She concentrated a bit on her eyes as he watched her awaken mangekyou sharingan. His eye widened in confusion and surprise.
Hazuna : You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?
She asked hesitantly.
Kakashi : Okay.
He took a deep breath.
Kakashi : What I am about to show you is for your eyes only.
She nodded.
It's not like she talked to a lot of people. He lifted up his headband again. And slowly, his red eye too formed a black pattern. Hazuna's eyes lit up at this.
Hazuna : So- So you too, huh?
He nodded.
Kakashi : But all mangekyou aren't the same. Each eye has it's own set of unique abilities, we don't know yours yet.
Hazuna : For example?
Kakashi : Okay, throw that kunai at me.
He directed, she followed.
Kakashi accumulated his chakra. She threw the kunai his way, and just before it hit him, it disappeared into thin air.
Kakashi : Guess what the power is.
He said, meaning to test her analytical skills.
Hazuna : Either particle style or inter dimensional teleportation. I think it's the latter though, because particle style has a distinct white light that I didn't see with your jutsu.
Kakashi : Correct, it's an ability by the name kamui.
He said, panting.
Using kamui even once took a great toll on his body.
Hazuna : Hmm.
She nodded.
Kakashi : Your teammate Shisui had an ability called kotoamatsukami.
He said.
Her stomach sank upon hearing his name. But at the same time, she was curious about this ability that she didn't know about.
Hazuna : What's kotoamatsukami?
Kakashi : One of the most powerful genjutsus in the history of the shinobi world. It has the power to manipulate someone without the victim ever realising that he's being manipulated.
She clenched her jaw as she heard about him. It still hurt, his death affected her more than the death of the whole clan. And to find out how much of his potential was wasted only added to her pain.
Hazuna : He really was something, wasn't he?
She finally said, sighing.
Kakashi : Did you know him well?
He asked.
Hazuna : Better than you might think.
- - - - -
Hazuna sat in her house, her mind recalling the day that gave her nightmares.
[ Flashback ]
Age : 12
Itachi : Oh come on Hazuna, when are you going to admit it?
Itachi snickered.
Hazuna : Admit what?
She replied, visibly flustered.
Just then, Shisui walked in, high fiving both of them.
Shisui : Yo Itachi, Hazuna.
He smiled.
Itachi : You like him, don't you?
Itachi nudged her after he'd gone away.
Hazuna : .....okay fine, I do.
Itachi : Are you ever gonna tell him you like him?
Hazuna : Never.
- - - - -
[ One year later ]
Age : 13
Hazuna : HI, SASUKE!
She called out to the young Uchiha as he walked out of the academy.
He ran upto her.
Sasuke : Hi, onii chan!!!
He yelled as he ran to her, so cute.
Hazuna : Let's go home.
She put an arm around him.
Sasuke : Okay.
Hazuna : Where is itachi?
Sasuke : He is on a mission, like always.
Sasuke pouted.
Hazuna : Life in the ANBU really takes a toll on everyone, huh?
She sighed.
Sasuke : Why aren't you in the ANBU?
He asked.
Sasuke : You are stronger than nee-san.
She shrugged.
The comparison between both of them was something she had gotten used to. She had always felt like the ANBU life had an air of darkness about it, and she didn't need any more of that in her life.
She felt sort of uneasy though, the same feeling she recalled having the day she had lost her parents. So she decided to walk around the village. Bored by its monotony, she found herself at the top of the Hokage stone faces.
Just then, on a cliff further away from where she was standing, she noticed two figures. Curious, she moved closer to them. She saw that the two were Itachi and Shisui.
Smiling, she began to walk towards them but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Shisui give something to the other. At the cliff, Shisui had taken out one of his eyes and given it to Itachi, making himself completely blind.
Shisui : Tell Hazuna, I did love her.
He whispered.
Itachi : SHISUI!
He yelled as his best friend, his brother, threw himself off the cliff.
Watching this scene in horror, Hazuna lunged forward, soon reaching the water under the cliff. She went underwater, picking him up from the riverbed.
