"He's in here!"

"No, he's not!"

"Yes he is, Itachi!"

Itachi sighed. Didn't the boy understand? No one else was there. It was impossible.

"Hello?...Hellooooo?"

Itachi froze. Slowly he turned his gaze away from Naruto to the newcomer. "Shh." Itachi put his hand over Naruto's mouth and backed into the shadows.

"I know you're in here." Jiraiya wandered through the caverns of Itachi's head. "Naruto?"

Naruto struggled against Itachi's iron grip. Then he remembered something. Jiraiya?

Jiraiya jumped. That voice was Naruto's, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere. "Uh…Naruto?"

Itachi's face drew a look of surprise for a moment. Then he understood. "Stop." He hissed in Naruto's ear. Itachi was beginning to feel dizzy. He had Uzumaki pressed against his chest. His scent was intoxicating. Itachi shook his head. No. He mustn't think such thoughts. He turned his attention to the man walking through the corridor. Itachi knew it was pointless to try hiding from him.

Meanwhile Jiraiya stopped walking. Someone was talking about Uzumaki being…intoxicating. As strange as it was, Jiraiya knew it must have been Itachi's thoughts. He shivered and continued walking. He stopped not more than a minute later, however, because Itachi was thinking about how to deal with Jiraiya. Should I- no. I'll just-hmm… I'll leave Naruto here. The only way to make sure he doesn't run though would be to knock him out. Hmm… Itachi's tone became almost…sweet. I'll almost regret this.

"No!" Jiraiya broke into a run.

"Hm?" Itachi's hand stopped mid-swing.

Jiraiya yelled, "He's unconscious to the world. That's why he's here. What do you think will happen to him if you knock him unconscious in his subconscious mind?"

"I-" The old man made a good point, though Itachi would never admit it.

Jiraiya smirked. Itachi obviously didn't realize that his thoughts were being announced.

Itachi held Naruto tight as he walked into the open. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want." Jiraiya nodded toward Naruto. "Release Uzumaki."

Itachi wasn't stupid. "You made it here, which means you have the ability to take him back. Unfortunately, I know something that you don't."

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "And what is that?"

"If you take him, you'll have his soul… but I'll have his body. What do you plan on doing with an incomplete Uzumaki? Only I can release him."

"Then I'll just have to make you!" Jiraiya ran toward Itachi but was forced to come to a quick stop when he held Naruto in front of him. Jiraiya gritted his teeth. "What are you trying to accomplish with this?!"

"None of your business," Itachi said coolly but Jiraiya could hear the soft echo of his thoughts. Sasuke… Strangely, the word came out neither harsh nor hateful. Jiraiya could have almost sworn he heard….no. Itachi did not love his brother. He had made that perfectly clear time and time again.

Jiraiya knew what he had to do. Sasuke was going to hate him. (Not like already didn't.)

Kakashi had been waiting for about a day when Jiraiya came back. He smiled a bit and stood up. "How did it go? I see you don't have Naruto."

Jiraiya gave him a grave look and, without a word, turned to Sasuke, who by this time, was sitting up in Jiraiya's chair.

"What happened?" Sasuke stood.

Jiraiya slowly walked up to Sasuke and placed a hand on his forehead. Sasuke screamed in pain. He grabbed Jiraiya's hand but was unable to move it. A bluish-white light drew a star on Sasuke's head. Then, slowly, it turned red and stained his skin. Sasuke was in so much pain that he found himself unable to scream anymore. Instead, his muscles tightened up and his back arched. Finally, he escaped his pain and passed out.

"What did you do?" Kakashi asked. He wasn't upset or accusing. He simply wanted to know.

Jiraiya did not answer. Instead, he walked back to Naruto and placed his hand on his forehead. Briefly, a white light flashed. Then, Jiraiya was on the floor. Kakashi was left, once again, as the only one conscious. He sighed and sat back down.

"Hello?" Sasuke moved carefully through the corridor of his mind. Someone was banging their fists on something metal.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke stopped in surprise. "Jiraiya? What are YOU doing here?"

This part is not Jiraiya's point of view. It's Itachi's. But while Itachi explains this, Jiraiya will be explaining his story to Sasuke. (You'll only hear the tail end of that.)

FLASHBACK

"What are you trying to accomplish with this?!"

"None of your business."

"Urgh." Jiraiya clenched his hands and made up his mind. He sighed. Sasuke was going to kill him. "You asked for it!" He ran at Naruto and Itachi.

When Itachi realized that Jiraiya really wasn't going to stop, he did the first thing that crossed his mind. He pushed Naruto out of the way. Sure, Naruto was a good shield as long as Jiraiya wasn't willing to hurt him but when Jiraiya got serious, Itachi knew he couldn't let any harm come to Uzumaki.

"Ahhh!" Jiraiya reached out his hand.

Quickly, Itachi kicked out his foot, causing Jiraiya to move in order to miss it. Then, Itachi shot out his hand, grabbed Jiraiya's wrist, and flipped over Jiraiya's back. Jiraiya screamed something undecipherable. Itachi smiled. That was just what he was waiting for. He pushed Jiraiya down and used his Sharingan to perform Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change.

A few moments later, Itachi opened his eyes. He was in Jiraiya's body. Excellent. He stood up.

"Where am I?" Jiraiya himself sounded a bit confused.

Itachi's mouth twitched into a small smile. Jiraiya had underestimated him. Itachi had known that his thoughts were being announced. What Jiraiya didn't understand was that his thoughts were being announced as well. Itachi knew what Jiraiya had been planning. Honestly, Itachi wasn't stupid. He stood up.

"How did it go? I see you don't have Naruto." Itachi turned to face Kakashi. He kept a grave look on his face. He was on a mission. He turned to look at Sasuke.

"What happened?"

Itachi walked up to Sasuke and placed his hand on his forehead. He was dropping off some unwanted luggage. Sasuke struggled for a moment but he slowly gave into the pain. Itachi turned back to his body.

"What did you do?" Itachi ignored Kakashi. He walked to his body and placed his hand on his forehead. He released a little bit of chakra and found himself back in his body.

(Okay, back to Jiraiya and Sasuke.)

Sasuke sighed. "So, a group of sand ninja broke into the building, knocked me out, and trapped you in my mind in this metal cage."

"Exactly."

"And the pain I felt? I saw you do that."

"Uh…" Jiraiya tugged at the collar of his shirt. "You were hallucinating."

Sasuke sat down against a wall. "Don't lie to me."

The truth was, Jiraiya was embarrassed to admit that Itachi had beaten him.

"I see." Sasuke smirked.

"You see what?"

Sasuke stood up. "You haven't realized that in the realm of someone's subconscious your thoughts are amplified? Everyone can hear them."

Jiraiya scratched his chin. "That would explain a few things," he mumbled.