09-23-2007, 08:02 PM
Title: The difference a leader makes
Summary: What if Itachi not Kakashi had lead team seven in hopes of creating a legacy. As the four person team bonds and grows can they overcome the hurdles life throws them and deal with a betrayal that tears at the soul?
Pairings: Eventual SasuNaruSaku.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Things to note: We’re going to be somewhat following the original storyline of the anime/manga despite the obvious changes that have to take place to account for different strengths/ weaknesses and personality changes.
Since Itachi never joined Akatsuki , Orochimaru is still one of their members and partnered with Sasori.
Prologue
Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, the three newly graduated Genin, dubbed team seven were soon to be united under the leadership of their Jonin teacher Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi who was only five years their senior but who had accomplished more by their age then they could imagine.
Still it had not been easy even with his reputation to convince others that he was suitable for the training of Genins. He was young, even if he had long since proved his abilities were superior to those twice his age and if he had more experience than the only recently made Jonin Kurenai who had also been assigned a team.
There had been remote concern that Itachi was the older brother to one of the genin, though the past years had shown him to be highly unbiased in most aspects of life. There had been several other concerns about his appointment as a team leader but they had all been addressed either through his own arguing or the unneeded but welcome support of others.
Whether it was through his own persuasions or another’s it mattered not. The trio was his, provided they passed one final test. Not that Itachi had any intention of letting them fail. Those chosen to be his legacy had no option but to pass this test.
Sitting in the kitchen of his apartment Itachi scanned the three Genin’s profiles again and was forced to frown in annoyance. There was so much work to be done with them, so much more they should know already. They had the potential but obviously not the work ethic needed to extract said potential. This would change and it would change swiftly under his leadership. Itachi would not tolerate anything but the utmost effort given when he worked with them.
First there was the Kunoichi, Haruno Sakura had the highest exam scores for her year and really that was about all that was worth noting about her. She had not particular talent with jutsus or features that made her stand out. Her profile gave him nothing to work with and Itachi would have to settle for seeing her skills himself before making any further judgement.
This did not stop him in any way about having plans for the girl, it simply meant they’d need more adjusting then his other subordinates plans.
Sliding the girl’s profile to the bottom of the small stack he focused on Uzumaki Naruto. The boy was the Kyuubi’s vessel which made him interesting and worth paying attention to even if his behaviour and grades were atrocious.
Some of this Itachi was sure was due to the majority of the villages thinly veiled disgust with Naruto’s existence. It could not have been easy for orphan to make it this far and Itachi had to give him credit for doing that much, nevertheless he really had expected more of a boy who had so much to prove.
Finally there was Sasuke, his brother and the last member of the Uchiha clan he had even remote faith in. Though over the past five years his belief in the boy had waned. He seemed to have reached a plateau for an unknown reason and while he trained hard and made attempts to follow in Itachi’s footsteps there was not enough conviction in his actions to satisfy Itachi with the attempts.
Of course as far as the clan was concerned Sasuke was doing fine. Itachi could feel his ire rising at the thought of those fools. They, he was sure were part of what held Sasuke back, they feared losing a second prodigy to ambition.
Itachi had removed himself from his family and the district three years ago unable to live surrounded by so many complacent idiots. It had strained relations between his family and himself but it was for the better for all involved. He was still seen as an example of the strength they could produce but having declared them unworthy of his time he is no longer content to be used as their pride.
So yes the clan who had once urged Sasuke to hurry up and match Itachi now seemed content to let him trudge through his academy days making progress enough to be best in his classes but not enough to worry them. It was maddening and Itachi longed for the day when he would be free to show his deteriorating clan what happen when you underestimated him.
He had once told Sasuke that shinobi who committed crimes would only be stopped by better shinobi. This was true especially in his case, he had murdered Shisui and gotten away with it because no one had been skilled enough to make the blame stick to him. There had been suspicions yes but that was all. He intended to murder again but then there would be three whom he hoped would come after him.
Pitted against his own students who’s rage then would be immeasurable Itachi saw his best chance to truly test himself.
Dark eyes glanced briefly at a clock on the wall and Itachi placed the profiles on the table as he stood. It was time to go and collect his students.
End notes : Not overly happy with the ending, it felt broken and rushed but I couldn’t find a nice ending spot. Constructive criticism always welcome. Inspiration for chapter one comes and goes but part of it is written
|
