With "Bamboo Woods" out of the way, the sequel to "The Winds of Spring", this fic now has my full attention. :D Hope the wait was worth it.
Chapter Three
"Itachi Uchiha, if you value your brother's life...you will come to the Hidden Rain Village mountains within three days' time. Fail - he dies."
Foolish little otouto...
Those words would never get old.
Sasuke had to let his guard lower, didn't he? Itachi shook his head and sighed, staring at the same spot where his brother and the three mysterious shadowy characters vanished. Small essences of smoke lingered, soon to vanish permanently.
Taking Sasuke's trail with them.
But no matter. He was very well familiar with the Village Hidden in the Rain - where the Akatsuki dominated much of everything - so he knew a select few locations to look for his brother. Itachi sniffed and loosened his fists; if he valued Sasuke's life...oh, how right that was. He valued his brother's life more than anything in his life.
Even if it meant sacrificing that love he had for his brother, because of the "good" he had done for the Leaf Village.
Sasuke, I could never tell you no matter how much I wanted to.
He turned his back to the Uchiha resting place and bowed his head. "It seems Sasuke needs me more than ever," was all he said, because what else was there to say? His brother needed his "dear" big brother now as he did as a child, did he not? Itachi was not sentimental, but who ever said their old bond was completely extinguished?
It was not like I had a choice in the matter.
He closed his eyes when he turned away to begin his hunt. The memory of their last day as brothers before it fell apart returned to his senses. The day he and little Sasuke sat on the family compound just as the sun was setting: "With us, it's different, because we're brothers; we are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you - even as an obstacle you must overcome..."
The sky darkened at the same time, the chances of the precipitation increasing. Anything to wash away the scalding tears he refused to let unseen spies glimpse.
"I was wondering if I would see you again, Itachi," Kisame said slyly when the Uchiha returned to their cave destination. He had set up the fire, a pile of freshly caught fish beside the pit. Itachi merely chuckled and shrugged off his soaked cloak.
"I see you've outdone your hunt." He slumped down before a rock which reached high enough to the back of his head, leaning back and relaxing. "Nothing but freshly caught salmon - my favorite," he said sarcastically, which his shark-faced partner noticed but only laughed at.
Kisame's trusted Samehada rested beside his similar place across from the other Akatsuki, teeth bared in a never-ending grin as he prepped the first fish for slaughter and fasting. Peeling of the flesh and tearing out the bones. Itachi would enjoy the sight just for the sake of it, and the blood dripping onto the soil like rubies on precious mineral.
His partner was still eyeing him with vast interest. "Say, what interesting tale have you to entertain me with, eh?"
Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Why should this interest you, hmm?" he returned smoothly, folding his arms across his chest. It should be obvious there would never be any secrets between him and his partner. Of course, Kisame always knew about Sasuke and his so-called sentimentality.
"Come now, no hiding the fact that you paid your respects to the dead family," Kisame stated, depthless eyes twinkling with amusement. "You may hide everything well, but not from me..." Itachi exhaled; again, no getting around this.
"Very well. Yes, my foolish brother approached me, but he was jumped. He had his chance to raise his killing hand, but some shadowy characters have taken him captive. I am to meet them in three days' time in the mountains of the Hidden Rain Village."
A heavy chortle broke just as the carving knife was in midst of slicing the unfortunate fish down to where its tail ended. "Oh, ho, so you have to play hero to your little brother who'd like nothing more than to see your head on the spike? Oh, the irony of it all, I see." Kisame sniggered. "Seriously, Itachi, if it were me, I let him deal with it on his own, make a man to take care of himself instead of his big brother stepping in to help keep his balls from being smashed."
Itachi flinched. "Kisame," he said slowly, "has anyone ever told you how vulgar you are?"
"Eh, you hear the stuff coming from Hidan's mouth." Kisame shrugged. "The guy loves to rant about his so-called god 'Jashin this, Jashin that' - seriously, if I was in Kakuzu's place, I would just lop his ugly head and bury it where no one would ever find it," he stated just as he tore the carcass open and revealed bones and innards inside, pink and red mingled.
"However," the shark man went on, "have you prepared for what tricks these characters may have up their sleeves?"
~o~
When Sasuke awoke, the first thing he registered was the fact he could still feel every inch of himself, but when he tried to move, he discovered he couldn't. Opening his eyes, he saw the reason why:
He was suspended in mid-air, beneath an installed light source within a cavern, but no physical bindings that he could see. He was spread eagle-fashion over a circular symbol of those dark captors of his whose name he had registered, in a way, based on the three words in the character etched in their garments:
Desire.
Appetite.
Lust.
Just what exactly did they have to do with whatever their shady organization is? Are they another form of the Akatsuki?
Whoever they were, they had the binding jutsu now that he knew what it was. He was unable to activate the Sharingan, so he could not see their forms in the shadows around him.
"Who are you and what do you want with me?" he demanded when he finally found his voice. He struggled once before giving up altogether. It seemed this binding jutsu of theirs sealed off all access to his powers. He hissed through his teeth, even more when a voice responded. It wasn't identified as male or female, but it was still hollow and filled with authority and mystery.
"Your questions will be answered when your brother comes to save your life."
"Are you out of your mind?!" he shouted in outrage, thrashing once with his shoulders. "Itachi doesn't care about me as long as he challenges me to kill him! If I see him again, I shall avenge our clan and restore it as soon as he is dead."
The rumble that echoed throughout the cave was bemused and collected.
"Sasuke Uchiha - the last of the extinct Uchiha clan - your brother will not abandon you to certain death. He will prove it when he comes as he was instructed."
~o~
"They possess the Shadow Possession Jutsu, as far as I have seen," Itachi answered, looking into the roaring flames that licked at the roasting fish Kisame skewered and adjusted to roll over at every angle. "But alas, I have not finished examining their presence. I have thus far gathered that they possess every Shinobi power - but the Sharingan..."
That must be why they have Sasuke. They have my brother as the bait to lure me - and they will have us both. But on second thought, it's too simple to assume they want the Mangekyo Sharingan. There's more that even I can't see beyond the box...
"So, that's how they easily took down the other one with the Sharingan?" Kisame queried, unable to keep his famous toothy grin off his face. "Sasuke does not have the powerful Mangekyo awakened within himself, yet he got himself snagged by -" He looked pointedly at the Uchiha who narrowed his eyes in return.
"These people," Itachi said softly, "they cannot be one we know in written context or knowledge. I believe they are an unofficial association with the Akatsuki..." Only I will not know for sure until I set foot into their territory. "...or they are something else entirely. I won't know for sure until I reach the mountains in three days -"
Kisame snorted. "Hm, three days, huh? Talk about generic, giving a time frame for how long you have until they off little Sasuke," he stated plainly.
Itachi shook his head. "They won't kill him." He sighed. "But yes, Kisame, only that's not important. The issue is someone has kidnapped my foolish little brother, and they will pay for it."
His partner was just taking the fish off the pit and was slicing it in half, one half for himself and the other for Itachi. He hadn't realized how hungry he truly was until the aroma reached his nostrils; his stomach growled. "Still have those feelings for your baby brother, I see," Kisame noted, taking his seat beside the Uchiha heir, who held his breath and refused to answer that. "I always thought you did..."
"That's enough, thank you," Itachi bit out.
You know he is right. You still love Sasuke.
He shut his eyes, the heat of the fires and Kisame's knowing gaze causing his flesh to crawl. But not as much as the thought that Sasuke had been the one to kill Orochimaru. Sasuke...you really have gotten strong. But when I rescue your worthless little self, you had better prove it to me in battle.
His brother better do him proud, if he could take down one of the legendary Sannin...even if Sasuke loathed him as his big brother "wanted" him to.
~o~
"...your brother will not abandon you to certain death. He will prove it when he comes as he was instructed."
Sasuke was stricken for just a moment before regaining himself. He..Itachi...was coming for him...NO! No, I must not let him overpower me! If he truly is coming for me, then to find me like this - he will once more call me weak. I allowed my guard down; what a fool I was! But I will not let it repeat itself, no matter what.
"If Itachi does come for me," he spat, "then he will no doubt kill every single one of you until it is just the two of us. Your willpower won't be mastered over the Mangekyo Sharingan."
There was a hollow chuckle. "Believe us, Uchiha, the Sharingan is what we shall expect of your brother. But he will not know what will hit him once he comes."
Sasuke felt his eyes widen with horrified realization: Itachi is walking into a trap. What are they going to do? Right then and there, for the moment, he found himself fearing for his brother. No one should handle Itachi but HIM and him alone.
Itachi, stay away...
Don't be afraid to review; I love hearing what people have to say, but as I said before, please no flaming. With that out of the way: uh, oh. :O Itachi is walking into a trap, but he'd better know that could be coming...