All Those Precious Seconds Chapter 14: Storm, a naruto fanfic

Chapter XIV. "Storm"

There was a blast from outside that rattled the room. The reunited Uchihas started and looked at one another as if they had the answer. There was another blast, louder than the first, that rocked the couch. They got up and went to the window. What they saw outside was terrifying. The wall of Konoha was billowing with black smoke and red flames jumped from the rooftops of nearby buildings. Konoha warriors were battling giant monsters that Itachi recognized all to well, especially the giant clay bird looming over the village.

"Damn it!" he shouted, making Sasuke jump.

"What's wrong? Who are they?" he asked.

"Akatsuki. The damn bastards followed me."

Itachi turned to the front door but Sasuke grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to stop them!"

"No! You could get killed!"

"Trust me, Sasuke, this is the last thing I want."

Another shake of the building distracted him. He looked back at Sasuke and tried to speak to him through his eyes. He could see Sasuke was scared but not for his own life. He was afraid of losing him again. Itachi hated this. Akatsuki never intended on letting him go free after he quit. You couldn't leave the Akatsuki unless you were dead.

"I'll com back for you," Itachi whispered before turning to the door.

"No! You're not leaving without me this time!"

"You'll be safer here," Itachi called back, descending the stairs to the building.

But Sasuke followed.

"I'm going with you," he said.

"No Sasuke! I can't risk you getting hurt!"

"And I can't risk losing you again!"

Itachi stopped halfway to the first floor and turned back to him. Sasuke was teary-eyed and shaking but that stubborn gleam was in his eyes. Itachi knew no matter how hard he tried, Sasuke wouldn't go back. He sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But promise me you'll be careful."

"I'll promise if you promise."

Itachi placed his hands on Sasuke's arms and looked deep into the onyx depths of his eyes.

"I'll do my best."

"So will I."

Itachi gave him a kiss, just in case something went wrong and he wouldn't get another chance. He wished Akatsuki wasn't there. He wished they had stayed away and let him have his happy ending. He wished more than anything that he could stay in that moment, indulging in Sasuke's presence and his sweet kiss. But another rumble forced him to pull away. They shared a look of longing before hurrying to the first floor and outside into the fiery village.

Chaos surrounded them. Flames were engulfing buildings. Women were screaming and clutching their crying children. Medical ninjas ran to and fro searching for the injured. Chunin were busting into burning buildings to save the inhabitants. Jonin and Anbu were rushing to the wall where the source of the fighting seemed to be taking place.

"What do we do?" Sasuke asked Itachi.

Before Itachi could answer a giant shadow fell over them. Looking up, Itachi recognized Deidara, atop his favorite clay creating, waving at them.

"Head's up!" he called down and, soon after, a grenade was falling towards them.

Itachi grabbed Sasuke just in time and pushed him to safety. The blast from the bomb propelled them further away. They hit the ground hard but they lived. Itachi stayed over Sasuke until he was sure all the debris that had followed them through the air had fallen. When the ringing in his ears from the explosion faded, Itachi made sure Sasuke was okay before sitting up and searching the skies for Deidara. The clay bird had disappeared from above them but Itachi could still feel its presence.

"Itachi!"

Itachi turned back at Sasuke's frantic voice but met giant, sharpened talons instead of frightened, onyx eyes. The breath was knocked out of him when the clay bird collided with him so he couldn't react to prevent the bird from clasping its talons around his arms and lifting him into the air. Sasuke tried to reach him before Deidara lifted him away but he was to late. The bird flew away before Sasuke could hold onto him.

"Sayonara!" Deidara called down to him and another bomb fell before him.

He took cover behind a fallen billboard to shield himself from the blast. When the noise from the blast faded, Sasuke peeked from around the billboard and watched the bird disappearing into the distance. Where could they possibly be taking him? Sasuke felt his eyes stinging and not because of the neat of the nearby flames. He'd asked himself this question millions of times during his isolation: Why? Why did this always happen? The instant he was granted happiness it was always stolen away. Why couldn't he hold onto happiness? Why couldn't he hold onto Itachi? He leaned back against his hiding place feeling beaten and broken. He could feel his tears coming forth and he hated himself for it. He hung his head and noticed something laying beside him. It was a Konoha headband: the symbol of loyalty to the village.

Then Sasuke remembered something. He was a shin obi. During his six months of mourning, he had forgotten that he had been trained in ninjutsu, genjustsu, and taijutsu. He'd forgotten that he'd learned things other genin his age hadn't. He'd forgotten who he was. His hand fell onto the headband and he traced the symbol, slowly remembering who he was. He was Uchiha Sasuke. He was the heir to the Uchiha throne. He was gifted with the kekei-genkai(sp?) of his clan. Slowly, he lifted the headband to his forehead. Something clicked into place inside of Sasuke the brought forth the aggression and determination he used during his missions and training as a Genin of Konoha. All his tears dried up. All his doubt melted away with the return of his battling spirit. He wouldn't wait for Itachi this time. This time he would bring him back himself.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

The ground rushed towards Itachi as he fell from Deidara's pet. He only had enough time to throw his hands out to shield his face before the impact. He rolled along the bloodstained ground until he could force himself to come to a stop. He couldn't stand for a moment. The fall had taken his breath away and he had been paralyzed temporarily. He heard the bird land and Deidara dismount. Itachi caught his breath and got to his feet before Deidara could take advantage of his position. The blond Akatsuki member smirked at him but was met with a menacing Uchiha death glare.

"Aw! You missed me un!"

"Stop being delusional Deidara," Itachi spat back.

"Oh! Someone's more temperamental than usual un."

"Shut your mouths before I shut them for you!"

"Relax. I'm only here to cause chaos and wreak havoc un. Oh! And Leader told me to drop off your paycheck un."

Deidara revealed a bulging pouch from beneath his cloak and tossed it to Itachi. The Akatsuki may have been an evil organization but most of their money was legit…well…some of the money actually. Itachi's unwavering death glare intensified and he intentionally dropped the money on the ground.

"I don't want your money."

"Fine. I guess I'll just give it back to Kakuzu. There's this new torture device he's been looking into for Devil's Island un."

Devil's Island.

Chills ran up Itachi's spine at the title Deidara intentionally emphasized. He knew what that title did to him. He wanted him scared. He knew that place terrified him. Itachi shook away the memories before he was blinded from the battle.

"Why are you here Deidara?"

"Leader told us so un."

"Why did he send you?"

Itachi's voice was more demanding than questioning. An evil smirk crossed the blonde's face.

"He wanted us to cause chaos of course un. And you know how much we want that fox un."

"Why now?"

"To make you look bad un."

Itachi's teeth clenched and he could see red. Deidara's teasing, antagonizing face changed to that of killing intent and slight seriousness.

"Don't you know the rules un? You can't walk away from the Akatsuki un. Once you're in you're in un…unless you die!"

Deidara lunged and the battle commenced.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

"Damn it!"

Naruto and Sakura were trapped/hiding. Their attempts to take on one of the Akatsuki hadn't gone to swell. They had had no choice but to run and hide. They didn't know if the Akatsuki member was following them or not or that it had been him who got them stuck. If he hadn't followed them, their place between the alley and a fallen dumpster was a good hiding place. If he had followed them, then they were trapped.

"Naruto what do we do?"

"I don't know! I'll think of something!"

"Well think of something quick!"

"Shut up! I can't think with you constantly nagging at me!"

"Nagging?"

Before they could get into a petty word fight they heard footsteps around them. Naruto got to his feet with a kunai at the ready and tried to pinpoint the location of the sound. A shadow passed over him and someone landed in the dark alley before them. Naruto couldn't see who it was but he didn't waste time contemplating in case it was the enemy. Being as reckless as ever, Naruto lunged towards the person, ready to slice his throat open.

