Ohmygoodness, it's been a long time. Sorry about that, guys. Actually, part of the problem was that I fell off my Naruto kick for a while, and I only just started to catch up on the story. This does present a bit of a problem for Calculations, as things are revealed that were not known when I started this story, so I regret to say that I shall simply have to ignore recent canon from now on. (Then again, this whole story is kind of about screwing up canon, so there's that.) On the other hand, the recent chapters do a great job (in my opinion, at least) of revealing aspects of Itachi's character that haven't really been seen before and will make it easier for me to write about him. So that's good.

In another note, I'm kind of out of practice with this whole "writing for fun" thing, so this may be a little awkward. Still, I'm determined to finish this story, even if it takes me until grad school to do it (which at this point is looking like a distinct possibility). Thanks for bearing with me, and thanks to everyone who reviewed or added the story to favorites. You guys rock!

There, out in the darkness
A fugitive running
Fallen from grace
Fallen from grace
God be my witness
I never shall yield

Till we come face to face

"Stars" from Les Miserables

The day started out innocuously enough. Miyako reread some of her reports, organized the file room, and practiced her katana against one of the dummies in her room. Yoshiro wrote a progress report to send to Konoha, Tetsuya muttered to himself over a cough syrup he was making for a woman in the nearby village, Jun was nowhere to be found, and Rini, Ai, Daichi, and Osamu were out looking for Akatsuki's herbalist. It was quiet enough considering the number of people who were normally there.

And then things changed.

It started with a pile of papers. Miyako could have sworn that they had been perfectly arranged on her desk the night before, but when she came back a corner was poking out of the previously perfect stack. She frowned. Could she have missed that earlier? It seemed unlikely, but she had been working so hard lately that she really wouldn't be too surprised if she had. It was a little surprising, however, to see how much this bothered her. It was just a pile of papers, she told herself. It doesn't mean you're falling down on the job. But that lone corner was still haunting her two hours later when Rini and the rest of the field squad returned, no herbalist to be found.

"There was no sign of him," Rini shrugged. "He probably found out we were coming and hightailed it out of here." Ai twisted her hands nervously.

"We need to find him," she muttered. "Soon. Can't risk losing the lead. They'll kill me…"

"What?" Daichi asked, looking at Ai oddly. The woman shook her head rapidly.

"Nothing. Idle talk. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"We can look one more time this evening," Osamu said in his soothing bass as Daichi tensed up. "An herbalist with no fighting experience? He can't have gotten far."

"Let's hope," Yoshiro said dryly. "It would be a shame if you all weren't able to do your jobs."

Miyako hadn't said anything throughout the whole exchange, though she couldn't help but wonder how the herbalist could have possibly found out they were looking for him. The man who had given them the information was safely locked up in one of Yoshiro's special holding cells, and every member of the field squad swore that they had covered their trail taking him. There was a note in his handwriting at his house declaring that he had gone to visit his sister in Mizugakure (a useful tidbit Miyako had discovered while digging through his mind), and it seemed this was a trip he took fairly often. There was nothing to be suspicious about. So where was their missing herbalist?

She glanced back at that stack of papers and frowned. She knew that she had straightened them out after finding that corner sticking out, but if anything the papers looked even messier. She sighed inwardly and sent out a mental wave to her sister. Rini?

Her twin replied almost instantaneously. Yes, Straightface?

Did you go through my papers? I had them all organized and now there's a corner sticking out.

A corner? Heavens above, whatever will we do?

I'm serious, Rini. This is incredibly classified stuff. Yoshiro and I are the only ones who are supposed to look at it before it goes back to Konoha. Just stay out of my things, all right?

Miyako-chan, I haven't touched your things. Do you really think I'd be interested in a bunch of dry paperwork saying you've achieved jack in your interrogations?

Miyako didn't answer for a moment, leaning back in her chair and staring down at the papers in front of her. It was true, Rini thought that everything involved in interrogations was drop-dead boring. And besides, she had been either away or busy all day, so she wouldn't even have had time to come in. So how had the papers gotten messed up? She glanced over at the stack. It was odd, she hadn't thought to check what these reports dealt with. They weren't hers, she could see that much. Or at least the one on top wasn't. On a whim, she leaned over to read the top sheet, taking in the name, the interrogating officer, and the information received. There was more than they usually got, this had apparently been fairly successful. She turned the page and checked the same subjects on the next report. Another successful one. Was this just the success pile? She turned to the page that had been sticking out and read the name. Her eyes widened.

Oh no.

Miyako-chan? You there?

Miyako forced her thought-voice to remain calm. Rini, have you noticed anyone coming into this room lately? Someone you wouldn't expect?

Um… I don't think so. I haven't seen Jun lately, though, and Daichi's been acting a little weird. Well, weirder than usual, I mean. Why do you ask?

These papers that keep getting disheveled—they're interrogation results. The successful ones, the ones that tell us about informants or activity or something like that. And the paper sticking out is the one I filled out for the man who told us about the herbalist. It has all the information on his habits, where he lives, who he knows… anything you'd need to find him and warn him that Konoha's after him.

Where are you going with this?

Miyako took a deep breath. Rini, I think we have a spy.

So… yeah. I realize that was pretty short and I really am sorry about this, considering how long I've been gone, but I'm out of practice and I need a bit of time to get back in the swing of things. So as an apology, I'll give you guys a bit of a preview: in the next chapter we'll finish up with the Itachi flashbacks and that will soon be followed by Itachi and Miyako's first meeting in four years. Don't miss it, and don't forget to review!

In the early days of the telephone, operators would pick up a call and use the phrase, "Well, are you there?". It wasn't until 1895 that someone suggested answering the phone with the phrase "number please?"