Chapter Thirteen: Investigations

A/N: So I figured I could make good timing and update the story with not one but two chapters ^^ Again I would like to thank all of those who are reviewing and most of all for all those who are reading Being Bound. If it weren't for you guys I wouldn't have been inspired, or motivated, to write this sequel. Again Thank you and now on with the show ^^

After talking to Itachi, Sasuke had called V and me out to the dinning room. Apparently dinner was ready. At first I didn't, couldn't find it in me to move. What Itachi had found, what he had discovered was all pointing to targeting the Uchiha clan and using them to give that bastard the power that he wanted. A power that wasn't even his to begin with. What was more was that, by what Itachi had told me, everything was pointing to a jutsu that would not only replicate but use an Uchiha's power against them. How I wasn't sure but I knew that now not only was Sai's life at stake but that the future of my family's family as at stake at well.

I loved Itachi and Sasuke, one as the love of my life and the other as the brother I never had. As such what was precious to them was precious to me; so how could I not fight to protect the clan now. Especially when Itachi had asked me to marry him and I had agreed to do so? So what if Fugaku didn't like me, he didn't like a lot of people but he still talked to them and presented himself as a sociable and fair man; it was what he had to do so as to keep the clan alive and from being targeted. It was what any leader would do. So there really wasn't any need to worry about him, except that as usual I did worry.

After we were doing eating, I quickly went to the shower, got ready and crawled into bed. For a while I felt sick, my stomach was upset and my vision was sort of blurry. V wasn't a medic and despite being one myself I really didn't have the energy to check for myself what was wrong; I just felt so tired and drained. Therefore I left it as simply being tired and low on chakra. Sasuke had volunteered to stand guard but because V didn't really need sleep herself she had told him to sleep. At first he objected but in the end he and I both went to sleep; we both knew that we needed our strength if anything were to happen tomorrow.

Or rather I tried to go to sleep. But how could I sleep when Itachi, Sasuke, and Shisui were in danger, when I knew, suspected and had a gut feeling that, so was the clan. Sure they weren't my family, yet, but that didn't mean that as a shinobi, a kunoichi of the village hidden in the leaf I shouldn't help them if in need of it. What was more was that I wouldn't, couldn't just turn my back on the people that I would someday, probably soon, be calling my family. It was just unreasonable and too cruel to even consider doing. Eventually I fell asleep, but not before promising my self that no matter what I would keep Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui and their family safe.

When I woke up the next morning it wasn't so hard to act as if nothing had happened, as if what I had heard from Itachi wasn't so big, and as if there wasn't a care in the world. V kept looking at me as if I'd gone made but I didn't care, nor did I pay too much attention to it, because we had a task to do. Plus the sooner we got the mission done and over with the better. Sighing I walked out of my room, after getting dressed in "normal" attire, and turned to meet Sasuke as he walked out of his own room. He was wearing a pair of dress black pants, and a crimson T-shirt that had some band's logo on it. Mentally I smiled. He wouldn't admit it but I knew that he liked the band, that whenever he was on the mortal realm he'd make it a point to listen to some of their songs and catch up to speed on their status.

"Well don't you look nice." I taunted as I let my genjutsu wash over me. Instantly my hair was a dark black, my eyes a deep brown, and my skin looked tanned. The only thing I didn't, and refused to, change had been my facial features and bone structure. There was just no way I was going to stop being myself this time around; at least not until I got to the clinic anyway.

"Hn. Kakashi called, he said he, Naruto, and Sai are all ready to move. They're just waiting for you're command." Sasuke said. Nodding I turned to V. She was wearing a jogging outfit, one fit for a princess.

"Glad you liked it." I muttered before walking to the phone and called Kakashi. He answered in one ring.

"Taichou?" he answered stoically.

"Move out, you'll sense Sasuke before me and don't panic if you can't sense me. When you do is when you should move in. Clear?"

"Hai Taichou." was all he said before we both hung up. Nodding I turned to V with serious eyes. I knew she wasn't going to like the order I was about to give but truly I had no choice. I needed to be seen alone when I went into the clinic.

"You're going to head out with Sasuke before me. Meet the others at the park across the clinic and stay hidden. When you sense my chakra flare move in." I instructed. Her eyes narrowed and it was clear then that she didn't want to take my orders but none the less V nodded and turned to Sasuke. Without a word she bowed her head and waited for Sasuke to start moving.