She took him to a crevice in the cliff that formed something like a cave. Her eyes welled up with tears to see him blind, confused and angry at his state.
Shisui : Hazuna..
He whispered, sensing her chakra.
She tried to compose herself, still holding him tight. The impact from his fall had caused his entire chakra network to fade away and he lay there, near death.
Hazuna : Your eyes..
She choked out.
Shisui : One of them is safe. The other, not so much.
Hazuna : WHO DID IT?!
She yelled, anger rising in her voice.
He smiled, shifting a hand to her face and wiping her tears.
Shisui : It's gonna be okay.
She held his hand, tears still refusing to stop.
Hazuna : H-how?
She asked.
Shisui : Trust Itachi.
He said calmly.
Shisui : Trust him, no matter what.
Hazuna : I already do.
She replied, not knowing what he meant.
She just continued to hold him.
Hazuna : I am taking you back to the village.
Shisui : No, please.
He tried to lift his head up, she put a hand behind his head.
Shisui : Let me die, you know I won't make it anyway.
Hazuna : I can't.
She pressed her forehead to his, he smiled again.
Shisui : Did I..
He began.
Shisui : Did I ever tell you I love you?
She looked at him again, feeling as if her heart had just been ripped out of her chest.
Hazuna : No, no you don't get to say that and then die on me.
She sobbed.
Hazuna : I love you, okay? Please don't- please, no.
Shisui : Hazuna.
He whispered, lifting his hands to her face.
And then he leaned in to press his lips to hers. She returned the kiss, not wanting it to ever end.
Shisui : Shhh… it's okay.
He attempted to wipe her tears yet again.
Shisui : I need you....to do me a favour.
Hazuna : Anything.
She replied shakily.
Shisui : Put me out of my misery.
Hazuna : I am not doing that.
Shisui : Hazuna, please.
He requested, blood still flowing from his eyelids like tears.
After what seemed like forever, she took out a kunai and stabbed a vital point, making him jerk forward.
Hazuna : Don't..
She held him again as he said his last words.
Shisui : Don't let the hate get the best of you.
His head fell back as she gently laid him on the ground. Suddenly, she held her head as pain shot through it. Her eye fell on her reflection in the pool of blood next to her. She watched a tear fall as her red eyes now formed a pattern lined by black.
Barely noticing it, she went back to the top of the cliff where Itachi once was. Wiping her eyes, she went back to the village, telling no one about the incident that had just occurred.
[ End of flashback ]
- - - - -
[ Six months later ]
Might Guy : What do you think?
He was sitting in a shop in the leaf village with a few other jonin.
Kurenai : He certainly seems more pleasant, doesn't he?
She remarked.
Might Guy : I told Hokage-sama it would work if he had a subordinate to train.
He agreed.
Asuma : That Uchiha girl certainly shows a lot of promise.
He said.
Might Guy : She passed the chunin exam at 8.
Kurenai : That's commendable, considering people usually become genin at 11 or 12.
Asuma : Kakashi was the same, so was Itachi.
Meanwhile on their usual training ground, Hazuna felt physically drained. Kakashi had really pushed her to her physical limit in the past few months. It had definitely led to an increase in the amount of chakra she could use, but it wasn't pretty. He was still unsure on how to handle her mangekyou, since he himself couldn't control his very well.
Kakashi : Tired already?
The silver haired ninja asked.
Hazuna : No, definitely not.
She exclaimed the task was to climb up and down the nearby cliff for 48 hours straight. So far, it had been 39 hours and she was slowly reaching her limit. Kakashi sat at the bottom of the cliff, reading a book that no one should read in public.
Occasionally, he would look up to see how she was doing but that was about it. However, noticing she was getting tired, he paid more attention to her and decided to test her further. He climbed up to where she was, causing her to look at him.
Kakashi : In case you are not tired.
He took one of her hands, swiftly tying it behind her.
Kakashi : Endure the rest of the hours climbing with just one hand.
Hazuna freaked out at this point because she was certain his task was impossible. But she nodded slowly. Kakashi swiftly went down to where he was sitting and watched her. It was only a matter of time.