A/N: Next chappie is up! I know it'll pose more questions than answers, but patience and all will come to light.
Question: I posed this to my daughter and she had no answer, maybe someone else can explain or let me know if it ever gave an answer. Here it is: WHY THE HELL DOES NARUTO AND HINATA'S CHILDREN HAVE THE FOX MARKINGS? Naruto yes, because he had the nine-tails in him from infancy, but in a way that don't make too much sense because his mother had it sealed as well and she didn't get the markings simply from being its jinchuriki, so I would buy that it came from her being knocked up while carrying, because (cough) he was BORN with them BEFORE they sealed it inside him. Not sure if that was just a mistake or not, but I read it had to do with it being sealed inside but he did have them from birth so it is more plausible because it was sealed inside his mother while he was in the oven. But still, why does both of his children have it? Hinata didn't get it sealed inside and markings of the biju shouldn't be hereditary, the kyubi's dna had to be part of Naruto's little soldiers for it to be possible (genetic makeup and all that). So I do NOT get that part of the ending. Does that mean any children Gaara might have would also look like they have a role in Sleepless in Seattle?
Disclaimer: Don't own it!
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Chapter Seven
The tink tink of dripping water echoed in the solemn chamber, the noise the only sound besides the even breathing, and the occasional turning of a page. Two days, five hours, and six minutes had passed since his eyes had reopened, and Itachi found that the third reading of the Third's Hokage words brought about the same feelings of disappointment as the first two times.
There was a slight chill in the air, but he refused to remove the only suitable blankets from his slumbering sibling's body. He had woken suddenly, as if coming to after being lost in a deep sleep, to find his brother convulsing next to him. It didn't take but a minute to find the discarded scroll next to the pale hand. After scanning the jutsu, he knew there was nothing he could do to assist in the suffering.
Many questions entered his mind at once but he had pushed them all aside to do what he could by getting Sasuke comfortable and warm. What idiot created a jutsu that revived the dead at such a heavy cost? It wasn't as vile as the reanimation jutsu which needed a live body in which to house the soul. This one had called his soul back from the afterlife and forced it to reclaim his original body, but it meant his soul needed an anchor. A piece of Sasuke's soul, to keep his earthbound, and some kind of blood had been used to revive his flesh. The scroll didn't state exactly what it had been or who it had belonged to.
After seeing that his brother would survive the rash actions, he had searched around for clues. Where was he? How much time had passed since he had last seen his brother? What would make Sasuke risk such a dangerous jutsu? They had parted ways already, why bring him back? Why risk dying to give him another chance at life? This was no reanimation, his body was his own, and he was in complete control of his actions. The only difference was that he no longer felt ill and his eyes seemed to be working completely.
Hours of reading and he felt no better, nor did he understand any of what was happening. The two journals spoke of a prophecy, he had never heard of such a thing where the Uchiha were concerned. Many years of studying the history of the world, he had never come across tales of a Uchiha possibly ruling the world. Reading the written words, things he had already know, filled his heart with grief. The clan's mistreatment, being shoved into a corner on the outside of the village, and the coup, he knew all about it. He had accepted the position as a double agent because he had pleaded with his father to distill all talks but his plea had fallen on deaf ears.
A lot of what occurred was Tobi's doing, yet not all. It was true that the village had started to push and to turn against his clan. The entire reason he had sided with the village was for his brother. If the clan had gone to war, it would have invoked a response from the other nations. In the end his entire clan would have been ordered wiped, his brother included. He had shouldered that weight to ensure the safety of his brother, because in the end, his brother was all that he had.
What hurt was knowing that nothing would have prevented the massacre of his clan. Even if his father would have ended all talks, the result would have been the same. The village wouldn't have stopped until every Uchiha was dead. For so long he had thought he'd done the right thing by turning against his clan but he wasn't so sure anymore. What he had done, it had saved countless lives that would have been slain by his clan, but had that been the best solution? By killing them all, he had done exactly what the council wanted, and his parents had been fools to forgive him. His clan hadn't started it, the council had been in the preparations of finding a way to be rid of them before the nine-tails attack. Tobi's actions only gave the council the means and the incentive to start pushing.
