I've been wanting to do this story for years! Finally I have produced a prologue. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: This literature is purely for recreational purposes. I gain no profit from the story. I do not own any rights to 'Naruto'.
The black haired teenager clutched his stomach, practically wading through the tall snow. He shivered miserably but pressed on. He needed to find shelter for himself and the little one growing inside of him.
Orochimaru was insane. That much Sasuke Uchiha knew, but he never knew that his dangerous teacher was insane enough to experiment with this. Sasuke blamed himself, he had agreed to anything. Anything that would give him power. The pale ninja had always given him what he wanted but Orochimaru had lied. Now he was stuck with an artificial pregnancy and housing life itself.
He wouldn't let the sick ninja have his child; it was the Uchiha heir after all. He was already weak, around six months along with half of his chakra, but he fought his way out of the sound village. Days or maybe even weeks later he felt how feeble he truly was. He hoped he found shelter soon because as his body ached for food and warmth he knew the child couldn't withstand much more. It was only the constant chakra flow Sasuke gave the life that kept it alive.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in concentration when he spotted a large cabin ahead. Shelter! Possible food as well. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten something of substance. With new determination, the Uchiha trudged forward, his teeth chattering as the wind picked up and tried to throw him back. He pressed forward, each staggered heavy step pulling at his wavering chakra but he was determined.
He finally reached the door and he paused. If someone was in the cabin and they recognized him they would attack. He wouldn't be able to fight. Maybe though, he could summon enough chakra to use a small genjutsu. Sasuke shook his head to clear it as he felt his consciousness waver. His vision was wavering. Genjutsu was definitely out of the question. It was too late anyway, the door was opened and the light from the warm cabin assaulted him. He could barely see as he tried to choke out something to the figure.
"Ple-"he managed to mutter before he lost consciousness.
(~~)
He felt so warm, so entirely engulfed by comfortable heat as he lay on something soft. He tried to open his eyes but found them too heavy.
"Ah, so you are awake." That voice! Sasuke immediately seized up in bed and snapped open his dry eyes. For the first time in a while, he felt fear; cold hard fear of what this man could do to him and the child inside of him. He clutched his stomach as he struggled to get out of the bed. The man looming over him pressed down on his chest until he was lying flat on the bed. The man, no his brotheractivated his sharingan, and his hand hovered over his swollen stomach.
Sasuke tried to thrash but the hand on his chest was too strong. He cursed at the man and spit on him in his rage. He felt extremely pathetic as Itachi didn't even glance at him but put a hand on his stomach. Finally, after a few seconds, Itachi's hand retreated.
"Your child is healthy." The criminal left the room. Sasuke glanced after him in confusion. How come he was not dead? Nor his child? Sasuke shook the thought away; obviously the Akatsuki member was toying with him. He would come back in to finish him off. Well, Sasuke wouldn't let that happen.
He wasn't aware Itachi had come toward the door until it opened. Sasuke tensed as he readied himself to run. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Itachi held not a kunai or a sword but a cup and bowl.
"Sit up." The Akatsuki member ordered softly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and scoot as far away from the man as he could. Itachi set down the cup and bowl on the side table. Sasuke's heart pumped harshly as his brother reached a hand toward him. But his brother didn't attack him; instead he propped up the pillow he had been laying on. Then, he took the cup and drank a bit from it.
"It is not poisoned." Well, Sasuke conceded, the older man did just demonstrate that. Unless Itachi was already impervious to this poison! Sasuke instantly shot that idea down. That definitely wasn't Itachi's style. If (when?) he decided to try to kill him he would make it bloody. Sasuke grimaced and glanced at Itachi's outstretched hand. He took the cup and sat up on the pillow. He would need to be hydrated to kill his brother, he thought.
Once the water landed on his tongue he almost moaned at the sensation. The fresh water slid down his throat, soothing the sore, unused muscles. He drank it greedily. The Uchiha realized how he must have looked and he glared at Itachi in his embarrassment. The Akatsuki member ignored him and instead grabbed the bowl. He lifted the spoon and sipped whatever was in the dish. He handed it to Sasuke.
