Stream of past

Under the Feather of a Crow

The sun was shining on a hot summer day, a slight breeze was blowing, rustling the leaves. Sitting at the edge of a cliff, near a waterfall, was a 15 year old boy, his short curly hair was being ruffled by the wind, and he smiled softly at a crow perched on his arm. He appeared to be in his own world, occasionally petting the bird but mostly just gazing at the horizon. His doe eyes would occasionally track the movements of birds flying in the sky.

"-as ROOT had fallen, we've taken the time to track the background of each agent..." said Tsunade.

"It's such a beautiful day out, don't you think?" said the boy. "Look even the birds are flying around." as he said that, his crow saw fit to depart, flapping its wings before soaring through the sky.

"I've always found them fascinating you know? Such beautiful creatures, forever unbound and unshackled by the earth, defying gravity at each and every turn. Sometimes I wish I was a bird."

"-of course we eventually came across the file that you are holding, it was one of Danzo's better hidden ones in fact..."

"To be able to fly away without worries, no duties, no responsibility, just endless freedom as far as their little beady eyes can see. Makes them feel untouchable..." he sighed in melancholy. "...But not invincible, no certainly not. If a birds decides to venture into a storm, the strong winds will certainly bring them down, rip out their gorgeous feathers and let them fall. Gravity crushing their hopes and dreams of an endless peaceful sky."

"...I swear if I had known any earlier I would have contacted you, but this only landed on my desk this morning..."

"In a way I kinda feel like flightless bird, wishing to taste the endless peace of the sky but unable to as my wings were clipped a while ago. Dreaming of it every night only to wake up to reality in the morning." the boy gave a bitter laugh. "But who knows, maybe if we succeed the next generation will be able to taste the freedom of the sky, yourself included of course, Tachi."

"Whatever you decide to do, you will have my full support Itachi."

"But what about you?" asked another boy of 13.

"Ah, I think it might be a little to late for me in that, I've been stuck in the shadows, planning and reworking for so long, I don't think I would recognize peace if it slapped me in the face. But you still have a chance, so if...no, when we succeed, spread your wings and fly. Chose your own path."

"I..."

A young man of 21 ran through a hall, sandaled feet slapping the ground, his destination being the mess hall of the ROOT rehabilitation center.

The scene morphs, from a sunny day to a starless night, the location remains the same, at the edges of a cliff, near a waterfall. The two boys sit there, watching the water. The older of the two appears hurt, blood staining his face, he softly tells the younger what had transpired, who was involved and why.

"If internal warfare breaks out in the Leaf, the neighbouring villages will invade..."

The door to the mess hall opens, and the young man makes his way with equal measured steps towards his target.