There is an interesting story as to how this chapter was conceived. You see, I was going to my sister's. And then I wasn't. Then when I got there, I stayed anyway without any of my things, including the piece of paper that had the general idea of what I wanted to happen in this chapter. And then (guess what) I couldn't find the aforementioned paper! I'm sure you'll know how long it's been since I updated, and I really wanted to write this chapter... Anyway, I will deter you no longer. Read ahead.

Sunrise, Sunset: Part Thirteen

Repetition

The sound of dripping water echoed throughout the series of connected tunnels that made up Akatsuki's base. The recent rain would affect the echoes for days after the actual act of raining, making them entire atmosphere seem a bit wet but otherwise unaltered. Pein had always held a sort of ambivalent liking toward the rain. Any time that there was a storm he could invariably be found in his study, or whatever room he had procured for himself in their temporary bases, reading. It was not in his nature to read anything that would not one day be useful to him, so generally the scrolls all held the theorem of obscure jutsu. This behavior also held true for the days following the said rain, usually. This time, however, it was not to be.

Hidan had definitely been killed. The word had come in just a bare hour ago. This meant that a new member would need to be found, preferably someone that a current member could vouch for, as Orochimaru had done for Itachi. Such a thing would hopefully insure that there would be no traitors within the ranks of the few members that Pein actually considered useful. In other words, those members who had rings.

The pickings were slim, and however inelegant the words were, they were true. There were only ten members of Akatsuki at any given time, and though they occasionally had apprentices or some sort of minion, it wasn't often. Not only that, but once there was the proper number of Akatsuki members again, it was nearly time to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox. If one of his team realized this, all of his plans would be for ruin.

Motions made in doubt and anxiety were not something that Pein cared to make. He stilled when he was angry or upset, so still that he looked as a statue did. He sat like this now at his desk, staring at the wall as if it was something foreign and fascinating. His thoughts slipped and slithered through his mind, turning over and back, lashing back and forth like the twitching tail of a cat before it pounced.

"How is Naruto's training coming along, Itachi?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence he had held for the hour since he had heard of Hidan's fate. He could hear Naruto surprised shuffling. Without looking, the Leader could tell that Naruto was standing several feet from Itachi, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Jeez, how did you do that? It's not fair."

"Neither is sneaking up behind me," the Leader said mildly. "You cast a shadow." Naruto's head turned to check. He started to snicker.

"I want to take him outside to practice."

As usual, Itachi was painfully blunt. It amused the Leader more often than it annoyed him. He flicked his gaze to meet Itachi's own red one, a predatory smile curving on his lips. "Go ahead. I expect you to return after you have finished to speak with me. There are several matters we must discuss."

Itachi nodded benignly. Naruto was, apparently, ignoring the conversation in favor of scowling at his fingernails. "This stuff doesn't come off," he declared, tearing at the polish on his fingers with the nail of his thumb. "I've been trying for hours. Why do you guys all wear this stuff anyway?"

"To perfect our image. Did you expect that it would come off easily when we have to travel so much?"

Naruto snorted. "Why would so many ninja agree to look like girls just to 'perfect their image'?" He heaved a sigh. "Can we go now? I'm so bored... And you better teach me that new jutsu like you promised."

The Leader could have sworn he saw a small smile on Itachi's face when he turned and walked out of the room.

Jiraiya, Sakura was displeased to note, was as perverted as ever. The first thing he had said to her had been to remark on the small size of her chest, which he had been leering at most obviously. That had started Sai off, wondering if it was normal for people to stare at other people's chests. Both were now sitting in the corner facing the wall, holding ice packs to their heads. Sai being oblivious was the only reason he hadn't been kicked somewhere very painful. Jiraiya had been spared worse because he could dodge wonderfully. Maybe next time he would remember that Haruno Sakura was not to be leered at.

"Sakura is scary when she smiles like that," Sai remarked in a whisper to Kakashi. Kakashi, whose nose was stuck in that damn book once more, nodded without seeming to pay too much attention to what he was doing. He only glanced up briefly to see her rather wicked smile.

"If you want to see large breasts you should look at this," Kakashi offered, tilting Icha Icha so that Sai could see one of the illustrations.

Sai blinked. "How can that woman even stand? She's almost grotesque."

Kakashi huddled protectively over his book. Jiraiya started to berate Sai about his "amazing works of literary genius" and how Sai must be "too much of a child to appreciate such wonder."

"Did I say talking was allowed?" Sakura's voice was like ice. The talking immediately ceased from all occupants of the corner and Sakura turned to look at Temari with a pleasant smile on her face. "So, you were saying Jiraiya told you…."

For some reason that Sakura couldn't fathom, Temari seemed to be near hysterical laughter. "Yes. Ah, he said that from what he's been able to tell Naruto is alive. There haven't been any chakra flares in what he believes is their permanent base right now and there would be a really large one if they had sealed the Nine-Tails. They're good at covering up their traces, but not that good."

Pale green eyes shone with joy. "So where is it? Is he sure Naruto is there?"

Jiraiya glanced her way nervously. "I—"

"No talking, perv. Temari?"

Temari was biting her lip to keep the laughter in, but after a moment she managed to control herself in an admirable display of shinobi conduct. "He said that it was on the Eastern peninsula of the Land of Earth. It will take us a few days to get there and because it's enemy territory, we need to split up and go two different routes. We need to be careful."