The younger Uchiha wanted to reject it but his stomach grumbled in protest. He needed to feed the child growing inside of him as well. He hadn't eaten in so long. He grabbed the bowl.
"Regain your strength. We have much to discuss." Without another word, Itachi had left the room. Sasuke stared after him perplexed then he began to eat. The different tastes of the soup almost made Sasuke choke. It provided way more stimulus to his taste buds than the things he had found in the snow covered forest he had traveled through. He quickly got used to the explosion of flavor and began to eat it slowly. He couldn't afford to vomit. His child seemed to dance with glee once he'd finished the soup.
Sasuke sat and sat, waiting for Itachi and the "discussion" that would ensue. What was there to discuss exactly? Sasuke willed himself to move but his body protested every time he attempted. His weak body did not want to abandon the comfort it had found itself in, danger or not.
A half hour had passed before Itachi returned to the room. He silently grabbed the bowl and cup in his hand and left just as soon as he came. Sasuke snorted. Itachi was always the neat freak. Always keeping his room spotless, not even a speck of dust would go unnoticed. Itachi didn't take long before he was back and Sasuke felt all the humor leave him. He subconsciously left a hand on his stomach. A silent challenge, he dared the Akatsuki member to lay a hand on his child. He would fight his way out of here one way or another.
"How did this happen?" Itachi began as he took a seat on the bed. Sasuke curled up as far as possible from him. He glared but answered anyway.
"Orochimaru." The hoarse words came out like a curse. He wanted to slander that snake anyhow. Itachi didn't even move. Something told him the criminal already knew that.
"How long have you been gestating?" Sasuke glared at Itachi's choice of words.
"Six months or so…" he trailed off. Why was he even answering him? The younger Uchiha couldn't stop himself though for whatever reason.
"Your abdominal appearance tells me otherwise." Was Itachi accusing him of lying? Why would he lie? And more important; did he just call him fat?
"Shut up." Sasuke muttered darkly. He wished he could activate his sharingan; he was too low on chakra to do so.
"I did not mean to offend. You merely appear farther along."
"Well I'm not." Sasuke snipped nastily.
"Your chakra is dangerously low." Well Itachi didn't need to inform him of that. He could feel that painful truth every time he moved.
"I will protect you and your child." Itachi said calmly, not even looking at him anymore. Sasuke didn't really register the words until seconds later.
"I don't need your protection." He hissed. His pride was severely wounded because he knew he actually did need to be protected. He was sure Itachi knew this too but he didn't say anything.
"Why?" he had to ask. All of this didn't really fit into Itachi's usual thing. What exactly was he planning?
"Rest." was all the man said. Itachi had left the room before Sasuke could protest. Now he was stuck here under Itachi's… protection? Whatever it was the teen didn't really want to be a part of it. He really had no say though, as his body rejected any idea of escape.
Sasuke fought the sleep; he really did, because he didn't trust the man in the other room. Again his body disobeyed him; it'd been too long since he got a decent rest. It wasn't long until he slipped into the abyss.
He awoke with a start hours later. Someone was touching him, a hand pressed against his forehead. His eyes snapped open and he almost gasped at the sight. His brother was leaning over him slightly. And the criminal's face was much too close. The man was frowning.
"You have a fever." Itachi explained, his hand brushing away slight sweaty strands of hair. Sasuke shivered.
"This area is layered with genjutsu. If someone manages to infiltrate it, hide in here." Itachi kicked back a rug he hadn't noticed before. There was a latch similar to the ones in the old Uchiha homes except the door looked smaller.
Then it hit him. He wasn't going to hide. The proud Uchiha was about to protest when Itachi dropped something hard and cold on his lap. It was a kunai. He picked up the familiar weight.