"I'll kill you you asshole!"

But his kunai never met his opponent's flesh. His attack was deflected in a familiar fashion that Naruto couldn't place. He was flipped onto his back ad a kunai was held just above his throat but didn't touch.

"You're still to reckless dobe."

Naruto knew that voice all to well. He had missed it so much. It was the most familiar sound he had heard in months. He recognized those stern eyes, that encouraging smile…

Another shadow fell from the rooftops and Naruto recognized the flash of Sakura's pink hair. Sasuke saw her coming before she even left the rooftops. She had jumped own so she could land on his back. Sasuke dodged and grabbed her arm that was clutching a kunai. He flipped her over onto her back beside Naruto. It was such a familiar process that Naruto couldn't help but laugh. Sakura was startled and confused by Naruto's laughter.

"That's no way to get a date," Sasuke told her.

Naruto saw a mixture of emotions cross Sakura's face at the sound of his voice but they would be to long to list.

"Sasuke?" she whispered.

"Ta da!" he said sarcastically, some of his old Uchiha snarkiness sneaking out.

Naruto and Sakura got to their feet. Sakura's mouth wouldn't close and her eyes were watery. Naruto was smiling broadly. They had needed a miracle to chase away Akatsuki and Sasuke was that miracle. Now that the old, reliable Uchiha genius was back, they had hope. Sasuke went to the dumpster, acting like the past six months hadn't happened. He scanned the streets beyond their hiding place.

"Who was chasing you?" he asked, without looking at them.

"Obviously one of the Akatsuki," Naruto said, trying to act as cool as Sasuke.

"Who was it?"

"How should we know!"

"You should have done your homework."

Sasuke turned back to them and pulled out some folded pieces of paper.

"These are some profiles I found."

"Found where?"

Then Naruto remembered that Sasuke's brother/lover was a member of Akatsuki himself. Of course he would keep his enemies close. There were seven out of nine profiles.

"Their leader kept to himself," Sasuke answered before he asked.

Naruto met Sasuke's eyes that dared him to ask about the other one. Naruto guessed Itachi was the other one. Sasuke didn't believe Itachi was a traitor. Naruto had thought he head come out of his depression as a result of his rage and hurt over Itachi's betrayal. But, looking into his eyes, Naruto could detect the flickers of worry and concern behind all that determination. He was worried about Itachi. Something had happened to him earlier that was twisting worry inside of Sasuke. Before Naruto could ask, Sakura burst out in protests.

"Sasuke he's a traitor!"

Sakura could usually read the conversations between Naruto and Sasuke's eyes. She knew Sasuke didn't believe Itachi was a traitor and he was making Naruto believe that too. Sasuke's eyes slid to her and she froze when she saw familiar ice in them. She was reminded of the eyes he held so long ago, before Itachi came.

"He's not," he said, ever familiar darkness entering his voice.

This return of the darker Sasuke scared Sakrua bust she couldn't let him fall for Itachi's lies.

"You can't listen to him! Whatever he told you to make you believe in him was a lie!"

"Shut up Sakura!"

Naruto could tell that Sasuke would have punched her in the face if she wasn't a girl. There was silence between the three of them for a while.

"Where is he?" Naruto asked Sasuke, ignoring Sakura's tears.

An explosion in the distance cut Sasuke off. He bit his lip in distress. He didn't know where Itachi was. He didn't know where Deidara had taken him. He was scared for him.

"I don't know," Sasuke answered. "Where's everyone else?"

"Out there fighting somewhere. Why?"

"We're better off together than scattered throughout the village. I have a plan but I need the rest of them."

"What's your plan?"

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

Itachi fell, earning a hard kick in the ribs. He grabbed Deidara's foot and twisted it, making the blond tumble to the ground. They got to their feet and eyed one another, breathing heavily. Itachi didn't know what to do. They always teased Deidara in Akatsuki and he never got violent back. That didn't mean he wasn't powerful. He saved all his energy for the heat of battle. That was when he was most dangerous. Itachi had told himself over and over again that should never underestimate Deidara. But today he'd forgotten those words and he was paying for it. He had grown soft during his time with Sasuke. He wasn't as precise and ruthless as he once was. However, all it could take were some certain words to bring the old Itachi out. And Deidara hit the mark when he spoke his next words.

"You know when this is all over, and Akatsuki conquers Konoha I'm sure you'll most likely wind up dead un. And Sasuke might get killed too un. But if by some miracle he survives, I think he'd make a great addition to Akatsuki un. We are going to need someone to replace you once you die un. Leader's been doing his research un. He thinks we can force that annoyingly powerful Sharingan you've got out of him too un. Of course, it'll be a painful procedure and Leader intends on doing it nice and slow un. And of course, after that, he'll probably need comforting and what better way than in a soft bed with people like us who think he's blazing hot un? Yupe. He's going to loooove living with us un."

Itachi let him talk. He let him believe what he said would really happen. While he talked, slowly, Itachi could feel his rage boiling. He felt that familiar sensation whenever he called upon his Mangekyo Sharingan. He hadn't used it in a while. He had stopped using it so much to avoid becoming blind so he could see Sasuke's face whenhe went to him. Deidara kept talking, threatening to do unspeakable things to Sasuke. He let those words fuel his anger and bring forth his stowed away powers. When he opened his eyes his vision was clouded in red but he could see clearly and acutely like a hawk. He watched pride cross Deidara's face. This was what he had wanted. Deidara was sadistic. He loved challenges. He had wanted to piss him off enough to trigger the Uchihas' coveted powers

Fine, Itachi thought. You wanted it. Now you have to suffer the consequences.

Itachi could feel himself becoming like he once was. He could feel himself fill with hate and bloodthirsty intent. He wanted to kill Deidara more than anything else in the world. He wanted him to choke on his words. Itachi came up with a strategy in record time and lunged into action. He aimed three kunai towards Deidara's jugular. Of course he dodged. That was what Itachi wanted. When Deidara looked back Itachi was gone. A delighted smirk on his face, Deidara turned on his feet and met the blood-red gaze of the Uchiha. Metal met metal and they were trapped in a kunai lock. But not for long. Itachi ducked out of the lock and kicked Deidara's feet from under him. Deidara fell but instantly kicked his feet out and into Itachi's stomach. Deidara stood up and watched Itachi hit the building wall and burst into a puff of smoke. Of course it was a clone. Itachi was to smart for it not to be.

Deidara jumped out of the way and watched a rain of kunai embed into the ground where he had just been standing. He felt cool metal against his throat. That was to easy to escape from. Deidara held the hand that held the kunai and threw his head back so it collided with Itachi's. It was a good technique for stunning but most clones vanished on impact. Obviously, that was a clone. Deidara could feel himself perspiring. It was getting harder to keep up with Itachi. Deidara started to regret pissing him off. He backed away from the area they had been fighting in. He saw Itachi emerge from the shadows and walk towards him. Deidara kept backing away, making sure he could sense space beside him so he wasn't cornered. He didn't know what Itachi was planning. He couldn't tell if it was a clone or not. He felt darkness closing in on him. Itachi was backing him into an alley but Deidara could sense no dead end. So where was he pushing him towards?

Suddenly, a shadow fell over Deidara. He looked up to find a giant, black fireball falling towards him at a rapid speed. The rooftops around him were on fire so there was no where else to go but forwards toward the Itachi clone. Deidara lunged at it and tackled it to the ground. He was stabbed in the shoulder before the clone vanished. He barely made it out of the alley. His cloak had caught black flames. He quickly threw it to the ground and watched it burn. He growled in frustration. There was no way he could survive this fight. He had to escape before Itachi brought out the Tsukiyomi. He whistled and his bird came flying. He lifted his arm so he was caught in its talons. He easily mounted while they were airborne. He scanned the burning village beneath him and found Itachi standing on a rooftop. His blood-red gaze drilled into him and black flames danced around him. If Hell had a face Deidara was sure, at that moment, Itachi would be that face. Then he moved. He was coming after him. With a silent command Deidara urged his bird forward and ran from the devil.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

"Oh boy. What'd he do this time to piss him off?"

