Dismissed for the day, Arashi made a beeline for Naruto's house, eager to share the news of their upcoming test. He found his boisterous friend sparring with a flurry of shadow clones on the rooftop. They settled down, the familiar rhythm of their shared dreams and aspirations filling the air.
"Survival test for you too, huh?" Naruto asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Arashi nodded. "Yeah, and we drew Itachi. How about you? Who's your Sensei's?"
Naruto's grin widened. "Kakashi. I'm gonna wipe the floor with him! Believe it!"
Arashi chuckled. "As long as Kazuya doesn't butt in, I think we've got this."
Naruto's face soured. "Man, that Kazuya's a real pain."
"He is," Arashi confirmed, pushing himself to his feet. "Gotta head home. Big day tomorrow."
"Later, Arashi!" Naruto's voice echoed as Arashi vanished with a flicker, leaving a trail of swirling leaves in his wake.
The walk home was cloaked in twilight, but Arashi's heightened senses remained alert. A prickling sensation on his neck made him spin around, his hand instinctively reaching for his tanto. "I can see you," he warned, his voice low and steady. What do you want?"
"Easy, kid. Just me." Kazuya emerged from the shadows, chilling the otherwise peaceful evening.
"What do you want?" Arashi's tone was laced with irritation. "Shouldn't you be out terrorizing small animals or something?"
Kazuya remained silent, a smirk playing on his lips. Arashi turned, ready to dismiss him and continue his journey home.
"Hold on," Kazuya interjected, his voice surprisingly level.
Arashi sighed, turning back to face him. "What now? We've got a test tomorrow, so make it quick."
"Tomorrow," Kazuya began, his gaze meeting Arashi's, "we need to work together to beat Itachi. I've got fire and lightning, Miyu's got water. What do you bring besides the Rinnegan?"
Arashi paused, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. 'Beside the Rinnegan? Is he stupid or simply curious?' He replied coolly, "I've got all the chakra affinities, plus a few other tricks."
Kazuya's eyebrows rose. "And what 'tricks' might those be?"
Arashi grinned, a touch of defiance in his expression. "I can't say. Consider it part of my payback for what you said about Shisui-Nii-san."
A flicker of surprise crossed Kazuya's face before he chuckled. "Fair enough." He extended a fist towards Arashi, a gesture of reconciliation. "If it means anything, I'm sorry for what I said back then. I didn't understand what it meant to lose someone close."
Arashi stared at the outstretched fist, his expression mixed with confusion and suspicion. 'This guy's more complicated than I thought.'
"So what changed?" Arashi asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
Kazuya's smirk faded, replaced by a more serious demeanor as Arashi refused to reciprocate the fist bump. "Look, I'm the eldest here. It's my job to make sure we work together as a team. That's all."
Arashi's eyes briefly flared with the Rinnegan's intricate patterns before returning to normal. "Don't mistake necessity for strength, Kazuya. I'm more effective without you getting in the way. But circumstances force us to cooperate. That's the reality we face."
Kazuya's eyes narrowed, studying Arashi intently. "You think those eyes make you better than the rest of us? Don't let them cloud your judgment."
Once again, the Rinnegan's power surged within Arashi, his gaze locking onto Kazuya's with an unwavering intensity. "My eyes are far greater than yours," he countered, his voice firm and resolute.
Kazuya faltered, a flicker of doubt crossing his face.
"Kazuya," Arashi's voice cut through the tension, stopping him in his tracks. "My Dōjutsu is stronger than anyone else on this team. Trust me, you'll benefit from following my lead."
Kazuya let out a scoff, his pride wounded. "We'll see about that tomorrow." With a quick hand seal, he vanished into the night, leaving Arashi alone in the darkening street.
Sleep eluded Kazuya that night. Itachi's words, spoken earlier that day, echoed a relentless chorus of doubt and introspection in his mind.
"Kazuya,"' Itachi had called, dismissing the rest of the team but beckoning him closer.
"What's up?" Kazuya had asked, his eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"Come with me."
Itachi had leaped off the building, landing silently on a lower ledge. Kazuya followed, their figures silhouetted against the setting sun as they scaled a nearby water tower.
The silence stretched as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the village in hues of orange and purple.
Finally, Itachi had spoken, his voice a low rumble. "You resent Arashi, don't you? Why?"
Kazuya had bristled. "Resentment? I don't despise anyone within the village. I don't see why he's on our team; he's too young."
"I see," Itachi said, unfazed. "I'll rephrase: why do you harbor such feelings for him? Feelings like that can be dangerous during a mission."