Itachi turned back around again and Sasuke used this chance to chuck it at him. The criminal effortlessly caught it without turning around, Sasuke's aim was pitiful. His brother tossed it back, imbedding it in the wall right next to Sasuke's ear. He left the room and cabin, without a word.
After being sure there was no presence in the house, Sasuke worked on getting out of bed. He would inspect this cabin to possibly see why Itachi had taken residence here, however temporary. He put two feet on the ground and almost passed out again from the exertion. It seemed his body was comfortable here and had finally stopped giving him much needed adrenalin.
He fought through it while gritting his teeth. Soon he was taking a step forward, a small laborious step and leaned heavily on the closed door. He straightened himself and opened the door. The first thing he noticed was that the place was even larger than he originally thought.
There was a spacious living room to his left and a kitchen in front of him. To his right was a door to which Sasuke assumed was another bedroom. The one Itachi resided in no doubt. One that probably had a bathroom connected to it. Selfish bastard, what family had he killed to live here?
Sasuke ignored the door for now and slowly made his way over to the kitchen. He was still hungry. He blamed the little thing inside him.
Sasuke threw open the cabinets. They were completely bare. He stalked over to the refrigerator. That was empty as well. Sasuke blanched. Just what had Itachi fed him?
He shook off the thought and made his way over to the couch placed in front of a burning fire. Plopping down ungracefully, he folded his legs under himself and held out his hands. He was feeling extremely cold now, so cold he began to shiver. He closed his aching eyes and inevitably drifted back to sleep.
Sasuke fell off the couch clumsily when he felt an influx of chakra and heard a loud thud. He got up with some difficulty and tried to pin point the sound. Itachi was back, standing in the kitchen. A whole bunch of random items sat on the kitchen counter. Sasuke eyed a blanket almost hungrily.
Itachi moved the blanket and mound of things out of the way. He slammed a pill bottle on the counter. The sound made Sasuke flinch slightly, much unlike the elite ninja he was.
"You will take this every morning." He slammed another one down.
"You will take this before you eat." With unnecessary force he placed another pull bottle down.
"You will eat this before you sleep."
"What the hell are those?" Itachi frowned slightly at his language.
"These are prenatal pills that you will take daily." Itachi left no room for argument and Sasuke was frankly too tired to do so. Instead he let his confusion take over.
"What the hell are prenatal pills?" Itachi's frown deepened and he reached on his things mound to pick up a book and the blanket. He tossed the items to Sasuke; they fell short so it wouldn't hit the swollen teen. Sasuke ignored this courtesy. The younger Uchiha took the items and looked the book over. What to Expect When You're Expecting.
"Wha-"
"Read that while I prepare dinner." Itachi cut him off. The man sifted through the mound and pulled out groceries. Sasuke's mouth watered in anticipation. He sat on the couch and decided to humor the man for now. Besides, he could use this time to think of a way to escape.
They descended into silence besides the occasional sound that indicated Itachi was messing around in the kitchen. Surprisingly, it was the older Uchiha who broke it.
"I won't ask you why you kept it, although I am curious." Itachi admitted as he turned down the stove.
Aren't I supposed to be reading? Sasuke wanted to say sardonically but he held his tongue. He had wondered the same thing but he had reached an answer one night as he sought shelter in a hollow tree.
"I would never be like you." He said. It lacked the conviction he had intended for it to have. Itachi didn't even pause or look up as he cut some vegetables.
"Oh?"
"I'm not a bastard that murders his family." Sasuke said heatedly. He coughed to alleviate the pain that caused. His dry throat scratched with each sound he emitted.
"Then my nephew is safe." Sasuke bristled at this. First, the criminal was supposed to get angry. Second, this child wasn't his in any way shape or form! Wait…
"Nephew? How do you know?"
"I don't" Itachi said easily as he brought a plate and bottle of pills over. He gave them to Sasuke and walked over again to grab a bottle.
"Drink this to wash the pill down." Sasuke sat up properly to accept the items. He looked at the bottle suspiciously. The liquid in the bottle was not water, it resembled milk. Itachi stared at him expectantly. Did this man ever blink? Sasuke glared at him before he unscrewed the bottle. He shoved the pill down his throat and downed half the bottle.