Sasori and Kisame watched Deidara charging away through the air on his bird and Itachi following by the rooftops below. Sasori sighed.

"I guess I should go save his sorry ass."

"No. I'll get him."

Sasori looked at Kisame curiously.

"It'll be interesting to battle against my old partner."

A sadistic smile crossed Kisame's face. Sasori nodded to him and Kisame ran after Itachi.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

"Damn it! These things just keep coming!"

Team 10 was stuck in a never-ending battle against an army of terra cotta men. They couldn't remember when the battle had started and where it would end.

"Shikamaru! What do we do?" Ino called from her brawl among the army.

Shikamaru chewed hi slip. He was cornered by a section of the clay men. He couldn't find an escape route. All he could see was clay. He was convinced this would be the end for him. Then he heard a familiar buzzing sound and the next thing he knew, black beetles engulfed the clay men that cornered him. He sighed in relief when he saw Shino not far away from him and Kiba helping Ino. Choji was still on his own. Choji was weakening from using so much chakra for his Expansion Jutsus. His movements were sluggish and the clay men were closing in on him.

"Choji!" Shikamaru called in distress, trying to reach him before he was engulfed in clay.

He was to late. Just when he thought he'd lost Choji something miraculous happened. A rain of fire washed over the clay men. Shikamaru watched their faces distort and then watched them melt into clay puddles. He was shocked when he saw Uchiha Sasuke jump down from the rooftop and to Choji's side. He was not so surprised to see Naruto trailing behind him.

"Do you know how to do anything but burn things?" Naruto antagonized.

"Do you know how to do anything but talk?" Sasuke retorted.

The sound of Naruto and Sasuke's bickering was so familiar, Shikamaru almost believed he was imagining things. During the past six months, Shikamaru had started believing Sasuke had been lost in some complicated depression. He didn't go to visit often. He and Sasuke weren't exactly close. But last he heard, Sasuke had fallen deeper than even Tsunade could reach. The days he went to the Training Field to visit Naruto, Squad 7 had been so…void of life. The three of them were always sulking and their laughter was empty without Sasuke there. It was sort of strange that now of all times, Sasuke was back. Trying to prove himself to the Uchiha, Naruto performed his Shadow Clone Jutsu and cut down the terra cotta army. Shikamaru reached Sasuke and Choji. It was difficult to throw all his attention onto his unconscious best friend when he was so intent on the former MIA Uchiha.

"Choji! Hey Choji! Talk to me Buddy!"

"Don't worry. He's fine. I'm sure all he needs is a potato chip or something. Ino can take him up to the Hokage Faces and Hinata can whip him up something."

Shikamaru glanced up at Sasuke, feeling incredibly awkward. Naruto had finished off the last of the army. He, Ino, Kiba, and Shino gathered around.

"Sasuke! You're okay! I knew he was the cure for you!" Ino squealed in delight.

Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what she was talking about and felt left out seeing as he seemed to be the only one surprised by Sasuke's sudden recovery.

"Ino. Do me a favor?"

"Of course! You know I'd do anything for you Sasuke-kun!"

"Can you get Choji up to the Hokage Faces without getting killed?"

"No problem! Why up there though?"

"The older ninja are to busy fighting at the wall to look after the other people in the village. Its up to us to get the people that can't fight to the safe houses in the mountains. Sakura and Hinata are already up there taking care of the villagers we found. We got some Chunins out searching the streets. Stay up there when you get there Ino. You'll be more help up there than down here."

"Okay. No problem."

"Hey! Hold on a second! Who put you in charge?"

Everyone stared at Kiba like he just said he was Hokage. Akamaru whimpered under the stares. Kiba noticed that, for once, Naruto wasn't agreeing with him. Naruto actually seemed content working beneath Sasuke instead of above. Kiba felt all the heat blaze into his cheeks when he realized absolutely no one would side with him this time. Sasuke turned back to the others, completely ignoring Kiba's objection.

"Can you make it Ino?"

"Of course I can!" she replied, lifting Choji up and slinging one of this arms over her shoulders.

Sasuke could see she was struggling with Choji's weight. He knew he'd have to send someone with her. It would take her a while to make it to the faces and that would make her an easy target for Akatsuki. He looked over his peers, trying to decide who he could sacrifice to go with her.

"Naruto. Your clones are good enough to defend themselves. Can you get them to defend other people?"

"Uh duh! I'm Uzumaki Naruto remember?"

"Your ego's going to get you killed someday," Sasuke sighed. "Send some clones with her. We want to avoid any casualties."

Shikamaru flinched. If his teammates were in danger then what the hell gave Sasuke the right to send them into that danger? Before Shikamaru could object, Naruot had already produced a clone escort and sent him off. Shikamaru gnawed on his lower lip as he watched Ino leave with an unconscious Choji and a horde of Naruto clones. Sasuke's voice brought him back to their group.

"Naruto. Where's Neji and his team?"

"Uhhh…"

Naruto racked his brain for the answer but couldn't remember seeing them.

"Neji's at the frontline," Shino suddenly said. "Last I saw, Lee and Tenten were helping with the evacuation not far from here."

Sasuke nodded, deep in thought.

"Is Gaara here?"

"He's visiting tomorrow with his siblings," Shikamaru answered.

Shikamaru was still kind of freaked at this abrupt change in Sasuke but he knew he'd have to follow him. Sasuke obviously had a plan unlike the rest of them that were just blindly battling random monsters scattered throughout the village. Akamaru suddenly barked.

"Look out!" Kiba warned soon after.

Everyone jumped away from the area. But Shikamaru noticed that Sasuke hadn't responded as acutely as the rest of them. If he had moved a second earlier he wouldn't have been caught. Akamaru had tried to warn them about the blond Akatsuki member falling from the giant, clay, airborne bird. He fell behind Sasuke. Before the Uchiha could react, the Akatsuki member had twisted his arm against his back and pressed a kunai to his throat. Not a second later, Uchiha Itachi, traitor to Konoha, landed across from Deidara, eyes blazing a blood-red inferno.

The Genin weren't quite sure what to do. Naruto restrained himself from leaping in to help Itachi save Sasuke. Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino were wary. They thought Itachi was the traitor. To them, it looked like Itachi was aiding in the capture of Sasuke…until the two Akatsuki members exchanged words.

"I told you he might not survive un. I didn't say I would be the one that might kill him un," Deidara hissed.

"I swear to God Deidara, if you don't let him go I'll send you to the deepest part of Hell!"

"How do you plan on doing that Uchiha genius un? Obviously, I'm not that easy to kill un."

"If you hadn't run away like the whimpering coward you are, you know I would have made you suffer for what you said!"

"Is that why you're so pissed un? Because I said I'd do something like this un?"

Deidara pulled Sasuke back against him, hard, and the tongue of the mouth on his hand slid along to skin of Sasuke's upper arm. Sasuke shivered in disgust at the feeling.

"Deidara! You damn bastard! Get your mutant hands off him!"

"Why don't you come and make me un! But if you do, your precious little brother di-aieeee!"

