Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.
A/N: I'm pleasantly surprised by your responses for the previous chapter – so thank you so much for the reviews. I've posted a picture of Ryo in deviantart – the link is in my profile page, so you can check it out before reading this chapter. Anyway, without further ado, here's the next instalment…
The Return of the Heir by elle6778 – Chapter 9
Sakura was acutely aware of the presence of the man standing at the door even though her eyes were fixed to the boy in the bed. This was not how she had wanted him to find out about Ryo. Hell, she did not want him to find out about Ryo at all.
But she should have known that he would not simply let things be. She should have known that he would come after her. He was nothing if not tenacious when it came to getting his way.
"Kazekage-sama."
"Uchiha."
She did not look up from Ryo as the two shinobi greeted each other, their tones reserved. They continued to converse quietly, but she did not pay them any notice. She was only vaguely aware that Kankurou had left them. Her attention was fully fixed on the unconscious boy who was shifting restlessly on the bed, small moans intermittently escaping his lips. Her fingers were threaded through his smaller ones, while her other hand stroked his thick maroon hair the way she had always done when putting him to sleep when he was younger.
Her little boy.
Tears burned behind her eyelids. She was being stupid. She knew that he would get injured at some point; he was a shinobi, after all, albeit a fresh genin. But she had not expected him to be hurt so badly on his first external escort mission.
The urge to continue snarling and to ranting at Gaara was strong. She had vented earlier, until Gaara had warned her that Itachi and Kankurou were approaching. Whatever her feelings were, she did not want the Uchiha to hear such a personal argument between her and Gaara. For it was personal. Ryo was personal to both her and Gaara.
"Sakura."
She looked up to find Gaara staring at her impassively. "What?" she muttered in a deadened tone.
"I have matters to attend to. We will speak tonight."
She nodded, slightly comforted by the fact that Gaara knew she had plenty more questions about how this had happened. But now was not the time to address them. "I'll see you later."
"I'll have your room prepared."
She flicked a quick glance at Ryo before telling Gaara, "I prefer to stay here."
Gaara stared at her for a moment, as if contemplating the wisdom of forcing her hand. In the end, he only said, "I will come by later."
Once again, she nodded.
Turning to the Uchiha, Gaara asked expressionlessly, "I assume you're remaining in Suna overnight?"
"Yes, Kazekage-sama."
"I will send someone to assist you with your stay."
In other words, Gaara wanted Itachi watched. Clearly, the message he had gotten from Kakashi earlier had not been enough to assure the Kazekage that the ex-Akatsuki was to be trusted. Wondering how Itachi was taking it, she darted a glance at him, only to find him inclining his head politely at the redheaded leader of Suna.
"I thank you for your hospitality, Kazekage-sama."
One couldn't find much fault with his manners, certainly, Sakura thought as she returned her attention to Ryo. She itched to check the little boy over, but unfortunately, she had depleted almost all her chakra in her mad dash here. She had barely stopped all the way from Konoha to Suna in her rush to get here.
A click sounded then, signaling Gaara's exit. She was uncomfortably aware of the fact she was now alone with Itachi and Ryo, an arrangement that she had not foreseen happening. Ever.
And it frightened her.
Itachi was clearly shocked, even though he had quickly masked his reaction. He had not expected Ryo to be a child. As bad as she felt for deceiving him in this way, she did not regret it. She did not regret keeping her son safe from any potential danger. And until she knew where she stood with Itachi, the Uchiha would always be a danger to them.
For a long while, the only sound that could be heard in the room was Ryo's soft breathing, occasionally punctuated by harsh drags of breath that betrayed his discomfort. It pained her to see Ryo like this, and she would rather take all his pain onto herself tenfold.
Blinking back tears, she stroked Ryo's forehead soothingly, hoping that subconsciously, he knew that she was there and he was well-taken care of. That he had nothing to worry about now that he was back in Suna. Though one could think otherwise from the level of security Gaara had placed around the village, particularly around this room ever since Ryo had been brought in. Gaara clearly did not want to take any more chances when it came to Ryo.
"You never said Ryo is a child."
Itachi's smooth, quiet voice broke the silence, making her tense further. She licked her lips nervously, wondering how she should handle this. She still haven't quite figured out if she should trust him, which made it difficult for her to decide if she could tell him the whole truth.
Finally, she settled for, "You didn't ask."
A moment of silence passed before Itachi spoke. "You simply allowed me to arrive at the erroneous conclusion."
Not answering him, she stopped stroking Ryo's hair to rest her palm against his forehead, just above his long-lashed eyes. There was a very mild fever, but that was usual in his condition. His body was fighting to mend itself, and that was good. A sigh of relief left her. At least Ryo would heal.
Disentangling her fingers from Ryo's clammy ones, she tucked in the white sheets around his body more securely. He had lost a little weight, she noted. Must be from all the travelling and trail rations. That could not be healthy for a growing boy.
"What happened to him?"
She flicked a glance at Itachi, to find him staring at Ryo with an odd look. For a moment, apprehension stabbed through her as she wondered what he was thinking. Why was he still standing there in the space between the bed and the door? Why was he asking these questions? He was not one for small talk, so he had to be truly interested in the answer.
Turning back to Ryo, she answered softly, "Ryo's team was sent out on a regular low-ranked escort mission. They ended up being ambushed, leaving only him and his jounin team leader alive. His two other genin teammates, both in their early teens, are dead. Those they were escorting were also killed."
"He is… fortunate."
She threw a sharp look at Itachi, expecting to see some form of disdain, but was stunned to find that he actually looked rather troubled. What was worse was that his eyes, now red with Sharingan, were scanning Ryo's still form, much to her utter horror and bewilderment.
What the hell was he doing?
She jumped up instinctively, placing herself defensively between Itachi and Ryo. "Stop it!" she snarled.
Itachi immediately deactivated his bloodline limit, the tightening of his jaw betraying his annoyance at her move. His voice, however, remained mild when he told her, "I mean him no harm."
She said nothing in return, but she did not shift from her position. Honestly, she did not know what to say or how to react to him. How had he expected her to respond when he so suddenly activated his bloodline limit? Her heart was still thumping hard at the thought of more danger coming Ryo's way.
Itachi finally asked in a mildly terse tone, "What happened? Why were they attacked?"
"I don't know," she admitted, frustrated at her ignorance.
