like when I was growing up and the two of us had a free day to ourselves. It's utterly silent in the base and I can feel how my body wants to give into the exhaustion, but I refuse to pass out. Plus I'm curious as to why the hell my hair keeps going back and forth from red to silver almost as if my hair has a mind of its own. It's possible the curse mark is still reeking havoc with my body because I refuse to use it like Orochimaru wants me to. At that thought I brush my fingertips unconsciously against the curse mark with a sigh. First this curse mark gives me intense bodily pain and now it's making my hair change colours at a moments notice.

"Does the mark bother you still?" Itachi asks breaking me from my musings.

"No, I've been able to control it recently, but my hair has been changing from red to silver and back. This only started today, but I think it may be connected to the curse mark. My curse mark is not reacting in the way other curse marks do and I guess it's a side effect I'll have to get used to." I respond with a shrug.

"Everyone wondered why your hair was changing colours, but we didn't come up with that. You should be sleeping to replenish your chakra Yuki."

"I don't feel like going to sleep right now in case the Elders try to summon me. I don't need to give them another reason to exile me from Konoha when they already want to and no one is able to stop them now."

"What about all the Jonin and Anbu level ninjas who would side with you after watching you grow up? I already know there are genin that would even fight to keep you in the village."

"What does that amount to against the Elders Ita-nii? Ojii-san was the only reason that they couldn't and now he's gone which means they could do whatever they please. I already know which Elder is responsible for wanting me to leave Konoha anyways."

"Which Elder is it that hates you this much?" He says confused as to why someone could hate someone they don't really know.

"Danzo hates me because I'm too smart than he thought while I was in the Academy. I hid how much I knew and now he's afraid that I'm too powerful much like your clan. He can't have me killed though because it would cause an uproar in the village and other villages."

"Especially Suna, considering you've become close with the Kazekage's children."

"Maybe that will be my back up plan if anything ever happens back in Konoha. I'll lay low in Suna for a bit with the help of the siblings and finally see Suna for myself instead of hearing stories about the city."

"To think you would need a back up plan in case of horrible circumstances that you can't control for protecting yourself. The nightmares have started up again, haven't they?"

"You would have figured it out the more I stayed awake. You've always been one of the ones to read me like a book unlike most everyone I know."

"Who all is able to read you so well? We aren't used to people reading you so well as to know your thoughts."

"There are four people alive who can read me without thinking. It's you, Uncle Shi, Shikimaru, and Neji. If Ojii-san was still alive then he would be on the list, but Orochimaru took his life."

"You have so many who would protect you, but they don't really see how your mind works."

"Yeah well you don't have anyone besides me either Ita-nii so that's okay. They may not understand how my mind works, but they do know I would do anything to make sure the people I bring with me will stay alive. I'll fight until my last breath as long as they make it out alive."

"It's time for you to sleep, Yuki. I'll stay with you as long as you sleep so the nightmares don't bother you."

I nod before letting my eyes slip shut as he slips to sit on the floor next to my bed just like he used to. Unconsciously I hold onto his cloak and I see him give a ghost of a smile as I finally begin drifting off with an exhausted sigh.

*A/N: So, the song from the last chapter is going to be Yuki's character song. I took a look at the lyrics and they screamed Yuki. The video at the top is the lyrics to the song in case you want to take a gander at them. Thanks for reading!*