We Are Shinobi (Naruto Fanfic)

6: Betrayal

Hey wonderful readers! So you'll have to forgive me on this one. It's not entirely accurate to the actual events of the birth but I had to modify it to make it work with my plans. Hopefully you enjoy.

~R

The forest only seems to be getting farther away every running step I take towards the tree line. Each thump on the hard ground forces heavy feelings to come over my body. It becomes too much, like a constant pressure, and I fall to my knees with a grunt. My knees scrape under the cement road and blood drips but I barely feel the pain.

I look over my shoulder to check for anyone watching and, deciding the forest would be too obvious, make way for a better hiding place. I can't risk anyone finding me and asking why I have this scroll.

I spot a familiar alley near the Uchiha compound and remember the old cellar. Barely managing to pry the door open and get inside, I slide inside and step down into the cellar. It smells damp and sour, and there's a layer of dust on everything. It's dark as I descend the old wooden stairs, and I strain my eyes to see. 

When I get half-way down the stairs, I pause, unable to move. A quiet whimpering echoes from the cellar. 

"Shh, it's okay," a child whispers, "Onii-Chan is here. I won't let anything bad happen to-"

I curse under my breath when my foot shifts and causes a creeky stair to scream under my weight. The cellar goes silent, as if undisturbed and empty.

I step down the last few steps and notice the roof is just a bit shorter than me, making me duck or hit my head on the ceiling. As I step further into the darkness, the cold hits me suddenly. Shivers fill me head to toe.

"Hello?" I whisper.

"Whaaaaa!" I flinch and instinctively grab a kunai from my pouch when I hear a baby's wail. My eyes search the darkness but it's impossible to see anything. Placing the kunai back in my pouch, I spark some lightning in my palm. Nothing big, just to create a light source. It flickers like a small candle of electricity.

In the corner is a small boy, maybe just eight years old. His hair is chin-length and gray, his onyx eyes reflecting the light of my chakra in fear as he pulls an infant closer to him.

The baby has the same onyx eyes and dark, navy hair. His fragile cheeks are puffy and pink, eyes wet with tears. The baby whimpers.

The older boy looks at me in confusion, holding tight to the baby. "You're not from this village, are you? I've never seen you before and you don't have a forehead protector, but you're wearing Shinobi pouches and kunai holsters."

Who is this kid? He sure is observant.

I choose not to answer, instead replying in calm, "Why are you here? Where are your parents?"

He covers the baby and cuddles him close, trying to sooth him as he whimpers. "My name's Itachi and this is my baby brother Sasuke," Itachi. I recognize that name. Where do I know that from? "Our parents went out but something felt bad so I brought him down here."

Why would his parents leave a kid this age with an infant?

"Itachi," I say, kneeling to his level. I soften my voice so as not to seem threatening, "I'm Misaki." 

He nods but seems to push himself and his brother further into the corner, trying to keep his distance.

"What is happening out there?" Itachi asks. Baby Sasuke begins to cry again and Itachi rocks the baby, trying to console him. The screams reverberate in the small wine cellar.

Considering how observant this child is, I wonder for a moment if he might know where the Hokage's wife is giving birth. It's a long shot, but I figure it is worth a try. I come up with a quick lie.