Deidara hadn't been paying much attention to his captive but Naruto definitely had. Sasuke hadn't been fazed in the slightest at Deidara's appearance. It had almost seemed like he had let the Akatsuki member grab him. Naruto had watched Sasuke's eyes remain impassive through the word battle between Deidara and Itachi. He had waited for Deidara to drop his guard. Once he had, he'd swung his leg back and up between Deidara's leg. Naruto could feel his pain when Deidara screeched. Sasuke elbowed him in the face and drew blood from his nose. Then he flipped him over his shoulder and to the ground like he had with Naruto and Sakura. Deidara was unconscious and everyone stared at Sasuke.

"What?" he asked. "No one said I couldn't cheat."

Naruto burst out laughing. Shikamaru kept as straight a face as possible but behind that he was hysterical. It was so goddamn ordinary seeing Sasuke so laid back and cool in the heat of battle. Had the past six months really happened?

"Okay guys! We've got work to do!" Naruto suddenly shouted. "Let's go save some lives!"

Naruto beckoned them to follow him away to a burning building. Shikamaru didn't understand Naruto's sudden need to leave. Then he glanced at the Uchihas, staring at one another, and suddenly understood why Naruto was in such a hurry to leave.

"Come on guys. We don't want anyone dying on us," Shikamaru said, following after Naruto.

Kiba and Shino trailed after without question, leaving the Uchihas alone. They stared at one another for a while longer. Itachi was careful not to accidentally activate his Tsukiyomi while staring into Sasuke's eyes. He would never forgive himself if he let himself slip like that. Sasuke took the first step. Itachi mimicked the movement. They took turns stepping until they were running into each other's arms. They embraced and their hands slid across one another's bodies, unconsciously searching for wounds.

"I was worried about you," Sasuke murmured.

"Me too. I didn't know how you would survive."

They drew an arms length away and looked at one another.

"How many?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Is the leader here? If we take him out then the whole invasion should collapse."

"It depends. He could just be teasing us in which case he would have stayed away. But if this is his master plan put into action then he's sure to be here."

"I have a plan. Can you help us?"

"He's busy."

Itachi's eyes hardened at the voice. He didn't have to turn around to know who he was confronting.

"Leave Sasuke. Go help your friends," Itachi said sternly.

"I'm not going to leave you here--"

"Go Sasuke!"

Sasuke flinched at the volume of his order. But Itachi quickly brought it down.

"Please Sasuke. Do what you have to to survive. Trust me."

Sasuke looked into his eyes a moment longer to let him no he did trust him before, reluctantly, running in the direction his friends went.

"What a touching moment," Kisame commented, dropping the front of his gargantuan sword on the ground, leaving a crater in the pavement.

Itachi turned to his former partner when he was sure Sasuke was out of harm's way.

"So you left for that? I thought you'd want more excitement in your life. I didn't take you for the chick-flick, soap opera type."

Itachi didn't say anything. Out of all the Akatsuki members, Itachi had always thought Kisame was the least despicable. Though they hadn't spoken much, Itachi always felt he could trust Kisame.

"Who's side are you on?" Itachi suddenly asked.

Kisame had always followed him and had been more loyal to him than Leader. There was silence between them. Itachi listened to the crackling of flames around him and the distant clanging of metal against metal and the thunder of battle. As always, Kisame's fish-like eyes were unreadable.

"He's not here," Kisame suddenly said. "Leader wouldn't show up here. This isn't important enough for him to come. This siege is just to get revenge for you leaving. Leader doesn't want to kill you. He sent us here after you to make it look like you led us here. Our job is to wreak havoc a little and then leave you to face your foolish Hokage. Leader figured being away from what you care about most of all is a worse punishment than death."

Itachi refrained from flinching at the thought of Tsunade forcing him away from Sasuke.

"Do you even give a damn?" Itachi asked him.

Kisame seemed to ponder the question.

"Leader never trusted you. If you weren't such a valuable asset he wouldn't have let you in. He told me to watch you. So I did. When you first joined us you seemed alright. Then you started sulking. That got me suspicious. But then I found that photo."

Itachi had always kept a photo of him and Sasuke from their past. He had always kept it hidden. He would have done a better job of hiding it if he knew his partner was a spy.

"You were always different from the rest of us Itachi-san," Kisame said, lifting his sword and propping it on his shoulders. "You never got the same thrill of killing like the rest of us. You always regretted killing the demon hosts. I was always jealous."

"Would you rather be different and happy or stay with Akatsuki and be miserable?"

"Where would I go if I left Akatsuki? My hometown isn't as forgiving as your's. Besides, I don't mind life in the Akatsuki as much as you. It pays well. Speaking of which, you dropped this."

Kisame tossed him the pouch of coins that Deidara had given him.

"I told Deidara I didn't want Akatsuki's money."

"You're going to need it."

"For what?"

"For starting over."

Itachi gave him a questioning look, his eyes demanding that he clarify.

"You won't be able to stay here. If you want to stay with him you'll have to runaway before she puts you in prison."

Itachi stared at his old partner.

"Aren't you going to kill me?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Itachi's lips quirked up in a faint smile at the familiarity of their conversation. Kisame had always been loyal to him and he had always been smart. He always took the winning team's side. That gave Itachi some confidence. But Kisame's next words killed that confidence.

"She's here."

Kisame didn't need to say her name. Itachi already knew who he spoke of.

"Why? She barely comes out of her cave. This battle isn't important enough for him to show up but it was for her?"

"You know her. No one really knows her intentions. But she did say something about watching you burn."

"She's such a sadist," Itachi sighed.

"Leader left her in charge of this invasion. What are you going to do?"

"I guess I should go face her."

"You honestly think you can beat her?"

"I'll give it all I've got."

Kisame nodded.

"Deidara, Sasori, Zetsu, Hidan, and Kakuzu," Kisame stated before Itachi could ask.

"Oh great. I don't know who's worse."

"You scared the crap out of Deidara. I think he knows better than to piss you off twice in one…month. Its Sasori you have to watch out for. You know how he feels when someone screws with his partner.

"I'll keep an eye out for him. But I have to find her."

"She's probably at the wall. You know, watching the chaos unfold."

"Right. What are you going to do?"

Kisame sighed.

"I'll try to avoid confrontation. But if a Konoha ninja decides it's a good idea to swim with the sharks then I'll have no choice but to retaliate."

"Understood."

"Good luck."

And so the two partners parted ways.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

"Whoa! Man Neji! Watch where you throw people!" Naruto protested.

During their personal village evacuation, the rookie boys had come across the second clan genius of the village.

"Next time stay out of the way," Neji retorted.

Fallen enemy ninja were scattered around him. Sasuke went to one of them.

"Well, look who decided to leave the house on this fabulous morning," Neji sneered.

The Hyuga genius had resented the fact that Sasuke had fallen into such a pathetic state. He and Sasuke were equals. They respected one another. Neji had been outraged that Sasuke hadn't remained strong during Itachi's absence. Naruot was about to defend his teammate since his feelings for Sasuke's condition were quite the opposite. But he noticed Sasuke ignored Neji's comment. Sasuke sniffed at the body and Naruto felt bile rise in his throat when Sasuke took a kunai and sliced a chunk of the body off.

"Aw man Sasuke! What the hell!?"

"Yeah man! That's seriously messed up!" Kiba commented soon after.

"Relax. Its just fertilizer," Sasuke said, holding out his hand.

Sure enough, Sasuke was holding a handful of fertilizer.

"Looks like Zetsu's work."

"Zetsu?" Naruto asked, squishing down the arm of another body with his foot.

Yupe. Dirt.

"Zetsu specializes in plants. He's part Venus flytrap himself."

"First one's part shark. Then one's part clay. Now one's part plant? How many hybrids are in the Akatsuki?" Naruto asked.

"There's one that's part puppet and one that's part paper."

Naruto spread out his arms in a WTF gesture.

"Neji where are your teammates?" Sasuke questioned.

Neji's glare was full of ice but Sasuke matched it with his own cool gaze.

"Why the hell would I tell you? You're obviously not fit to handle a full-scale invasion if you can't even handle a little heartache!"

Naruto saw Sasuke's eyes harden and braced himself for their arguments.

"Are you going to stand there the whole time and tell me something I've known already? Or are you actually going to be a man and defend your village?"

"Don't you dare talk to me about honor or loyalty! I'd die for my home. But you? No! You'd rather sit in your room and cry for six months instead of standing up and solving the problem."

"Don't give me that crap! No one's perfect Neji. Not even you."

"I didn't say I was perfect!"

"Well then stop god damn acting like you are! I made a mistake. There's nothing I can do about that but I can make up for it now. So are you going to waste my time with pointless insults or are you going to shut up and listen to me so we can protect our home?"

"I'll never take orders from a pathetic slut like you!" Neji spat.

Naruto was on his way over to punch Neji in the face but Uchiha Itachi beat him to it. He appeared out of thin air and hit Neji so hard he flew backwards into the wall of a crumbling building. Before anyone could stop him, Itachi was before Neji, his shirt fisted into his hand. That first blow had broken Neji's nose, Naruto was sure of it.

"Itachi-baka! You dumbass! He's on our side!"

Naruto turned hopefully to Sasuke but he was already saving Neji's jerkish ass. Sasuke grabbed the fist Itachi had been about to use to possibly shatter Neji's skull. Itachi pushed Sasuke off which Naruto found very unexpected. That didn't stop Sasuke though. He latched onto Itachi and struggled to get him off of Neji. He told him to stop and to leave him alone but Itachi's murderous gaze remained on the dazed Neji. When nothing seemed to be working, Sasuke did something Naruto hadn't expected. Sasuke growled in frustration and pulled Itachi's ponytail back…hard…like he was reining in a friggin racehorse. Itachi yelped and instantly backed off. Sasuke pulled Itachi away from Neji by his hair, earning a rainbow of mature words. When Sasuke felt they were a safe enough distance from Neji, he let Itachi go.

"Ow! God! I hate it when you do that!" Itachi protested, rubbing the back of his sore head.

"And I hate it when you go around beating up everyone of my friends!" Sasuke retorted.

"He's not your friend. Friends don't call one another sluts. I wasn't going to let him get away with that!"

"Will you chill out! Your Mangekyo's showing."

Itachi then realized Sasuke wasn't making direct eye contact with him. He was looking at his face but not his eyes. Itachi felt the burning of the Mangekyo soon after. Itachi took a few breaths to calm himself down. He tried to blink it away at first. When that didn't work he concentrated more and shook his head. When he next opened his eyes, the burning was gone and only the red haze of the standard Sharingan remained.

"I'm sorry," Itachi apologized.

Sasuke glanced behind Itachi to make sure Neji was okay before turning his gaze to his own.

"You have to apologize to him later."

"So will he."

"Nii-san," Sasuke warned.

Itachi closed his eyes again to breathe.

"You finished up with him quickly," Sasuke commented, referring to Kisame.

Itachi looked back at him, relieved that he seemed to forgive him for his violent actions towards Neji.

"He didn't want to fight. He just wanted to talk."

"Talk about what?"

"He gave me valuable insight behind Akatsuki's intentions."

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock then narrowed a little in suspicion.

"Can we trust him?"

Itachi chuckled. Sasuke truly was a shin obi of Konoha.

"Yes. He's on our side…sort of."

"Sort of?"

"You don't cross his path, he won't cause trouble."

"Oh. I get it. So what did he tell you?"

"She's here."

Sasuke's heart skipped a little.

"You mean…"

"Yeah."

"But…you have her listed as most dangerous next to their leader!"

"Yeah."

"…Well? What are you going to do?"

"Kisame said she's most likely at the wall. I'm going there to--"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Sasuke--"

"She could kill you!"

"Aw. That was harsh."

"This isn't funny! You can't go after her!"

"I'll be fine Sasuke. All I need to do is scare her away. I'll be back soon."

Sasuke grabbed his arm when he turned to leave. Itachi met his gaze. It was full of worry and concern. Itachi hated to put Sasuke through so much but if he scared here away then this tease would be over and he would be safe.

"I'll be okay. I promise."

Sasuke was still reluctant to let him go but his hand fell from his arm.

"Be careful," Sasuke whispered.

"You too."

Itachi gave him a quick peck on the cheek before heading off towards the wall. Sasuke sighed, putting back on his poker face. He saw Naruto staring at him from where he stood above Neji. Shikamaru and Kiba were trying to wake up the older genin and Shino hovered nearby in the shadows. Sasuke approached them, avoiding Naruto's curious gaze and kneeling beside his comrades.

"Still breathing?" he asked Shikamaru in reference to Neji.

"Yeah. He'll live. I don't know if he'll wake up to help us though."

"Sure he will. Watch this."

Sasuke slapped Neji across the face and he instantly awoke with a yelp.

"You're cheating all over the place today," Naruto commented.

"All's fair in love and war. And we are in the middle of war."

Kiba and Shikamaru helped Neji to his feet.

"Okay," Sasuke said, getting to his feet. "Neji'll live. I haven't heard a lot of screaming so everyone must have evacuated and are safe. Now all we have to do is find Lee and Tenten and we can start hunting down the Akatsuki."

"You make it sound like a friggin Easter egg hunt," Naruto taunted.

Sasuke was distracted by Neji's slurred words so he didn't retort to Naruto.

"Wha…What happened?"

"You got punched in the face," Shikamaru explained.

"Hard," Kiba added.

Akamaru barked in agreement. Neji put a hand to his head and shook himself awake. His silver eyes fell on Sasuke and all his previous rage returned.

"It was that Uchiha bastard."

Neji purposely called Itachi a bastard because he knew it would piss Sasuke off. Naruto quickly put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to hold him back from Neji.

"Take your own advice," Naruto said to him.

But Sasuke's eyes remained full of ice and fixed on Neji like a hawk's eyes on a mouse. They all knew Neji was going to say something that was going to push Sasuke into the depths. Shikamaru and Kiba kept a hold of Neji and Shino slipped behind Sasuke to assist Naruto when he went Uchiha madman.

"I bet it runs in the family," Neji started.

The boys braced themselves.

"I bet you're just like your worthless brother. You're both traitorous whores!"

Shino was quick to grab Sasuke from behind, hooking his arms under Sasuke's and pulling him back. Naruto hugged Sasuke by the waist and pushed him back away from Neji and towards Shino. It was hard. Holding back a pissed off Uchiha was like trying to pin down a hungry T-Rex.

"Take it back you worthless piece of Hyuga trash!!"

"Make me Uchiha scum!!"

Naruto could hear that Shikamaru and Kiba were having equal difficulty holding back Neji. But Naruto knew that if Neji tried going up against Sasuke when he was this pissed he'd most likely end up getting killed. Just when Naruto thought he couldn't hold Sasuke any longer, a slow clapping resounded around them. The fighting froze and the single applauding continued. Slowly, six pairs of eyes slid to the rooftop of a building that overlooked the alley the stood in. A shadowy figure stood there applauding them for what, they did not know. Sasuke, with his all seeing Sharingan, could recognize the Akatsuki member clearly.

"What a great show of chaos. Well done. Encore!"

The six Genin straightened and eyed the man, Sasuke and Neji's fray forgotten for the moment. The Akatsuki member leaped to the ground. Five of the Genin got into their battle stances but Sasuke didn't move. His now red gaze remained on the Akatsuki's puppet master: Sasori.

"So this is the future of the imperial Konoha village? The same village that's so famous for its powerful ninja and unique techniques? Why, you're just a pack of spoiled brats. You can't even get along with one another. How the hell do you expect to lead a squad someday or…be Hokage?"

Sasori's eyes slid menacingly to Naruto. That was his target. This was his secret mission. Infiltrate the village and take the fox. How easy!

"You can't even hold onto your kunai. How do you plan on defending thousands of innocent people when you can't even protect yourselves?"

He sounded like he was addressing all of them but Sasuke knew he was only interested in getting into Naruto's head. And it was working. Though he tried hard to hide it, Naruto's hand was shaking from holding his kunai so tight. He was quivering from head to toe in a mixture of rage and fear.

"What are you waiting for? If I were you, I'd have killed me by now. You can't wait to long. Someone could get hurt."

As if on cue, a toddler waddled out of the shadows, wailing for protection. Naruto watched Sasori's eyes slide ever so slightly and then the kunai that peeked from his robe. Naruto lunged to shield the child but couldn't make it. A kunai whipped through the air and hit the child exactly in the middle of the chest, cutting off its wailing in a sickening choke and sending it to the ground with a thump. Naruto froze, throat dry, and heart skipping. He stared at the still body, unable to comprehend what happened. It wasn't possible. Naruto had seen the kunai before it left Sasori's hand. There was no way it could have made it to the child before him. Which meant…someone else had to have thrown it. Slowly, ever so ungodly slow, did Naruto turn around. His heart wrenched when he met the ruthless, blood red gaze of his best friend.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

Itachi stayed to the rooftops. Below, war ensued. A sea of bloody, sweaty bodies crashed around in the streets below him. But there was only one body he searched for. She was close. Origami men were tearing apart Konoha's shin obi defenses. He could sense her. The atmosphere grew darker as he drew nearer to the wall. Itachi was so focused on that foreboding chakra aura that he was surprised when a familiar masked ninja blocked his way. Blood was splattered on his face and matched the rusty red of his Sharingan. Itachi was about to greet him but then noticed the rage in his eyes.

Oh. That's right. I'm a traitor. Damn it.

"You're wrong," Itachi immediately said, trying to bring Kakashi to his side.

"Am I really?"

There was a frightening edge to Kakashi's voice that put Itachi on high alert. He had never ever seen him this pissed.

"You're falling for it."

"No! I'm not falling for anymore of your lies!"

"I'm not lying! I never lied about anything! This is exactly what they want. This is their plan. 'Being away from what you care about most is worse than death.' That's what their leader thinks."

"Don't you dare say 'they!' You're still one of them!"

"I'm not! Come on Kakashi! You're not this stupid!"

"Obviously I am! I was foolish enough to believe you had turned!"

"I have changed!"

"You're a traitor! You broke his heart. For that, I'll kill you!"

Before Kakashi made his move, a gust of wind barreled around them, bringing with it a sea of cherry blossom petals. Or that's what Itachi thought they were until one of them brushed his cheek. He felt a sting and warm blood trickling down his face. His hand whipped out, making Kakashi jump, and he grabbed one of the pieces floating through the air. It wasn't a petal. It was a small piece of paper. Itachi glanced up in the direction the wind had come. At the top of the wall, between two billowing pillars of black smoke, she stood. He met her gaze despite the distance between them. The flames flickered in her dark eyes playfully like she had been waiting for him to come and dance. She truly was a sadist. No wonder Leader loved her so much.

Kakashi followed Itachi's red gaze cautiously. He wasn't sure if Itachi was trying to trap him or not. Kakashi saw the girl on the wall but she didn't seem to see him. Her dark eyes were glued to Itachi and when Kakashi looked back, he noticed Itachi's eyes were also on one spot. It was like he didn't exist. It was just those two.

"Who is she?" Kakashi asked.

The name dropped from Itachi's lips like poison from an ivy leaf.

"…Konan."

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

"S-S-Sasuke…What have you done?"

Sasuke's merciless gaze didn't move to Naruto. They remained on the now dead child but he spoke to Sasori.

"Why don't you stop teasing him? He's not the one you came for."

"Why do you have to ruin my fun? And what would you know about my mission? I was told to fetch the fox and that's what I'm going to do."

"You were told to fetch the fox. Not Naruto."

Sasori's eyes narrowed and he focused on the Uchiha. He had to be careful around this one. Uchihas were masters of wordplay. He had learned that from Itachi. He was a smooth liar when he wanted to be. There was no doubt in his mind that his brother could lie equally well.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You really think the Hokage would have left the most fearsome demon in history in someone like him?"

It hurt Sasuke to see the pain in Naruto's eyes at his lie. He knew Naruto looked up to him so hearing him say something like that must have torn him to pieces. Naruto was strong but not strong enough to take on Sasori. He wasn't saying he was that strong but he'd rather have Sasori come after him than Naruto. Sasori still remained unconvinced.

"I'm the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Fourth Hokage locked it inside me. He's just a cover."

The others watched in stunned silence at Sasuke's lie and his bravery. Neji, who had been so pissed at Sasuke's weakness, was starting to admire him for his courage. He was putting Naruto before himself.

"That would make sense. You didn't fall for the puppet-kid trick."

"Puppet-kid?"

Naruto turned back to the child. It stirred and rose. Clothes, skin, and hair fell from its body and Naruto saw familiar joints and sharp things. Naruto recognized the weapon as a puppet from his days spent with Gaara's brother. Rage filled Naruto. He was so stupid! Of course Sasuke wouldn't kill an innocent child! Of course he knew it was a fake! Why the hell hadn't Naruto seen through it?

"You're obviously a better candidate for the Kyuubi's vessel. But since I really can't trust your word, I'll have to take both of you."

Sasori started towards Naruto but Kiba and Neji soon blocked his path. Behind him, Shikamaru and Shino were between him and Sasuke.

"Aw how cute. The little boy scouts are out on parade."

The four boys didn't let his teasing get to them. If Sasuke had enough courage to pretend he was the Kyuubi to save Naruto after being in a depression for six months…well, then they could be brave enough to stand up against Akatsuki and protect their friends.

"What are you little brats going to do?"

Shikamaru, being the master strategist he was, milled over all possible plans. He didn't know much about Sasori so there wasn't much he could plot for. All he knew was that he worked with puppets. He didn't know what his puppets were like. Were they anything like Kankuro's? Looking at the puppet that imitated the child, Shikamaru could see that they were much different in appearance. But did they operate the same way? Shikamaru had come up with plenty of strategies against Kankuro but didn't know if he could apply that to Sasori if his puppets didn't work the same. How many puppets did he have? As he had learned from Kankuro, puppets could be anywhere, anything, or anyone.

"Who's first?" Sasori asked, pulling his puppet towards him.

No one moved. Shikamaru didn't know what to do.

"No one? Fine. I'll go first!"

Sasori's puppet lunged toward Neji and Kiba. It easily barreled through them and aimed for Naruto. Sasuke reacted. Using his eyes as his guide he threw a kunai and hit one of the puppet's joints, halting it in its tracks. Sasori glared at him.

"You're just as annoying as your brother. Those eyes of yours are the most irritating things in the world."

"Then why don't you come over here and do something about it?"

"Fine so-called Kyuubi. You want a fight? You got a damn fight!"

"Sasuke what are you doing?" Shikamaru objected.

"Saving your lives."

Sasuke pushed each of his guards aside when the puppet came so he could take the hit. The puppet rammed into him and he lost his breath when he hit the wall. He tried to work past it to avoid the puppet but he couldn't. Something snaked around his ankle like a tail or a chain or something. But he was whipped off his feet and dragged towards the puppet and his master before he could investigate further. All the blood started rushing through to his head when he dangled from the airborne puppet upside down.

"Ha! Point for Akatsuki," Sasori mocked.