For a long while, neither of them spoke. The only sound in the room was Ryo's breaths, which continued to turn harsh intermittently, jolting something inside Sakura each time he did so. If only she had some chakra left to check him over. It was not that she did not trust the Suna medics. She had trained most of them, after all. But she would feel better if she could do it herself.
"He's yours, I gather."
Sakura stilled, her eyes widening slightly. It did not even occur to her to think that Itachi might consider otherwise. Then again, although Ryo had most of her features, his hair was clearly much darker than hers.
"Yes. He is," she murmured softly, sitting back down beside her son.
"And he lives in Suna."
She knew what he was asking, and she smiled rather bitterly. When Ryo was born, speculations had run rife over his lineage. Ryo had maroon hair and green eyes, and so did the Kazekage, although Gaara's hair and eyes were lighter shades. Most people had understandably arrived at the conclusion that Gaara had fathered Ryo.
"He was born in Suna, and lived here for the entirety of his first year, which makes him a citizen of Suna," she explained, eyes not leaving Ryo.
Itachi was silent for a long while. And when he finally voiced his thoughts, she swore she could hear a hint of resignation in his words. "If he resides in Konoha, you will not need to travel here so often."
"It's not so easy."
"Why?"
She worded her answer carefully. "I don't think Gaara will approve."
The air suddenly became heavier, and Sakura knew precisely why it had done so. Even without looking at him, Sakura knew that Itachi had tensed at her words, clearly coming to the same conclusion the majority of people had done.
She shut her eyes as her chest squeezed tightly with emotion, mainly regret.
If only things were different.
If only their relationship, past and present, was not filled with lies.
000
000
It was an understatement to say that he was shaken.
In fact, shaken was not all he felt. He also felt foolish for the antagonistic thoughts he had been harboring towards an innocent child. It was the result of being uninformed, and from jumping to his own conclusions based on incomplete information, information that Sakura had withheld from him. But now that he knew who Ryo was, the situation was worse, as far as his pursuit of Sakura was concerned.
He had not expected Sakura to have a son, let alone one with the Kazekage of Suna. Her unmarried status was another thing to consider. For some reason, the Kazekage had not bothered to rectify the situation. Or perhaps Sakura had not wished for it. It was confusing, and Itachi did not know what to think.
The entire event seemed… surreal. Or perhaps it seemed that way because he did not wish to acknowledge that it was painfully real.
But he had to. He could not simply ignore the boy, Itachi thought as he ran his eyes over the sleeping figure. Ryo did not possess Sakura's pink hair, and since his eyes were closed, he could not tell if the boy took after his mother's coloring. His nose and shape of his face were clearly Sakura's as well as his skin tone. If one was to ignore his hair and chin, it could be said that Ryo was a miniature, male version of Sakura.
Sakura had not lied. The boy was undeniably her offspring. And the words she had uttered suggested that Ryo was in Suna because the Kazekage refused to allow him to reside in Konoha. Clearly, that meant that eventually, Sakura might move to Suna to join her son.
That was simply unacceptable.
Realizing that he had not responded to her words, Itachi told her quietly, "Surely the Kazekage would not wish to separate a mother and son."
Her lips twisted slightly, but she did not meet his gaze. "Ryo goes back to Konoha quite often, usually. At least once a month. But I've been visiting him these days."
Ever since his arrival, Itachi added silently, knowing what she had left unsaid. His presence had kept Sakura's son away from her. He felt a twinge of guilt, but he immediately brushed it away. Sakura could have saved herself all this trouble if she had just told him the truth.
This had the potential to affect his plans for their reconciliation. No, not the potential, he amended mentally. He was certain that he would have to reconsider his moves now that Ryo identity had come to light.
Hiding his discomfiture behind his usual mask of impassivity, he watched Sakura stroke the boy's spiky dark red hair soothingly. As he did so, an odd feeling welled up within him. A feeling he could not quite put a name to. Perhaps it was envy. But of what? Of the bonds Sakura shared with this child and the Kazekage? Whilst it was understandable that he was envious it came to the Kazekage, he found himself at a loss to comprehend how he could feel that way towards a child. It seemed almost mean-spirited to deprive the child of Sakura's affections.
No, that was not it. Now that he knew who Ryo was, he could not begrudge him Sakura's affections. Perhaps the feeling he had in relation to those two stemmed from the desire to be a part of them. To be together.
As a family.
His chest tightened painfully. He had a family before, a family that he had ended up slaughtering on Konoha's orders. Granted, they had been traitorous, but they were still his family. With such an act hanging over his head, who was he to even consider the possibility of another family? Surely one such as him was undeserving of such a blessing.
Silence continued to enshroud the room. He was not the most conversational of persons, and faced with this situation, Itachi found himself even more at a loss for words. Perhaps he should keep to the professional issues for now, at least until he came to some form of solution to their personal issues.
"The ANBU assessments will recommence soon."
Without looking up, she muttered, "I know."
"You will need to return to Konoha."
Her eyes snapped up then, fury and disbelief sparking from those emerald orbs. In a terse voice, she told him edgily, "I'm not returning to Konoha until I'm sure Ryo is out of danger."
"I don't mean for you to return right at this moment," he clarified, tamping down on the urge to run a hand through his hair in frustration. If these misunderstandings between them would cease to occur, then perhaps their interactions might not be so hostile every time.
She eyed him warily.
Clearly, a gesture of goodwill from his side would be necessary to appease her. "I will see to it that it is postponed," he told her mildly.
Shock graced her face, followed quickly by a brief flash of suspicion. "You will delay the ANBU assessments?"
"Aa."
"What about the rest of the ANBU?"
"They can wait."
"But you're in Suna now," she rebutted. "They're probably waiting for your instructions back in Konoha."
"I will send a message to the Hokage." He inclined his head at the sleeping child. "You may tend to him first."
It was clear from her expression that she did not know if she should believe him or not. But at least she was no longer aggressively angry with him. Her current confusion was preferable. Not for the first time, he wished that things had taken a different turn more than six years ago.
Then, so quiet that he barely heard her, she murmured, "Thank you."
Only then did he release the pent up breath that he had not realized he was holding. Her small acceptance was all it took to considerably pacify the strain he had been experiencing ever since he had stepped into this room. The way she affected him was considered a definite weakness in the shinobi circles, but he did not seem to care.
He swept a look at the sleeping boy again, noting the dark lashes fanning against slightly chubby pale cheeks. His rounded face was an odd contrast with his comparatively slender body, but most children was somewhat disproportionate like so. Ryo's skin was a couple of shades darker than his mothers, which was understandable considering where he resided.
