YAY! This isn't as long as I would have liked, but I am a little busy & just wanted to update.
Sasuke was running so quickly, completely disregarding the fact that he had left both Suigetsu and Jugo. He had what he wanted, and that was all he cared about. The child was crying, thrashing around in his arms. Sasuke couldn't understand why his brother had grown so afraid of him. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had killed him once before. Once he had made it a safe distance from the small village, Sasuke stopped. Itachi kicked and screamed to be let go.
"Itachi! It's me Sasuke. Your little brother." Sasuke said as calmly as he could.
The child stared at Sasuke in horror. Little brother? LITTLE? Sasuke loomed over Itachi. How could this man be his LITTLE brother? Itachi curled away from Sasuke sobbing into his pale hands.
"Don't you remember your brother?" Sasuke pressed trying to get Itachi to look at him.
"I don't have a brother!" Itachi shrieked.
Suddenly it became clear to Sasuke what was going on. This was Itachi. 4 year old Itachi. Not Itachi in a child's body, but Itachi as a child. Meaning, he had no knowledge of any of the evils the village had him commit. He didn't know Sasuke because Sasuke hadn't been born yet. Sasuke paled. His brother was so helpless and the village was STILL using him. Sasuke grew more upset at that thought.
Itachi couldn't control his sobs. He struggled in Sasuke's arms as Sasuke became lost in thought.
"Who are you? Why would you say that you are my brother?"
Sasuke looked sadly at the child. He wanted to explode and tell him everything. But, this child held such innocence in his eyes that Sasuke could not bring himself to say anything. He wanted that innocent light in Itachi's dark eyes to stay. He wanted to protect his brother, as Itachi had tried to protect him. Sasuke closed his eyes and smiled softly.
"I am your brother. We are Uchiha's. I will protect you."
Itachi suddenly felt at ease with that. The man before him still frightened him, but he felt soothed by him at the same time. Itachi stopped fidgeting as Sasuke hugged him. This surprised Itachi a little. But, the hug felt so familiar and so safe that Itachi couldn't help but hug the man back. Sasuke felt tears leak from his closed eyes as he held his brother.
"I won't let anything happen to you." Sasuke whispered.
Sakura's head was pounding when she came to. She sat up feeling every ache and pain in her body. For a moment the events that had unfolded were lost to her. She simply looked around at the destroyed tree, before the events came crashing back to her.
"Itachi! Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura got to her feet as fast as she could. She wobbled once she was upright, gripping a nearby tree to steady her. She rubbed her head. There was a large bump. She hissed as she rubbed the bump and looked to the sky. Sasuke was gone, and he had taken her only chance at getting him back. She sighed, feeling that familiar lump of sadness in her chest. She couldn't imagine going back without Sasuke. She slid down the tree, curling into her knees as she silently cried. How could she let Sasuke take Itachi so easily? She wrestled with thoughts and ideas on how she could bring Sasuke home, they all lead back to Itachi.
Itachi.
Itachi.
Itachi.
Itachi was key. Sakura rubbed her tired eyes. Itachi was the answer. Somehow she was going to get him back. Then, oh yes, then she would lure Sasuke home. But, Sasuke was long gone by now. Sakura pushed that thought from her mind, struggling to get to her feet. She would find him. She would get Itachi back. She was going to bring Sasuke home.
Suigetsu cursed as he approached Jugo. Sasuke had ditched them. It wasn't uncommon. Sasuke was losing it, slowly. But, it still pissed Suigetsu off.
"I have a feeling that Sasuke may need us." Jugo said quietly.
Suigetsu was tempted to say that Sasuke was an assshole, and could do this all on his own, but resisted. Though Sasuke was a brat and a moody jerk, he somehow appealed to Suigetsu. He liked Sasuke.
"I wonder how the meeting went." Suigetsu said as the two started back towards the base.
"I didn't see an attack, and Sasuke's chakra only spiked briefly. He most likely returned to base. He didn't use the distress symbol." Jugo said, keeping his eyes straight.
Suigetsu grumbled to himself, running his hand through his short white hair.
"He could have given us a heads up."
Sakura was surprised she could walk, her head was screaming in pain. She was nearing the village when she spotted the white haired man who knew Sasuke. Sakura felt her pulse quicken as she hid herself behind a tree. The two were both cloaked in Akatsuki cloaks and were talking amongst themselves. Sakura lowered her chakra, so they couldn't sense her. It appeared to work, since neither one of them looked in her direction. Sakura let the men get some distance before she started following them. She had little chakra and didn't want to alert the men, she rumbled in her pack looking for a health pill. Upon finding one, she ate it, immediately feeling the effects. Some of her chakra returned, and her headache dulled. She wasn't limping either. She smirked as her eyes fell on the men.