Chapter 13

The walk to the village did not take long. Suzume would have enjoyed it if not for the questions zooming around her head, making it throb. She wasn't sure about what she was supposed to do on this mission: side with Konoha or side with Akatsuki. Itachi and Kakashi, her two teachers, had placed her in quite a predicament. She would have the play the game from all angles and see how things turned out. She would also have to be very lucky, something she hoped would come through for her as it had so many times in the past. If she were really lucky, perhaps the base would turn out to the only a pawn shop after all and they could go home without a single enemy encounter. The thought made her laugh on the inside.

What made her most uncomfortable about this mission was Kakashi's watchful eye. It had been more on her than on his dirty books ever since they left the gates of the village behind. He seemed suspicious and she was sure that he had ulterior motives for bringing her on this mission. Usually, he would take a team of fellow jounin or even chuunin with him, not some lowly genin. Still, Suzume couldn't believe that he had discovered her connection with Akatsuki; they had been so careful to prevent it.

Her red eyes looked over at the man as he lazily read his book, strolling along the dirt path without a care in the world. Around her walked Naruto and Sakura, with Sasuke bringing up the rear. It was probably better that way since the tension that radiated off of him was enough to give anybody a rash. Once, Sakura had tried to speak with him about the mission but he merely brushed her off with a glare. It even made Suzume feel bad for her though she understood what Sasuke was feeling, perhaps getting the chance to be so close to the man whom had taken everything from him and yet not being able to fight him. However, she doubted that Itachi would show up for something like this. The thought of another Akatsuki member showing up made her quiver a little with both fear and excitement to meet either her future mentor or future murderer.

The team's plan was simple. They would enter the village at different times with different personas and check into separate hotels. That way, if either of them were followed at any time, the connection between them would be minimal. This would also allow them to browse the pawn shop independently to see what they can find then compile the information. Those not in the shop at the time can be around the village, asking tentative questions and 'making friends' to help them discover whatever they could about the suspected base and about Akatsuki itself. All of them were also to be on the lookout for any black cloaks with red clouds on them, just in case. This would continue until Kakashi made a verdict on whether or not to remove them.

The team stopped a short distance away from the small village gates in order to disguise themselves and decide at which times they would be entering. "Listen to me," Kakashi commanded, silencing them all. "For now, I think you should move in pairs, though there may be a time when you must move independently. It will be safer this way for now though. I will move alone since I am more capable of defending myself against the more dangerous enemies we might find here." He paused a moment to let them take in the information. "The first pair will be Sasuke and Suzume. You will leave here as soon as I finish my instructions and head for the inn on the far side of town. It is by the wall of the village so you can't miss it. Naruto and Sakura, you will enter in 4 hours after they leave here and will enter the first inn you find. I will leave tomorrow morning and find my own place to stay. We will meet in 3 days at the first inn, using the utmost discretion. We cannot afford to be caught. Until then, do what you must to find information but by no means should any of us be in that store at the same time, excluding your partner. Understood?"

They all confirmed their understanding before the first pair disguised themselves. They could not use any jutsu to hide themselves or change their appearance since strong ninja may be able to detect this change. Therefore, they were forced to change their clothes and try to make themselves look as plain as possible. It was a difficult thing to make Sasuke and Naruto look normal since Naruto was just so recognizably bright and Sasuke was so recognizably dark. Suzume feared that they would be easily remembered or worse, that Sasuke would be known by his Uchiha name. She prayed that not having the clan crest on him might make him less Uchiha-like.

Then they were off. The gate of the village was wide open though there were guards posted on either side of it. They obviously were not meant for fighting off more than some bandits, looking like villagers themselves albeit with some armour and weapons. They didn't ask too much into it when Sasuke told them that they were simply visiting but rather warned them to keep their heads down. They passed through after that. The village itself was not as small as Suzume originally thought and was much more alive than expected. Along the streets were little shops and stands owned by villagers and traders. It seemed as though they got many tourists in the area since it was along the way to Konoha. Many were probably just passing through.