When his perusal led him to the child's chin, he was struck by another pang of something indescribable. Could he be experiencing such a feeling because this little person was important to Sakura? And therefore, by extension, was important to him as well?
A feeling of being watched made him shift his gaze to find Sakura staring at him with an unmistakably guarded expression. Her reaction confused him, and also hurt him to some degree, for it was almost as if she feared something from him. It was probably the same thing that had prompted her to jump between him and the boy earlier. Surely she did not think that he would harm her son?
"Is something the matter?" he asked quietly.
Her eyes flickered but the wariness remained even as she responded, "Why were you looking at Ryo like that?"
Itachi picked his answer carefully. "He takes after you."
The flash of relief across her features was so brief that if he hadn't been looking for it, he probably would have missed it. Was she relieved because Ryo resembled her more than his father? Or was it for some other reason?
It was infuriating how he was unable to read her as easily as he had done in the past.
Suddenly, the events of the past half an hour hit him with a force of a sledgehammer, sending a tremor through his body. It was as if the reaction had been delayed by his shock, and was now just catching up with him. He felt suffocated by the implications of everything that had been revealed.
Before this, Ryo had just been a name, not as substantial as something living and breathing. But now, he was corporeal and was lying there right in front of him.
It was hard to accept that while they had been apart, while he had been searching for her desperately, Sakura had gotten close to another man. And now, Sakura was a mother to this boy sleeping on the bed. And even though the boy resided in Suna with his father, Sakura was clearly attached to him.
It was almost too much to take in. And he knew that he needed to remove himself from the situation to scrutinize it objectively. Before he overreacted.
With that thought, he told her, "I will update the Hokage on the situation."
She blinked slowly at him, as if surprised. "Okay."
Without another word, he made his way to the door and left.
000
000
Sakura dozed on and off beside Ryo's hospital bed until the evening, her chakra depletion and exhaustion of travelling non-stop at top speed from Konoha to Suna finally catching up with her. To her despair, each time she opened her eyes, it was only to find that Ryo still asleep. From what Gaara had managed to tell her earlier of their retrieval, this meant that Ryo had been unconscious for more than two days.
Straightening from the bed, she tested the level of her chakra. It was now fully replenished after her brief rest and the meal she had eaten a few hours ago.
Without further ado, she pressed her glowing hands onto Ryo's chest, sending her chakra through his body to probe his system. Her brows furrowed in concentration, she took note of every recently-healed injuries and any other thing that stood out. From what she could tell, Ryo had sustained minor surface wounds only, which was odd, given his current condition.
She was about to withdraw her chakra when she suddenly felt something foreign, and yet, oddly familiar. Wondering what it was, she shifted to focus her chakra in that specific location. It was concentrated on his left arm. From what she could tell, the area which seem to contain some sort of void, which did not make sense. It was almost as if there was a barrier there, which was why it was almost undetectable.
A little alarmed by her findings, she halted her chakra flow to physically inspect the fleshy area on Ryo's lower arm. Her fingers pressed firmly up and down, seeking the item her chakra could not locate. She had to be thorough; it would not do to miss a thing.
Finally, she found a slightly firmer lump, no larger than the size of a pea, halfway down his lower arm. Her eyes immediately narrowed as she reached into her medics pouch for a sterile tweezer and held it while her other hand hovered over the invisible lump.
A burst of chakra later, a clean incision was made. Quickly, she inserted the tip of the tweezer into the bleeding opening and withdrew the foreign object.
It was all she could do to keep from gasping out loud when she saw what it was. How the hell had it gotten into Ryo in the first place?
Taking a sample vial out of her pouch, she dropped the object in and corked it tightly.
Lips thinned in a mix of displeasure and confusion, she quickly healed Ryo's arm, closing the incision she had just made.
Almost immediately, she noticed the change. Ryo was no longer moving restlessly and his breathing was growing increasingly even by the minute. It was as if it had affected him adversely, keeping him in a troubled sleep. She wondered if its removal meant that he would wake up soon.
If only she knew more about the Shinjutama. She had abandoned her research when she ran off to Suna, and had never returned to pick them up again from Yugakure. It had never been very important to her then. But right now, it would be useful to understand what it had done to her son. And more importantly, how had it ended up in Ryo.
Sighing heavily, she simply sat staring at him with multitudes of suspicions running through her head. She had no proof of anything, and she really needed to find out more about what had happened to her son first. And for that, she needed Gaara.
Whatever it was, it could not be good.
It was already late in the evening when Gaara returned to the hospital room. The moment he stepped in, he made a beeline for the sleeping boy, his stoic mask wavering as his jade eyes swept over Ryo. He was clearly fighting to control his temper.
"This is unacceptable."
His voice was low and flat, but Sakura knew by now to recognize the danger in it. She was as angry as Gaara was about this, and she hated the fact that she was helpless to prevent it. But now, all she wanted to know was what had happened to Ryo before she informed Gaara of her findings.
"What happened, Gaara? You didn't finish telling me earlier. There was an ambush, you said."
Gaara nodded. "They were escorting the merchants from Tea back to this village. The ambush happened just before they crossed the border into Wind Country. Two of his teammates were killed, but the team leader managed to escape with him by teleporting them to the nearest Sand ANBU border camp. He sustained terrible wounds, and only managed to tell the ANBU there this much before he collapsed."
Perhaps the team leader, Hatsumoto would have more information. "Where is he now?"
"In another wing of the hospital, heavily guarded." Gaara's jaw tightened. "He is in a coma."
Sakura heart sank at the news. She remembered how Ryo had gone on so enthusiastically about his Hatsumoto-Sensei, even though half of his chatter was made up of complaints of how strict the man was. The news of his condition was distressing. Firstly, it was because the man who had helped her son was now unconscious to the world, and secondly, because they would get no clue as to whom those attackers were until either Ryo or the team leader woke up.
She darted a quick glance at Ryo, and then to Gaara as an idea took hold. "Can you transfer Hatsumoto-san here?"
Quickly catching on to her intent, Gaara asked, "You think you could bring him out of the coma?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I have to at least try to help him."
The Kazekage stood up and went to the door, where he leaned out to say a few hushed words to the ANBU outside. She waited until Gaara had closed the door before she stood up, walking towards him until there were merely inches apart. She could not risk anyone overhearing them. He looked a little surprised at her move, but he did not stop her from leaning close to his ear.
"I found a Shinjutama fragment in his arm," she told him.
