Ninja Moon

I love KakaIru. I love it more than I love SasuNaru, mainly because I don't like admitting I have a minor anime shota complex. I probably shouldn't be saying that since a lot of people I know are reading this...Anywho...Yeah, I have an anime-shota complex. I don't like real boys, but little anime boys are so adorable. (Hint: Expect a lot of minors in this.) This chapter hints a second forbidden pairing that I love collecting fanart of. ItaSasu Btw, if anyone has fanart for my story and an account on GaiaOnline.com, I will gladly buy it from you. ^_^ Mail me for details.

Chapter 4: Mercury Rising
For years, I've trained and learned in fighting and power, struggling to equal and surpass you in strength. And on the night an odd woman needed my help and a blue star fell into my hands, a new power awakened within me. A power that, when combined with my existing abilities, could easily equal and surpass yours. But I know I cannot use it in the name of vengence.

So I shall use it in the name of justice.

---

"Miqueen...I believe the power of another scout is being awakened," Jedite's voice rang in the darkness.

"Find it! Before Sailor Moon does!"

"But...Miqueen..." The fear in JEdite's vioce was hidden but not as well as he wished. "A second energy is near it. Protecting it almost. An energy almost as powerful as miqueen's..." He shook with rememberence. 'i've felt it only once, when Tuxedo Mask was near. And even then, it was different. As if...as if this force could destroy me with a thought..."

"I have been watching the source of the energy you speak of. He will be of no threat to us, so long as we do not pose a threat to him."

"Very well, miqueen." His presence left the darkness.

---

Iruka saw day turn to night as a dark cloud came in from the eastern winds as he handed Kurenai another mission scroll. Luna, who was laying on his shoulders yet again, opened her eyes from her nap and growled lowly in her throat. Iruka shivered, feeling the cold fingers of evil chakra touch his spine. Everyone fell silent and frozen at the cloud and knew its source had come out of hiding and let its presence be known.

An Akatsuki member.

Itachi.

Before anyone could move or react, the man at hand entered the missions room. No one moved, frozen with fear and by the death-grip of his enraged chakra. Even a few of the jounin dare not move. His red Sharingan eyes were on Iruka and Tsunade. Soon Itachi stood before them, glaring down as if a single breath would kill them all.

"Where is Uchiha Sasuke?"

Tsunade opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. out of fear of his Hokage's life, Iruka answered with incredible strength, "Team 7 had a C-class mission. They should be back any day now." Countless sets of eyes tuned in on Iruka, but the chuunin didn't flinch.

Blood red eyes narrowed. "You're lying." Iruka drew back an inch, then closed his eyes. A ripple of warmth that started from somewhere in his equipment pouch and coursed through his body gave him courage to open his eyes and look at Itachi again. The Uchiha's eyes widened for an instant, then narrowed again. "I see...Until we meet again..."

The Earth itself seemed to breath a sigh of relief as Itachi vanished.

Iruka gave Tsunade a worried look; the woman was fanning herself with a stack of papers. "Hokage-sama," the chuunin whispered as norm slowly resumed. "If Itachi is hunting his brother and Sasuke isn't here..."

"I understand." She smiled. "You don't have to say anything. Your new duties overstep my command."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Iruka bowed, careful not to throw off the still-stunned Luna, and ran from the mission room. If Itachi is hunting Sasuke, it means someone snuck under his radar and captured Sasuke! Iruka thought. I liked about Team 7 having a mission, and he knew because he's been shadowing Sasuke since the exams. This could eman only one person could be involved...Jedite...But why?

"Luna, can you sense the presence of another scout?" Iruka asked as he ran toward the edge of the village.

"It's faint, but yes," the cat answered.

Sheltered by the trees of the forest, Iruka pulled the compact from his pouch and raised it over his head. "Moon Cosmic Make-Over!" He transformed as he ran, body shifting with each step and ribbons flowing in the wind struggling to form his fuku. When the transformation was complete, Luna leapt from Iruka's shoulders and raced ahead to lead the way.

Iruka shivered as a black and red blur appeared, running beside him. Itachi was glaring ahead at Luna's back. "I knew you'd lead me to Sasuke if I followed you, Umino Iruka," he said.

He shielded his chakra well, Iruka though, running still. And how is it almost everyone knows about me being Sailor Moon?! Am I that bad at keeping secret identities?

Neither spoke to one another as Luna led them further into the forest, to an area Iruka had never been. It was dense with trees; a windowless shack that had probably once belonged to a hermit-nin tucked away from the world was nestled in the trees. Luna stopped several yards from the shack, the two followers doing the same.

"They're in there," she whispered.

"I sense three in that building," Itachi informed them. "Two are surrounded by darkness and energy, and one is Sasuke. His energy is deathly-low." The Akatsuki member glared at the shack. "They waste chakra as if it were the air they breathe. Fools."

"Or maybe you're the fool if you rush in recklessly," Iruka stated calmly. He felt Itachi's anger rise and put a hand on the young man's shoulder. "What I mean is, they could be using their energy the same way we do. As a radar. As a lure." He removed his hand when Itachi fell into thought, then nodded. The teacher felt proud for an instant, then returned his attention to the shack. "One of the two is Jedite, and the other must be a minion capable of draining energy. We'll have to be careful of it."

"We?"

The word was like a slap to Iruka. He blinked, as if not understanding. "Aren't you going to help?" He asked Itachi.

"No." The young Uchiha started to walk away. "I only wanted to know where my brother was. I'll observe this night from a different location." He vanished at that.

Iruka sighed. "Well...This makes things easier..." Luna accepted the sarcasm as comic relief and said nothing. "Luna, stay close. I don't know what you can do, but I may need your help."

"I'll do what I can," Luna answered.

The man nodded and sorted out his plan one last time. Slowly, stealthily, he crept to the front door of the shack. He placed a hand on the knob and closed his eyes. Strange, Iruka thought. I don't sense anything now. Just...a void...Is there a seal on this shack now? Without fear, he opened the door with a shove and fell into an odd, dark abuss. The door floated away on a delicate breeze above and behind him, and he felt time stand still.

Sasuke floated nearby, appearing to be in a deep sleep. Iruka pushed himself in the boy's direction and took him into his arms. "Sasuke..." Iruka hissed his name urgently, gently shaking the genin's shoulders to wake him. "Sasuke!"

The nin groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He held his head with a hand, and Iruka let go to let the teen float on his own. "Iruka-sensei?" Sasuke looked confused and as if he had a headache. "Why are you a woman? And where are we?"

"Long story," Iruka said. He looked around. "As for where we ar, I don't know...It seems we've fallen into another dimension, but it doesn't seem possible..."

Luna hovered nearby and clung to Iruka. "This has happened before," she said. "We're in a timeless dimension. Here, time has frozen still, but we move freely through time because the creature that created this place wills it so."

Sasuke stared at the cat. "Now I know I'm dreaming..."

"I assure you, this is all too real," Iruka said. "We just need to destroy the source of this dimension."

"That will not be so easy, Sailor Moon," Jedite's voice hissed from all around. Sasuke took a defensive stance, hand hovering over his equipment pouch. Without warning, two tentacles lashed out from seemingly nowhere and grabbed the two by their throats; Luna jumped away at the last moment. Iruka winced and tried to pry its grip loose as Sasuke tried jutsu after jutsu to break free, but failed. Jedite's laugh echoed all around them as an energy-draining shock coursed through the tentacles. A horrid-looking woman with green skin appeared before them; the source of the tentacles.

The two screamed in agony as the waves of electricity became stronger. Iruka felt his strength slipping away. Itachi... he thought as his arms fell to the side. Forgive me...for not protecting your brother...

A blue streak of light flew from the dimension and embedded itself in Sasuke's forehead. He shouted in strength or pain, Iruka couldn't tell, and a sudden fog of freezing bubbles filled the vast dimension. The creature holding them screamed in pain as something fragile broke and the arm holding Iruka let go. He hovered, coughing in the fog. "Sasuke?!" Iruka half-gasped the name as he recovered.

A hand touched Iruka's shoulder, and he turned to see Sasuke dressed in a sailor fuku like his, only pale blue in color. The Uchiha looked very unhappy. "You owe me a very big explaination, Iruka-sensei," Sasuke growled. He forced a smile. "But first, let's get out of this place."

Iruka smiled as well. "Right." He stood in the thick mist of cold bubbles and looked around. "I don't see the enemy."

"There." Sasuke pointed to two white dots in the distance. "Those are the enemy's eyes. Aim for them." Luna smiled proudly from her perch on Iruka's shoulders. "One hit should do it."

The teacher nodded and removed his tiara. "Moon Tiara Attack!" As always, the attack hit true and destroyed the creature. Both dimension and fog vanished to reveal the rundown shack and no sign of Jedite. Iruka scowled a bit as he left the building, thinking, He probably ran when he realized we'd win. He turned to see Sasuke standing outside looking himself over.

"Sasuke." Itachi went to his brother, ignoring Iruka's presence. The teacher saw the younger male's eyes sadden, then return to normal as Itachi stood before him. The Akatsuki member looked over his younger brother, then placed two fingers on the bow between Sasuke's small, firm breasts. "You've been cursed with the new power as well..." There was a smile in his voice, but it was hidden.

"I could defeat you now," Sasuke said, though he sounded unsure of himself.

"You could defeat me with your new power," agreed Itachi as he let his hand fall to his side, "but is that how you will use your new power?"

Sasuke looked at his gloved hands, female body, then touched the gold and sapphire tiara that had replaced his ninja headband. Black eyes found the waiting Iruka, still in Sailor Moon form with Luna on his shoulder. Sasuke looked up at his brother. "This is a holy power that cannot be used in the name of vengence and hatred. I may be able to, but I still cannot defeat you. I will use this power for justice and good."

Itachi nodded. "When this dream has ended, we will battle...my brother." Once again, the Uchiha vanished.

The new Sailor Mercury looked at iruka. "So...what exactly is going on?"

Iruka laughed and led the way back to Konoha. "How about we save that for tomorrow...after we get some sleep and know that tonight was not a dream?"