Naruto: Tango with Death

To read up to 15 chapters ahead: https://www.patréon.com/SlyOW

-------------

[Sukaina's POV]

I woke up to the smell of a sanitized room. I frowned as I opened my eyes with unexpected difficulty, and was greeted with a blindingly white room.

Grunting in annoyance, I tried to shield my eyes, but groaned in pain as I failed to do so.

"Easy there!"

I turned to look at my right, and saw someone sitting there. I was having trouble making out their figure though, because they were standing on the window's side, right next to the sun.

I grunted, "Where am I? What happened…"

Oh, right. Despite my groggy mind, the memories of what happened surged in my mind, and the person sitting next to me confirmed it.

"You were attacked by a spy from Iwa, and for that I would like to apologize on behalf of my team."

I thought of the encounter, of the experience I went through, and unexpectedly… sighed. That's right, I didn't break down because of the traumatic experience or the fact I killed someone, but I sighed. In relief.

"Is he dead?"

"Yes."

"Will there be any sequel from the fight?"

The voice, which I now recognized as feminine, turned a little more sombre as she replied, "That will cripple you? None. But there will be scars…"

"Hahaha… hahaha! HAHAHA!"

While whoever was with me sounded depressed, I started laughing, small in the beginning, a mere chuckle, but it quickly turned into a throaty laughter.

Who fucking cares of a scar? I killed the bastard and got out fine!

As I laughed, the woman next to me was completely silence, probably shocked. After some time, I finally settled down before apologizing, "Sorry, you must think I'm a psycho, but its just…"

"It's fine, I understand. I'm happy you don't mind the scars, I just thought someone so beautiful would be more horrified by scars than sequels…" The woman herself chuckled, as I finally looked at her.

She had beautiful purple hair, and a kind smile. I recognised her uniform as Anbu's.

Then, I tried to raise myself to look at my body, but wasn't able to do so as she explained, "Your fight was yesterday evening, and the medics have been operating you since for a good part of the night, so the sedatives are still working. That's why I was surprised you awoke."

I nodded with difficulty, and asked, "What about those scars? None on my face, I hope. I don't remember getting hit in the face."

The woman replied, "It's only your fingers, the wires cut to the bones."

With a gentle movement, she raised my right hand, which was covered in bandages.

I looked at my hand for a moment, before asking, "I guess you aren't here only to comfort me, are you?"

The woman smiled and said, "Believe it or not, I actually am."

I snorted, "Maternal instinct?"

The woman continued smiling, but said nothing as she kept starring at me. The silence did not reign for long though as the door was opened, revealing another Anbu…

With a mere glance, I instantly knew who this was. Short black hair, onyx eyes, Anbu yet 12… who could it be other than Itachi Uchiha?

Itachi seemed a little surprised as he noted, "You are already awake?"

I smirked and replied, "Nah, deep in sleep, why?"

Itachi stopped for a moment, genuinely confused, which made both me and the woman laugh.

Despite being laughed at though, Itachi's face didn't change much as he sent a glance at the woman and ordered, "Yugao, leave us."

The woman, whom I now knew was called Yugao, nodded and disappeared with a single move. That was so cool! I have to learn the Body Flicker, not only would it be cool, but I also wouldn't be so powerless…

Itachi walked in front of my bed, and his deep black eyes stared into mine with a rarely seen intensity. After a few seconds, I asked with a cheeky smile, "What, you fell in love with me? Don't worry, that's a common symptom of those who meet me."

Itachi did not blush, but he uncomfortably looked away and said, "You are very cynical for a child."

"And you are very calm, for a child."

Itachi's eyes focused back on me as he changed the subject, "Can you tell me what happened yesterday night?"

"Oh, Itachi-chan, you're so direct, you're making me blush!"

Haha, I made him blush! So cute!

Itachi coughed lightly, "Sukaina, please answer my question," he didn't ask how I knew his name, so he probably knew I was friends with Sasuke. I never came over to his house, but Itachi picked up his brother a few times, so it wasn't weird for me to know him.

My smile slowly faded, before I explained, "I was training on the edge of the forest, when I saw a man arrive. He attacked me as soon as he saw me, he went for the kill right away."

"While injured, this spy was a cornered Chunin from Iwa, so would you care to explain to me exactly how an academy student managed not only to survive, but to even kill him?"

Injured? That fucker was injured Chunin? Damn, I thought he was a Jonin…

"Do I look like I am in a good condition, Uchiha?"

Itachi looked at me up and down, before saying, "That man was a war veteran, who survived the ambush of an entire Anbu squad, and you killed him while surviving. To me, yes, you look like you are in a good condition, considering the situation."

I rolled my eyes, and with a thought circulated my chakra around my body, dispersing some of the numbness away as I regained some control over my body, and rose to sit with a grunt.

With some difficulty, I reached a sheet of paper on the table stand next to me, probably part of my medical records, and began folding it as I said, "I was alone at the edge of the woods, with no hope of anyone coming to save me," the sheet of paper was slowly turning into a plane as I spoke.

"Yesterday night, it wasn't an Iwa Ninja against a Konoha Ninja, or an Academy Student if that matters. It was two people, fighting for their lives, and I won. As simple as that."

As I finished my sentence, I threw the paper plane at Itachi, who caught it between his fingers, but I heard his breath stagger for a moment as he caught it, and saw a small amount of blood trickle down his fingers, onto the paper plane.

Itachi stared at his trickling blood for a few seconds, before looking back at me and humming, "I understand now. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Now, onto the report."

"Come on, seriously?" I exhaled, I felt so cool saying all that, and this doofus had to ruin it all.

"You're not good with ladies, Itachi!"

"What?" Itachi asked, confused. Shit, did I just say that out loud. Ah fuck it, he deserves it.

Grinning, I said, "Come on, ask your questions baby boy."

Itachi stuttered, "B-baby boy?"

"Haha, don't mind me, I just love teasing you."

"Please stop, you are making me uncomfortable."

"Is that so? Then you should learn to speak to a lady."

Itachi actually looked like he was considering it… he was so innocent, how can I not tease him?

In the end, Itachi took much more time than he intended to interrogate me, but he did get what he wanted eventually. I didn't really hide anything, I didn't have any need to. The techniques I was creating were unfinished, and they could probably figure out everything themselves if needed.

Actually, thinking about it, they might already have, and this report could be more of a test than anything… food for the thoughts I guess.

When Itachi finally finished writing down his report, and yes I forced him to take down notes to keep track of what I was saying with all my interruption, he put away his notes and said, "The normal procedure would be to have you see a Yamanaka, but I have a feeling you won't want it?"

"Wow, are you sure you aren't a Yamanaka yourself?"

Itachi sighed in defeat and muttered, "I don't even know why I asked… you should rest."

And with that, he was gone.

That went well.