Gaara immediately tensed. He moved his head slightly until his lips all but touched her ears. If it was anyone else, the situation would be discomfiting, but this was Gaara. She was comfortable with him.
"Are you certain?" he asked in a very low voice.
She nodded.
"You gave those you collected to Danzou years ago," he continued. "He had used them in weapons, amongst other things."
"I know. Someone could have gotten hold of one of the weapons and figured out what the Shinjutama is for," she finished with a heavy sigh. "This could cause a lot of trouble."
"How did it get into Ryokumori?"
Sakura glanced worriedly over her shoulders at the boy. "I don't know, Gaara. I really don't know."
And the unknown was the very thing that she feared.
000
000
"All done?"
Itachi turned to find the Kazekage's brother regarding him inquiringly. Kankurou was his official escort for the remainder of his visit.
They were at the tower which housed the messenger birds, and he had just sent a short note to the Hokage updating him on the situation. Kakashi had specifically instructed him to relay news on Ryo's condition, clearly understanding that Sakura would be too distraught to do it.
The message he had sent did just that, informing the Hokage of the ambush and that the boy had not regained consciousness, and therefore, Sakura would remain in Suna until he did so. Itachi had hesitated momentarily when he was composing the message, uncertain if he should return now, but finally, he had said that he would remain until Sakura was ready to leave.
Somehow, something told him that the Hokage would not disapprove of his extended stay.
"Uchiha?"
At Kankurou's prompt, he nodded. "It's done."
The puppet master gave him a searching look, and then nodded. "Good. Let me show you where you'll be staying."
Itachi followed silently as the Suna nin led him down the messaging tower to the streets below. As they went past the busy street, Itachi kept his attention focused on the crowd, careful not to be taken unawares. Spending more than a decade as a hunted missing-nin had instilled a healthy amount of wariness in him when it came to crowds.
Soon, they reached a large dome-shaped building with circular windows dotting its surface. It was tall, suggesting to Itachi that there were multiple stories within.
"Let go in," Kankurou invited as he stepped through the main door.
Itachi followed him up to the first floor, up a circular stairs through the center of the building. A short walk along an empty corridor brought him to a simply decorated accommodation. The single, large room contained a double bed to one side, and what appeared to be a living area on the other side. There was a door leading to another room which Itachi guessed to be the bathroom.
Gesturing with an arm, the Kazekage's brother announced, "This is it."
Nodding, Itachi murmured, "Thank you."
"So, how long will you be staying?" Kankurou asked casually as he leaned against the wall next to the door.
The question sounded casual, but Itachi knew that it was not. In an even tone, he replied, "I will leave when Sakura leaves."
The tribal markings could not hide the confused frown on Kankurou's face. "I'm sure she doesn't need an escort back to Konoha. That kunoichi can punch holes through walls."
"Hm," Itachi murmured noncommittally.
The Suna nin stared at him thoughtfully. "But I guess it's always safer travelling with a partner than alone." His eyes shifted away to land out of the window as he released a harsh sigh. "Not that it stopped people from attacking Ryokumori."
"Any suspects?" Itachi asked curiously, wondering if it could be the work of Suna's enemies.
Kankurou shook his head, turning back to him. With a grimace of displeasure, he said, "It was a low ranked mission. Borderline D-rank to C-rank. Ryokumori is only a genin, after all. The attack was unexpected. Our clients weren't even carrying anything important."
"The boy is very young, to be a genin, that is," Itachi pointed out, even though he had to stop his subconscious from reminding him that he was probably not much older when he became a genin in Konoha. The only other person who had graduated the Konoha Academy earlier was Hatake Kakashi.
Kankurou chuckled bemusedly. "Ah, yes. That was a funny story. Not for Sakura, I'm sure, but it was amusing at that time."
Itachi raised an inquiring brow.
The Suna nin gave him another searching look, and then he shrugged. "Ah, well, none of it is a big secret anyway." Settling down comfortably on the nearby couch, Kankurou explained, "I suppose you know that Sakura had stayed here until up to two years ago, right?"
Itachi nodded once in acknowledgement.
"Well, after she went back to Konoha, she visited quite often." Kankurou's brows furrowed in remembrance. "Maybe every two weeks or so. Used to bring her work here to do while she visited. But after the first year, she was assigned more and more field missions. Made it difficult for her to visit regularly."
Itachi recalled encountering her around that time, when she had been separated from her squad. If he had known her identity then, he would not have allowed her to leave. But his inability to distinguish between different people's chakra signatures made it impossible for him to identify her at that time.
The Suna nin continued, "It happened when Sakura was sent off on a six-week long mission. Probably knowing that his Okaa-san won't be back in time to stop him, the kid enrolled himself into the Ninja Academy, claiming that the Kazekage had approved it." Kankurou smirked. "Gaara did no such thing, of course. He only found out about it a week later when he got suspicious of the kid being gone from his usual play places. And when he saw what Ryokumori could do, it just seemed pointless to pull him out of training."
The corner of Itachi's lips quirked at the precociousness of the child. "Sakura was not pleased, I take it?"
Kankurou snorted. "That's an understatement, alright. Sakura was ready to kill us all when she found out. She didn't want the kid to start all this ninja stuff so soon. But everyone can see just how gifted he is. Gaara was the only other person so skilled at that age, but then again, Gaara had a bijuu inside him at that time. Anyway, Ryokumori's strength is in his chakra control, like his mother."
It was difficult to say how he felt at the revelation.
On one hand, the shinobi in him applauded Sakura for bringing to life someone who was obviously going to be an asset to one's village. Another part of him, however, could not help but wonder if the boy would be subjected to the same sort of expectations he himself had endured as a child.
Ryo seemed to be a favorite topic of Kankurou's, for the Kazekage's brother went on proudly, "I still remember Sakura's face the first time the kid walked up a wall. Turned out that he managed to talk a chuunin into teaching him." And then, as if realizing just to whom he was speaking to, Kankurou made a disgusted face. "Look at me going on about Sakura's kid."
"He sound… interesting," Itachi remarked.
Kankurou grinned briefly. "Eh, I can go on and on when it comes to Ryokumori. He's the latest addition to our little family after all. I'm sure in five year's time, when he's capable of kicking me to the end of the desert, I'll change my tune."
Itachi blinked slowly at him, a little bewildered by the man's frankness. He was not accustomed to such openness from foreign nins. Before the massacre, village relations had been more hostile, regardless of any surface alliance. And his time in the Akatsuki had not changed that. In fact, he had been even more on guard in the Akatsuki.
