Itachi stared at his guest with a raised eyebrow. Just last week he had sent Sakura's sister and now he was here himself. Itachi wondered why Kakashi suddenly couldn't leave him alone. Sakura was outside working on the garden, while the two men stayed inside, having a sullen staring contest.
"I'm sorry, I should have predicted this." Kakashi broke the silence first.
"Do not blame yourself, I have long since believed some things cannot be stopped." Itachi relaxed, understanding that Kakashi's sense of loyalty to their friendship was the driving force behind this visit.
He had been enraged when he first heard Tsunade had not destroyed the Kyuubi's scroll as she had claimed she had. However after a couple days of plotting the complete destruction of Capital City, Itachi calmed down and thought over everything more rationally. To start with, he didn't even know if it was possible to destroy a tailed beast's summoning scroll. One had only to look at Wind and their constant experiments with the Ichibi to understand it was magic that none could understand. If he had been in Tsunade's position he'd never throw away such a powerful, strategical artifact, no matter what potential destruction it had caused.
"I feel as if I have failed as a Spymaster. However, that is not why I came. Sai secured the location of an Orochimaru hideout, supposedly one he used around the time of Danzo's rebellion, I thought we could investigate. It's in one of the islands Fire took from Mist during the last war." Kakashi sat up straight, and even Itachi was suddenly interested. A hideout from the time of Danzo's rebellion would give Itachi information on why Orochimaru joined with that man, and potentially where he found the Kyuubi's scroll.
"Which one?" Itachi asked. Fire had taken over five of Mist's surrounding islands after the war, land acquired during the peace negotiations. Since Mist and Cloud had been the instigators, they both lost territory to Fire. Kakahi placed a hand on his covered throat for a second, before quickly moving it to his hair, in an attempt to hide his previous gesture.
"It's where we lost him… Gai…" He muttered. Itachi nodded, understanding Kakashi's sudden show of emotion. Before Itachi, since childhood, Gai had been Kakashi's best friend, practically a brother, as the two of them had been raised together by Gai's family after Kakashi's father had died. At the time Itachi hadn't truly understood the depth of Kakashi's pain and grief, but now he could relate to his friend in a way he wished he couldn't.
"When do you want to go?" Itachi asked him, hoping to distract Kakashi from the train of thought he was on. It worked, as Itachi watched his friend's eyes recover some of their spark with some relief.
"Whenever is convenient for you. I have my things in my safehouse in Konoha, so we can leave when you are ready."
Itachi stood up from his seat and walked to the window. From it, he could see Sakura curved over the herb area, tending to the plants he had asked her to grow. As if sensing his presence, she stood up, stretching her arms out. She turned around to look up at the window he was at, and upon meeting his eyes, smiled brightly. She waved and pointed at the ground. Itachi followed her motion with his eyes, trying to see what she was telling him. He noticed the bright blue specks on the ground, signifying that she had succeeded in starting to grow the Aether seeds he had given her. He'd have to congratulate her later, usually it took specialized wizards to grow Aether plants, but it seemed her miraculous skill with plants superseded that.
"Worried about her? We can take her along, if you'd like." Kakashi spoke up from the room and Itachi turned around, to direct his friend with a glare. He was not about to let Sakura go to a land that used to belong to a hostile country to investigate a hostile wizard's hideout.
"No. She stays, we leave this afternoon."
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Sakura looked over the small, glowing blue buds with joy. When Itachi had given them to her a month ago, citing they would be a challenge, she hadn't expected magic-infused plants that were more delicate than the rarest orchid. It had taken her a lot of experimenting with different soils, different amounts of water, light and fertilizer, but she had finally managed to get them to start sprouting.
As she put away her tools in the small gardening shed she was using for storage, Kakashi joined her outside. He had appeared this morning, looking a little worn out and Sakura had ushered him inside. She had originally been afraid that he had found out about her and Ino's secret knowledge, but he made no mention of that, and Sakura was happy to see him.
"Are those Aether plants?" He stopped at Sakura's side, looking at the small glowing blue bud. Sakura nodded proudly. She quickly swapped to her voice, all her tiredness melting away into non-existence. It was nice to be able to ignore a hard morning's work effects, but when she returned to her room and entered her bathtub, she was planning on returning to that, so that she could enjoy the relief of a warm bath.
"Master Itachi gave them to me, said it would be a challenge. It took me a while to get the right conditions as these guys are particularly fragile, but I think I finally have it." Sakura smiled proudly. She finished placing the tools inside the shed, cleaning off the last remainder of dirt on her apron. "Are you staying for lunch?" Sakura asked, wondering for how long Kakashi would stay. His previous visit had been extremely short, but since Itachi returned from the war, she had seen the two of them together a few times, and whatever wall there had been between the two before seemed gone.
"Yeah, Itachi and I are going out for a small expedition this afternoon." Kakashi smiled.
"Oh, where are you two going?" Sakura asked, wondering where Itachi was headed. Since they had returned to the cottage, he hadn't left at all. Even for provisions, he had sent Sakura alone to Konoha, entrusting her with magical horses and a list. She wondered what was going through his mind, but didn't have the confidence to ask.