"It isn't going to change," Sasuke spoke without opening his eyes. He could hear the flipping pages and the occasional sighing. How long had he been asleep and what was Itachi thinking? He had been prepared to nurse his brother back to health, but he was the one that felt weak. It was him lying in the bed being tended to.
"I am aware," Itachi placed the book on the bedside table after marking the page. "If you can sit up, I have some water, but I think it best if we wait a bit before you try to stomach any food. What you did was extremely foolish and there was no way for you to know what it would do to you."
"Soul separation, a person may survive as long as the remainder of said soul is larger than the part taken." Sasuke had done a bit of homework his first day at the lab. Hands helped him to sit up and take a few sips of the fresh water. "What day is it?"
"Sunday, you have been asleep for over two days. Don't try to make light of the risk you took," Itachi placed the glass down. "Do you want to tell me where you got such a scroll and what made you decide that I should return? I had accepted death, there was no point in returning my life."
"I don't agree and it was a gift from the man that wrote that journal, and I'm not referring to the third." Sasuke wouldn't feel guilty about it or be made to regret his choices. He had studied the damn thing for hours to perfect the method and he would do so again if it meant having his brother back.
"I doubt the man meant for you to use it for my benefit." Itachi vaguely recalled rumors of the missing shinobi. Many had said it was his fate as Madara's illegitimate bastard to be shunned and become an outcast. He would have never guessed that the clan had actually helped the man escape his execution.
"More or less, because he told his daughter that it was up to her how she used it when he learned that she was friends with the Uchiha survivor. When I insisted on bringing you back, it was agreed that it would be done as soon as possible." Sasuke scowled when the water was shoved back to his lips. "How long will this weakness last?"
"My guestimate is that you'll be back on your feet fully in two days." More was forced into the open mouth. Itachi was satisfied when half of the glass was gone. "I will insist that you refrain from doing anything for another three days."
"I can't, we have to leave from here tomorrow." Sasuke knew he couldn't remain in bed for another day. It had taken him longer to prepare the jutsu than he had originally thought. If he was to be at the rendezvous point on time then they had to leave then, as it was, he'd be a day later than what he'd told them.
"There is no rush, and we have much to discuss." Itachi didn't want him to push himself. There were things to figure out and he wouldn't allow Sasuke to become ill or weakened. He was already upset because this wasn't how he wanted to be reunited with his brother.
"There is no time, they will be waiting for us, and don't think for a moment that Konoha will not have someone searching for me." Sasuke was positive that there were already teams trying to track down where he had fled to. The dobe was probably leading one of them and their orders would be to drag him back home. No, not home, back to Konoha.
"Slow down and tell me what is going on," he reached out a hand to prevent his little brother from trying to get out of the bed. There was nothing that could be done today, whatever the situation was.
"To make it short, I helped save the world, I went back to the village, and stayed for over a year. Until last week when I discovered that two of the girls I went to school with were actually the grandchildren of Madara. They found the journals and the scroll, he left them with some information, and with a warning. Whatever this prophecy is that the village and the other nations were so afraid of, it got our entire clan killed. If not for that thing then the treatment wouldn't have begun no matter what a Madara pretender had done. Many a shinobi from prestigious clans have committed a crime in every nation but how many clans suffered for the act of one shinobi? You answer me that, brother. Since when does the act of one condemn the fate of so many?"
"I cannot answer that because there is no correct answer. I am not saying what the village did was right or what our father was doing was wrong, there are two sides to every story. Either way, our clan was doomed to be annihilated and I did what I had to, for your survival." Itachi would do it all over again if it meant sparing his sibling, no matter the reason for the coup or why the council was against his clan. "Now that you have these facts, what do you intend to do now?"
"I left the village and this time I will not return." Sasuke had already made up his mind. As far as what to do after this, he wasn't sure, he needed more information. "I am going to the location stated in the journal to see what else is there. We believe that the truth behind the prophecy waits for us. I want to know why we were singled out, what made us so hated, and if I am to be hunted, I will know why."