He immediately wished he hadn't. He coughed, trying to get rid of the disgusting flavor. He almost threw his plate on the floor.
"What the fuck!" Itachi stared at him reprovingly, his thin eyebrows drawing in.
"It will aid the child's development." Itachi explained. He sat down on the couch with his own plate. Sasuke finally looked at his own plate. It was a piece of fish and some assorted vegetables. His stomach growled when he finally registered the smell wafting from it. He dug in.
Faintly, he realized that he didn't bother checking for poison. The thought passed though as his stomach grew full. He placed the empty things on the floor.
"I'm going to kill you." Sasuke said suddenly, shifting on the couch slightly to alleviate the pressure he felt on his lower back.
"Do not endanger your child for my sake."
"I can kill you." Sasuke persisted.
"Once you have regained your strength." Itachi got up. "For now, it is time for bed."
Sasuke glared at him. He was not some child! He had slept all day anyway. Sasuke glared at him, crossing his arms petulantly. Itachi was not impressed; he stared back at his brother blankly.
"I will retrieve your pill and then you will rest." Sasuke grew agitated but then he smirked as an idea reached fruition.
"Fine, I'll go to bed. If I sleep in your room." Sasuke did not receive the reaction he had expected.
"Of course." Itachi nodded and got up. Sasuke looked at the man's back as he grabbed his pill for the night. Then he got up and sauntered down the hall. Sasuke followed after him curiously, satisfied that he had gotten his way.
"Feel free to use the bathroom." Itachi said as he cracked open the door to what Sasuke previously thought was his bedroom door. It turned out to be a small bathroom. Sasuke's eyebrows came together in his confusion. Itachi opened the bedroom door. Sasuke walked in. So this actually was Itachi's bedroom? Sasuke almost smirked. Served the man right, he deserved to be displaced. Sasuke nodded to himself.
Itachi gave him the pill and left the room. Sasuke shook his head and made his way over to the bed. He sat down heavily. Now, he could feel the sickness Itachi had pointed out earlier. His bones ached with the illness. It was only seconds later that he felt a knock on the door. He didn't answer but he was tempted to tell the man to go away. Apparently, that was just a courtesy knock because seconds later Itachi had opened the door.
Silently, he walked toward the bed and placed the blanket over Sasuke's form. He paused, for the first time looking unsure of himself, as if he was going to say something but seemed to snap out of it. Sasuke didn't know what came over him but as Itachi left he uttered;
"Night." He saw Itachi pause at the door.
"Rest well, foolish little brother."
Over the next few weeks the duo had adopted a bit of a routine. Sasuke would wake up, ignore Itachi as long as possible, take his pills and eat. Itachi was ever silent and always present. The more time Sasuke spent with the man the more he resented him. Itachi was acting too much like he actually cared. Sasuke knew better than to think this was the case. He had yet to uncover his brother's real intentions.
For the first time in weeks, Itachi was gone and Sasuke relished the feeling. He didn't really know where Itachi was, the man hadn't bothered to tell him. He hoped the man had gone off and gotten killed- Well actually, he hated to admit it, but he was getting used to getting watched over. Even if who he was getting watched by was his sworn enemy he couldn't help but drop into routine with the man. This baby took a lot out of him and it helped that someone was there to pick up the slack.
If Itachi thought he was big before he'd think he was massive now. Throughout the weeks he had ballooned. Sasuke found it difficult to leave the bed he slept on let alone walk.
He was still going to kill the man. If anything these few weeks have taught him it was patience. Because of his new immobility, he sat on the couch and thought.
Suddenly, the front door flew open. He turned toward the door. Perhaps, he would actually greet Itachi today, to throw the man off. In walked a man that was not his brother at all. A large man stood in the door way, taking up almost all of the space. On closer inspection, he could tell that his brother was draped over Kisame Hoshigaki's shoulder, limp as a rag doll. Sasuke struggled to stand. He needed to defend himself. This man was just as evil as Itachi.