"We'll be visiting an old friend."
"Can I come too?" Sakura asked, eager to meet anyone who was a friend of Itachi and Kakashi's.
"No." Itachi interrupted their conversation, appearing suddenly at the doorstep. He was wrapped in his travel cloak, with a bag at his side. "We leave now." He addressed Kakashi.
"What about lunch?" Sakura asked, hoping Itachi would be more polite towards their guest.
"We'll eat in Konoha after securing Kakashi's things." He started walking, moving past the shocked Sakura and out the gate, heading out towards the forest.
"I'll see you around, Miss Sakura." Kakashi smiled apologetically before following Itachi into the woods.
Left alone and shocked, Sakura stood still watching the two men until they disappeared from sight. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts as she slowly and dejectedly entered the now empty house, finding a single plate of food atop the empty table.
Maybe Kakashi told him, Sakura reasoned with herself. He knows that I kept secrets from him and he's now upset with me, she thought. Sighing as she sat at the table, she figured that if she would eat alone, perhaps she could at least enjoy the taste, now that she had nobody to listen or speak to.
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"That was rude of you." Kakashi scolded his friend as he strapped his bag to his back. He didn't use magical storage, so his pack was much larger than Itachi's compact one.
Itachi purposely ignored his friend, looking at the horses in front of them. He had wanted to use a teleport stone, but Kakashi insisted on traveling through non-magical means. The Spymaster reasoned it'd do them good to see the countryside, but Itachi knew there had to be another reason for his request. He wondered if Kakashi was intending on doing some investigating as they traveled south towards the islands.
"I'm good, we can set off." Kakashi expertly hopped atop his horse. Itachi mirrored his movement, and the two of them began to ride away. They didn't notice the envious stares of the other men around them and the admiring glances of the ladies as they made their way through the village.
The two men made quite a pair as they traveled through the roads. With the end of the war, several people that had fled to Capital City were returning to their original homes. The roads were full of people, and the two gentlemen on horses made a striking figure.
"We can stop there for the night." Kakashi pointed towards a small town, and Itachi nodded. The journey to Mist would take them three days by horseback, and he'd rather sleep at an inn than on the ground. Itachi had never stopped at this particular town, but as he followed Kakashi, he noticed that the Spymaster had to have some familiarity as he navigated the roads to the inn.
The inn was one of the largest houses of the small village, called the Fiery Spice. Itachi thought it was an odd name for an inn, but trusted Kakashi to lead him to the right place. Itachi wondered if Sakura had already had dinner, and what she had done during the afternoon. These days she spent her afternoons in the music room, as Itachi had put a stop to their afternoon study sessions. Now that he better understood the true nature of Sakura's curse, he knew there was nothing he could accomplish by performing random magical experiments on her.
Itachi still studied the journals he recovered from Orochimaru's lair daily, hoping to find something in there about Sakura's curse. However, most of the tomes detailed his experiments in necromancy, which didn't interest Itachi at all.
"Welcome! Need a room to stay?" The two men were warmly greeted by a plump, happy looking woman, who was carrying a stack of folded sheets.
"Ah yes, one room, two beds?" Kakashi asked, smiling back. The woman nodded.
"Talk to my husband over there at the other room, he'll give ya'll the key. We're kinda full at the moment with everyone headin' on back, but we have somethin' for ya boys." She answered, pointing at the adjacent room with a swing of the head. Kakashi nodded and set off to find the woman's husband while Itachi looked around.
The innkeeper was correct, there were several people huddled around the fireplace, some others were sitting by a large table filled with food, eating rapidly. Itachi wondered if they were all people who left their homes during the war, and thought of the destruction he had seen. If they were lucky, they'd be glad to see their house unscathed, but the Sound forces looted and pillaged everything they passed, and most people would see their lands and crops destroyed.
"I got the key." Kakashi rejoined him and Itachi followed him upstairs and towards their room, glad to finally rest after an afternoon on horseback. Once they were inside, Kakashi set down his things atop one of the two beds, and then faced Itachi, readjusting his cloak. "I'm going to look around the town a bit. You don't have to wait for me to eat or sleep."
Itachi nodded, understanding that Kakashi had his own tasks to attend to. Once he was alone, Itachi made his way downstairs to ask dinner to be delivered directly to his room. He returned there to wait for the food and to rest before the following day's journey. He wondered if he should look in on her, but chose to respect her privacy. He didn't know what she'd be doing, and he didn't want to potentially witness a moment where it was improper.
Feeling restless, Itachi took out Kusanagi from his pack, in order to practice some katas and movement. He hoped that he wouldn't find any trouble, but in the back of his mind the fact that Orochimaru had managed to escape troubled him. The next time the two of them met, he would make sure the snake wouldn't get away.
A soft knock sounded on the door and Itachi opened it, forgetting he still had Kusanagi on one hand. The innkeep screamed in fear, dropping the tray of food. Reacting rapidly Itachi cast a spell, freezing the tray, in order to prevent its contents from spilling.