"So, now that I've spilled my guts, it's your turn."
"Pardon?" Itachi ventured cautiously.
Kankurou raised a brow. "I'm just curious how you can walk back into Konoha like nothing has changed. Can't be easy, after all the things you've done."
"It is tolerable," he responded cryptically.
"You've been off the radar for a while as well. Years, in fact. Our spies heard nothing from you since your battle with your brother."
"Aa. I've been keeping a low profile," Itachi admitted guardedly, certain now that the other nin was seeking a specific information. But what information did he wish to obtain?
"You're not very forthcoming, are you?"
Itachi smirked slightly.
Kankurou pinned him with a steady look. "Answer me one last thing then."
"Depends on what it is."
"Fair enough." The Suna nin asked, "Where were you six and a half years ago?"
Itachi tensed inwardly, wondering why such information would be of interest to Suna. From what he could tell, it was not something important enough for anyone to take any interest in. After all, the information was more of a personal nature.
"Why do you wish to know?" he returned slowly.
Kankurou shrugged. "Just curious. Humor me, will you?"
"I wasn't an active shinobi then."
"Aa." The Suna nin nodded. "Were you in Spring Country, by any chance?"
"Perhaps."
Kankurou all but grinned then, leaving Itachi even more suspicious of his intent. However, it was quite clear that the Suna nin would not enlighten him of what it might be. Something told him that it probably had something to do with Sakura, since at that time, he had been busy keeping his true identity from her. Perhaps she had spoken to Kankurou of her relationship with a civilian prior to moving to Suna, which could be the reason for the other nin's interest. After all, she seemed quite close to the Sand siblings.
"Well, I'll leave you to it then." Kankurou walked out of the door. Pausing there, he glanced over his shoulders and said, "You're free to walk around the common areas, but it's best that you avoid the administrative building and the Kazekage's residence. Those are restricted areas, so you'll need an escort to get in."
"Understood." Politely, Itachi added, "Thank you for your hospitality."
Kankurou smirked. "Welcomed."
And with that, the Kazekage's brother left.
Itachi strode to the window, glancing out briefly to the streets below before he pulled the wooden shutters shut, instantly blocking out the heat and glare of the late afternoon sun. A sigh of relief escaped his lips then. The heat and brightness was a little too much at times.
He utilized the bathroom, cleansing away the dust from his travels, before changing into clean clothing. Once done, he laid down on the bed, staring up at the nondescript ceiling, wondering what he should do with the current situation.
There was a weight on his chest, a weight which felt suspiciously like hopelessness. He did not like the feeling, but he understood where it was coming from. Pursuing Sakura when she was supposedly seeing a random Suna shinobi, with the intention of pushing aside said man, was one thing. Pursuing Sakura when he did not even know the current state of the relationship between her and the Kazekage was another matter. He did not wish cause an international incident.
To decide his next move, he needed more information. He was already in possession of a certain amount of information concerning the boy, but what he needed now was more information on Sakura's and the Kazekage's relationship. It would be difficult, for he was certain that the Kazekage was not the type of man to brandish about such details.
He sighed heavily as he raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose.
This quest to pursue Sakura had just gotten more complicated.
000
000
Gaara had Ryo's team leader transferred to Ryo's room at the crack of dawn. Hatsumoto was not young, at least, not by shinobi standards. He was probably the same generation as Kakashi and had clearly been through a lot, judging by the multitudes of faded scars decorating his form. He was tall, with wiry muscles under his dark skin which contrasted sharply with the golden hair on his head. If she remembered correctly, the man had blue eyes like Naruto.
As she had done with Ryo, Sakura had carefully searched through the shinobi's body, dreading what she might find. However, her efforts were proven futile because unlike Ryo, there was not a single Shinjutama fragment in his body. The man was in a normal coma. It was most likely the way his body had chosen to repair itself from the damages of the battle.
Mindful of Gaara's instruction to return the man back to his own room, she glanced at him regretfully again before she moved her hands away. Sakura sighed, hating the fact that she could not do anything to help.
Straightening from the side of his wheeled bed, she went to the door and opened it. The usual ANBU was there when she peeked out, his masked face turned towards her inquiringly when he saw her.
"Can you send Hatsumoto-san back to his room?" she asked.
In a subdued voice, he asked, "He didn't respond to treatment?"
Sakura shook her head slowly. "Unfortunately, no."
The ANBU only nodded, but she had a feeling that he was saddened by the news. They probably knew each other.
After the ANBU had wheeled Hatsumoto out of the room, Sakura allowed herself to sink back on the bed beside Ryo. There was no Shinjutama in Hatsumoto, only Ryo. Did that mean that Ryo had been specifically targeted? Or was it just a coincidence?
She was unable to tell, and it worried her.
A knock sounded on the door before it cracked open to reveal a different masked Suna ANBU, the very same one who had delivered her breakfast this morning. He held a tray in his hand.
"Your lunch, Haruno-san," the ANBU murmured behind his mask.
Surprised, she glanced out of the window, only now realizing that it was past noon. One of the Sand siblings must have realized that she would not leave the room, and had arranged for her meals to be brought here, because similar trays had appeared this morning and last night as well.
"Thank you, ANBU-san." Gesturing to the table next to the door, she asked, "Can you just leave it there, please?"
With a nod, the ANBU did as he was told.
Once the door shut behind the ANBU with a soft click, she stood up and walked towards the table. The tray contained tea, some rice with a side dish of spiced meat and vegetables. She smiled, making a mental note to thank the Sand siblings for sending one of her favorite meals.
Picking up the chopsticks, she sat down on the padded chair beside the table and took the first mouthful of spicy food. Her work on Hatsumoto earlier had sapped her energy, and now she was very hungry. It occurred to her briefly as she chewed that she should really have tested the food first before she began to eat, but she tasted no poison. Besides, she would bet that Gaara had instructed the ANBU to test everything that passed into this room. He would not take any chances when it came to Ryo.
Which made it even worse that Ryo's team had come under attack in the first place. Gaara would only have send Ryo to the safest missions, despite Ryo's obvious skills. He was almost as protective as she was of Ryo, something which eased her mind greatly when she left Ryo in Suna under his care all this time.
A subtle shift in the air jolted her out of her deliberations.
She immediately jumped up and spun around, her eyes wide with hope.
The small figure in the bed turned to his side, his lips parting to emit a breathy croak.