The large man threw the prone Uchiha down on the couch, none too gently. The smaller Akatsuki member didn't even move.
"You know how to patch a wound, kid?" the man's deep voice greeted his ears. Sasuke didn't answer, too preoccupied with trying to find his kunai. It must have fallen between the couch cushions.
He heard heavy footsteps echo down the hall and then come back after a few moments. The large man joined him on the couch.
"Is he dead?" Sasuke asked. He became mildly surprised when he realized his voice didn't sound as gleeful as it should have. He cleared his throat. Maybe his fever wasn't gone after all.
"Nah, Itachi-san can take way more than this." The man almost bragged as he took off Itachi's cloak. He pulled up the ninja's shirt. It revealed an ugly gash right on his chest. Sasuke grimaced, growing sick. Kisame patched Itachi up easily and pulled the bloody shirt back down. He turned his attention to the pale ninja beside him. He smirked, revealing sharp teeth and gave Sasuke a once over.
"So you are preggers." Sasuke glared at him and searched for the kunai yet again.
"Get out." Sasuke hissed, he felt his hand brush against cool steel. Kisame chuckled.
"No can do, you're stuck with me until Itachi wakes." Sasuke flung his kunai at the shark ninja. The man just swatted it away as if it was a fly.
Kisame laughed uproariously. Sasuke glared and got up, his pride severely wounded. He made his way into the bedroom, slamming the door after him.
Weeks later, Sasuke slept in till late in the afternoon. He probably would have slept in more but he smelled something burning. He exited the room and could clearly see smoke floating down the hall. He made his way to the kitchen to see Kisame cursing over a steaming pan.
"Damn it." He growled before running water over the blackened pan. He left the thing there and turned around.
"Ah, hello Sasuke." Kisame grinned with all of his sharp teeth, it wasn't a pleasant smile. Sasuke wasn't the least bit intimidated.
"Where's my brother?" he grunted out. Kisame pointed at the couch and Sasuke waddled over there. His brother was stretched across the couch, his eyes shut. He was no longer in dirty clothes. Now, he wore plain blue civilian garb. He almost looked dead. He almost looked harmless. Sasuke marveled at the sight, although he had seen it for days. Kisame had said the wound was nothing serious so how come the ninja still slept?
"Well, dinner's shot." Kisame grunted. "I'm going into town kid, wanna come?"
Sasuke scoffed at him. Kisame shrugged.
"I'll be back later then."
Sasuke waited for half an hour. He figured Kisame must have found his way toward civilization by now. Sasuke grabbed the blanket from his room and draped it across his shoulders. The icy wind bit into his pale skin when he opened the door to the cabin.
The snow only went to his ankles now. Apparently the weather was changing. He glanced back at the cabin and started to move as fast as he could. It wasn't that fast at all but he continued to move. His ninja stamina was the only thing that kept him from passing out from exhaustion.
Only a little time flew by before, he could feel his burden begin to weigh him down. He leaned heavily on a tree, the bark dug into his forehead. He exhaled heavily, the child in him moved as his chakra wavered slightly.
"Sasuke Uchiha." The addressed teen straightened worriedly and brandished the kunai he had hidden. He felt faint but he blinked back the dizziness clouding his eyes.
"No need for that, Sasuke." A masked man showed himself in front of the teen.
"Who are you?" Sasuke bit out, holding out his kunai threatening. He could sense the power on this man. He was very dangerous.
"There are many things you need to know about your brother, young Uchiha."
(~~)
Sasuke went lax as the masked man released the rope binding him. He had panicked when the man began to speak the 'truth'. He had not believed him. All of it had to be lies; but slowly everything began to make sense. Sasuke shivered as the man stepped back.
"The Uchiha are a cursed clan. If you wish to cleanse them I will provide the tools necessary to do so." Sasuke looked up at the man, wide eyed.