"Because you just abandoned your village," Itachi saw that as enough of a reason for him to become hunted. Konoha wouldn't take his desertion twice kindly. The first time he had been a confused and angry child, but no more. Sasuke was a powerful shinobi, one that could potentially harm them.
"I did and I do not regret my decision. I am not acting out of anger, despair, or the need for revenge. I will seek the truth, and how I act upon it, depends on what I learn. I may not formally announce myself an enemy of the Leaf but I shall no longer follow an ideal that is based on lies and deception."
"Very well, but I don't want you trying to move about too soon. Our departure can wait for another day." Itachi held up a hand to stop any arguments, "I'm sure whoever you have meeting you will wait and if they are indeed the granddaughters of Madara, they will be able fine until we arrive."
"You are coming with me?" Sasuke was relieved that Itachi was going to come along. He hadn't thought past anything other than getting his brother back. It warmed his heart to know that he wouldn't be alone no matter what happened.
"I am, I also wish to see this prophecy and to know of this evidence that Mahan Uchiha had been compiling." Itachi wanted to see exactly what the rogue had on the nations. The Leaf was no longer a home he could return to and he would not abandon his brother, not when Sasuke would need him the most. He had given his first life in the service of the village, this time, he would offer it in the service of his brother. He would protect Sasuke, no matter what fool thing he decided to do.
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It was two days into the waiting, Hinata could tell that she wasn't the only one that was slightly worried when Sasuke had yet to show. It made matters worse when they had to evade the two groups that were searching the area for said Uchiha. Since this had been the point to meet, they assumed it wasn't that far from where Sasuke was holding up. The abandoned shack didn't provide much shelter from the cold. "How does it look now?"
"Fucked," Ino looked up from the stale bread she was slicing that was serving as dinner. Hinata released the technique, making the veins disappear. The girl had been practicing it constantly since they had departed. Once more, the byakugan was activated, the constipated lines appearing, "Wow, it's actually got some color to it now."
"Ino!" Hinata cried seeing the blade heading towards the two fingers holding up the food. Her outcry was enough to prevent the fingers from being removed completely, but the blonde winced when the blade made contact.
"Shit, I wasn't paying attention," Ino grumbled and slapped dinner on the cloth it had originally been folded on. At least none of the blood had gotten on the food or they would have to break out the dried jerky she had brought along. The bad thing about leaving in such a hurry was that they hadn't been able to pack up a decent food supply. Starving a bit would be worth it because it had given them a few days start before it was realized that they hadn't joined up with the mission that was hunting down Sasuke. The two at the gate had only nodded and told them that the other group was about ten minutes ahead of them. Ino had smiled and thanked them, saying she almost forgot her brush. The idiot shinobi had laughed and waved them off.
Hinata cocked her head, unsure if she was seeing correctly. She didn't need either eye to notice that that the blood had stopped flowing. The blonde was swearing and digging into the nearby pack. What she could see was that chakra was being used, "Ino, your fingers."
"I'll get them, I can't believe I got blood on my pants, I just bought these damn things, and they were on sale." Ino was ecstatic that she had gone with the urge to buy the dark green pair instead of the light blue. There was no way she was going to get a stain out when she had nothing to wash it with. Hopefully she'd be able to get it out enough that the stain wouldn't be noticeable.
"Are you doing that?" Hinata deactivated her eyes to use her own handkerchief to dab at the blood before the girl had a fit about messing up the clothes. Since when could Ino heal without using her hands? Lady Tsunade had been able to do so but she was one of the sannin.
"Oh, thanks," Ino wiped the mess away, wanting to clear the blood before it dripped anywhere else. It was just a scratch but she would heal it because it would be annoying to deal with the stinging if she left it unattended. She used the edge of the cloth to wipe the area, looking for the split skin. "Did you heal me?"
"Oh no, I'm still not that good at healing." Hinata could probably use her chakra enough to stop someone from dying immediately from a wound but that was all. There was no way she could heal a wound to leave it looking untouched, as if brand new. "When did you master Lady Tsunade's technique?"