"Sakura, maybe she should..."

"If what Tsunade-shishou's contact says is true then the medic, or medic's, at the clinic working for Danzo can tell the difference. She'll know what V is and I'm not about to let that happen. Stay with V. I'll be fine." I ordered. Instantly Sasuke's eyes were sharingan bright, looking me over as if looking for some sort of sign of weakness. When he'd found none in my genjutsu he nodded and walked for the door. Sighing I turned back into my room and strapped a couple of hidden senboun needles to my thigh. Just because I knew what I was going to get myself into, and the people I'd be surrounding myself with didn't mean there wouldn't be any danger. Not when some were working for, if not with, Danzo.

It didn't take long to leave after Sasuke and V. I knew that like Kakashi and his group, they would move fast and make it a point to be at the park before I arrived at the clinic. They wanted to try to see me before I walked in. Sad part was that even if Sasuke had gotten a good look at me I doubted even he would be able to pinpoint me out in a crowd. I'd lived among the mortals for years at a time and no one had been able to see me let alone find me; at least no one except for Itachi. Smiling I walked out of the door and headed for the clinic.

In truth I was looking forward to my so called visit, some of the nurses there weren't bad and almost all of them were kind. There only a few I'd never gotten along with but they were gone now so that wasn't something to worry about. As I walked among the crowd and toward the clinic I couldn't help but to want to test my team. Therefore as soon as I got close enough to the park I stepped out from walking behind people and walked right in front of them. None of the the flinched, though I knew that V hadn't moved, or said anything, because she silently understood what I had wanted to do, therefore she had simply allowed for her own chakra to flare and then die down again.

As I walked into the clinic I saw a long line of waiting patients and only a hand full of people on staff. Frowning I walked up to the window and noticed one of the woman behind it. She'd quickly asked me for my information, my symptoms and requested that I sign the release sheet without skipping a beat. Smiling I shook my head and refused to take the offering papers before speaking.

"Seems like I've come at a bad time. Should I come back to visit at a later date?" As soon as the words left my lips I had her and the nurses behind her, attention. All of them smiling my way, well all of them except one. That one had her eyes wide with surprise and anticipation. Clearly she was the one whom had been keeping in contact with shishou.

'Seems like we've found shishou's contact.' my inner muttered.

"Saya! You're back."

"Hey there girlies, seems like you guys have you're hands full." I noted with a frown. The nurse in front of me, Rose was her name I think, frowned too.

"Yea, the director stepped out, so we...hey how do you feel about doing some community service. I'm sure it'll look good for wherever it is you're working at now." Rose said, trying to talk me into helping. Mentally grinning at how easy this was going to be I placed a hesitant look on my expression. After a couple of second of letting them suffer I smiled and nodded.

"Sure, it'll be just like old times." I taunted.

"You're truly are a life saver Saya." she taunted before turning back and facing the nurse who had looked at me with surprise in her eyes.

"Kari, let Saya in through the back and get her ready. She'll be handling the major cases." Rose said, immediately taking the lead of head nurse. So she had been the one to take my position had she? Well too bad she didn't have the skill I did, then again no mortal would when I was a shinobi. A kunoichi with the training from our worlds most leading medic.

"Hello Kari-chan, I'm Saya. It's nice to meet you." I greeted her through the glass before walking around and to the back. Upon being let in she bowed her head ever so slightly. Not only greeting me as any medic would back in the hospital of Konoha but proving that I'd found shishou's contact. Once in an empty room alone she allowed for a small portion of her own chakra to seep out and bound the room to silence.

"Tsunade-sama send you?" she asked, not recognizing me. Smiling I nodded.

"Hai, I'm ANBU Captain Haruno Sakura." as soon as my name met her ears she bowed.

"It is an honor to..."

"No need for the formalities. After all we're both kunoich medics, ne?" I said with a smile. Smiling she ushered me over to where I cold borrow some scrubs and started speaking again.

"The director is out at ROOTs HQ. She took most of our medics with her, said something about assisting their small clinic and training them. Danzo doesn't have a clinic though, it's why he sends his operatives here." she had explained, turning as I picked up a pair of scrubs that would fit me and stripping.

"Do you know what kind of training they're doing? Why she send those she send and what they're teaching?"