"What is it you want," Sasuke paused, looking down again at his slightly shaking hands, "Why tell me this?"
"Your child is the key to the Uchiha recovery." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at that.
"You can't have my child!" Sasuke suddenly screamed, with extreme trouble he got up onto his feet. He summoned all of his chakra into his palm, beginning to perform a small chidori. All the meager chakra he could spare made a slight spark upon his wrist. The masked man watched him struggle, a sharingan glinting in the small hole. Sasuke felt that uncomfortable feeling of fear come back into his heart. He was backed into a wall.
"Very well." The man vanished. Sasuke looked on incredulously at the blank spot. He looked around himself curiously, his body still in his shock. He took cautious steps out of the cave. Then, numbly, he stumbled his way back to the cabin. He was halfway there when he was stopped by a familiar figure.
"There you are." Kisame grinned, as if he wasn't searching all over the green earth for Itachi's brother. Itachi would have his head if he'd lost his brother. Sasuke did not share his enthusiasm. Why had he gone back anyway? Answers perhaps?
"Shut up." He grumbled and waddled past the large ninja. Kisame laughed boisterously and before the Uchiha knew it he was off the ground.
"What the hell!" he tried to twist out of the ninja's grasp but Kisame held on too tight. He carried him all the way back to the cabin.
Sasuke's heartbeat sped up when he realized Itachi wasn't on the couch. He couldn't deal with the man right now. Not when he wasn't lying prone on the couch like he had for days. Kisame placed the younger Uchiha on the furniture and grimaced.
"Itachi-san?" he called out. Suddenly there was a thud and Itachi came down the hallway.
"Kisame." Itachi's sharingan spun dangerously as he stared down the large ninja. Kisame rubbed the back of his head.
"I found him?" he grinned at his own half assed excuse.
"Tell me Kisame, why have I awoken to an empty residence?" Itachi asked calmly, he had yet to glance at his brother. He could feel the weak chakra anyway.
Sasuke barely paid attention to the exchange as he looked at his brother. He couldn't believe all of these wasted years. He still didn't understand why Itachi had lied to him. He didn't need to leave all those years ago. They had missed so much.
Sasuke felt his chest tighten and he gripped it. His breaths came out harshly, his dry lips cracking as he inhaled harshly. Both criminals looked over at him.
"Sasuke breathe." He glared at his brother. That was completely unhelpful. He rocked dangerously on the couch. The last thing he saw was his brother move before he lost consciousness.
When he awoke he was still on the couch but his full body was laid out upon it. He opened his eyes groggily. His head was pounding.
"You have not taken any pills this week." He heard the reprimand from above. Sasuke almost laughed at the stupidly. He really didn't care about that.
"Why?" he asked tiredly as he closed his eyes again. He felt something being shoved into his hand and he threw it on the ground. He knew it was that stupid book he'd neglected ages ago.
"That's not what I mean." Sasuke opened his eyes again, finally looking at his brother. Itachi was back in his Akatsuki robe and Sasuke began to laugh. He laughed. The long laughs became hysterical as they caused water to gather in his eyes. Soon the laughter turned into sharp sobs and he began to weep. He put his face into his hands and cried loudly.
Gut wrenching sobs wracked his body and he longed for a time years ago. He missed the time when he could run to his mother at the slightest discomfort. He missed his father's strong reassurance. He missed the prestige his clan once had. Most of all, he missed the comforting warm presence of his brother. He missed Itachi. Sasuke's cries began to slow before he stopped the vocals all together. His eyes began to dry as he got a hold of himself.
"Sorry." Sasuke finally said with a humorless laugh. If Orochimaru could see him now…
He frowned and put a hand over his stomach. Itachi had stood there silently throughout the whole thing. Sasuke could not see the criminal's supreme confusion and concern. After all these years, it became second nature to hide this kind of thing.
"Why?" Sasuke asked him again heatedly. He was agitated now. He just couldn't make sense of anything. His head was a jumbled mess and his baby protested the stress.