"I didn't, that would be Forehead. I can't regenerate like them," Ino hadn't wanted to go that far with her training, she had left that up to Sakura. As long as she could save lives, she didn't have the desire to catch up to the former Hokage. She had other abilities to keep improving besides her medical skills.
"But you just did," Hinata almost yelled for the girl to stop when the kunai was grabbed again to cause a slice across the palm area. This time the hand was held outwards to let the blood flow onto the ground.
There was really no tell that it was going to happen. Ino wiped the blood away quickly to see what was going on. Her cells began repairing themselves, without the use of any jutsu. It shouldn't be possible, but both of them were seeing it. "I didn't learn it, I don't store my chakra."
That didn't stop the cut from mending itself. Hinata wasn't sure what to tell her, "Um, maybe it is because your seal has been broken. Mine was keeping my second kekkai genkai dormant, so maybe you have another one and it is now working."
"Then I should get the sharingan, not this. The Uchiha's didn't have the ability to regenerate like this. The only one that I know of is the first hokage and even Tsunade's abilities aren't the same as his. I'm not even sure what I'd call, because his kekkai genkai was the manipulation of wood. More damn questions and no one to answer them," Ino grabbed the water to pour the remainder of what she had over her hand. Once done, she wiped off the remainder of the blood and tossed the handkerchief into the fire. "Where the hell is Sasuke?"
"Do you want to try contacting him? Just to make sure that he is okay and to let him know that we are waiting for him?" Hinata didn't like waiting out in the open but perhaps they could meet up elsewhere.
"I'll do it but don't be shocked if I yell at him." She couldn't believe she was going to have to track the asshole down. It took a moment to connect to the Uchiha and she didn't bother greeting him. 'Where the hell are you?'
'You're still so damn loud and annoying, what do you want?' His voice came through aggravated and an octave higher than normal.
'I want to know where you are, we are waiting on you.' Ino didn't care for his tone. He had been the one to set the time and place.
'I am currently trying to avoid the dobe and his annoying group. We are about half a day from the rendezvous point. As long as we can keep ahead of them, we should be there before dawn.'
'There is another group of trackers southwest of us, so I can't guarantee that we will be able to remain for long. Hinata thinks we should meet up elsewhere to continue moving.' Ino didn't want to be spotted, the longer they kept their desertion from being noticed, the better. It was one thing to let Sasuke go without making a huge national deal of it but the moment it was discovered that Hinata was gone, more would be searching.
'He says there is an old ruin about six hours exactly west of your position. It will take us approximately seven to get there so take that hour to rest because you will not be allowed to relax.'
'No shit, if he thought you were after his girl before, he's going to be pissed when he finds out you convinced her to run away with you.' Ino chuckled when there was no immediate response to the accusation. It would be slightly humorous to see their expressions when they learned that Hinata was also with them. 'Ah, does that mean it worked?'
'Yes, it worked and if the dobe wanted to keep his girl, he should treat her better. Now, stop shouting in my mind, I already got an asshole screaming in my ear.'
The connection was gone, leaving her to ponder just how close Naruto was to them. Sasuke would manage to get away despite the group's tracking abilities. Ino cleared her throat, "We are meeting at a place about six hours to the west of here. Itachi says there should be some kind of ruins there and we are to wait for them."
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Itachi had to give it to the blonde shinobi and those that were trailing, they were good. If they managed to gain any more ground they may have to try drastic measures. He had suggested that neither of them try any complicated jutsu, just yet. He hadn't long been revived and Sasuke hadn't fully recovered from the ordeal. At most, Sasuke was at half strength but he had suggested that they get moving to meet up with two others. The two females that the journal spoke of, the granddaughters of Madara Uchiha, two kunoichi he didn't know. His brother promised that they were trustworthy and that he knew them well enough.