"Hai. They're there to teach surgical techniques but only to assist. It seems Danzo has his own head medic there ready for whatever it is he's planning." she said. Sighing as I tried to keep my fear to over shadow my thinking I took in a deep breath and stood silently. He was moving ahead with his plan, and by the looks of it he was close to starting the procedure. He was only missing a couple of Uchiha for the process.

"Is there anything else you know, that might help me stop him." I asked, an urgency to my tone of voice.

"I know the surgery is to take place after he captures a couple of Uchiha's. He's been trying to capture some but his operatives never even make it close to the Uchiha's compound let alone to a couple of weakened Uchiha." she answered, worry in her own tone.

"Why the Uchiha's?" I asked. Shaking her head she silently told me she didn't know. Then, in the blink of an eye her chakra was gone and the room was left unguarded.

"It seems they fit will on you Saya-san. This way please." she said just as the door was opening. She was good, I would give her that much. But she still had a long way's to go in terms of technique and in spying.

'Don't judge by appearances, remember what you looked like and had to look like.' my inner reprimanded me. When the hell did she get to be so mature? Mentally I sighed and agreed to what she was saying before walking out and following after Kari-chan. Whoever it was that had needed the supply room hadn't asked us to leave but she and I both knew that at the moment not only did we have a mission to do but patients to see to.

"Hai, thank you Kari-chan." I responded before the both of us split up in the hallway. She going for the minor injuries while I turned and headed for the more critical. I wouldn't use my chakra, couldn't afford to actually, but that didn't mean I didn't know enough tricks to compensate for my lack of chakra and to help save the lives of those around me. After all every medic in Konoha needed to know a couple of tricks before going out to the field, especially when said medic wasn't just a medic but a fighter as well.

~Itachi's POV~

The remainder of the travel had not taken long. Once Shisui, Shino, and myself had rested a full night it was a simple task to run into Suna. Upon arriving the Kazekage's siblings were standing at the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Sand.

The woman was Temari, a capable kunoichi and one whom had gotten the Narra's attention. In fact if I was not mistaking the two were currently seeing each other.

"Captain Uchiha." they greeted. Nodding I looked around the area with my sharingan. There were several Suna ANBU lurking around, all of which were setting traps and preparing for battle. Instantly Hikari's fur was pulsing with chakra. For a while the kunoichi and her brother's eyes were locked on Hikari-san's form. They were both amazed, wide and yet unsurprised. They had encountered Hikari-san when Sakura had been send on a mission to Suna, of course they were familiar with the animal; they simply had not expected for her appearance to be at my side.

"It looks like we got here just in time for the fun." Shisui muttered. Smiling the woman known as Temari turned to face him.

"It may look and be fun, but don't forget what Ino will do to you if you slip." she taunted Shisui. Instantly he was quiet. Perhaps the Kazekage's sister was well acquainted with not only Sakura but some of the other kunoichi from Konoha. She had often spoken of her times in Suna, how she had enjoyed her mission, and her visits, there practicing with a fellow Suna kunoichi.

"The Kazekage is waiting, you may follow me Captain Uchiha, the rest of you Kankuro will show you to you're sleeping quarters." she spoke. Clearly she was in charge, a captain herself.

"I will not leave Captain Uchiha's side." Hikari-san suddenly spoke, causing the kunoichi and her brother to further widen their eyes. It seemed as if though they had just remembered who her summoner was.

"Is Sakura around?" the kunoichi asked. Hikari-san shook her head.

"Iie. I am here so as to assist this ANBU team. My mistress is on a mission of her own." was all she said before stepping back and beside me. It was clear that from that moment on she would be acting as my shadow.

"Taichou?" called Shisui instantly, hesitant as to splitting up. Shisui knew of my capabilities, he knew of my strengths and as such was the only one whom I allowed to worry and show it. However, at the moment there was nothing to worry about.

"Will you not follow orders Shisui?" I asked. It was clear the shinobi in Suna were familiar with our chakra signatures, therefore there was no need to hide out names from one another.

"Iie, I will follow." and with that he and Shino turned around and followed after the shinobi named Kankuro. If I wasn't mistaken he was Suna's puppeteer. Perhaps he would prove to be a challenging opponent, however we were not here to share fighting techniques, we were here on a mission.

"How is Sakura-chan doing?" the kunoichi suddenly spoke, all the while her face facing forward and her eyes locked in the direction we were going.

"She is well." Hikari-san answered immediately. She would answer on her mistress behalf and as such she would give Sakura the opportunity to tell the kunoich of our recent progress. Hikari-san truly understood Sakura and what she wanted.

"I see. Is she happy?" the bluntness of the kunoichi was surprising though was understandable now why and where Sakura had gotten her own bluntness from. Clearly this had been the kunoichi to which Sakura had been referring to.

"You were Sakura's sparing partner." I stated before Hikari-san could answer that time. It was a statement of course, however there was also no harm in allowing for the kunoichi to prove Sakura' words, and the truth, right.

"So she told you huh? Hai. We spared together when she was here visiting or when she had time in between missions. But you know, you didn't answer my question Uchiha. Is she happy?" the kunoichi was persistent. More so than what I would have anticipated had I given the time to think. Hikari-san remained quiet then for it was clear that the question had been meant for me to answer.

"Hn." was all I said however as we came upon the Kazekage's tower. Sighing the kunoichi turned to face me.

"Look, Sakura is a good friend, one of my best, so if you ever hurt her or make her cry I can guarantee I'll be sparing against you myself." she warned, her eyes narrowed and tone unusually low. Perhaps she did not wish for her Kazekage to hear her threat to the heir to the Uchiha clan.

"I will do no such thing."

"Good, now you'll find Garra on the top floor, he's waiting for you." and with that the kunoichi ran back in the direction of where we had met. She was a strange kunoichi, more so than what I had ever thought possible. However it was clear that she too cared for Sakura and as such would not harm her. Putting such thoughts aside I turned to the tower and proceeded to climb up the walls. Sakura was safe.

"The kunoichi cares for my mistress." Hikari-san stated, voicing her own observations.

"Hn."

"Perhaps it was best to tell her of the news. Mistress would understand my doing so."

"Iie. It will be her news to tell." Hikari-san was looking out for Sakura's well being, any one of Sakura's summoning animals would. However the news of her, our, engagement should be one that Sakura her self, or should she chose to have me by her side the two of us, had to do. No one else.

"Hai." and with that we slipped into the Kazekage's office. Instantly his eyes were on the large tiger beside me before he turned his attention to myself.

"Captain Uchiha."

"Kazekage-sama." we greeted one another.

"My mistress sends her greetings Kazekage-san." Hikari spoke while turning to the window and watching the citizens of the Village Hidden in the Sand below.

"How is Sakura."

"Well." she answered before turning to me and bowing. "My pardons Captain, we are here on official business." she spoke, stepping back and once again acting as my shadow.

"Do you have the scroll?"

"Hn." I said, withdrawing it from its hiding place as soon as the Kazekage had asked for the scroll. Upon handing it to him the Kazekage opened it and took the information he needed before turning to look at me with a questioning look. Had the hokage written anything about the scroll Sakura and I needed to decode.

"It is written here that you are to personally request for the information wanted in exchange for the one I've just received." he stated. Ah, so the hokage had written in some context that I was in need of assistance.

"Hn. Hikari-san?" I called and in an instant there was a silencing jutsu around the room.

"What is the meaning of this Uchiha?"

"My pardons Kazekage-san, however the information I need is something only a hokage or Kazekage would know. There is a scroll in my possession that proves to be a threat to Konoha. It is written in a code, a code you or the hokage would use. However the third passed before the scrolls discovery." When I stopped speaking the Kazekage looked over Hikari-san, almost as if unsure of disclosing the code within her presence.

"I am assigned to deciphering the scroll along Uchiha-san's and my mistress's side." Hikari-san answered his silent question. It was clear that she had felt and discovered his own fears as easily as I had done so myself.

"The information you're asking for is locked in a scroll." the Kazekage finally answered before sighing. Retrieving sad scroll would not be a simply task, not when the elders to the village would hold it in their personal and well guarded library.

"I will retrieve the scroll tonight, and summon you both when it is in my possession. However I may not permit for the scroll to leave this building. You understand of course." he said. Nodding Hikari-san withdrew her jutsu and bowed.

"Thank you for your assistance Kazekage-san." Hikari-san spoke.

"You may return to your team." were his dismissal words. Nodding and bowing both Hikari-san and I moved and left the way in which we had arrived. The sand made the landing impact softer, however the need for chakra was still there for without it one would break their ankles from the height in which the kazekage's office was.

It had been easy enough to find Shino and Shisui. They had been placed in an inn closes to the Kazekage's tower and their chakra was flaring so as to be tracked. There were two rooms. One where Shino and Shisui would share and the other where Hikari-san and I would be staying in.

"Have you found anything?" I asked Shino and Shisui. Smiling Shisui was the first to speak.

"Sand's ninja are expecting a group of rogues to come in and steal their latest poison. They're hired contractors, pretty high level if you ask me." he said. Instantly Hikari-san jumped to stand on the window sill. It was amazing how graceful yet deadly her movements remained despite her size. Truly Sakura was suited for such a summoning animal.

"There will be too many and the shinobi's traps will be off by a couple of yards." Hikari-san stayed sternly. Smiling Shisui jumped off of the small couch he had been seated at before strapping his katana into place on his back and nodding.

"Then maybe we should go help our alley's, ne taichou?" he asked. It was not surprising to find Shisui so excited to go into battle. Not since he had met his kunoich and they had begun to see one another.

"Perhaps, Hikari-san?"

"Hai?"

"Would you go to the Kazekage-san and report what you have noted. We will assist the ANBU until the Kazekage-san is able to send reinforcements." I spoke, not sure if the tiger would do as I asked or if she'd be willing to leave my side. She looked out from where she stood once more, her eyes locked on something far in the distance. Looking away from the outskirts of the village Hikari-san jumped form her place and onto the roof across from us.

"You do not have long before they arrive, I will return to your side as soon as I am able." and with that she was gone.

"Yes!" exclaimed Shisui as he once again strapped his katana to his back and turned to face the same room Hikari-san had been standing on.

"Let's go." he cheered. Where Shisui drew his energy from was not something that anyone understood nor something anyone had attempted in figuring out. He was too much of a child and gave too much resistance to simply take what one wanted.

"Hn." was my only response before he, Shino and I were running back toward the outskirts of the village hidden in the sand and to where our alley's would need assistance the most.

Upon arriving at the area those who were standing at the ready stared at my team and I with suspicion in their eyes. They were wise not to trust our appearance, however when the rouge appeared and we began to fight along side them there was no question as to who we were and what side we stood on. Immediately Shisui had begun with his sharingan active and with a mind jutsu that his kunoichi had taught him. It wasn't one that required to have the kekkei genkai she possessed however it was one that had surprised me at first. The mind jutsu in question was not only high level but rare among those who weld it.

Shino had wasted no time as well. He on the other hand had simply send out his bugs and drained the rogue of their chakra. The hidden sand village ANBU seemed to have had the rest under control therefore I had felt no need to act unless harm had been directed at myself. Watching the sand ANBU was amusing. I knew that our allies had been working on building their strength, however I had not known, let alone would have predicted, how strong they had become.

Then, just before I could act to save one of the sand ANBU from being struck with a poisoned katana Hikari-san appeared and blocked the attack before returning to my side. Her body was tense, her eyes held anger and though she had refused to speak of her troubles it was clear that there were some.

"Hikari-san.."

"I am well Captain Uchiha." was her short and only response before she turned and walked toward the wounded. In the end the rogue had been taken care of, the injured healed and casualties had been prevented. Shisui and Shino had returned to their place at the inn after dinner while Hikari-san and myself had been summoned to the Kazekage's office once more.

"It seems we owe you more than what you had originally come for Captain Uchiha." the Kazekage-san had spoke before turning to face Hikari-san. "You as well Hikari-san."

"Iie." the both of us responded before I stepped forward.

"Perhaps it is time that we exchanged information. What you have to offer me may just very well prove to aid us in the up coming battle."

"The village hidden in the Sand will stand by Konoha. I will send a team of sand ANBU to Konoha as my payment for your assistance." he spoke sternly and coldly. It was not that he was a cold man, rather it was simply in his nature; just as it was in my own. However unlike myself he seemed to have allowed himself to get close to the knucklehead of Konoha.

"Hn."

"About the scroll, I can not lend it to you. However I may decipher it for you here. The room is secure I assure you." the Kazekage-san spoke. Sakura seemed to trust him, Hikari-san as well; therefore would it be wrong to allow him access to the scroll. The hokage-sama hadn't objected to the idea, in fact she had encouraged it if all else failed.

"Hn." was all I said as I summoned the scroll and my notes. This would not be a short process, however I had to believe that it would end this mission and send me back to Konoha where I would be able to await for her return and see for myself that she was well.