"I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate." Itachi responded as he sat on the couch, keeping his distance.
"Why did you sacrifice everything for me?" Sasuke grit out. Itachi's eyes actually had widened a bit. He could tell, as he looked into the teenager's eyes, that Sasuke knew the truth.
"You have chosen to believe lies."
"Stop bullshitting!" Sasuke screamed and got up slowly. "I'm getting answers or I'm leaving." Sasuke warned as he waddled over to the cabin door.
Itachi stood as well and approached Sasuke with well measured steps. Sasuke glared at him, wild eyes looking at the man warningly.
"Do not become irrational, foolish little brother. I have told you not to harm yourself for my sake." Itachi closed his eyes and sighed. For a moment, Itachi looked like a weary man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Perhaps that was what he was.
Sasuke paused at the vulnerability shown. It was gone in an instant.
"What will you do now, Sasuke?" Itachi asked calmly.
"Well I need to buy some baby shit." Itachi stood unmoving. Sasuke inwardly groaned. This man had no sense of humor. He cursed the damn hormones that book talked about for that little mood swing. He supposed it was a time to be serious.
"Do you understand the Hell I've been through because of you?" Sasuke began. Itachi opened his mouth to speak but Sasuke cut him off. "But I can't fathom the pain you must have felt."
Sasuke sighed and waddled over to his brother, breaking the distance between them. He grasped Itachi's hand silently and the criminal did not fight the grip. He watched the appendage curiously. Sasuke placed the hand flat on his stomach.
He watched his brother as his eyebrows drew in slightly. There was movement under his hand, Sasuke just knew it. Itachi removed his hand abruptly. He activated his sharingan. Sasuke stepped back in slight fear as the criminal's persona completely changed into something completely different from the calm and almost gentle man that had just stood there. Had Sasuke been wrong? Perhaps he had just believed in lies, too desperate to regain some semblance of stability.
"Sasuke, hide." Itachi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and tried to steer him into the bedroom. Sasuke fought him. He felt it now. That dangerous chakra. It was coming quickly.
Suddenly, Kisame slammed open the door.
"Itachi-san." He warned. Itachi nodded. He already knew. If only Sasuke wouldn't be so stubborn.
"Sasuke." Itachi said warningly.
"I'm going to fight him!" Sasuke refused to move. At least now he knew his brother's hostility wasn't aimed at him.
Itachi's eyes flashed. Kisame caught him off guard. He had him in his arm in one swoop. He carried the squirming Uchiha into the room. Itachi quickly followed after, unlatching the door to let Kisame shove him through to the underground room. The two ninja ignored the screams and obscenities they heard through the door as they replaced the carpet. The two criminals disappeared only to reappear moments later outside. They stared at the two ninja's in front of them. Orochimaru and Kabuto. Orochimaru licked his lips and hissed in humor. Kabuto stood next to his lord, a blank expression on his face. They were ready.
Kisame reached behind himself to grab Samehada. Itachi inclined his head in greeting. The battle began.
Sasuke irritably paced the deceptively large basement. It was cold and dusty but he had found a chair in the darkness. He was too agitated to sit down so here he stood. He could hear a battle above head. He felt the influx of chakra. Sasuke felt his stomach clench and he finally forced himself to sit down.
After a while his stomach clenched again painfully. It wasn't minutes before the pain in his abdomen came back. He put a hand on his stomach. He felt something burst inside of him. Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Shit."
Itachi dropped down next to Kisame. That fight was much too easy. Orochimaru had made a mistake by coming to them while ill.
"Dispose of the bodies." Itachi said needlessly before he hurriedly reentered the house. He heavily walked into the room and threw away the rug. He unlatched the door and threw it open. He spotted his brother on the floor, shivering. A kunai was poised at his stomach, eyes pinpointed on the weapon.