Her half-eaten lunch immediately forgotten, she dashed back to the bed, her heart almost bursting with joy when his eyelids fluttered open to reveal emerald green eyes so much like hers. They were a little unfocussed, but to Sakura, it one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.
"Ryo-chan!" she cried out.
With a choked sound of relief, she leaned over him to give him a gentle hug. He was awake and he was okay.
"O-Okaa-san?" he croaked brokenly in his childish voice, against her collarbone.
Sakura was almost tempted to tell him to give up his new life of a shinobi there and then. But she knew that she couldn't. Not if she wanted him to be happy. He had grown up amongst shinobi and all he had wanted was to be one. In fact, the last time she had visited, he had announced that he aspired to be the Kazekage. She did not know what to make of it, because that meant that Ryo wanted to remain in Suna permanently. If that was the case, then her choices were rather limited.
But one thing at the time.
Tamping down on her tumultuous emotions, she forced out a smile as she straightened to look at him. "How are you feeling?"
The boy winced as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, allowing the white hospital sheet to fall to his lap to reveal his kunai-print white pajamas. "A little sore here and there. But I'm okay." Then, his eyes searching hers, he added bravely, "Don't worry. I'm fine." His green eyes flashed with concern a moment later. "Where are Hatsumoto-sensei, Mamoru and Rei?"
Sakura winced inwardly, dreading what she was about to tell her son. It would scar him, she knew. The loss of one's teammates and friends always had such an effect. But it could not be helped, even though it unfortunate that it had to happen at all. Such was the life of a shinobi.
"Hatsumoto-sensei is in the hospital." Regretting that she would be dashing away the relief in her son's face, she forced herself to continue quietly, "Mamoru and Rei were the casualties of the battle."
His face immediately crumpled. "Casualties? Mamoru and Rei…" His voice hitched. "They are dead?" he whispered with a hint of confused disbelief.
Nodding, Sakura drew him into a hug, hoping that she could take away his pain and confusion. Her boy was far too young to be subjected to this. This was why she did not want him to become a shinobi so quickly. Ryo, however, had to take matters into his own hands without her consent. She only hoped that this would not traumatize him too much in the long run.
She felt like crying herself when his small form began to shake against her as he sobbed. It probably did nothing to help, but she ran her hand up and down his back in soothing motions.
Finally, after a long while, Ryo's cries shuddered to a halt and he straightened, staring forward with bleak, red-rimmed eyes. Looking so lost that it wrenched her heart, he rubbed his eyes slowly. She did not bother telling him that it would be okay, because that wouldn't do a thing to make things better. Only time could lessen the sorrow.
She reached out to push his messy hair out of his damp face. "What happened that day?"
He stilled his motions, hands dropping to his lap. And then his expression scrunched up in anger. His childish voice was trembling when he told her, "These rogues just came out of nowhere in the middle of our mission and attacked us!"
Rogues? Her heart hammering faster as suspicion deepened, she asked, "What did they look like?"
Ryo blinked, frowning a little as if trying to remember. Finally, he described, "Black clothes. There's this weird black strip across their faces."
Sakura sucked in a sharp breath when she realized that Ryo had just given her the exact depiction of the group that had attacked her just one week ago. This was too much to be a coincidence. They were clearly targeting her and Ryo. But why? How did this relate to the Shinjutama she had found in him? Was there a group out there that had been collecting Danzou's Shinjutama weapons?
Reaching out for the arm she had taken the Shinjutama fragment from, she asked him, "Do you remember if you were wounded here?"
He pulled his arm away from her immediately. "It's only a flesh wound, 'Kaa-san," he defended. "It's nothing."
She almost rolled her eyes. "This is not the time to be showing off, Ryo-chan. Now tell me, what happened to this arm?" she asked, pointing at the exact spot where she had found the Shinjutama fragment.
Reluctance clearly written on his rounded face, he told her, "One of them grabbed me and stabbed me with this weird weapon."
"How weird?" she asked patiently.
"Like a kunai, but not so flat."
It was then that the door swung open cautiously, and in peered a masked ANBU. His body tensed, and then relaxed visibly when he saw Ryo. The relief in the masked shinobi's form was unmistakable. Not for the first time, Sakura noticed that Ryo had a lot of people who cared for him in Suna.
"I'll inform the Kazekage of this development," the ANBU told her briskly, before disappearing again, leaving her no time to thank him.
Turning back to her son, she found him staring at the closed door worriedly. She knew him well enough to understand his concern. But Ryo probably did not fully comprehend just how much Gaara doted on him, because the Kazekage was not one to show affection openly.
In a pained voice, he muttered, "He will be angry that the mission failed and Mamoru and Rei…" He swallowed hard before continuing in an almost inaudible voice, "… died."
"Don't worry over things like that, okay, Ryo-chan?" she told him gently. "Let's just hear what he has to say when he comes."
Ryo nodded slowly.
For a long while after that, they just sat there quietly, taking comfort in each other's presence.
000
000
Itachi stood by the window of his guest accommodations, staring out at the brisk movements of the Suna residences under the afternoon sun. He had never thought that there would be an occasion where he could simply sit and observe the activities of the people in this village so casually.
Shinobi were scattered around, some merely going about their own ways, while others clearly on duty. Most of them wore clothing which blended in well with the sand structures around them, the loose thin fabric protecting them from the worst of the sun. Unlike the muted attire of the people, the stalls lining the street one storey below were brightly decorated with tapestries depicting what he suspected was somewhat embellished tales of Suna's greatness in the past.
Itachi inhaled deeply. The humid air was tinged with a subtle hint of spice, which was generously applied to their cuisine. He had found the food quite to his liking, even though he still preferred the desserts to the main courses.
He wondered if the food suited Sakura's taste buds.
Even if it did not, she would have gotten used to it after the years of residing in this village. His second conversation with Kankurou after his visit to the messenger's tower had yielded information that brought forth mixed feelings within him. But it left him no wiser as to what he should do about this situation with Sakura.
The first thing he needed to do was to confirm was the current state of relationship between Sakura and the Kazekage. It frustrated him that he could not think of a subtle way to probe into the relationship, but the situation was a delicate one. One had to consider the possible ramifications of all the possible routes to minimize potential complications with international relations.