He didn't know them but he could slightly recall them as children. As a Hyuuga, he had spotted the heiress on several occasions but that was all. His memory brought forward a small, timid, little girl that had constantly hid behind her father's legs. The blonde Yamanaka girl had been one of the little girls that had hung around Sasuke after class. She had been there the day he had picked his little brother up from school to take him out to get something to eat. A group of six or seven females had been standing around watching them, the girls giggling as one had been bold enough to tell Sasuke bye. He had poked fun, asking which one was he going to marry.
"He still has no tact," Sasuke wanted to turn around and confront them just to silence the annoying hollering. That stupid fucking dog had their scent and wasn't going to let it go. If yelling for him to stop hadn't caused him to stop running in the last two hours, did the dobe think if he screamed his name a few more times he'd feel obligated to come back? "We are lucky he hasn't realized that my chakra is low or he would have already rushed ahead on his own."
"Indeed," the group wasn't aware that they weren't going to risk trying to teleport to a different location. If it came down to needing to, he would get them out but doing so may take them further from the two they were going to meet and Sasuke was adamant about not leaving them behind. It made him wonder if his brother wasn't telling him something, or was the reason for the insisting on collecting the pair due to them also being part Uchiha? After growing up feeling like the last, Sasuke probably wanted to make sure they came along because of it.
"It doesn't help that they have that dog with them, or that one." Sasuke couldn't believe they would send so many to fetch him back. Was it because of the shared 'friendship' that they had all came or was it because Kakashi knew something and wouldn't risk him running away? "Annoying bastard, he is going to report that I am not alone."
"A bird?" Itachi saw the thing flying overhead, it wasn't a real creature. The rider was manipulating the mass with chakra, not a bad talent, but it would only get him in trouble. "Shall I bring him down?"
"It matters not, he will not land on his own. He isn't foolish enough to attempt to apprehend me on his own. That is Sai, he is most likely under the order to scout ahead to see what they are dealing with. The dog has probably picked up on a second scent and they are probably curious as to who I travel with." Sasuke smirked when the artist turned tail and headed back without getting too close. They would have confirmation that he was traveling with someone but not who. The cloak Itachi wore was covering up his features and the clothing had no distinct markings to indicate who he was. No doubt the others were going to be told that he was travelling with a hooded figure.
Yet, this was going to pose a huge problem the moment they met up with the female pair. Sasuke wasn't sure how his brother would take the news when he explained how complicated things were going to be in a bit. "There is something you should know."
"Something I do not wish to hear?" Itachi leapt over a fallen log, landing at Sasuke's side as they continued on. How could things get any worse? He'd been brought back from the dead by stealing a part of his sibling's soul and was travelling with him to seek out evidence against the five nations. Sasuke would soon be labeled as a rogue, most likely with an order to kill on sight. What he did know was that he wasn't going to be able to change Sasuke's mind about this course of action. If he couldn't steer him on a different course, he would help make the chosen path less bloody.
"The two we are meeting, no one knows that they have fled the village yet." Sasuke saw the look. He knew Itachi had assumed that being the grandchildren of Madara and now his allies, the two were already wanted. "There is no way that dog that is tracking us isn't going to recognize their scents. Hinata use to be on the team with the Inu-idiot and Ino was also the med-nin of the team along with the Nara that managed to get his shadow into the hidden compound."
"Anything else? You too have former teammates tracking you and we will deal with it, if they manage to catch up." Itachi's concern was on Naruto being the one to confront his brother. Sasuke wouldn't be able to take him in a fight right now. They were outnumbered and they had limits to consider.
"It isn't that simple, the asshole that was flying above has a thing for Ino, and the Nara is exceptionally attached to her." That wasn't the worst of it, Sasuke knew what was going to happen before he said anything. "Also, up until recently Naruto was dating Hinata. They split up about two weeks ago and before I left he was wanting to place the fault at my feet. When he realizes that she is leaving with me, it will strengthen that assumption."
It couldn't be helped, he had to laugh. Itachi ignored the glaring to chuckle at the slight red tint covering his brother's cheeks. So Naruto already believed that Sasuke had stolen his girl, "You do know how to complicate matters, and I am almost anxious to see the look on his face when he sees her at your side. Are you going to take her as your lover?"