Itachi descended the stairs and grabbed the kunai out of Sasuke's hand. Sasuke felt himself panicking again. He shook violently as the baby felt more and more foreign as each second ticked. He breathed out harshly, trying to sit up. Itachi put a hand on his shoulder to get him to lie down. Sasuke fought against him in his confused panic.
"Sasuke," the ninja accidentally looked up into spinning sharingan eyes. He suddenly went lax and the world around him changed. The world seemed warped around him. He felt suspended in the air, completely weightless. He faintly saw a slight outline around him but everything else was deep black. He was not afraid of the dark at all. It was oddly comforting. A powerful aura surrounded him and he felt as if he was not a human, a living being, but something intangible.
Suddenly, his body seemed to soar through the all engulfing dark and abruptly there was blinding light. He jerked and suddenly there was an intense pain in his abdomen. He snapped his eyes open. The light seemed to burn into his corneas painfully and he fought to keep them open. Sasuke tried to make sense of what had happened. It all came back to him. The hiding, the artificial womb bursting and Itachi putting him under, it all pounded into his head.
He looked around the room he was in. He was once again in his own. He tried to sit up but found it impossible. He looked down at his shirtless self. His stomach was wrapped tightly, almost painfully, where he knew there was a large scar. The wound ached and throbbed.
Sasuke stiffened when he didn't hear any crying. Itachi entered the room.
"So you are awake." Sasuke shook away the Déjà vu and wet his lips.
"Where is it?"
"She's very weak right now. But she'll be ok." Sasuke looked at his brother silently. Then his lips curled slightly.
"She?"
"Yes. Your daughter is the first female Uchiha to be born in quite a while." Even Itachi's eyes had a slight smile in them.
"Where is she?" Sasuke was suddenly serious. He hoped Itachi wasn't downplaying the newborns fragility.
"I'll get her for you." Itachi left the room.
When he returned he held what was seemingly a bundle of blankets. Sasuke pushed himself up; already he was feeling a bit of his chakra strengthen from the trickle through his veins. With the new energy, he sat up completely.
Itachi stood next to the bed. The bundle was held close to his chest. Sasuke held out his hands to receive her much as if he were about to grab something small. Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"Demonstrate how you will hold her." Sasuke glared at him. He wasn't stupid. He decided to listen anyway. His held his arms up across his chest, ready to accept the bundle.
"How's tha-"his heated words were cut off by the baby being placed in his arms. Sasuke's eyes widened comically as he looked at the tiny face. Sasuke swallowed. Of all of the enemies he had faced in the past, this new face had to be the most daunting. The infant had a tuff of hair on her tiny head.
"She's been fed." Sasuke took in this information. It sounded as if Itachi was more prepared for this baby than he was. When did he get baby food? He opened his mouth to ask the mysterious man but he was cut off.
"What have you named her?" Itachi broke the silence. Well, Sasuke hadn't thought of a name. Yes, all of those weeks alone to himself and he had not bothered to think of what to name his child. Sasuke felt like a dunce.
"Sharingan?" Itachi actually glared at him on that one. Sasuke found himself stunned at his newfound humor but he waved it off. Itachi was such a stiff.
"Kidding." Sasuke smiled at the baby again. "Yasuko."
"A peaceful child?" Itachi's emotions obviously weren't in check. A million of them flew by in his dark eyes. Cautiously, he reached out a hand and ruffled Sasuke's hair. There was still so much distance between them. It had been too many years of being enemies that it would take more than words to rebuild any type of friendship.
"Where will you go?" Itachi suddenly said his seriousness back. Sasuke sighed; leave it to Itachi to ruin a moment.
"We're going to the Village Hidden in the Stars."
"I cannot go with you."
"Bullshit. Yes you can."
"I cannot."
"We'll fake your death."
"No."
"Yes." The baby began to fuss until she broke out into loud shrill cries.
"Even Yasuko wants you to go."
"You wish for me to fake my own death?"
"Yes." The stoic criminal sat on Sasuke's bed.
"Very well."
Sasuke grinned. He always got his way.
The story will be a small time skip from here! Thank you for reading this prologue!