He supposed he could question Sakura directly, but his recent experience had taught him that she was less than forthcoming when it came to personal information. Now that he knew about Ryo, perhaps it would be different. He doubted it. Sakura's distrust of him was clear, and she would most likely continue to keep facts from him. He doubted that he could rely on her for an accurate account of her relationship with the Kazekage. She could simply tell him that they were in a relationship to dissuade him from pursuing her, though he did not understand then why she had not done so before. Perhaps it was out of courtesy to the Kazekage.
Which left him with the option of seeking information from the Suna side. If he was to approach the Kazekage with his queries, his interest in Sakura would definitely be noted. There was a risk that he might displease the Kazekage if there was indeed a personal connection between Gaara and Sakura.
His other option would be to approach Kankurou, although he was not certain how forthcoming the Kazekage's brother would be when it came to such information. His tendency to speak freely about Ryo did not mean that he would do the same when it came to the Kazekage's possible relationship with Sakura.
Itachi suppressed the urge to groan out loud, lamenting the fact that he had yet to come to a decision. It was unusual for him to take so long to strategize but he had learnt that when it came to personal matters, his ability to plan was severely lacking.
A dark speck in the distance against the blue backdrop of the sky caught his attention, distracting him from his thoughts, and his eyes followed it as it came closer. Soon, it took shape in the form of a bird, and comprehension dawned upon Itachi when the bird headed straight for him. He activated his Sharingan and was immediately able to tell that this was not a normal creature. The Hokage must have decided to send a return message this way because it was faster than conventional bird messengers.
Knowing what to expect now, he turned back into the room to look for a certain required item.
When the bird finally approached the window, Itachi met it with a sheet of blank paper. The moment the bird landed, it immediately turned into a splatter of chakra-infused ink which seeped into the white surface of the sheet, forming words as it did so.
Itachi scanned the message carefully, taking in fully the Hokage's instruction before he destroyed the message with a small fire jutsu.
Then he left his room.
It did not take long for him to find a wandering Suna chuunin to show him the way to the Kazekage's office. When he arrived, and gained permission to enter, he found the redhead seated behind a desk, staring at him calmly. The papers on the desk beside the Suna leader's arms were turned face down as a precaution, Itachi noted.
"Kazekage-sama," he greeted politely.
"Is there a problem, Uchiha?"
A prickle of warning nudged at Itachi. There was something odd about the way the Kazekage was regarding him. He felt as if he was being assessed by the Suna nin. It was odd, for the Kazekage exhibited no such behavior when they met yesterday at the hospital. What could have changed since then?
"No." After a brief pause, he asked, "How is Sakura's son?"
"Ryokumori is well. He woke up a few hours ago."
"That's good," he murmured.
Itachi felt relieved for Sakura. Although her son complicated matters, he did not wish the boy any harm.
"Is that all you require, Uchiha?" the Kazekage asked pointedly, his tone containing a hint of impatience.
The displeasure in the redhead's tone was clear, and once again, Itachi had a feeling that something was amiss. Determined to pinpoint what it was, his mind flashed back to the conversations he had taken part in over the past one day. He had only spoken to the Kazekage, Sakura, Kankurou and the chuunin who had shown him here.
The only one that stood out was the last conversation he had with Kankurou. Could it be that the Kazekage had made the connection between him and Sakura? If this was the reason for his displeasure, then did that mean that there was truly something between the Kazekage and Sakura?
This did not bode well for him.
The Kazekage frowned at him. "Uchiha, I don't have all day."
Itachi decided to be direct. "I apologize for my inattention, Kazekage-sama. I have just received a message from the Hokage. Now that her son is out of danger, Sakura needs to return to Konoha."
The Kazekage inclined his head once.
Itachi continued, "However, although her presence is required in Konoha, I doubt she would be able to concentrate on her assigned tasks if her son remains here."
The Kazekage's eyes narrowed slightly. "You want Ryo to return to Konoha with Sakura," he supplied dryly.
Itachi nodded.
Leaning back against his chair, Gaara crossed his arms over his chest as he directed a hard look at him. "You do realize that Ryo is a Suna shinobi, don't you?"
The redhead's wording was so impersonal that it made Itachi wonder if he was truly talking about his own son. For a boy that young to be a genin, Ryo must have proved himself to be an exceptional shinobi. Was that not enough of an additional incentive for the Kazekage to recognize him as his son?
"I'm under the impression that he was due to visit a few weeks ago," Itachi pointed out.
The Kazekage's expression hardened. "He just recovered from an attack. It might not be wise to travel."
"I'm certain Sakura will not allow him to travel unless he is fit to do so," Itachi returned smoothly. "And I will see to it that he is safe."
"What makes you think Konoha can protect him better than we can?"
The Kazekage's words surprised him, but Itachi only responded, "I have extensive experience in handling rogue elements."
A pair of jade eyes regarded him thoughtfully, and then the Kazekage acceded, "I'll consider it."
Itachi reined in his annoyance at the other nin's obvious reluctance. "Understood, Kazekage-sama."
"You may leave now."
Recognizing the dismissal for what it was, Itachi inclined his head and left the room. He was a little aggravated that he had not achieved what he had come here for, but he was also aware that the Kazekage was not someone to be pushed around. He would just have to wait.
000
000
Ryo was released from the hospital just six hours after he had woken up. She had performed a thorough check on his system and was assured that he was suffering from nothing more serious than his usual restlessness. Honestly, she did not know where he had gotten all that energy from. Perhaps it was from too much exposure to Naruto.
His restlessness was the main reason for their journey to the training grounds this morning, after a good night's sleep. That, and the idea that she and Gaara had discussed last night after Ryo had fallen asleep in his room at the Kazekage's residence.
The training grounds loomed into sight ahead of them. Unlike Konoha's training grounds surrounded by lush green forest and clear lakes, Suna's training grounds were comparatively bleak. There was sand, sand and more sand surrounded by sand covered walls and tall towers of rocky outcrops protruding from the sand. The whole setting had absorbed so much heat from the sun that it appeared to be almost shimmering in the heat.
But Ryo ran towards it like he had never seen anything more appealing in his life.
Rolling her eyes, she watched affectionately as her son sped on ahead of her, dressed in his usual green outfit with the white circular symbol of the Haruno clan stitched at the back. At the moment, the symbol was bisected by a kodachi. The short word, although sheathed, looked positively deadly against the small boy's back, but Sakura knew that Ryo was unusually gifted with the weapon. This particular one was custom made for him, his most recent birthday present from Gaara.
As his short legs, encased in black pants, carried him further away from her, the sunlight glinted off the Suna hitai-ate tied to his left arm, reminding her of the very real and troubling dilemma which had been plaguing her ever since she had returned to active duty in Konoha.