When they finally reached the inn that they were staying at, Suzume longed to go back onto the more busy street and take a look at the goods there. She had always liked to shop, especially for food, and she had seen quite a few delicious-looking things that she had never seen before. Her stomach growled with eagerness but she resisted and followed Sasuke into the small room he had gotten them. Inside the room was a round table with four cushions stacked next to it for sitting, two sleeping rolls on the floor, a single wooden drawer, and some paintings on the wall. It was simple, elegant, and meticulously clean. Something smelling of flowers calmed Suzume's mind as she stepped into the room.

"Suzume, sit. We have things to discuss." Sasuke was already at the table, another cushion layed out for her.

"What is it?" she asked while sitting down next to him.

"We need to get our stories straight. If we're travelling together, it'll look suspicious if we don't know a single thing about each other. Remember, we aren't ourselves on this mission but we can't just go making completely different people or we will never remember who we are supposed to be."

"Okay, so let's model ourselves after people we know then. It will be much easier if we pick a friend and use their information, preferably not a ninja friend though. My name is Minami Itsuko, I'm 14 and from Konoha. I know she's only 13 but I think it will be easier if we say we are older than we are. I have a mother and a father but no siblings. I'll probably channel her love of shopping too. That way, we have an excuse as to why I want to go to the pawn shop. I can just say that it looks interesting. I think that is all you need to know since you have already met Itsuko and know what she is like." It pained Suzume a little bit to use her ex-best friend as a cover for her mission but she could think of no one she knew (or thought she knew) better.

Sasuke nodded. "Then my name will be Fujimoto Toshiro. I'm guessing you know him; age 14, Konoha, two parents, older brother."

"Which means I'm your girlfriend," Suzume pointed out, almost smirking at him.

He smirked back. "I thought you already were."

The next day, the two of them left the inn for lunch. The night before had been full of strategizing and planning the next few days until the meeting with the others. It was boring work but both of them deemed it necessary in order to discover as much as they could before that time. They never said it out loud but it was almost as if they had been thrown into a competition to come up with more information than Naruto and Sakura before meeting with Kakashi. Perhaps it would prove that they were smarter than them, or more determined. Suzume didn't know. She just knew that for whatever reason, she wanted to 'win'.

Sasuke led her into a random restaurant not far from the pawn shop in question. This would give them the opportunity to shop around the area. They took a seat by the window so that they could watch the people walking by on the street and take note of anybody suspicious.

Suzume looked at Sasuke as he stared out the window. His sharp features were fixed in concentration. She could practically see how fast his mind was working. The longer she watched him, however, the more she began to think about the consequences this mission could have for her, dealing with both Akatsuki and Konoha simultaneously. She did not want to begin thinking about that. "Toshi-kun," she cooed softly, remembering to use his new name. He looked up at her, almost surprised. "Relax a little. We're here to have fun, right?" As she said this, she touched his arm soothingly.

"R-right..." he muttered, his cheeks turning slightly pink. He forced his gaze from the window and to Suzume's surprise, began talking about life in Konoha.

As they ate, they talked about a number of topics, none of which had to do with ninja affairs. In fact, many of the things they talked about were rumours that they had heard or things that they wanted to do for the next few days. It stunned Suzume on how much of the village gossip Sasuke had picked up when he was supposedly engrossed in his own business. It annoyed her a bit when they ventured onto the topic of Suzume being a lesbian, discussing it as if they barely knew her. Still, the fact that she was able to have such a normal conversation with the Uchiha was amazing. It made her look at him in a new light.

She leaned forward. "So you can be nice if you want to," she whispered.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I wish you would talk with me more... I am your team mate and yet I know absolutely nothing about you. How can I be your friend if I don't even know about the little things in your life, let alone the big things?" Suzume's red eyes stared into his, leaving behind the personalities they had just adopted. "I want to be close to you, Sasuke. I... I..." She choked on her words.

"Don't bother. I don't have time for making friends." His eyes were cold and his voice, colder. "Just leave it alone and we won't have a problem."

