Chapter 2: Returning to a new brother
Where did you get him Kiba?
Itachi was jumping threw the woods, he was worried sick about his little brother, just like the rest of his closer family, and because of that he and eight of his family members were searching the woods around Konoha for trails of the enemy, but they couldn't find anything. All they had been able to find out that the enemy had been welly prepared, they had know about the detection field, attacked at the right moment and had a perfectly planned escape judging by the traces they left.
It was like looking like for a needle in a bucket of straw. He met with his father and the other Uchihas. "Any leads?" His father asked looking around, nobody answered but the sadness was readable in their faces. Itachi sighted "Let's look along the ruins, if we don't find anything we'll need to send out spys into other countrys and hope for a random hit." "I agree son, meet here in half an hour." His dad said and took off again.
Itachi walked along the river, looking for traces in the reed. He didn't like this place it seemed unfriendly. Ahnd what was this smell? It was familliar, though he had semelled it often before, but he didn't know what it was, the smell was to weak to be able to tell. He followed it until he recognized it. Blood and rotting flesh. He felt his hope grow, maybe if he was lucky...
A few meters futher down stream he found the corpse he was looking for. The head smashed and the legs and arms twisted in unnatural ways, but he could still tell that this was a missing nin, by the headband he had bound around his waist, and the weapons lying around were supporting his assumption, that this was one of the men he was looking for. But there were no traces left. Though one thing was off, there was a little fox standinginfront of him. Itachi knelt down infront of it, he had learned not to ignore things that seemed off when almost half his team was slaughtered in a forest just like this one, ever since then he had seen many quite unbelivable sights that many would call him mad for, if he reported about them. And this fox didn't seem normal, the eyes were wrong, they were far to intelligent, even for one of the Kitsune*, and they reminded him of a kid he knew.
He stared into it's eyes "Where did they go?" He asked the fox.
It looked at him frightened and slowly backed away. "Don't worry I won't harm you." Itachi said with a soothing voice, and started stroking it's ears "I will not harm you, but if you help me I'll repay you, you can be sure of that. I'm sure you have an idea where they went, the roughest of ideas will be enough".
It swallowed and then looked towards the sinking sun. West. There weren't many paths they could have taken. They still had a chance to atleast get some informations on the kidnappers.
He picked up the fox and whisteled for his comrades.
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"You found something?" Fugaku asked.
"Yes I have, I belive they have used one of the four spirit childrens paths, after they have been attacked in the forest." Itachi reportet.
Everybody fell silent, it was both good and bad news, now they had a trail, but those paths lead far away, into enemy territory.
"Let's face it." Itachis cousin Ichisu said "If we don't turn back soon we'll be marked as missing, and we all know what that means, but if go back to Konoha the trail will become cold, we won't be able to find out anything."
"So some of us will have to become missing nins?" her brother asked.
"Indeed. I say atleast half of us should move out to find out as much as we can, it's not necessary that everyone becomes a traitor, also Konoha will need some infos, that you can pass on." Fugaku explained.
"I'll defenetly go search for Sasuke." Itachi announced, the mission the Hokage had given him didn't seem important anymore, he wouldn't let his brother become a slave.
"I'll come with you son." Fugaku told his son grimly.
"Two more eyes would be apropiate I'd say." Ichisu suggested "Me and my brother are perfect fits."
"No hun, you won't" Her mother cut in, "Me and your Aunt will be joining them, you don't have the skill to hid yourself as it will be needed and I won't see my own children thrown into a pit without returning."
"Discuss that out amongst yourself." Itachi told them and retreated together with the rest of the groups members. "Danagroo, could you do me a favour?" He asked his friend. "Sure you can, you know I'd go threw fire for my friends." Danagroo said and grinned at his friend.
"Bring this pup to Knoha" Itachi told him, pulling the fox he had found at the river out of a hidden pouche of the cape he was wearing. " Danagroo, seemed dissapointed "No epic mission to help his friend who went missing to save his little brother for good ol' Dana?"
Itachi snorted, his friend had always been a joker. "He was of good use to me, and I have the feeling it won't be the last time, just let him free in the village." he explained his assignment "What ever ya say bro, I'm happy I can at least help you in some way." He grinned and punched Itachi into the shoulder "Don't let yourself get caught you fool!".
"Itachi we're moving out." Fugaku told his son.
"I'm coming" He said and took his leave "We shall meet again."
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Sasuke felt as if he'd throw up any minute, he had been carryed around for hours, been fed spoilt food and punched in the gut if he wouldn't obey. He was scared till the verge of death and he didn't know where he was and where these men were taking him.
He was sitting together with the other abducted ones in a cave guarded by the 3 kidnappers, he heared one of the other kids cried "I wan...home" It whispered between it's sobs, sasuke moveda bit closer to her, to give some comfort, or atleast warmth, or to find some for that matter.
"Thhhhhheeeehy aaahhhreeee taaahhikiiiihhhng tooooh lohhhhng." The thing hissed annoyed.
"They want to show us whose in charge" Jin replyed.
"Huuuuumaaaahhhns aaaahhnd yoooouhr fooohhlish games, streeehngthhhh isssn't disssplaaahyed thhhhreeeehw arrroooohhhgaaaahnce." It complained, it's voice was like from a nightmare to Sasuke, hissing and sighting together pronouncing every word sharp and violent.
"I know, but it's just how these men think, you could eat one of the children if your bored" he suggested.
The thing snickered at the sight of Sasuke and the other children backing away "Noooohhht intereeeehhhsssteeehd, Iiiih hhhaaahhhven't eeeeeaaahhhteeehn Huuuhhhmahhhnssss, iiiiihhn yeahhhhrs, yooouuuhhhr ssssso much mooohhre woooohrthh aaahhliveeeehh."
"Will the two of you shut up already?" it came from the other side of the cave, of the woman that currently mourned the death of her brother.
"Relaaaaahhhhxssss, we'eeehhhll beeh goooohhhneeeh, soohhhn enough. Theeehre's the messsssaaaahhngeeer." The thing answered, while pulling a stripe of meat out of one of it's cloaks pouches and devoured it with the lod grinding of teath.
"I can't wait to get some peace, maybe I should quit this buisness." Jin thought loudly.
"Ooooh cooohme oooohneee, weeeh boooothhh knoooohw yooouuu caaaahhhn't stoooohhhp doooohhhing thiiiihsss kiiiihhhnd ooohhhff buissssneeeeehhhsss. Iiihhhht neeehveeehr tuuuuhrnssss ouhhht weeehhll."
"Hm, you can always try." Jin answered.
It made that snickering noise again "Miiiihhhnd if Iiiiih coooohhmee viiiihhsssssiiiihht yoooouuuuhhr grrraaaahhhveee?"
"I doubt there'll be." Jin smilied wearly "But enough of the joking, they're here." He said and stepped out into the rain.
"Will you stop hiding? I'm in a good mood to day, but that kind of things, really annoy me."
"Yes sir" A shaking voice could be heared from the bushes, and a teen stepped out, apperantly caught off guard that he had been found out. "You are to report to the five immidately, at the thrid peer."
"The pier? Quite an unimaginative place to meet for crime lords. But well they pay they choose, let's get on with it my friends.".
Crime lords? Sasuke had heard what kind of buisness bad men like them did, and he new a bad situation had now taken an even worse turn.
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*Refernce to the Japanese tales of the 'Kitsune', that say that foxes can turn into buitful humans and want to seduce humans, they're said to be higly intelligent and cunning.