They left for Suna in the morning.
They'd spent more time in Tea then Harry was really comfortable with. He knew the training was badly needed, but he would have preferred if they could have done it on the road. He was worried about Orochimaru catching up to them.
Sasuke was still deep in thought when they reached the closest point to Wind they could reach in Tea. They were soon off. Shooting across the waves as they raced to steadier open waters.
"There is an island we can rest on just before we reach the Land of Wind." Commented Harry after an hour of travel, making Sasuke curious.
"How many times have you made this trip?"
"Twice. There and back. It takes about three days to get across in one trip as the water's rougher then when we crossed from kiri." The closer land masses caused the water to bounce back more.
It was an hour more before either of them spoke. Neither were partially chatty people to start with. "Why does Crow keep helping us Ryuu-sensei?" forged papers that passed inspection were hard to get, and not something you gave free of charge. And yet before they left, a package had arrived containing just that.
"Because he wants to protect you."
"Why?"
Ryuu-sensei remained silent.
"What's crows name Ryuu-sensei?" he suspected, but found it hard to believe the two were the same person.
"Itachi. Itachi Uchiha." Confirmed Harry. Deciding it was now or never for this.
"He kil-"
Harry curtly cut Sasuke off, "Why do we like the stories of shinobi Sasuke? It's because the people in those stories had a lot of chances to turn back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something. Something they were trying to protect." Making sure to stare Sasuke in the eye as they crossed the sea, he pushed on "Itachi keeps going forward in order to protect you, Sasuke."
"Think Sasuke." Ordered Harry "How could your brother have really killed the entire Uchiha clan all by himself? All those fully trained clansmen against one shinobi? A clan that had fully participated in the previous war. Known well for their skill?" that shut him up. Hopefully Itachi didn't kill him when he finds out he told Sasuke this, "Itachi was given an ultimatum by the ROOT leader that night. Participate in the killing of his clan, and be allowed to spare his little brother, or don't participate and the whole clan, including you, would be killed." Declared Harry ominously, shocking Sasuke.
"W- How? You?"
"I found Itachi's story to be too…historic…to be so silent. So I went digging with what information I had and what my friends could dig up. Eventually, I snuck into ROOT headquarters in Konoha as a side mission and copied their documents on the matter, confirming Itachi's story but more detailed. I learned Itachi had been used by ROOT for a different reason then what he thinks." Intoned Harry darkly. What that bastard had done to his Itachi made his skin crawl. The other two council members weren't saints either.
"What reason?" requested Sasuke quietly, seeming to be going into shock from an information overload by having his suspicions confirmed.
"The leader of ROOT is obsessed with the Sharingan and his own self-importance. When Itachi fled and 'you' had buried your clansmen, he dug them back up and stole their eyes, among other things, before burying them again."
They both were silent for the rest of the day as Sasuke fought with what he knew and what he'd just learned, and Harry just gave him his space. He knew what it was like when someone tells you what you've been told is a lie and then discover the truth. It takes time to process.
When it got closer to night fall Harry stopped them. Unsealing three sandwiches, Harry got Sasuke to climb into his back before handing him two and ate the last one himself. As he continued forward with Sasuke eating quietly on his back, he could feel Sasuke's legs quivering in his hold. Water and wave walking had basically become second nature to him and he barely noticed the difference from land, as he had had to use it so often living on the mountain to reach the mainland. But Sasuke was used to, at most, three hours of constant use with the rest being short bursts of chakra. Even physically Sasuke tended to be a powerful fighter but had a short duration. Most Uchiha were supposedly like this. Feeling Sasuke's breathing even out, Harry couldn't contain it anymore after an hour of trying.
"I'm sure you'll probably hate me for what I've told you today, and maybe even Itachi for his foolishness" Harry whispered as he slid down another wave, "and trapping you at sea to do so, knowing you needed me to guild you safely to shore…wasn't fair." Even though his plan was brilliant when he realised it "It's only natural. But hatred will steal the freedom from your heart Sasuke. As it has done so for years now, it will eat away at you from within until you know nothing but hatred and revenge. But if the truth will destroy you, you who I have come to love as a beloved son, I will seal the truth from your eyes. And let you live a lie, just as Itachi intended. He doesn't want you to be burdened, so he hid the truth through the illusions he created." Confessed Harry, thinking he was confessing to a sleeping Sasuke, unaware the boy was actually wide awake and just regulating his breathing. When Sasuke realised something horrifying.