"I don't get you," she whispered furiously. "One minute, you seem to like me and then the next minute, you seem like you hate me. Which one is it?" There was a long silence. Too long. Neither of the two said a word. Sasuke merely sipped his tea with his eyes closed, obviously with no intention of answering her.

They didn't speak again before they left, browsing the local shops in silence though she pretended to point something out to him every once in a while. Eventually, they came to the pawn shop and ventured inside. Suzume tried to release the anger that she had been letting brew in her head since lunch, attempting to focus solely on the mission. If she couldn't do that then their cover might be blown and Akatsuki might decide to eliminate them.

The shop was quite large for a pawn shop though it was still full of items to buy. The range of the items available was so vast that Suzume was sure that someone could spend a lifetime in there, looking through everything they had. Some things were quite cheap while others were very expensive. She tried hard to analyze everything she could as she looked around, particularly when around high priced items. It was hard to ignore the man sitting behind the counter. She watched him the most. He had bulging black eyes that followed the customers and long, brown hair that gave him an extra touch of menace. He looked like your typical bandit. Even his brown clothing seemed as though it had been worn in some sort of fight, with many places to hide weapons in it. Just by his look, she could tell that there was more to this place than it seemed.

Suzume let out an uncharacteristic squeal of excitement as she looked over the jewelry, calling Sasuke over. As they pretended to admire the jewels, they caught each other's eye. There was an awkward hesitation before Sasuke grabbed her hand, pointing her finger for her. She looked at him with confusion as he stepped behind her, chin on her shoulder, his other arm wrapped around her waist. She shivered when she felt his breath on her ear. "Which one do you want?" he asked her. "This one?" He pointed her finger at a bracelet. "This one?" A necklace. "Or maybe, this one?" He pointed her finger at a ring. The man behind the counter sneered with disgust and finally turned his gaze away. Nobody wanted to see teenagers doing lovey-dovey things in their shop. She had no idea what Sasuke was thinking but Suzume knew that he needed to stop and soon. Her knees were getting weak.

"Toshi-kun," she drawled in a whining voice. "Stop kidding around!" She sincerely hoped Sasuke would get the message.

"What? Are you above all that?" His hand twitched her finger upward, pointing past the ring for a moment before pulling her hand down. She stared at the spot her pointed at, above the jewelry case. At first, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, just a shelf of books against the wall along with several paintings and photo frames. On the ground there were several colourful rugs layed out side by side. It was staring at the rugs that made her notice a small indent in the fabric beside the bookcase, as if something heavy (such as the bookcase) had once stood there for quite some time but what recently moved. Why would somebody move a bookcase half an inch to the right for no apparent reason? It was suspicious indeed.

Suzume let out a laugh that she hoped didn't sound too fake. "Do you even have the money for that sort of thing?"

"We can come back tomorrow and I will." He turned her around, placing his hands on her waist. Come back tomorrow, his eyes told her.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," she joked, taking his hand and leading him out of the store. They walked hand in hand back to the inn.

They did not return the next day but rather the day after under the pretence of deciding which bit of jewelry to get. However, this time when they went back, the indent that had been in the carpet was covered by the shelf once more. That led the two ninja to conclude that the shelf must have been moved for a reason since it didn't seem likely that the store owner was trying to make the place look better. After that conclusion, they tried their hand at guessing but with no other evidence, decided to wait until that night when the others in the team came for the meeting.

Suzume leaned on the window frame, looking out into the night sky. The tea in her hand helped to calm her mind but could not erase the questions gnawing on her. What was she to do if they discovered enough information to capture this Akatsuki base? Was she supposed to stop them from getting there or was she supposed to play along and help Konoha succeed? Would Itachi be angry with her if she acted on her own? She desperately wished to see him. Without realizing it, the girl had come to rely on his guidance and authority on a much deeper level than anyone else's. She trusted him more than she trusted Kakashi. Her head throbbed with too many thoughts.