"Oh you think you're so cool don't ya," Sasuke returned.

"Yeah," Sasori sighed.

"Well keep thinking," Sasuke spat back.

"You know you're exactly like your brother?"

Sasuke gave him a smug smile.

"You're both bratty little assholes!"

"We have that effect on people."

"Put him down you son of a bitch!"

Sasori glanced back at the five boys. They were coming at him. He gave his puppet a silent command and easily slipped away with Sasuke as their hostage. The paused on a rooftop to glance back at the furious Genin.

"Let him go you bastard!" Naruto screamed.

"Don't worry twerp. I'll be back for you. You won't be apart for long. Ta!"

Sasori waved good-bye and ran away with his hostage-holding toy. It took four pretty physically fit 14-year-old boys to hold Naruto back.

"Naruto! Don't!" Shikamaru demanded.

"He's got Sasuke! He's got the wrong guy! I'm the one they want!"

"We won't let him get away!" Shikamaru reassured. "You can't just go rushing after him! He'll kill you! You're no good to Sasuke dead!"

"They can't take him! Not Sasuke! Not after all they put him through. He's supposed to stay here! He shouldn't have lied for me! He wanted a fox. I'll give him a god damn fox!"

"Move!" someone shouted.

Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, and Shino leaped away from Naruto just as his red chakra exploded into life.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

Konan gazed out over the burning village, a smirk on her lips. She watched the display of destruction with a critical eye. Everything was almost perfect. The boys had done a good job. There weren't enough screams for her taste but otherwise, she gave it a 9 out of 10.

"Don't you agree Itachi? Beautiful isn't it?"

You never had to look to know where was an Uchiha watching you. You always felt a gaze burning into you. Maybe that's why she never really like him. He was fire. She was paper. He burned her. When he didn't answer her, she turned to him. His gaze was blood red as always.

"So Kakashi let you go?"

"Not without a condition."

"I'd ask what but you'd never tell me."

Itachi didn't say anything, just as she suspected.

"What are you going to do little Uchiha? What's your ingenious plan this time?"

His eyes didn't reveal anything and once again he remained silent.

"You don't have to think to much you know. You're an Uchiha. You're masters of fire. I'm….well…me. Origami's my forte. Why do you think I never picked a fight with you?"

There was shock in his impassive eyes. She was proud of herself for catching an Uchiha off guard.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Itachi asked.

Konan laughed.

"Do you really think I'll tell you? You'll find out for yourself soon enough. In fact, here comes Sasori right now."

They both glanced to the side and recognized the red flash of Sasori's hair as he darted from rooftop to rooftop. He leaped to the wall not far away from them. Just before he left to run to the outside of Konoha, Itachi met the eyes of Sasori's captive. And, just like that, he was gone. An emptiness filled Itachi before the rage settled in.

"What the hell is he doing?"

He glanced at Konan. She ran to the edge of the wall and called to Sasori but he kept running.

"Sasori you idiot! He wants to fox! I told you to get the fox! I gave you a picture god damn it! Does that look blonde-haired and blue-eyed to you? Damn it!"

Growling in frustration, she turned back to Itachi. Oh yeah. She knew how that must have looked to him. He was bound to be pissed beyond belief.

"Just calm down. There's been a bit of misidentification," she tried.

"Isn't that what they all say," he said, his voice dark.

They both sensed the overbearing burning of demonic chakra at the same time. Itachi dived to the side, pulling Konan down with him, just before the section of the wall where they had been standing exploded with the collision. Itachi heard a familiar, feral snarling along with the inferno of chakra. They had come close to being apart of his path of destruction. Itachi and Konan sat up when the blazing faded into a slight heat wave. Looking down at the village, Itachi saw a long, giant trench cutting through up to the gargantuan hole in the wall only feet away from them.

"How the hell could Sasori get them mixed up?"

Itachi glanced at Konan. It was clear to him that it had not been Konan's plan to capture Sasuke. Her orders had been to retrieve the Kyuubi. Was Sasori just trying to piss him off? That seemed to be everyone's goal today.

"What are you doing Itachi?"

Itachi glanced up at the sound of Kakashi's scolding voice.

"You're letting them get away with Sasuke!"

"Would you shut up for one minute in your life!"

Kakashi looked taken aback by Itachi's sudden outburst. The Uchiha got to his feet and glared intensely at Kakashi.

"I'm sick of listening to you scold me about how I take care of Sasuke. I left to protect him! They would have killed him if I didn't listen to them. I did the best I could to keep him happy within those three months. I sent him letters. I sent him gifts. And it apparently was helping according to Ino."

"Then where were you the last three months? Maybe I wouldn't be so pissed if you had come back when you said you would!"

Itachi opened his mouth to answer but his words wouldn't come. His tongue went dry. He couldn't talk about it. He couldn't speak of the nightmares he'd been forced to endure.

"Um…that's our fault."

The two men glanced down at Konan who had been sitting cross-legged between them, watching them intently.

"You see, Leader doesn't take betrayal to well. When Itachi completed his mission we were ordered to gang up on him and toss him into our torture facility, Devil's Island."

Kakashi noticed that Itachi's eyes twitched a little.

"He was on his way home when Leader gave the order. Devil's Island is nearly impossible to escape. That's why he was so late."

Kakashi looked at Itachi in a new way. A torture facility created by the Akatsuki. Kakashi couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors Itachi must have seen. A ferocious roar from beyond the wall brought them back to reality.

"Naruto…" Kakashi said, recognizing the sound of Kyuubi's possession.

"If he hasn't killed Sasori by now then I definitely will," Itachi growled.

Before Kakashi could stop him, Itachi had leaped over the wall and disappeared after Sasori.

"That's one dedicated brother," Konan commented.

Kakashi glanced down at her.

"You're lucky to have someone like him fighting on your side."

"Why are you defending him? You threw him into a living hell."

"I didn't. I stuck to the shadows and watched."

Konan got to her feet and made some hand-signs. A few Origami birds peeled away from her skin and flew out into the village.

"What are you doing?"

"Retreating. Sasori screwed up out plan. There's no way to restrain the fox once its leaked out of its seal. Consider yourself lucky. We could have done so much worse to your village."

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

Sasori dropped Sasuke on the ground in the forests outside of Konoha, tied up in thick, chakra-sealing ropes.

"God! Could you have tied them any tighter?" Sasuke protested, using his legs to get into a sitting position against a tree.

"You're done talking little brat. Don't think you fooled me even for a second. I know your not the Kyuubi vessel."

"Oh don't give me that crap. Your just trying to make yourself sound tough."

Sasuke was cut off when Sasori's hand pressed against his mouth and he was pulled to his feet against the tree.

"I'm sick of listening to your cocky little mouth run. Don't think we haven't been watching. We saw what happened in the Mist village with Zabuza Momochi. We saw what Uzumaki turned into when he thought you were dead. The only reason I took you first was for bait. I know he'll come after you. And once he does, I'll take him to Akatsuki where they'll do so many different experiments on him. And don't think you'll be missing out on the fun."

Sasuke's yelp was muffled by Sasori's hand when his hand grabbed his ass.

"Deidara had a great idea for you. What better way to torment Itachi than to steal you away and chain you to a bed. The second we get back, I'm going to lock you in my room, cuff you to my bed, and duct tape your bratty mouth shut so no one can hear your screams for mercy."

Sasuke struggled against him and tried to cry out for help when Sasori started touching him. This was wrong. That hand wasn't supposed to touch him. That tongue wasn't supposed to taste him. There was only one person that could do such things to him and Sasori wasn't that person.

"When your tied up and pinned down, your true colors show. You're not that tough, bad boy ninja that picks fights. You're just a scared a little kid cowering behind a mask."