"But Naruto is alive?"

Jiraiya seemed very serious when he looked at Sakura this time, his dark eyes meeting hers. "I think so, Sakura. But we don't know what condition he's in. He was taken by Akatsuki. Even if the Nine-Tailed Fox heals him..."

Sakura shook her head, her pink hair flying everywhere. "No. I know Naruto. If he's alive, he's there pissing someone off and dodging the fist that retaliates. We just need to find him and Itachi, and then we'll find Sasuke." She noticed the pitying look in his eyes and, glaring, said, "I know he might not be well, Jiraiya, but time heals most things. Naruto is strong."

That was the first smile that she had seen on Jiraiya's face that didn't look lecherous, so she decided not to hit him for it. Not for the first time she noticed that Jiraiya looked very like Naruto when he smiled like that, so when she and Temari started planning she felt a bit more at ease. Even Gaara looked a bit more hopeful.

Soon: the word was a promise.

Most people wouldn't have been able to gauge Naruto's progress over such a short amount of time. It was easy for Itachi, though. He knew Naruto normal abilities quite well thanks to Akatsuki intelligence and he had spent what seemed like far too much time with Naruto since they had taken him from Konoha. In the shadows of the trees outside of the mountain, blowing fiercely in the wind and glistening with drops of rain, Itachi watched his young charge with hooded lids. Naruto's golden hair was blown away from him as he fought with such skill. He was no doubt utilizing the trees that he was so used to, having grown up in Konoha where trees were plentiful. He was, Itachi noted with a vague feeling of discomfort, quite amazing. Naruto's chakra was huge even without the Kyuubi's, which fed it and made it grow even larger over time.

One of the things that Itachi was able to see was that Naruto's chakra and the Kyuubi's were thoroughly meshed. As far as he could tell, there was absolutely no way they could be freed from one another. Trying to take the Nine-Tailed Fox would not only result in the death of Naruto's body, but it was very likely they would take Naruto's soul as well. There was only one tailed beast left before the Leader would be forced to take the Fox and whatever games, whatever time he hoped to gain, would be up.

Akatsuki didn't need Naruto to kill Orochimaru. Naruto had to have figured that out by now. The fact was that they just hadn't gotten around to it. Watching Naruto move, hiding and disappearing often but always in constant motion, Itachi thought that it was very likely Naruto could beat Orochimaru if he could just keep his temper. That wasn't the point, however.

Naruto was faster now, more accurate, and ultimately more aware of his own body. His reaction time was up from what it had been; he seemed to actually think occasionally when he thought. His strategies, though strange, always seemed to work and his tactical ability was one of his best skills.

It left Itachi wondering if it really was possible for Naruto to beat Sasuke. Both were incredibly powerful ninja, both had special skills, and both had Sannin teachers. There was no way that any sane person would bet on that match. There was no way to tell who would win.

Itachi had always hoped for Sasuke to be the winner in any battle, but Sasuke had grown up to be an imbecile. He had gone after Itachi's old teacher to become his own. He had followed in Itachi's footsteps every time he had thought he had seen one. The older of the two brothers was well aware of how alike they were, but was the younger? Anyone looking in from the outside certainly knew. Twisting away from a thrown shuriken, Itachi watched Naruto's eyes. They were overbright, shining with joy from a good fight. Naruto had been one of those to see the similarities between the two, but somehow those similarities seemed to outline the differences for him. For the first time, someone could see the Uchiha brothers as separate people.

Even Uchiha Fugaku, Itachi's father, had never really been able to see them as different people. He always said that Sasuke should be more like his older brother if he said anything to him at all. The few times he had nearly complimented Sasuke it was to say that it was good he was trying his best to be like Itachi.

Fine, dark hair fell over his face when he landed on one of the tree's branches. Itachi spared a moment to push it away, scanning the treetops for an attack. The bark felt rough against the hand he put on the trunk to steady himself, his black boots crunching leaves that had been carelessly strewn about by nature.

Naruto had always noticed both Itachi and Sasuke, no matter how much he might try to ignore Itachi's presence sometimes. Itachi could almost like him for that.

Spotting Naruto half-hidden behind the trunk of a maple, Itachi threw a kunai at him as hard as he could. Naruto yelped, throwing himself down and plastering himself to the forest floor.

"We should go back," was the only thing Itachi said as he walked away.

Almost.

The youngest member of Akatsuki stood before Pein like a statue. The room was as dark as pitch, as was everything about Itachi except the soft glow of his pale skin. Pein watched him with glowing red eyes. His long, sharp fingernails tapping the desktop and the sound seemed all together too loud in the quiet room.

"Uchiha Sasuke killed Orochimaru."

He didn't get a reaction. He hadn't expected that he would.

"Then why is Naruto still alive?"

Pein smiled. "Because I do not know how to separate him and the Kyuubi so that they both will live."

The reaction came then when a pair of blank crimson eyes narrowed. "Why do you need them both alive?"

"Why did you paint Naruto's nails?"

The room was silent for the long moment before Itachi bowed and left. A wide grin showed the Leader's victory.

Yes, I know it's kind of short, but you have to keep in mind I lost the notes for this chapter. This is why I don't usually make chapter outlines: you can lose the freaking notes! Please review and tell me you still remember me. It's been so long…