"It isn't like that," Sasuke couldn't believe that he'd go there. He was only helping them because they were clan and that was all. It didn't matter if the girl had some good qualities that he might look for in a potential wife. "I'll admit that she is beautiful and very skilled, but there are more pressing matters at the moment. Stop thinking with your dick."
"Well, it has been years." Itachi made light of the accusation just to see the color deepen. The exchange reminded him of spending time with Sasuke as a child. It had always been so easy to rile him up and to cause that same blush.
"I don't want to hear about it," he didn't want to hear about his brother's sex life or lack of. Sasuke knew that he most likely had one, they were both males, and of age, so it was to be expected that Itachi had gotten laid a few times. He wasn't a virgin either, because he indulged in a female or two while with Orochimaru. The snake bastard had thought it amusing to introduce him to sex. The man had probably thought he was being considerate to allow him to experience a woman before taking over his body. He could have had Karin but he hadn't wanted to touch that one. If the attitude, face, or smell wouldn't have turned him off, then seeing her naked would have killed his erection. After returning to the village he had managed to find some company every so often to keep him satisfied. It was normally the same female that had once worked in Suna's brothel but had moved to Konoha. She had kept the price reasonable and hadn't done it for bragging rights, but for the payment. Part of the deal had been to keep it private, she had been professional each time. "Are those the ruins you spoke of?"
"It is," Itachi scanned the area, it had taken them almost eight hours to get here. In the distance he could make out two, near a fallen pillar. He couldn't see who it was, "Be on your guard just in case. We should be prepared to flee at the last moment."
"That is them, and the threat is behind us, not in front." Sasuke wouldn't believe that the two would turn against him. They had just as much as stake as they did. If anyone would soon want him dead because of his blood line, he could easily cause them to share his fate. It might be a bit hard to prove that Ino was clan but Hinata would be in trouble. "However, there is something to the east."
"They were followed as well," Itachi turned briefly to see how far the other group was trailing behind. They too could be made out, a blur on the horizon. They had managed to gain a few minutes but that would be wasted when they met up with the pair. The closer they got he could start making out the details that indicated the pair were female. Both had long hair that was pulled up and blowing in the wind. The lighter of the two was leaning against the broken column with arms folded and looking in their direction.
Sasuke frowned realizing that he was relieved to see the two waiting around. A part of him had been concerned about leaving them behind. He smirked seeing Ino drag herself from the relaxed position and dust off her pants. Hinata was pointing behind them, she was aware of their tail. Before they could reach the girls, Ino pointed to the northwest and they took off. "We are being told to follow."
Clearly, Itachi changed his direction to follow, running at an angle to catch up to the kunoichi. The two remained ahead, approximately ten feet separating them, but it was close enough that they could hear the two speaking. The Hyuuga girl turned to speak to his brother, and he could see why Naruto Uzumaki would be upset that his brother had stolen the girl. She was a beautiful girl and being a Hyuuga, she had to be somewhat skilled.
"Are you okay?" Hinata could spot the low chakra reserve as they approached. The brother seemed to be very strong but Sasuke appeared to be exhausted. Had they fought before making it to them?
"I am well, doing the jutsu drained me, and it will take a few days to return to full strength." Sasuke didn't need them worry about him. He would be at one hundred percent in another two or three days. The face lit up in a smile, directing his gaze to the eyes watching him. "What happened to your eye?"
"We got bored while waiting on your ass," Ino snapped at the men that couldn't tell time. Even she had begun to mess around to see what came with the seal being broke. After tampering a bit, she was more curious than ever to get to this place. She also wanted to get a better look at the infamous Itachi Uchiha. Without breaking stride, she chanced a look at the older brother. His features were softer than Sasuke's but he was just as cute, if not more so.