Sasuke could feel tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He couldn't handle this. He'd only had sex once and it hadn't been anything like this. Rape hurt more than the wounds of war. He couldn't fight through this. He could feel hysteria beginning to settle over him. There was no way he could escape Sasori. He was older and stronger than he was. The months of lack of movement had weakened him. Sasori was right. It was all and act. He had felt like passing out multiple times during the evacuation. The only thing keeping him on his feet was the will to be with Itachi. Sasuke tried to think about Itachi while Sasori was against him. He tried to imagine that it was Itachi's hands on him instead of Sasori's but that was near impossible. Itachi's touch was never so rough. He couldn't replace Sasori's touch with that of his gentle brother. Just as Sasori's rough hands slid down his pants, a feral bellow broke the sound barrier. In a swift movement, Sasori spun around behind Sasuke, hand still against his mouth, and held a kunai to his throat. They faced a glowing red and animalistic Naruto.

"Ah. That's what I was looking for," Sasori hissed.

"Let him go," Naruto demanded, a low, guttural sound to his voice.

"What are you going to do little fox? You don't scare me."

Naruto flexed his clawed hands and bared his fanged teeth. His cat-like eyes emanated rage.

"I won't ask again," he growled, sounding more and more like an animal.

"If you want him so bad, then why don't you come and take him?"

Sasori pulled Sasuke back against him. His hand slid down a little and Sasuke took advantage of that. He maneuvered his mouth open and bit down as hard as he could. Sasori yelped and dragged his hand away.

"Run Naruto!" Sasuke managed to yell just before Sasori hit him in the back of the head.

Naruto watched Sasuke hit the ground. He watched his raven hair spill over his face. He watched him go still with unconsciousness. And he listened to Sasori cussing at him. He listened to call him names like "bitch" and "whore." That was enough. Naruto got down on all fours, red eyes focused on Sasori. The puppet master was busy nursing his bitten hand and had let his guard down. Naruto pushed off the ground and lunged at his prey at an inhuman speed. He barreled into Sasori and propelled him at least thirty feet away into a tree that was crushed into splinters.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

As Itachi drew closer, the wage of a battle between demon and Akatsuki became deafening. The first thing Itachi saw once he entered the scene of the battle was his precious brother laying unconscious and bound in chaffing ropes.

"Sasuke!" he called, just in case he was still awake.

Itachi rushed to his side. He knelt down beside Sasuke, wrapping his arm around Sasuke's shoulders and pulling him onto his lap. He quickly undid the ropes that dared to hold his brother. Itachi gave him a gentle shake in an attempt to wake him up. He felt for a pulse and examined his head. He was alive and he appeared okay. Itachi shielded Sasuke from the debris that resulted from Naruto and Sasori's battle. Itachi knew it was inevitable that Sasori would not emerge victorious. He was already battered and bruised. His clothes were torn and he was bleeding. Naruto gave him zero opportunities to go on the offensive. The red-haired puppet master darted from tree branch, barely dodging the fox's charges.

Itachi had never seen Naruto like this. The monster snarling around him was otherworldly. Of all the demons Itachi had helped exorcise, none had been as fierce as Naruto. This wasn't even the full possession of Kyuubi. They hazy red outline of the fox around Naruto depicted a single tail. Itachi knew that the Kyuubi had a total of nine tails. If Naruto was this ferocious with a one tail possession, then Itachi could never fathom what would happen if the seal was completely shattered.

Sasori landed not far from where Itachi sat with Sasuke. He stumbled from weakness and leaned on a tree for support. Less than a second later, Naruto was there, clawed hand wrapped around Sasori's throat. A sadistic, foxy grin revealed Naruto's sharp teeth and a raspy chuckle emerged from his throat. Itachi could see Naruto's hand tense, ready to literally snap Sasori's neck in two. Just before he dealt the final blow, a familiar object bounced out of the sky and rolled beneath Naruto's feet. The demon had no choice but to jump away lest he be blown to bits by the grenade. Naruto jumped back to stand protectively over the Uchihas. The smoke from the blast cleared. Deidara had come to rescue Sasori just in time.

The two Akatsuki members were exhausted. They panted heavily. Their legs trembled with the effort of standing. Bruises, cuts, and dirt dressed their bodies. Their clothes were charred and torn. Naruto didn't make a move to attack them but his blazing eyes never moved from them. The enemy ninjas watched their opponent carefully. Their eyes fell on Itachi. They burned with hatred and the desire for revenge. He got the message that they would be back. Slowly, Deidara helped Sasori onto his bird, waiting nearby. Their eyes remained on Naruto warily until the bird sprang into the air.

And so Akatsuki retreated.

.:AlL tHoSe PrEcIoUs SeCoNdS:.

Naruto had pulled the demon back in so quickly, Itachi barely had time to blink. The two went back to Konoha, Sasuke wrapped safely in Itachi's arms. They stopped on the wall and examined the village. Fires still burned but water jutsu specialists were working to put them out. Medical ninjas darted about tending to the wounded and taking them to the hospital. In the distance, Naruto could see the citizens of Konoha spilling from the Hokage Faces. Naruto sighed in relief. The people they'd evacuated were safe. Itachi jumped down to the village ground in hopes of snagging a medical ninja to take Sasuke to the hospital. Though he seemed alright, Itachi wanted to be sure.

"Naruto! There you are!" Itachi recognized Sasuke's friends rushing towards them.

"You idiot! What were you thinking charging off on a demon rampage?" Kiba scolded.

"Calm down Kiba! You almost sounded worried," Naruto laughed.

Kiba punched him in the head, dazing him for a moment.

"Don't fight with him Kiba. We've all had enough violence for one day," Neji said.

It was only then that the boys seemed to notice the Uchihas. They gave Itachi wary, skeptical looks.

"Is he okay?" Shikamaru asked, nodding towards Sasuke.

"Yeah. I think he'll be okay," Itachi answered.

"Itachi!"

The boys turned and found Kakashi standing nearby. He glared at Itachi, clearly still untrustworthy.

"What did you do to him this time?"

Itachi bit back his angry retort. The last think he needed was to be a brat to Kakashi when he was this pissed.

"Its not Itachi's fault!"

Naruto sprang to his defense.

"Its my fault. I let Sasuke lie and say he was the Kyuubi vessel. I should have stopped that puppet guy from hitting him. Itachi wasn't even there when he blacked out."

"Maybe he should have been. A responsible guardian would have been there to protect him."

"What the hell do you want from me Kakashi!?"

"Sensei! First you want him to stay away from Sasuke. Then you way he should have been near him. What the hell's the matter with you!?"

At Naruto's bellowing, Sasuke stirred. His eyes fluttered open. He didn't look around. The first person he looked at was Itachi.

"Nii-san? What's going on?"

He glanced around at the soot covered faces full of worry around him.

"Its okay Sasuke. Nothing's wrong," Itachi reassured.

"Itachi Uchiha!!"

Tsunade's booming voice made everyone jump. She had a certain way of unexpectedly appearing from nowhere and scaring the crap out of everyone. The Fifth Hokage approached, amber eyes ablaze with fury. An Anbu guard trailed close behind her. Itachi could tell before she said anything that he was in trouble. The storm hadn't subsided yet.

"Itachi Uchiha. You're under arrest."

"What!?" the two brothers shouted.

"On what charges?" Sasuke asked.

"For high treason against the village of Konoha."

A/N: HOLY CRAP!! THAT WAS LOOOONG!! Well…its better uber long instead of uber short right? I put a lot of effort into this chapter! It took forever!! So I couldn't get the entire story done by my birthday but I'm close! Two more chapters!! Please PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!! This chapter deserves lots of reviews! Remember: THE AUTHORESS LOVES YOU!! Thank you! :)