Kazuya's gaze had drifted towards the horizon, his jaw clenching. "It's hard to explain. Everything about that kid rubs me the wrong way. But it's not just him. It's all of them; these academy brats who think being a ninja is some game."
His voice grew sharper, laced with bitterness. "They should know better. People suffer and die in this world, Itachi-sensei. People die for causes they don't even believe in."
"Like Kirinaka Orinari and Chikita Chosuke?" Itachi's question had cut through the air, his tone unwavering.
Kazuya had turned to Itachi, his eyes widening in surprise. "Exactly like them. Orinari and I grew up together, went through the academy, and even graduated in the same class. We were lucky enough to have Chosuke-sensei leading us. They were both good people. But they died. They suffered, and for what? For this village." A tremor entered his voice. "I could have saved them if I wasn't such a brat."
Kazuya's voice cracked with rarely-shown emotion. "These academy kids... they have no idea—the guilt, the sorrow... the crushing loneliness. Before Orinari died, I admit, I wasn't easy to be around. But that doesn't make me wrong."
Itachi's gaze remained unwavering. "Is that so?" he countered, his tone even. "From what I've learned about you, your biggest flaw is your inability to understand others. It's been twelve years since the Nine-Tails attack; he was one of the most affected."
Itachi paused, allowing his words to sink in. "He's been scorned, shunned, mistreated by the village he's sworn to protect. The pain you felt losing your friends; Arashi has lived with that his entire life."
He looked down, a hint of awe coloring his voice. "He lived with my family after his brother took his own life. Despite all he's endured and all those years with us, Arashi remains an enigma, even to me. His past has left him guarded yet vulnerable." Itachi met Kazuya's gaze. "You should be thankful for this."
"Thankful? What good is an Academy brat to me?" Kazuya questioned, bitterness lacing his tone.
"You should be thankful because Arashi's experience is beyond your reach."
"You're talking about his damned Dōjutsu. What good is godlike power when it's gifted to a brat? You're mistaken; Arashi Uchiha is nothing but another brat."
"Hmph..." Itachi scoffed. "Funny how one year alone, out of commission, will dull your senses."
He glanced over his shoulder, locking eyes with Kazuya. "During your time as an active shinobi, you took 70 missions. With your and Miyu's skills, I'd say you progressed faster. You had 5 A-rank missions as a chunin." Itachi paused, his expression turning serious. "In at least one of those missions, you and your team crossed paths with the Anbu Black Ops, correct?"
"Yeah? And?"
"Arashi possesses extensive knowledge far beyond a Genin and even a chunin. I'm not sure where he got this knowledge and training, but you better be careful with him."
"First, you ask about the ANBU; now you say there's a chance Arashi is in with them?"
"I only implied he has extensive knowledge."
Itachi's voice softened slightly. "I am merely your team leader, while you are the senior member of your squad. It falls upon you as much as it falls upon me to ensure the team functions as a cohesive unit. I will leave you now; you need rest for tomorrow. But I urge you to reflect on what I have said."
With a final, piercing look, Itachi formed a hand seal and disappeared in a flicker, leaving Kazuya alone on the water tower. The wind whistled through the metal structure, mirroring the turmoil within him. Kazuya's resolve wavered as he wrestled with his Sensei's words, the echoes of his past and the uncertainty of the future swirling in his mind.
Meanwhile, on the dimly lit streets of the Uchiha compound, a sense of unease prickled at the back of Arashi's neck. This wasn't the usual clan scrutiny; it was something more sinister, a predatory presence stalking him from the shadows. He abruptly halted, his senses heightened and scanned his surroundings before flinging a kunai into the darkness behind him.
A shadowy figure emerged from the ground, its form writhing and contorting. Yellow eyes gleamed with malevolence, a grotesque grin splitting its face.
"So, it's you," Arashi growled, his voice low and menacing.
"Why so tense, Arashi Uchiha?" Zetsu slithered into the dim light, its voice a soft, insidious hiss. "Surely you're not having second thoughts after all we've been through?"
Arashi scoffed, his Rinnegan flaring with a cold light. "Get to the point."
Zetsu circled him, its movements unnervingly fluid. "I'm here to ensure you're fully dedicated, especially with 'him' as your new Sensei."
Arashi's gaze hardened, his voice resonating with a chilling conviction. "Yes," he declared, "the one who possesses my brother's eyes. My feelings remain unchanged. I truly hate Itachi Uchiha."
As he spoke, his eyes transformed, the swirling patterns of the Rinnegan radiating with an awe-inspiring power. The darkness seemed to bend to his will, a testament to the depths of his resolve.