Red Butterfly

Chapter 6, No Remorse

Itachi's P.O.V

Having inherited the will of fire, I am torn between channeling this will into devotion for my village or my clan. I can't get a hold of a single moment where someone in the Uchiha wasn't complaining about the village. They all want an Uchiha in the Fire Shadow position. What's a normal childhood like? As much as I despise it, a part of me has known that if I weren't born into the Uchiha I'd be less dead inside.

The pressure doesn't matter when there are those you love on the brink of danger, I'll have to endure. At the Anbu, everyone moves like a leaf twirling in the wind. So silent and gloomy, almost undetectable. I spot Kakashi and the Wood Style user, Tenzo. I've heard that Lord Third's disciple, Orochimaru had done illegal experiments and Tenzo was one of them. Tenzo was the only successful experiment. Having inherited Hashirama Senju's cells, he's a necessity of the Hidden Leaf. I heard he only gets appointed on high-level S-rank missions.

"Itachi!", Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja calls out to me, his hands shoved in his pockets. His Anbu uniform was a little torn and battle scars covered them. I was appointed under his command ever since I joined the Anbu.

"Yes", I reply back as I walk towards them. "We got a mission", he announces. I nod and wait for him to explain what our mission is. I crossed my finger and hoped that this mission wasn't an S-rank. My schedule today is kind of full, so I can't afford to waste any time. I'll have to go to multiple places today and transfer intel back and forth.

"Infiltrators from the Hidden Stone have been spotted on the borders of the Leaf Village". Kakashi offers to explain as quickly as possible. There was no doubt about it, this is an official S-rank mission. So much for my busy schedule...

We immediately bolted for the borders, making sure to equip ourselves with ample supplies of kunais and shurikens. The Hidden Stone is a well-known adversary to Hidden Leaf, and this is not their first attempt to secretly infiltrate the village. There, at the borders of the Leaf, Kakashi had already explained our plan as well as our formations along the way. The three of us segregate, each hiding in trees that neighbor each other. Kakashi gives me a heads up that only I could decipher. I nod at him, inspecting the landscape before me as I feel my eyes lose the murk in them, therefore flickering with a red hue. Sharingan activated.

Along the way, Kakashi explained that a Lightning Style user has a greater advantage when facing an Earth Style user. Acknowledging the fact that he uses his signature Lightning Blade, Chidori, I feel like we already have the advantage. Since Tenzo and I don't acquire Lightning release, therefore we remain within the shadows. I scan the landscape in search of any movements, in such cases, the Hyuga's Byakugan would be of much better use than the Sharingan.

I kept my eyes wide open knowing that Earth Style users can hide underground. Any moment now they could emerge from beneath and attack. The possibility that they're aware of our presence is half by half. So now we would wait till The Hidden Stone has launched their attack first. However, knowing Kakashi, The Copy Ninja of the Leaf. He had it all sort out along the way.

And so I exchange shortcutted glances with Tenzo and Kakashi, nodding when Kakashi gave me the signal. "Now!", he orders. It's moments like these that I appreciate, The White Fang's son in total action and not just reading a stupid book. At a moment's notice, Kakashi jumps in mid-air, his Sharingan exposed and two blinding lightning blades developing in each palm. It seems he had also detected the chakra of the Hidden stone infiltrators. His palms rests in the rough soil, the earth around these areas of the border tends to be moistened with water, therefore acting as a catalyst for the lightning blade to electricate the area when contacted.

Everything is going according to the plan, the infiltrators emerged from beneath the ground, screaming in agony. This is where Tenzo, the Wood Style user comes in use. He too exposes himself as he jumps out of his hiding place to stand side by side with Kakashi. He clasps his hands together tightly and declares, "Wood Style!", immediately ensnaring the enemy within the grasps of the mutual wood he created. I come last according to the plan and emerge from within the shadows of the tree. Instantly, I made eye contact with one of the infiltrators of the Hidden Stone as I land beside my two comrades. Once his eyes focused on my crimson ones, at once it was declared as a losing battle for the Hidden Stone. I had who I assumed to be the captain of the pack engulfed in a Genjutsu, where he'd be stabbed continuously. Each minute feeling like days or months, depending on his endurance.