"A sword! Oh my forgive me sir, it's just with the war an' all, it scared me." The woman breathed heavily as she leaned against the wall, staring at the weapon warily.
"My apologies madam." Itachi set it down, and grabbing on to the tray he released the freezing spell.
"Oh no, I shoulda been the one to apologize. Once yer done with the food just leave it outside the door and either me or my husband will pick it up." The innkeep left Itachi alone, looking like she wanted nothing more to do with him, and the Uchiha Lord sent an apology to Kakashi in his mind. He hoped he didn't potentially ruin any good relations his friend had with these people.
After the meal Itachi laid down for an early night, and falling asleep quickly, he didn't even notice the late hour Kakashi arrived.
The two of them set off again early, and completed their journey to the Mist Islands with no issue. Kakashi had somehow managed to get a message to the pier ahead of time, surprising Itachi with a ready boat and crew to take them to the Mist Island. By the time they arrived, Itachi was already ready to return to the comfort of his home. If Kakashi insisted on returning through non-magical means, he'd let his friend return alone.
"We should probably look at the hideout tomorrow. I need to meet with one of my agents to secure the exact location of the place. We can room at the army station here, it's safer to keep our presence here a secret for now." Kakashi explained. Itachi nodded, setting off to the army station, where Fire maintained a small group of soldiers to secure its control over the former Mist land.
When he arrived he was greeted warmly by the soldiers, as within the army ranks, the stories of how the Uchiha Duke had turned the tide against the Sound forces had spread like wildfire. Itachi spent the rest of his night surrounded by soldiers of all ranks, all of them interested in spending time with the Hero. They only left him alone once Kakashi returned, as the silver-haired man sent them all away, claiming he had important business to discuss with the Duke.
The two of them retired to their rooms, tired from the journey, yet anxious for the following day. They agreed to sleep early, and wake at sunrise to set off before the rest of the camp could slow them down.
The next day Itachi strapped Kusanagi to his back, and his magic pouch was full of potions and other combat tools. Kakashi was also wearing his combat finest, with his own sword and set of throwing weapons. The two of them left before anyone else was up, surprising the sleepy night shift guards. Kakashi made up a convenient excuse for their unusual garb, claiming they were there for combat practice. The guards didn't bother pressing further, letting the two of them go without any further questions.
Itachi followed Kakashi to the supposed location of the hideout, and when they arrived they were met with an empty field. Kakashi looked disappointed, but Itachi was prepared for it. He knew that wizards liked hiding things behind glamours, and he had the right thing for it. Grabbing a small white bag from his pouch, he reached into it and pulled out a silvery white dust. He blew it out, spreading it into the air. Whispering a small incantation, Itachi made the wind around them blow wildly, spreading the dust around them.
After a few minutes it settled down, revealing a small stone structure. Kakashi approached it slowly, and opened the door carefully. They weren't met with any traps, so the two of them walked in. There was only a staircase leading down into darkness, and with Itachi leading the way with a fire familiar to light up the path, they descended.
"I don't feel any magical presence here." Itachi noted. Their footsteps made prints in the dust, and Kakashi noticed that.
"It seems nobody's been here for a while."
"Indeed."
The two of them hit the end of the dusty staircase, revealing a wide hallway with several doors. The two men exchanged a look, and each one took a side. They opened all the doors and searched all the rooms, leaving only the one at the end of the hallway.
By the time they made their way over there, the two of them felt relaxed, comforted in the knowledge that there wasn't anything dangerous in the hideout.
"All we found were empty rooms. Not even tables or chairs. I don't understand." Kakashi mumbled as he opened the door to the last room. There were several candles in that room, and with a snap of his fingers they lit up, revealing the room.
The two of them looked around speechless. It was a huge laboratory, filled with different machines, tubes, and schematics. Itachi walked closer to one of the walls, noticing something that looked eerily familiar. Kakashi followed him, and the two of them stared at the picture in solemn silence.
It was a depiction of a baby with pink hair and purple eyes, and surrounding it were several magical formulas. Beneath picture, there was a list, written in Orochimaru's handwriting, the same as his journals.
A successful experiment should have pink hair, pale skin and odd eyes. Anything without these traits is to be used as food for the others.
"Itachi… this…" Kakashi sounded very concerned and Itachi mirrored the other man's feelings.
"And what the fuck are you two assholes doing here?" A third presence suddenly startled the two men, surprising them with its sudden appearance. Drawing their weapons, they faced the intruder, a man with pink hair and gray eyes.
Aether plants: these specially designed magical plants are extremely difficult to grow, requiring delicately maintained conditions. They are commonly used in different potions, as they're capable of diminishing the magical damage and side-effects a potion can inflict on a user. There are many wizards that specialize in growing and selling different types of Aether plants, as they're always in high demand by wizards everywhere.
Hello everyone, welcome to another installment. I had concerns about the changing viewpoints getting confusing for the readers, so I've decided to better separate them. Hopefully now everything is clearer. I changed the story's rating due to mature language. If you're concerned about it, it's because Hidan and his potty mouth will appear in upcoming characters and I decided to err on the side of caution.