She knew that Sasuke was watching her so she didn't turn around. The past couple days had been uneasy since the conversation they had had in the restaurant. The only reason they had spoken had been because of the mission. If not for that, the days would be completely silent. Suzume wished that she could have been paired up with Naruto instead. "It would have been better," she breathed into the outside air, not loud enough for the Uchiha to hear her.

Or so she thought. "What would have been better?" His voice was soft again, like the time she stayed in his house after the destruction of Konoha. At that time, it was like a balm to her wounds but now it just made her head throb more. She grew tired.

"If I were partnered up with Naruto," she replied quietly, turning her reddish eyes to his face.

He stared at her for a moment with his typical blank expression before sighing and closing his eyes, tilting his head up to the ceiling. Her head throbbed again as she was reminded of Itachi. "You should have said something to Kakashi then, if you thought it would be so much better." The gentleness in his voice had gone, replaced with bitterness, anger, and a hint of malice. "In fact, you should ask him to see if there is some way you can switch." Though he kept his tone low and even, she could still feel the strength of his emotions emanating through it.

"You know we can't switch now. That guy will remember us." It was an insensitive reply but she didn't feel like dealing with his mood swings at that moment.

"Why do you want to be partnered up with him, anyway? Why would it be better?"

"Naruto is my good friend plus, he's lots of fun to be with."

Sasuke couldn't help but glare at her. "So just go with him then! Go have fun with your good friend, Naruto. Are you sure that's all he's thinking about? Are you sure that he doesn't think it's something more than friends?"

Suzume rounded on him. "Does it matter if it is anything more than friends?"

"Is it?" he demanded, rising from his seat to be level with her.

She didn't answer for a while, letting the tension swallow the entire room. On one hand, Suzume was angry with Sasuke for reacting this way when he was the one who had made it almost unbearable to be in the same room for too long, but on the other hand, the childish way he was reacting to her preference of having Naruto as a partner was amusing and in some sick way, it pleased her. She stared hard into his onyx eyes, still not speaking. She wondered what he would think if she said nothing at all.

"I don't have time for this," he spat, turning on his heel toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To go search for more information." He tried to leave again but Suzume grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"You can't leave me here!" she protested.

"Don't worry, your boyfriend will be here soon."

"Sasuke, wait a minute!" Suzume ripped him from the door and forced him to look at her. "We're only friends. I don't like him in that way... I like someone else..." Her voice trailed off as she averted her eyes, slipping a strand of her brown hair behind her ear.

"Someone... else?"

"Do I have to say everything out loud!" In a sudden burst of fury, Suzume pushed the boy away from her and whipped back to the window, breathing heavily. It was hard to calm herself down. This boy was just so thickheaded. She didn't think that she would have to explain everything to him, especially after all those times when she had hugged him or kissed him. How could he not know that she liked him? "You're so stupid."

Suddenly, Sasuke's arms were around her. "I'm new to this." He turned her around as gently as he could before pulling her close again. There was a longing in his embrace that she had sensed before. It drew her in, comforted her, and cleared every thought from her head. How he could have this effect on her, she didn't know. She didn't care. She just hugged him back. It felt like an eternity.

"Are we interrupting something?" said a cool voice from the other window. Immediately, the two jumped away from each other, cheeks bright pink. Kakashi jumped down from the window sill, following by Naruto then Sakura. The latter two apparently hadn't seen anything. Suzume thanked the gods that Sakura had been the last one in or else she would never give them another moment of peace. They swiftly settled themselves around the circle table, trying to get back to business, hoping to forget that embarrassing scene they had just caused. Kakashi was kind enough not to mention anything further, instead beginning to discuss the mission. "So, we have had 3 days. Has anyone found anything useful yet?"

"Actually, yes!" Suzume was the first to speak though Naruto seemed as though he was about to start shouting. He closed his mouth in disappointment. "Sasuke discovered something the first time we went to the shop. The bookcase behind the jewelery cases seems to have been moved more than once about a half inch to the right and then back again. It may not seem like much but we have some suspicions that it could mean something hidden behind there. Sure, it could only be a safe or something unrelated to Akatsuki but I think it is something worth looking into." Sasuke glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a small thanks for giving him the credit for the find.

Kakashi seemed to consider her words carefully, nodding the whole time she talked. "Very good. I noticed that too actually but wasn't able to confirm it since I only saw it once. But it looks as though you have caught it too and on a separate occasion than I did. It's definitely worth looking into. Good job, Sasuke, Suzume."

Naruto looked as though he were about to burst. "Sakura and I saw some guys go into the store at night time and when we tried to go too, it was closed and there was nobody in there!"

Kakashi's face looked concentrated. "Well then, we have a single roomed store without any visible stairs, an owner who seems to also be a seasoned fighter, a moving bookcase, and disappearing people. I would definitely say that the tips were good ones and that this is an Akatsuki base. Good work, Naruto and Sakura." Naruto beamed with delight on having fit in a piece of the puzzle. "Now, I've discovered a few things myself by watching the man who owns the store. His name is Yakazawa Yukio, among his other names. I've heard rumours that he is a former bandit who suddenly decided to take up honest work though most of the items in his store are probably stolen. We can only assume that he is up to something dirty."

"Then what do we do, sensei?" Sakura asked, her keen eyes shining with adventure. Every one of the genin grew with excitement, knowing well what would come to pass after Kakashi passed judgement on the pawn shop. Suzume was surprised by her eagerness for some action.

"We get in."

Suzume crouched in a small alley near to the pawn shop, waiting for the signal. Across the street from her, she could just make out Naruto pressed up against a stone wall. Kakashi and Sasuke had gone ahead while Sakura waited on the rooftop. Again, the plan was simple. Kakashi and Sasuke would sneak into the pawn shop while the other three kept watch. If they saw anybody heading into the shop, they would take them out as quickly and as quietly as they possibly could. When the first two were able to get in, Naruto and Suzume would be moved into the shop while Sakura guards the outside and captures anybody who tries to escape. From there, they would attempt to capture as many as they can. Those who couldn't be captured were to be killed.

The girl breathed deeply to keep herself calm. She was determined to have a battle in which her cowardice did not show, where she could fight alongside her friends proudly. This time, she was ready. The signal came.

Moving silently in the darkness, both Suzume and Naruto made their way into the shop, careful not to touch anything other than the solid ground. Maneuvuring around the crowded room in the dark was tricky but manageable. Inside, Kakashi and Sasuke waited for them with the bookcase pushed to the side, revealing a single door. The oldest ninja made a 'shushing' gesture with his finger while gingerly opening the door. They must have already determined that there were no traps around the door. Inside the door was a dimly lit staircase leading down to a basement. They travelled down with their sensei in the lead, looking for traps and attempting to sense the presence of enemies.

The staircase led to a hall which led to a room. They didn't enter, hearing somebody speaking. "That Kakuzu is a madman, I say. Always wants to get his money's worth but I swear he is cheaping out on us!" There was the scraping of a chair on the floor. "If it weren't for him, we could have made loads more off of the last order... If only those damn Akatsuki weren't so damn freaky!" The laughter of another man resounded in the room. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh if you want to but you're not the one who has to deal with them. You just sit in that shop up there and stare at stuff all day."

"Hey, I'd rather be in on the action than sitting in that room. You wouldn't believe how annoying it is to watch people stare at stuff then leave without buying anything!"

"We should switch then. I hate dealing with these people sometimes. Sure, they pay good money most of the time but they also look like they're going to kill you at any second. It's hard enough to keep my wits around them, let alone try to bargain a better price." Another chair scrape. Suzume looked to Kakashi with anticipation. As soon as he moved, it would be time to throw themselves into battle.

A door somewhere opened. "Will you guys both stop your complaining?"

"Ah, shut up!" More and more people were revealing themselves. Just how many people were in this operation, Suzume wondered. More than just a few, apparently. This would take longer than she had expected.

Another five minutes passed before one of the men suggested that they have a 'well-earned' drink. They all shouted their agreements. Then someone came toward the place where they were hidden. All of them crouched a little lower and close to the wall except for Kakashi, who stood straight up against the wall, waiting for the man to walk by. The first capture was silent and within seconds, the prisoner was unconscious and bound. Naruto brought him back up the stairs where Sakura would act as the jailer. The other men didn't seem to notice their friend's disappearing footsteps over the sound of their own voices.

Then the genjutsu started. Many of the men became dumbstruck as if in a waking dream while a few became suddenly alert, shouting about intruders. They jumped into action. Kakashi and Sasuke attacked those who remained with their wits while Suzume captured those still caught in Kakashi's trap. The task itself wasn't difficult but there were more men than she thought, coming out of several doors around the area. She jumped over a desk, hiding underneath it while trying to form a plan. She was sure that they could win this fight but not sure that they could do it if she didn't reveal another one of her advanced techniques. She really didn't want to have to do that.

She jumped out from behind the desk just in time to hit the neck of a man attacking Sasuke, knocking him out right before he reached his target. Weapons were flying yet no one used many ninjutsu since the room was not big enough and they would surely hit their comrades. A half dozen Naruto clones also filled the room. It had to be a taijutsu battle. Then Suzume had an idea. She looked to the several doors leading out of the room and ventured into one. It was a small room full of boxes. The next one was similar to the last. Finally, after several searched rooms, she found what she had been looking for: a proper sword. Pulling a random one off the wall, she charged back into the room with her new weapon.

It seemed as though none could withstand her might. Her speed and her strength had grown so much in the time that she had spent training with Haku and Zabuza, and even moreso during the time she trained with Itachi. Everyone fell to her sword. She fell back-to-back with Sasuke and Naruto who looked incredulously at her but said nothing. There was more work to be done. It was as if a spirit has taken over her body and mind; the unfamiliar rush of battle igniting her senses and awakening a new kind of pleasure. It was madness. It all happened so fast. What must have been an hour seemed like only minutes.

Then there was a crash.

"Are we having a problem here, boys?" called a rough voice, laughing as the smoke the man blew from the wall obscured everyone's vision.

As the smoke cleared, Sasuke growled. "Itachi..." Standing by the hole that had been blasted into the wall stood Itachi and Kisame. Samehada was thrown on top of Kisame's shoulder carelessly as he laughed.

Kakashi reacted first. "Sasuke, Suzume, Naruto, leave!" he shouted, turning to face the two S-ranked ninja while the others in the room backed away, not wanting to get caught up in a fight of this level. As Suzume turned to go, she noticed Sasuke stiffen and bristle as he looked into the eyes of his family's murderer. "Sasuke!" Kakashi barked again but still, the boy did not move. Itachi did nothing but stare at his younger brother, eyes dead and face straight, as if he felt absolutely nothing.

"Sasuke, you idiot! Get a move on!" Naruto was already by the door.

"Come on, Sasuke." Suzume grabbed onto his arm in an attempt to uproot him from his spot but he merely pushed her away from him. She latched onto him again, pulling on him harder than before. "Sasuke, seriously! Kakashi said-"

"I know what he said. Get the fuck away from me!" He shoved her away with such force that she crashed into the wall nearby, cracking it on impact. The breath left her lungs as she slumped to the floor, barely hearing Kakashi and Naruto shout and Kisame taunt them. Sasuke stayed where he was, unaffected by anything that anyone said or did. His glare was colder than she had ever seen it. He didn't take his eyes off Itachi for even a second, not even to check if she was alright.

Suzume forced herself back onto her legs. the only reason it had hurt so much was because she hadn't had the opportunity to brace herself. She hadn't expected him to attack her like that. When at last she regained her balance, she looked hard at the young Uchiha boy. "Are you really going to try and fight him?"

"Of course he isn't," said Kakashi, standing in between the two Uchiha.

"Like hell I won't!" snarled Sasuke, rushing past his sensei toward his brother. Then Kisame jumped into the fray, slashing at the silver-haired man with a fury that Suzume knew all too well. Naruto jumped in to try to call Sasuke off of Itachi. She stood to the side like the others in the room, not knowing what to do or who to help. She could only watch as Itachi toyed with Sasuke and Kisame howled with a wild laughter every time he managed a hit on Kakashi.

The world came to a standstill for a minute. The whole room stopped breathing and yet, Suzume felt a calm pass over her. This was familiar: Itachi behind her, holding her against him, kunai to her throat. This was how all of their training sessions ended since there was never a time when she bested him. "Sasuke, leave now or your friend dies here." His request didn't make any sense to Suzume. Why would he be trying to get Sasuke to leave? The boy stood stalk-still, his venomous eyes looking to kill. There was a pregnant pause. It took her a few moments to realize it but when she did, she was horrified: Sasuke might actually sacrifice her for the chance to defeat his brother.

Kakashi seemed almost panicked. "Sasuke, do as he says and leave. Now! This is no longer a matter between the two of you; Suzume is going to die if you stay here!"

"Sasuke, you bastard! Hurry up!"

Suzume's sense of calm was disrupted by the young boy's unwillingness to leave. She didn't really think that Itachi would kill her but it was disturbing to know that Sasuke would be willing to let it happen, after all that had been said and done. She looked into his eyes and saw him at war with himself. His jaw was clenched tightly and his teeth were bared, giving him an almost feral appearance. His words almost made her heart stop. "I'm not going anywhere."

And then her world went black.

When Suzume awoke, her whole body burned. It felt as though she had been stabbed one hundred time over in every single inch of her skin. She could do nothing but lie perfectly still in the hopes that the pain would go away. She lost track of time staring at the rocky ceiling. She could remember what had happened before she had passed out but she couldn't remember why she did in the first place. She didn't want to think about it much. The memory made tears come to her eyes; Sasuke let her die.

"Don't cry now," said a deep voice. Managing to turn her head to the side, she identified the voice as Itachi. He was sitting against a wall not far away from her, staring into her red eyes over a small fire. It looked as though he had been there a while. Kisame was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?"

"I killed you." Suzume blinked at him. That made absolutely no sense in her brain. She thought at first that perhaps her brain was still fuzzy from fainting but after a few minutes, she knew that it couldn't be so. He shook his head at her as if telling her not to think too hard. "I faked your death in front of your team."

"Oh... but why?" Nothing was making sense to her now.

Itachi sighed. "From now on, you will train only under me and any other Akatsuki member I order you to. With Konoha believing you dead, you can move freely through most of the land with the exception of Konoha itself since you are not well known even within the village. Also, that display served another purpose." He let her take in the information and when she looked ready he continued. "I needed to show you that being involved with my brother right now is not an option. At the moment, he is preoccupied with finding the power to defeat me and he will stop at nothing to obtain it. There are many things that you do not yet know about him. In time, after you have discovered them and learned who he truly is, you can decide for yourself whether you would like to be with him or not."

Suzume watched him for some time after, not bothering to hide it this time. His dark eyes seemed different than they had before. There was something almost... sad deep within them. It made her uncomfortable that she had found an opening into his feelings, his soul. It made him seem weaker, if only a little bit. She turned her head back to the ceiling. "He'll never stop searching for that power. I don't think he will ever find it."

"He will. And when I am gone, maybe you can get him to stop, if you choose to." She chanced a glance at him to see him standing up, now towering over her. "That's enough conversation for now. You need to recover and quickly for we have work to do and not much time to do it. I will make you strong. I will make you strong enough for what you will have to face in the future." Without another word, he strode out of the room.

Suzume watched him walk away, not understand what he was saying, not knowing what it was that she would have to face, not knowing who she was supposed to become.

None of that mattered. Itachi said so. That was the bottom line. He was her absolute, her authority, her everything. She would learn everything he had to teach her, follow every order he gave her, and become whoever he shaped her to be. Everything and everyone else could wait, would have to wait. In her mind, Suzume made a resolution, a promise, to trust in him completely. It was all she had left.

She would be ready.

Reviews would be nice guys, even if this is long overdue and an extremely long chapter. Then I will get working on the Shippuden stuff. Do you want it? ;P