She thought of Konoha and of Suna. Of those people important to her, and those important to Ryo. At some point, she would have to decide for both of them. And as with most mothers, she was most likely to decide in Ryo's favor.
Which meant leaving Konoha.
"Okaa-san!"
Ryo's voice jolted her out of her musings, and she refocused her attention on the redheaded boy. He was standing on top of one of the ten training posts scattered around that particular training ground, his arms crossed over his chest impatiently.
A stance he had obviously copied from Gaara, she thought with bemusement.
Well, at least he was momentarily distracted from the loss of his teammates. He had cried again last night just before he went to sleep, thinking about Mamoru and Rei. It would take time for the pain to ease, unfortunately.
She reached the training ground a moment later and glanced around, taking in the terrain and noting where every obstruction was. It was one she had used before during her residence in Suna, but new things, like the posts, had been introduced since then.
Turning to her son, she grinned. "Come on, Ryo-chan. Let's see how much you've improved."
"Lots, Okaa-san!" he declared with a similar grin, unsheathing his kodachi.
Sakura dragged her gloves on out of habit, although she had no intention of utilizing any chakra in a spar with her own son. Ryo might be viewed as one of the child shinobi prodigies, but he was still her little boy. Besides, this was not supposed to be a serious sparring session, only one to relieve Ryo's boredom and to distract him.
"Ready?" she asked.
His grin disappeared and his chubby face settled into a serious expression, one which had always struck her with an odd pang of familiarity. It was as if he was blanking out everything except the pending battle. That level of focus was unusual for a child, and she certainly had never been that way at that age.
Unfortunately, each time he did it, she was reminded of the man who fathered him.
And then he was gone from her sight in a streak of red and green.
The spar was on.
In the usual stealthy style of ninja battles, Sakura hid in the crevices between the rocks and waited. His eagerness overriding his caution, Ryo soon made an appearance, attacking her with a barrage of shuriken. His aim was a little off, but it was good enough for a genin. His throwing skill obviously needed a bit more work. Knowing Ryo, he had probably been too impatient to keep at the repetitive training required to improve his aim.
Deflecting Ryo's last shuriken with a kunai, she leapt out to engage him in a close-range battle. His kodachi slid out of its sheath with a sharp whine to meet her kunai, clashing with a vibrating clang as they met. The height discrepancy made it difficult to fight him, despite his much lower level of experience. The shinobi in her could see how this would be beneficial in the field.
She had to admit that his blade skills had improved since the last time they sparred. Then again, Ryo had a lot of practice when it came to this particular weapon. Until now, she could still remember how he had 'fought' Kankurou's puppets with a bokken since he was two. Kankurou had commented then that it was fortunate that Ryo was only hitting his puppets with a wooden training sword, or else his puppets would be irreparably damaged.
They kept at it for a while more until she called a halt to their spar, and led them towards the shaded stand at the corner of the training grounds. It was not her intention to tire him out thoroughly, after all. So far, he had hardly used any chakra, which was a good thing because of what she was about to impart to him.
Sitting down on the bench under the shade, she handed him a bottle of water from her pack. In his rush, he had forgotten his own. She made a mental note to remind him not to do that again, especially in a place like Suna. He could get dehydrated easily if he was not careful.
As he gulped down the water, Sakura asked casually, "Remember Naruto-Ojii-san and his Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu?"
Ryo blinked once, and then nodded quickly, his face stretching into a wide smile as he passed her the bottle. "Yeah! He made hundreds at once that time." His eyes positively gleamed with anticipation. "Are you going to teach me? Hatsumoto-sensei said it's too early, but I want to try it. Please?"
And here came the melting puppy dog eyes.
She gave him an indulgent look over the bottle that she was sipping, knowing that she was probably spoiling him and his Hatsumoto-sensei would disapprove if he was awake. But she was doing it for a reason, not just to humor Ryo.
"Okaa-san, please?" he coaxed, tugging at the hem of her loose top.
She tried to look reluctant. "Well, since you asked so nicely-"
He interjected with a boisterous, "YES!", punching the air for effect.
Sakura only shook her head in amusement. He was so enthusiastic that it was hard to believe that he was not related to Naruto and little Minato. When they were together, their antics always made her and Hinata laugh. Goodness knew what they would be like when they were older. She only hoped that Ryo never found out how Naruto had played pranks on Konoha.
Gaara would not take well to Ryo painting a smiley face on the outer dome of his administration building.
"Ne, Okaa-san… Isn't that a Konoha nin?"
Sakura immediately tensed, her earlier humor evaporating as she realized who it was Ryo must have seen. Slowly, she turned to look over her shoulder, only to see a certain familiar figure in the distance heading their way. Why was he walking towards them? Was he looking for her?
"'Kaa-san?"
She turned back to Ryo, forcing out a smile. "Yes, Ryo-chan?"
"He's wearing a Leaf hitai-ate. He must be a Konoha nin, right?"
Almost sighing, she confirmed, "Yes. He's a Konoha nin."
Ryo look confused. "Oh, I don't remember seeing him around in Konoha."
How much should she tell Ryo? Did she even want Ryo to know anything about Uchiha Itachi? About the massacre, about how he was allowed back in Konoha to become and ANBU Captain? And about what had happened more than six years ago?
Then came the question of how Itachi might interact with Ryo. She did not know whether she wanted them to take to each other, or to be wary of each other on sight. She knew what conclusion Itachi had arrived at when it came to Ryo, and she knew that such a thing would cause some tension since he had been nothing but clear about his own intention to pursue her.
However, before she could form another thought, Uchiha Itachi had joined them under the small shade of the stall. His eyes flicked briefly at Ryo before resting on her.
"Sakura."
"Taichou," she returned warily.
Obviously not willing to be left out, the youngest one in their trio piped up, "And I'm Haruno Ryokumori."
Itachi shifted his gaze back to the boy, studying Ryo so intently that she had to fight the urge to move to stand between them. She refrained from doing so just because Ryo would definitely know that something was wrong. And the last thing she needed was for an over-inquisitive kid to ask her questions.
Question that she probably would not like to answer.
So she stood there silently, her heart thumping hard in her chest as she waited for the events to unfold, fearing that from now on, things could potentially spiral out of control.
000
000
A/N: And that's it for now. Hope you've enjoyed that. As always, please review if you could. Thanks!
:elle6778:
