Itachi was silent for a moment, his brother's words sinking in. Wordlessly, he ruffled the boy's hair, brushing past him and exiting the infamous Orochimaru's base. "Nii-san. Be careful." Sasuke called after him. "...Take care, Ototo-kun." He murmured in response, merging into the darkness of the surrounding shrubbery.
Kisame was right, of course. The mission he had given himself was stupid, illogical and out of line. For one, it didn't help the Akatsuki. For another, his plan was to waltz into Kirigakure. It wasn't his brightest scheme.
"If I make it out of this without a single scratch..." His voice was muffled by the forest around him. He trudged onwards, in no particular hurry. He paused in mid-step, closing his eyes and visualizing the map of the hidden village. The first checkpoint Itachi had set was just past the eastern side of Konohona. He had scouted out several places where he could spend the night, none of which involved an inn. The goal was to save the money he had brought with him until he entered the village; thus, the idea was to make it to the checkpoint by morning. Roughly eight hours until dawn breaks... Four hours traveling at the maximum, leaving four hours to prepare for the second stage as well as another two or three before I make an appearance at the gate...
He opened his eyes again, his sharingan brimming with chakra, and jumped, alighting on the tree branch above him. His foot touched the branch for only a second before he jumped again, the trees becoming all but a blur as he moved through the forest.
The farther away from the base, and his brother, he went, the more alert he became. He didn't spend energy keeping up a false expression, though he rarely did regardless, finding it tedious and a waste of time. He had better things to do.
Like finding out why Kisame joined the Akatsuki in the first place.
He stopped his mind from providing theories, focussing on his surroundings. His jumps slowed, and eventually halted, as he neared the Village Hidden in the Leaf. He skirted the gatekeepers, keeping to the dark cover the vegetation provided, and eventually maneuvered around Konohona's border.
Two hours after leaving the base, he arrived at the checkpoint. He stepped off the branch, landing in a crouch on the ground, and checked the environment for hostiles. When he was as sure as any paranoid man could be that he was safe, he rose and examined the grove. Beyond a small clearing, there was a equally small cavern, that looked like it could just fit the man, albeit with a bit of squeezing. The 5'9" Uchiha summoned his mental map again as he settled into the sediment.
So far, so good... He closed his eyes after marking his progress, letting his weariness drop him into a fitful slumber.