…doesn't that mean…my brother slept with my sensei? Ug don't think about it! Ever!
Burrowing his face into Ryuu-sensei's back, Sasuke did his best to forget that little fact as they continued to travel. Out of all that he'd learned, why was he focusing on that?
0-0-0-0
They weren't the happiest bunch when they finally entered Suna just before nightfall. Buying a pair of tinted goggles, Harry instructed Sasuke to try copying some of the Suna-nin techniques while hiding the fact he was doing so. "'Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.'"
Wondering through the stalls collecting trinkets and supplies, the city street was suddenly rocked with an explosion. "What was that?" demanded Sasuke, nervous at its proximity.
"I have no idea," the shopkeeper said, "And it is not my business to pry in what stupidity the shinobi get up to. They'll tell us if they want."
"Blind obedience with the absence of faith is stupidity," intoned Ryuu-sensei bluntly to the civilian, before taking off, but not before telling Sasuke to return to their hotel room immediately.
0-
Gaara knew he was tiring. The target forced him to divide his attention between defending his village and his attacks. Containing his last explosion was partially chakra consuming. But at least he'd disabled one of his arms earlier. He could hear the guy monolog to himself.
"And now I am within, RANGE!" looking to his left, Gaara spotted one of the guys clay birds. But just as it was detonating, the bird and its explosion were trapped within a glowing blue orb. One that seemed familiar…
"Gaara-chan~! What's going on~?" looking to the top of his defence, Gaara eyed someone he hadn't seen in two years.
"Ryuu." The relief he felt was overwhelming after so long. Turning his gaze back to his opponent, Gaara was curious "What brings you to Suna? On another note, how'd you get up here?" they were a fair way up in the sky after all.
"When I saw you up here I 'teleported'. I'm currently hiding a friend's brother for him from one of the brother's enemies and decided to visit." Looking to the blonde, Harry thought he recognised him "Your opponent looks a lot like Deidara…"
"Deidara?"
"Hmm~ Funny drunk until stuff stats exploding." Looking at the hovering sand to his left, Harry got a bad feeling "That sand you were about to use…toss it." He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling it'd been tampered with. Gaara obeyed. Familiar with Ryuu's odd ability. Before Harry turned his attention back to the blonde.
"OI DEIDARA! SASORI WITH YOU?"
"Ryuu! Just who's side are you on!" crazy bloke was always showing up at the randomness times!
"No one's! I can drink you under the table myself!"
"NO WAY! YOU CHEATED LAST TIME!"
"Says the one who lost~!" chirped Harry cheerfully, he and Itachi had cheated, but that was the way of the game when plying with missing-nin. "What's your plan now?" inquired Harry curiously. Tilting his head.
"Huh?" what was he on about now?
"That bird your on is your last piece of art in the field, and you need it to escape." He knew Deidara was arrogant, not stupid "Sasori is probably pissed you made him wait this long too~"
"Ah crap!" throwing a smoke bomb, Deidara retreated.
Looking down at his friend, Harry was proud of the progress he could see compared to their last meeting. "Sasori likely isn't too far off. Your people need your guidance for him." commented Harry idly. They descended quite rapidly after that, before landing on a Suna rooftop where Gaara started handing out orders like they were lollies. When he was done, Gaara rounded on him.
"What can you tell me?"
"Sasori is a Suna S-rank missing-nin known as Sasori of the Red Sand. Grandson of Chiyo. Not sure where Deidara is from but I know he is S-rank. Sasori is a puppet and poison master of the high calliper. Rumour has it he can control up to one hundred puppets at once."
"How long are you staying?"
"A few days." Or until Sasuke could copy the puppetry technique. Whatever came first.
"Then when this mess is cleared, you and your charge will dine with me."
"I look forward to it." Replied Harry before Gaara was once again off. He needed to calm his charge down now anyway.
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A/N: I am wondering about children. Poll is up on profile.