Note: Thank you for the reviews Suzuya107, they're much appreciated. Also, thank you to everyone still reading this story. I'm sorry the updates are so limited, but I hope you're still enjoying the story.

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Sasuke grimaced as he woke up the next morning. A cool breeze was washing over him, but it wasn't the familiar blistering wind he was used to. It was in short, even strokes, which felt pretty good. He cracked open of his eyes open to see a blur of white. After a moment, he focused enough to realize he was in a hospital room.

The soft blowing had been coming from a fan. A fan being held by a medical assistant, from the looks of it. He squirmed a bit as he noticed he was tied to the bed with his hands held apart to prevent any jutsu. He groaned, trying to protest, but no words coming out. The assistant had stood up, looking started by his waking. "You're awake! Calm down, we aren't going to hurt you. You were found badly wounded in the forest by one of our Jonin. He had to knock you out to prevent you from hurting yourself. You're just tied up so you didn't panic and go on a rampage. He said you were in hysterics." a cool wrist pressing to his forehead.

"You seem to have eaten something bad. It's upset your stomach, plus the wounds you sustained has you in bad shape. Here, let me loosen these. You need to eat something easy on your stomach." loosening the ropes as she sat him up into a sitting position. She didn't untie his hands as she shoveled some oatmeal into his mouth. "You're lucky the leaf found you. There are a lot of dangerous ninja on the loose in the area between the sand and the leaf. Both our kages have just been killed by some monsters, you know?" a sad look crossing her face. "If you had run into them they might have killed you on a whim. Is that what happened? Were you attacked by them? You seem like a strong ninja despite your age. If so, I'm impressed you escaped." she smiled.

Sasuke scowled as he was forced to eat the oatmeal. Those 'dangerous monsters' were his family. They would never do this to him. He couldn't say that, though. "I don't know. I was just heading home when I was attacked out of nowhere." he lied easily. "I didn't get a look at who it was that attacked me. They were fast."

He noticed a brief look of skepticism on her face, but she quickly hid it. "Oh, I see! Where are you from? We can send your village a message." she offered.

"I don't live in a village. I live alone in the forest between Suna and Konoha. There is no one to call. I can head home myself." he lied once more, not wanting to lead them anywhere towards his actual village.

She nodded, standing up as she finished feeding him the bowl. "Alright. Well, you get some rest, and we'll let you head out. You should wait until you're rested though. We've healed your stab wounds and the rest of your wounds. The only one we couldn't do anything for was your lips. They're too infected right now. We'll heal them in a few days."

He nodded, watching as she headed for the door with an unsettled feeling in his stomach. Soon she left, and he was alone, though unable to sleep very well as she had told him to. How could he in such a strange area?

When Sasuke woke up, it was to the sound of an approaching ninja. His eyes snapped open, his muscles tensing on reflex as a tall silver-haired man came into view. The man seemed to be paying him little attention until he arrived at the bed. It was only then he snapped shut the book he was reading and sent Sasuke a smile. Sasuke knew it was fake-- he had seen enough of them to know. This man was trying to warm him up. This only made the young Uchiha all the more nervous.

"Hello, I'm the Jonin who has been put in charge of your housing until you recover fully. The village has decided that it would be best for you to stay with an experienced ninja, just in case the ones who attacked you come back." and because they didn't trust the conveniently injured teen, found just after the assassination of two kages. Not that he said that, but it was clear. "So, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself. It doesn't look like you'll be healing anytime soon. Name? Likes and dislikes?"

Sasuke sat up in his bed, crossing his arms a bit with a glare at the older ninja. He must have got the message as he carried on easily, "Alright, well, I'm Kakashi Hatake. I like a lot of things. I don't particularly dislike much. There now, it's your turn."

Kakashi Hatake? Hadn't Itachi mentioned that name before? Sasuke paled a bit. That was right-- this was his brother's former ANBU captain. Which meant he would easily be able to identify him if he wasn't careful. Sasuke kept his arms crossed, looking away as he answered. "I'm Tasukeru. Most people call me Tasu. I like it when other people aren't annoying. I don't like it when other people are annoying."

Seemingly not thrown off by his sour response, Kakashi nodded and motioned the boy up. "Alright. Let's head out then. Once we make it to my house we can get you untied. Your arms are all torn up with rope burn." though not from the ones the leaf had put on him, Kakashi noted.

Sasuke bitterly followed after him, keeping his eyes lowered. He hated looking as though he was shy or nervous, but he also knew the rage at being reduced to a glorified prisoner of his old village would spark his Sharingan. He didn't need them automatically flashing on because he was feeling a bit off. That would blow his entire cover. He needed to lay low-- at least until he figured out how to get out of the village and towards home.

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Around this time, Itachi and Kisame had finished sneaking into the sand village. It was a lot harder than normal-- the kage had just been assassinated-- but Itachi had insisted on not killing off any of the troublesome guards. Sometimes Kisame wondered why he loved his pain in the ass of a boyfriend.

They heard whispers of the kage's death, but nothing on any captured prisoners. So that could mean two things. Either the council of Suna had it under wraps and was keeping it a secret from the villagers, or Sasuke had escaped. Itachi hoped for the escape option, but it didn't seem likely. There was a lot of sand ninja who claimed to of been knocked out. Sasuke would have been far outnumbered.

As such, they would have to go undercover. They needed to get access to the main building, but no matter how much they provided at it, there was just no opening. Itachi didn't want to hurt the guards, but he also was going crazy with worry over where his little brother could be locked up.

Kisame wasn't fairing much better. He had come to see the young Uchiha like a younger brother himself-- how could he not, watching the little squirt grow from angry babbling to confident trash-talking? The only difference was that Kisame knew Sasuke was a strong ninja. Itachi did too, of course, but his overprotectiveness clouded his reasoning.

As it was, oddly enough, Kisame became the voice of reason on this mission. "Itachi, I'm sure he's fine. We'll find an opening, the squirt is tougher than you give him credit for." though he had a bad feeling in his stomach as they peered around the corner at a pair of diplomates discussing business in their private yard.

Itachi glared at his partner. "You don't know that. He doesn't have the necessary skills to survive that many people. He could have been killed on the spot for all be know-" his words were cut off as Kisame covered his mouth. Itachi's Sharingan flashed in warning, only stopping as Kisame motioned to the two men speaking to listen in.

"Yes, did you hear? The little runt they found at the scene of the Kage's murder got away. Temari-Sama and Kankuro-Sama haven't released his name yet, but hear rumors that they're pissed at the kid. I doubt he'll get far." one mused to the other, who nodded.

"Yes, yes. I hear the kid was foolish enough to leave his chakra prints going north of the village. It looked like he was headed straight for Earth County Territory. Doesn't the kid know we have a treaty with them? They'll hand him over the moment they hear about the huge reward Suna is putting up."

The men seemed pleased with their conversation, so pleased they never even noticed the increasing look of anger on Kisame's face, nor the cold stoic one on Itachi's. The two slipped out easily-- they didn't have time to deal with idiotic gossiping politicians. They needed to head north, after Sasuke.