"But it is okay, we didn't mind." Hinata was thankful for the extra time. She had managed to get the sharingan to fully activate. Once it happened, she realized that it would activate every time she activated her byakugan. Figuring out how to use it would take time and practice, and a lot of patience. Ino told her that she was lucky that it was in synch with her first kekkai genkai or she would have had trouble trying to get both to work together, which would have caused the capabilities of her byakugan to become hampered. It made her wonder if it was one of the reasons it had been sealed until she was older and there being a good chance of her having already mastered the first.
"There is a gorge up ahead," Itachi warned them as they neared the gap in the earth. They were heading towards Earth in this direction, was it intentional? Sasuke hadn't given him the location of this hideout and he hadn't asked. The blonde girl nodded, before looking back once more to quickly look at him. He inspected the face in the brief moment, the darker girl had what most would consider a more beautiful face, but the blonde had features that made her beautiful as well. One had the face of someone innocent and sweet, the other had the face that would call to most men. Both had nice figures, nice muscle tone, and enough upstairs to please a man. So which one of these females was his brother interested in? "You do realize that the nearest place to cross this safely is over four hundred yards to the south, don't you?"
"Maybe for most," Ino knew he was worried about the poisonous steam that was rising into the air. She had ran this way to see how to get across and she knew where she was going. When the air had begun to constantly reek of cat piss, she'd gotten curious. They would have to be careful but they could easily make it. The good thing was that she was prepared for the strong gasses that were easing up from the floor below.
Hinata put a finger under her nose as they neared the edge. The smell was fair warning that advancing any further would end their lives. No wonder the village nearby were nothing more than ruins. There was no way people could live near this smell. It would be suicide to want to live next to a gorge that spewed lethal gas. There were several places such as this spread across the nation. If she remembered her geography, this gorge was connected to another closer to Wind. "Oh, the smell."
"This is close enough," Itachi called a halt to their progress, any closer and they risked getting sick. The group would catch up if someone got ill from the fumes. "Going any further would be ill advised, I suggest we keep along this route until we can safely cross."
"And I say we go over on the path I found a while back, while wearing these." Ino shrugged off her pack to retrieve the four masks out of the five she had decided to keep in her pack just in case. Two missions ago, when she had went as the med-nin, to assist a group of miners that had gotten buried alive in a nearby village. The fumes in the mines had been horrible because of a shaft they had exposed while digging, had been non-lethal but enough to make a person ill from the scent. The inner tomb had been a breeding ground for vermin, bats, and decaying things. "After the mission I decided to keep them, but they are designed to filter all air."
"And there is little chance that the others decided to pack something similar as well." Sasuke took the mask from her and slipped it over his head. It was smaller than the ones he had seen used before but he could hear the built in purifier working with each breath he took.
"Is it tight enough?" Hinata adjusted the equipment noticing that it was wanting to slide down lower until it rested on the tip of her nose. She held still when Sasuke's hands reached out to adjust the straps she hadn't been able to figure out.
"Didn't the miners realize that you had confiscated their equipment?" Itachi noted that it was of good quality and these things helped the men work in horrible conditions. She didn't just have one, so why would they allow her to walk away with it?
"I didn't steal them, they actually gave them to us. The others didn't want to keep theirs once it was over and I figured they might come in handy later. It never hurts to be prepared," Ino had to hold back from lecturing the fact that she always tried to be prepared for her missions. She did her best to be responsible, even if she could be bit of a bitchy airhead at times. It was her job to stay alive or she wouldn't be much of a med-nin. "Make sure it is working, and if so, try to keep breathing slow and steady for the maximum circulation."
"I suggest we leave in case they are able to follow." Itachi made a final adjustment and the blonde led the way. He couldn't see any way to cross the cavern that didn't entail plunging to their deaths.
"I put it here," Ino stopped at the edge, now hearing the shouts for Sasuke being carried on the wind. Earlier when they had made it to the ruins with time to spare, she had grown bored with waiting, and Hinata had suggested she try to tap into whatever abilities the seal had kept locked away. She knew from Sakura that the sharingan wouldn't activate until it was good and ready, or that was how it had sounded. Not that she really wanted it to begin with. It was Hinata that had made the suggestion when her newfound regeneration had been brought up. They really had no idea what this Mahan had done to them as children or if he really was their natural father. Hinata and she had begun to ponder if he had somehow tampered with them, experimented without anyone knowing. How else was she to have the same healing abilities as the first? Hinata had suggested trying to copy something Yamato did to see if she had anything else that might have come from the man. For the life of her, Ino couldn't recall any of the jutsu the man had performed on the several missions she had assisted him with. It was the Hyuuga that had mocked the needed jutsu. Of course, nothing happened for Hinata, probably because it was a manipulation of earth and water, elements that Hinata couldn't manipulate.
"Alright, I don't want to hear a damn word when I'm done, I'm new to this." Ino knew her work was going to be really horrible. She performed the hand signs as fast as she could without completely fucking up the order. What should have been a sturdy log sprung from the ground to shot across the gorge. Shame filled her seeing how warbled, gnarled, and termite eaten the plank appeared to be. It reminded her of Naruto as a child trying to create a clone. "Dammit, this is the best I can do after only two hours of practice."
"It'll do, move fast and light." Itachi was the first to take a step on top of the pitiful bridge that was only about a foot in diameter, to test the sturdiness. As long as they didn't try to come down hard with their weight, they should be able to get by. "Sasuke, take the front and I will cover our rear."
"Let's go," Sasuke made a mental note to ask Ino just how she was able to use wood. He didn't know much about either of them, he had no idea what elements either of them could use. The wood creaked but did not give way underneath their weight, she had done well enough to get them across. It was getting more difficult to see as he neared the center of the gorge. It was damn near impossible to see anything further than a foot ahead.
Hinata kept focused on keeping behind the crisp white shirt and keeping her breathing even. The mist made her eyes sting to the point she wanted to cry. A tremor of apprehension filled her stomach as they neared the other side. Her fingers reached out to tug on the shirt ahead of her, "Sasuke, wait a minute, please."
"What is it?" He snapped not wanting to delay being where the gas was at its thickest. Why had she stopped him? Could she not continue on, on her own? "What is the problem?"
"Give me a second," Hinata activated her byakugan, hoping she would be able to see what it was. Directly ahead of her was nothing, so she extended her search to the outer area. "He's going around and he'll reach the other side before we do. Naruto, Sai, Sakura, and Shikamaru are flying to cross safely, we'll run into them if we continue this way."
"She's right," Ino stopped, her senses were picking up all four of them moving at a fast rate, away but there was only reason for them to be heading in that direction. "They must have noticed where we went through and they are going to try to cut us off. If we make it out before they arrive it won't be by much. We got to think of something else if we don't want to fight them."
"You, Hinata Hyuuga," Itachi looked around, hating the idea of not being able to pass quickly. "Look around the gorge and look for other ways out. If they can fly to cut us off, we will go a way in which they cannot follow. Some have reported wolves that are immune to the gases that roam these parts, so you might be able to find their trails."
"O…okay," Hinata looked around trying to spot something to indicate a form of life. The route taking them away from Sasuke's pursuers had nothing. She bit nervously on her bottom lip to inspect the other side. She almost missed the slight movement, "I got one, it looks to be a large dog, and it is going into some kind of hole, about ten yards that way and half way down."
"You, make a path in that direction." Itachi gave the order, knowing this would be the only way to avoid confrontation.
"You has a name with the same amount of letters if you think your mental capacity can try to remember it." Ino tried to create the flimsy piece of wood to go in the direction Hinata was indicating.
"Close enough, we should be able to jump and make it from there." Hinata allowed Sasuke to take the new path first. They were going deeper but the chances of being followed lessened the further in they went. Would this take them to safety or would they be forced to confront the friends they had betrayed?
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A/N: Events in this chapter will be explained in due time, I know, how did Ino end up with traits of the first? Hey if Naruto can end up with three and be the reincarnation of Asura, then I can give the girls another kekkai genkai, since there are others that have three. As for the jutsu that was used to revive Itachi, where it came from, the blood, and the whys, coming soon. Explanations aren't too far off, promise but if you want to read them sooner, review for me.
